Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-18
nod finally ordains that "the said old
and vulgate edition be printed in the most
correct manner possible.

Rev. Mr.. Thomas gives his own version
of the decree, and then tears to pieces that
same version. Unfortunately for him, his
version of the decree is purely his own.
"From that moment, he says, mo ROM
anist has had the intellectual right to doubt
that the vulgate entire, that is, every book
and every chapter of the same, with all its
parts, that is,every verse, every clause, every
word, and, for aught know,eve letter Of
the same, is sacred and canonical."
The impartial reader can examine the
DEGREES of the council; he will not mistake
their meaning The council has in con-
sideration smatters of faith and of morals
pertaining to the edifcation of the Chris
tan doctrine matters brought up Gin
public lectures, disputations, sermons
and expositlons," and for such
matters the vulgate is de-
clared authentic. So far is tho council
from decreing that every word and letter is
authentic, that it orders an edition Of the
vulgate to be printed in the "most correct
manner possible" intimating that absolute
perfection is not possible. The term Eau
thentic'' the church borrows from Roman
Jurisprudence. A document is authentic
when it compels credence, either when it
is shown to be the original itself, or, if Q
transcript or translation, to substantial
ly conform to the original. The vulgate,
all Catholics profess, is in all matters of
moment, in matters of faith and morals,
pertaining to the edifcation of the
Christian doctrine, in other words, substan-
TALLY conform to the original manuscripts
of the inspired writer's. So far as words, incl
dental and immaterial expressions, elegance
of style. the more or less complete render
ing of the shade of meaning of the origi-
nal-the church leaves these matters to
''Ohristian scholarship" That is the
meaning of the DEGREES, the obvious
reading of tie DEGREES themselves, the
statement of the theologians and fathers of
the council, the continuous action of the
church, the testimonies of numerous
Protestant writer's, place beyond all doubt.
Cardinal Manning in giving this meaning
swhittles down" no decree, unless that de-
cree be Mr.. Thomas own version, and
when am supposed to differ from Cardinal
Manning in Interpretation of the DEGREES I
am supposed to do, not what I wish my
self, but what Mr.. Thomas wishes roo to
do.
When God gave the scriptures to his
church he willed that through the course
of ages they should be preserved
substantially correct. This much was
needed in testimony of the faith. He
might have guarded every word; it was not
necessary, and he does not work miracles
needlessly. Through his mercy to his
church Catholics not only know what books
were once inspired, but they know that
they possess to-day these books in an au-
thentic and assured form, and for this GER
tainty they thank the Giver Of all good
gifts.
In presence of the true Interpretation
of the DEGREES, Mr.. Thomas objections fall
to the ground. 'The vulgate, unlike the
works of God, had been pronounced per-
feet before it was created" The wit here
is quite pointless. The vulgate, as ap-
proved by the council, existed, and had
always existed, in the church, in her re-
ceived text, which, scattered as it may have
been in many manuscripts, and many edi-
tons, was always substantially one and
the same. It approved the accidental
matters in no manuscript or edition.
Now, if the Trentine decree is opposed
to Christian scholarship, let the places in
the vulgate deserving of censure be
marked out. I await tho information.
Every book and every part Of every book,
in the true meaning of the DEGREES, will
defend on the ground of scholarship-in-
Guiding the passage relating to the pool
of Bethsaida, which I have once before
defended, against Mr.. Thomas, quite we'll
and scholarly, as he himself afterward ad-
mitted.
AS to the imaginary war between Popes
Sixtus aud Clement. 1 have only to re-
,us; k t:las The differences between the two
edi io4s were simply the correction by
tho one of typographical errors in the
other, and changes in minor things.
There WAS no substantial difference be-
tween them. Neither edition professed to
be free from accidental errors. That
| there we're some disputes among
| the theologians who lad charge of the
| editions regarding minor renderings, I do
not deny. The questions of this nature
we're the Legitimate property of Christian
scholars, and they had the right to their
own opinions. The vulgate to-day is not
perfect in these minor matters; the edition
is simply as good as it was possible at the
time. There may be some day in the fut-
ure revision of the vulgate. But the re-
vision will make no substantial changes; it
will not leave out whole passages; it will
not throw Catholics into biblical Chaos
and with that revision if it comes in our
/ odyo VAAs WAeAAOuo Pi&yAAS wv NVAAo-
gogue" still speak of the ''Biblical chaoss
among Protestants.
| A mistake IF Mr.. Thomas right here is
ratherl amusing. Sixtus, he says,
declared the plenary authority of the edi-
ton for all future time. lille deteSr,ss was
his confident language'lsone pope puts
under anatheIns an edition which he calls
eternal Sixtus never dreamt of s1ch .
thing as calling his edition eternal Mr.
Thomas only read the two first words of
the pentifcal letter; it was enough for
him, as if they referred to the edition.
his theory OF papal contradiction was all
right; had he moved another step he would
nave seen that the He aeternus refers to
the Almighty, whose eternity no doubt Mr..
Thomas will admit.
"Aud now, having shown these two spe-
ciications Of error to be true, I hold tina,
my thesis is proved This is Mr.. Thorn
as conclusions, l beg to hold that it is By
no mears proved-except in his OWL
miad.
| TEE SCHOLARSHIP OF THE yULGATE.
Our chief argument in defense OF th'
vulgate is the teaching of Gods church