New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-02
CATHOLICS AND THE BIBLE
ATTITUDE OF THE ROMAN CHURCH TOWARD
THE HIGHER CRITICISM
= THE AUTHOR Or THE POLICY OF THE POPE
IN THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW.


IN THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW.
The doubts and difficulties which rack the minds Of
educated Catholics have their source IN the am
bguous attitude which We are forced TO take upon
The subject OF historical science applied the stacy
OF the Bible. We believe and know that holy
resion not being founded upon Biblical records has
nothing to fear from Biblical criticism: ard
member with pardOnabe pride that long his
torical science in Its Infancy. this speculative
doctrine was embodied in palpalhe shape, and our
scholars enjoyed and exercised absolute liberty to In
qnlre into the history OF the documents and weigh
the value OF the narratives Of the scriptures. And
We now observe with undissuised alarm that, science
harvest we are forbidden To cal OF the ripe fruits OF
knowlsdge illica investigations are discouraged ;
subsidiary pathological studies ir0wncd down, Tie
lips OF our lew scholars sealed, and the light OF the
Bible kept In chronic eclipse by the intervention Of
an opaque theological body.
On the one hand our infable Church assure us
that, Whatever the verdict OF natural or historical
Tack. ON the other hand II most powerful AGENCY
has been set In motion for tlc express purpose o.
which the verdict Of science Is hidden away. Now. II
there be indeed no danger. whence comes the lear
The promise! II Is because we Implicitly trlis. III
that promise, the heirs OF hopes too fair TO turn
om. false ,ha we so araen'y dsr1 'hy Which, have
sprung from what we hold to be craven Tear: Ih,s
be- undertaken and accomplished by Leo Kill whom
we reverenly looked up from me Gay Of n ms ir
lion IA the heaNcn-ScEt bfing'r OF peace anu Hbh'
Fourteen years have elapsed since then and today ny,
while the newspapers pompously proclaim that the
rope. and that Germany anxloisy awaits her fate
from the decree OF the Vatican or hearts monrhiuy
whisper that upon us, his children the door oi nope
Is closed. -
And yet our desires were not eyorbitant nor our
complaints the oh"Tc crowd i' Of et te
faithful" to imbibe Biblical wisdom at ITS lonnlan
h S nd T0 Sa nosS %n We eo
not any ancient practice count' nanced by TIE UNI,
versal Church hut wholly new spirit whi',, coe'hi
with the progress OF historical science Is peco ne
S in our pn' ba In fs soas as osen
and Jerome: after the Reformation We could justly
boast OF the scholarly Masius the oratoian, r. Simon,
ard the physician Astruc. Today We hang Tar henns
with shame when, In . scientific introduction tr III.
books OF the old Testament. In which the u DOTS OF
scholars are enumerated and the value OF their dis.
the following: 81 consider that can dispense WIZ
mentioning the works Of modern Catholic throioGnn,T,
In the sixteenth century Tie pion, en,'"',.,
Masius fearlcssly taught that the Pcniateuch was
not the work OF Moses In the seventeenth century
the Oratorian, Simon, undertook TO prov .ne SAM
thesis and In the eighteenth century our apoi"e,9t
Astruc. the first TO suggest the cetror'cu a,s
tinc,Ion between the Elolisc and Jahvisiic sources
in Genesis But I'm the year Of grace 1873 we are
taught by the mos; learned Of orr pr9ipr van con
posed in the sixteenth fifteenth century u; -;
that at has come down 10 US In lis snb'tlli'liI III
tcgrity as Il left the hand Of Moses. with IN" eNccp
lion Of the narrative OF his death" and that COD
Himself IS the writer OF the Bible mus ~hne .l
Lutheran, Anglican and other churches have ae
moshcd the sea wall and allowed the scientific wave
I" sweep over the footprints Of ancient and mediaeya
rear lest our garments should be moi'cncd by the
spray And the voice that Sernly bids u. thus re,
treat in fear tells u IN the SANE walk IRON ON tho water
without dread Of sinking while our less avop rnnm
bors must perish. Whence this strange "h'aso"''"'
We desired to new direction given to h'lc Td
studies TO behold the Chinese wal o. PASSION m, the
GENIAL light Of tho nocnday sun from me r'aaers u
the Book: and liberty formally ACCORDED !" ,aon u,
irN
the Old and New Tesaments as thry %cu'h ~, 'l Ike
into that Of the lliad" or ne.cor"hes and
obtain for them fair share in determining the d.
aefs Of the teaching Church .,, fancy
hear many M npologis eScaim Tho traditional
hesis chimes in Mr. Lazy "rcss upon n no osrr
oiagcs You or to hc"vc as , c9 Snas wcr p.
CatRolic communion. that all our sacred doom, ,h
Snics commonly attributed 10 them. or Una. lh',r
human authors possessed In all ca,'s % science
or ~ secular history upon which they had TO touCn
OF course he adds the formal aoc,nne =. Tho
Sorhonne nj Louyan. even at Rome, IS ano,her.
For myself, confess that SUCH S 3mno ihc formal
tis Of the church Is thing and The cur
reu, teacI,ng in Catholic schools Is anoth,r nn,
according to The new dGc,rnr 'a arI ,hc position Of
The faithful who are honnd 10 h,li'N' al" hold he
cody y, ,he .trachinc as well the doemas Of
IN. inialllMe Church. Tn" oIy ~, w. IN the
The cnnrlh j. may conveni"niIy rrpudlae the Other
should ia. other prov" erroneous E' W
tina! rh the ieans Church" makes known to us IN
very emphatic terms that the results ol ba,o r ~
sm false and dn tnh # IN" is our bcundcn
dm,v 10 ns,cn. believe and he silent. AIa ~, W.
are materially assisted IN ,, ,r Of The "t,ching
Chlrchs itself our young men are o ~ ~ n,mca
Kept from all oTSn1 hc5 5sr "f those whom eccentric
tastes or exceptional duties impc 70 u,o% who
selves to such S,nd Pr%'I 10 The cxicn, Of being
unable to dccpher a Hebrew WORD ior NO. .,,t,c
are determined to master The din y hrcn thought
Tongues Catholic dictionaries nave n,' surnomntrd
Iii nrovdrd: while the few who nave shrh ti, -
ali these artificial Obstacles an, ana So whspr Their con
The tree OF knowledge are IAN 10 " t f,om coy"s-
nc,,ons TO trusted friends In places lr.s no ,r onv
droppcrs This Is hardly hal' 10Y eo of these patio
ui s"mn,ons can BE- grateful only TO h",' ,atl
ocs who study the past without rr s ;an ' vet ended
aHnrr 10 relate than all else We have c r"ar
teachers and scholars VINO Gay r,iral theories and
after year PROFOUND and uphold ' nrt ,hcy begcve
srseus which In their heart OF hgr,, my .u, may
~ bc false TO silence these sn ,n but Is
p" PERM ,r,dcla to the Church. which mus, ,n at
long views Of exPcdlrncy, "S Tv candles kndles
Th second reason why cannot accept W.
standard, by which he ana LAM
,he results Of the "hIgher cri'lcin IL, y" whVe I be-
, ,hat ,hnt has in the main successfully hrro ny
,,sbcd IL, work! There ar" sun. no o" ra no, vet
pils.%% -, Questions ON which scholars are n". ~
81 "n and undue stress has been iaid upon ,, nsc
a, r rco"gans who indus,ronsly sex lor Of
pcasons for rejecting the fnndnmeh d p, rnnr cum.
- pnl,cai criticism Conclusions basd u,"D ,ho
a., n', Evidence while appealing powrrniiy 10 @
Judicial mind are peculiarly am a,,,u 10 " Tn" results
81 IN" S,sher criticism though all Of Uni, nraabe
.. ~" ~ many cases certain. In oher' meh'y p'oa ,I
ara ~ vet strange to say: The advoc, " welfare
Anu { i..r, I'm matters affecting the ,ermn ", 'h
is ,rho arc able to discern proDhpli,y Nv
onn,ons Of two or .hree theoogans. 'Gn "arnr
op,lp"S With tho belief Of the cn'lr" eaind
nroh lose their fine critical acnmei WIFI re
mon to apply 1t TO the fruits oil '"c "'''o
searches. ,,o,c pi,lcal scholars were
AN, mcrons and important few years NJ W..
in IN" DAYS Of Ewald. Iieng,'emn'rg anu !" his aCom
slnc. ~ The uexatcuch- and "Prolegomena 10 w
aory Of Israeli unanimiy prevails ca -, ali the
,: r. the bible by the same uniform ss,.a ,h
w Saus beliefs and alone are len s,rMreo
re's ,,,hnuch I am unable 10 nccep, 'r. LII, .
I,u ,,ons am quite willing to test ms ns sur .s
hat The Church does not obhgr US ,he Rihe and
.th iS;s object view declare , ianr cri;csm