The Irish standard., 1894-10-06
Almost all knowledge is acquired by au

Almost all knowledge is acquired by au
thority.
Our Lord tells us things that We can
not prove and that He will not prove to
us. For example, the doctrine of the
Holy Trinity, which we cannot grasp.
If, however, His credentials have been
examined and have been admitted, then
must all the doctrines He teaches be ad-
mitted. Such has ever been the teach
ing OF the Catholic Church. When, as
We read in the VI. chapter of st. John,
Our Lord proposed doctrine which to
some Of the disciples was "a hard saying,
what did He do. He the loving master
who had come on earth to save sinners?
He let his disciples 60. They sinned
against reason; they were the first Pro-
testants, because although they had ad-
mitted His right to teach they objected
on the score of what he taught. He let
them go. Better let 10000 go than fore
go that principle so full of consolation to
all succeeding ages.
Then Luther came. He wished to re-
form the church and men listened to him.
Men of keen intellect, who were able to
weigh and sift evidence, listened to this
one man who wished to reform Gods
masterpiece, the institution which Our
Lord came on earth to found, and which
YVES to teach truth to the end of time.
What should they have done? They
should have said: "Show us your creden
tials; show us by what right you cay the
spouse of Christ is not true, that Christ
has failed to keep his appointment aud
has taught error. II the church must be
reformed, it must be reformed by it's
author, or one whom he authorizes"
Luther said the church had enchained
the word of God. What doothers say in
this age of enlightenment and investiga-
tion? The church had enchained the word
of Cod. Is it so? Yes; and why? So
that people might read it. Think what
the Bible was in those days. It was not
the book Of today, which can be turned
out of the press by the hundreds, but
the book over which the holy monks and
nuns in their quiet cells had toiled
months and years in order that it might
be placed in the cathedrals for the peo.
pie to read. Does any one claim that
nowadays the directories are chained to
the counters of our apothecaries' shops
| so that people may not have access to
them?
The men of today boast of the fairness
of investigation, and are critical in their
weighing of evidence, yet they admit &C.
cusations by which more than 100000, 900
OF people are condemned, and they have
never taken pains to investigate evidence,
and the Catholic church Is condemned
without a hearing.
! What is reasons attitude to the Bible?
Reason acts sometimes as though it
would say, If the Bible proves it right to
teach, I will admit it. I will be glad to
admit it if it teaches me more truth. ]
will welcome it as I would welcome q
friend. Reason goes farther still. 1t
says probably there are truths beyond
the range Of my own vision, but these
truths must be authenticated. One man
cannot know all things we'll. Only Gods
infinite mind can know all things. If,
therefore, one wishes to get information
ON some particular subject, he goes to
one who has learned all re can on that
subject, specialist, one who speaks with
authority. Even he may make mistakes,
It man comes to me as an ordinary
teacher, will listen to his ideas, and if
be can prove them l will accept them,
but when man comes to me and says,
you must believe these truths which
do not intend to prove, truths upon which
| rests your eternal salvation, reason rebels
and says, "Show me your authority .
God knowing all things, knows that if He
sends teacher He must send him with
authority. This is proven by the exam
pie of Moses. We read in Exodus that
God said to Moses, II have seen the
affliction of my people in Egypt" Moses
said to God: Lo, shall 60 to the chill.
dren of Israel and say to them: the God
of your fathers has sent me to you. They
will not believe me nor hear my voice,
but they will say: The Lord hath not ap.
peared to thee. Then the Lord said to
him: What is that thou holdest in thy
hand? He answered: A rod. And the
Lord said: Cast it down upon the ground.
He cast it down, and it turned into ser
pent, so that Moses fed from it. That
they may believe, saith He, that the
Lord, GOD of their fathers, the God OF
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the GOD
of Jacob, hath appeared to thee. Then
Moses went forth and the people
believed him because of the miracles per-
formed. They were critical people in
those days. They wanted the authenti.
cation and Moses had the power of the