The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-24

not mentioned AZ eli I'LL iloiu o. 10 Aoo
years after St. Johns death, and of the
other thirteen five are quoted by but one
writer during the same period. Newman
pointed oct that the Epistle TO the Hebrews
was not received in the West until the
time of jerome; that the book Of Esther
is not quoted in the New Testament,
is not admitted by two consider
able fathers of the church." but
we receive it from tradition a. we
do "The Song Of Songs" There Is
stronger evidence for some esr IL church
doctrines, such as the Eucharist. than we
have for parts of the Bible. Newman
further points out that there is not sim
gle text in the Bible in favor OF infant
baptism; that ST. Paul nowhere urges so
important q duty on parents; that there
is no text allowing Us to take oaths; that
the Holy Ghost is nowhere expressly
called God; that the word trinity Is
no more in Scripture than the words
altar, absoiution and succession; that
the doctrine of original sin depends upon
one or two texts or implications; that the
doctrine of the stonement may be re-
garded as figurative by those who explain
away the doctrine of the Eucharist; the
doctrine of justification by faith only is no
where declared and is expressly denied BY
the Apostle James. Newman argues that
the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist is
not as irreconcilsble with the accounts OF
its institution as the second chapter OF
Genesis with the first. Newman argues
that if we believe that Balaam's ass in
structed Balaam; that the serpent tempted
Eve, there is nothing incredible in the
church's doctrine that the water of
baptism cleanses from sin. If we can be-
Eeve the deiuge, the story of Jonah and
the whale, the miracle Of the pool of Be-
thesda, why scout the Catholic doctrines
added on the strength of the traditions Of
the church.
In other words, Cardinal Newman says,
If we apply historical criticism to the
traditions of the early Christian church,
we shall soon apply historical criticism to
the Bible and Christ himself The argu-
ment Of Cardinal Newman is that the
Bible alone does not prove the facts or
doctrines maintained by the orthodox;
that it requires to be supplemented by
some external guarantee, and that exter-
nal guarantee he finds in the Catholic
church. He holds with st. Augustine,
who declared, II should not receive the
Bible unless the authority of the Catholic
church moved me to do se." Newman re-
jects the modern historical method of
Biblical criticism because he declares that all
free and independent inquiry must lead to
the destruction of belief. Newman says
he was driven to take refuge in the
authority of the Catholic church where
belief is made precedent and reason con-
sequent, because his reason tells him that
the direct evidence is SO utterly inconclu-
sive that skepticism can only be cured by
an authority which suppresses RATIONAL
ism by force. Newman substantially says
that he ceased to be Protestant and be-
came a Catholic because he saw that the
Protestant idea permitted the application
of historical criticism to the Bible. and
ultimately to the estimate of "the publi-
cation of Christianity as merely an histo-
Ilcdl event WHICH uOuAueV uuulhu tuOugub
and society, not as something divine and
independent of u.s."
Newman nearly fifty years ago predicted
that this is what the age is coming to-"
and he lived to see his measure of the
logical drift of Professionalism verified IN
the attitude of the great church schools of
Calvinistic theology in America, whose
leaders, speaking by the mouth Of DR..
Briggs, hold that divine authority is not
in the Bible alone, not in the church alone,
but also in reason. Cardinal Newman
lived to see two of the theo-
logical seminaries of Calvinistic Protest
antism declare their departure from
the old doctrine that the Bible is the su-
preme rule of faith and practice; revolt
against the doctrine of eternal punish
ment; throw aside the theory of verbal
inspiration, treat miracles as having no
valne as convincing Christian evidences
and believe lin progressive sanctifcation
after death"
1t was Rome or Reason; Cardinal New
man preferred Rome; predicted the com.
ing of DR.. Briggs, the ultimate Protestant,
and Lo, he is here.