The Irish standard., 1893-05-13


the original scriptural writings, the
Chronicle writer says: among other re-
suits Of all this we have to abandon long
entertained notions as to the authorship
of certain books of the Bible and as to
the age Of their composition; nor can the
idea be maintained for q moment that
every sentence and word in it is or can
be direct revelation from the Holy
Spirit and consequently an absolute
truth, whether referring not Only to faith
and morals but to history, geography,
astronomy, or zoology" This explicit
stateroent has startled Professionals who
accept the Bible as their sole rule Of faith,
according to each person. peculiar inter-
probation of it, and who have no evidence
Of it's authenticity or inspiration, the
fidelity of theirscopies or the real mean
ing of the text. It is therefore no wonder
that the article provokes much comment
among them and that their preachers
may make it the subject for discussion in
their pulpits and meetings. Those Pro-
testants who look upon the Bible as un-
inspired think that the writer in the
Chronicle has advanced very radical and
liberal views, and a reporter OF Mime
apolis paper was dispatched to interview
Bishop McGolrick on the subject That
learned prelate saw nothing alarming in
the articles, and declared that the Cathe-
lie Church had never defined the time at
which the various books of the Bible
were written, nor whoA the authors of
them were, and that there was good rea-
son to suppose that one Of the books
ascribed to Moses was written by another
man. ''The Church." said the Bishop,
"has always proclaimed the teaching of
st. Augustine who said: 4 would not be-
lieve the Scriptures unless on the au-
thority of the Church. He added that
the Church has always known that the
Scriptures we're defective in many parts
and that a number of the books had been
entirely lost, and that there is absolutely
no proof from the Bible itself of it's inspi-
ration.
The Professionals made great mistake
in taking book as guide to salvation
especially as that book cannot be under.
stood by even the best educated minds
Had Christ ever intended that His re-
ligion should be learned from book, He
would have written it Himself or com.
manded his apostles TO write His gospel
for the conversion Of the world. The
word of God does not consist in the let
ter but in tho meaning which the Catho'
lie Church can alone explain. It was the
Church that collected the books and pro-
nounced upon their authenticity thous-
and years before the birth Of Protestant
ism. The true rule of faith of Catholics
is the whole word of God, both written
and unwritten, subject to the interpreta-
ton of their Church. Without the
Church the Bible would be stumbling
block to them as it has proved to be to
the Protestant sects since the days Of
Luther who taught that every man could
use it according to his own private 1udg-
ment. No legislator ever made laws
without providing judges to explain and
enforce them, and it is ridiculous to be-
lieve that divine laws, any more than
human laws, can be explained or enforced
except by competent judges who are del
egated by God for that special work.
Again, the Protestant editions of the
Bible contain many errors and mistrans-
lations from the original languages in
which it was written, and the original
manuscripts are not any longer in exist
ence. No Protestant is sure that when
he is reading the Bible he is reading the
word of God, for as the writer in the
Chronicle says: "As manuscripts and
versions come to light in greater number,
and we read them with eyes wiser in the
intricacies of dead languages, and intent
on closer scrutiny of textual structure
and style colorlng. scriptural variapts'a are
multiplied, and interpretations by later
writer's and translators are discovered.
The most skilled scholar and linguist is
reduced to mere guessinge, on points
vital as to doctrine or moral precept, and
with this fact before our eyes. We can ask
in woadernent, how it could ever have
been possible to give forth the Bible az
the sole rule OF faith to all men, un-
learned as we'll as learned, under sone
one form Of translation, as living. speak
ing witness to that faith, upon which sal
walton of souls depends"
It is to be hoped that the articles in
our esteemed contemporary, the North
Western Chronicle, will set our Protest
ant friends to thinking of the insecure
on which their faith rests.
The Bible is only partial rule of faith,
and it is not very safe guide to reach
the abode of the blessed.