The Irish standard., 1894-04-14

IN AND AROUND THE CITY.
THE BIBLE NOT NECESSARY.
Not an indispensable Medium Of Communi
e cation Between God and Man.
Father Cleary in his discourse at Nor
mama hall last Sunday evening answered
the question 'tCan we Get Along With
out the Bible?' in an interesting manner.
He said in part:
In order to be able to clearly realize
whether the Christian world could dis.
pense with the Bible we must first con-
slider whether the Bible is absolutely
necessary in order to imp + divine truth
to men. We know that divine revelation
of supernatural truths has been crying
need Of the human soul. God has plaiuly
spoken, because the human mind has
been hungering for knowledge of eter
nal Things. In diverse times God had
spoken through the prophets, but finally
He spoke through His son. While,
therefore, God, the eternal truth, recog-
nized the necessity Of revealing sublime
mysteries to men by the indisputable act
Of revelation. he in no way has indicated
the imperative need of being taught by
means of books or sacred writings.
God inspired the authors If the sacred
Scriptures to record some portion OF His
divine word. But nowhere do we learn
that divine command was given to pre-
serve among men, by means Of printed
page, the teachings of divine truth. ln
the old dispensation God appointed the
prophets and the priests OF the jewish
religion tic be tho teachers of his people.
Their lips should guard wisdom and
the people should hear from their mouths
the law" Teaching and hearing Gods
word is' often commanded, but mention
isnot made of reading and deciding for
ones self as means OF learning things
divine. During the marvellous mission
Of Christ in the world, be preached from
the mountain, he taught the multitude
out of the ship, he spoke openly in the
temple, but no one has ever claimed that
he left after him written record ct his
teachings, or gave command to any one
of his followers to write down his sacred
words. Had the Bible been necessary
for planting the seed Of divine truth in
the minds and hearts of men, Christ
would certainly have provided plain
and complete edition of the Old Tesla
ment Scriptures and would have super
yised an edition of the new. he, OF
course, did neither one. He left no IN
structions for the preservation or distrl-
button OF the Old Testament, and, when
he assembled into heaven, no part OF the
New Testament had been written. We
must, therefore, infer that the sacred
writings, although divinely inspired, are
not essential to the establishment or pre-
servation of divine truth, ''Faith comes
by hearing, and by hearing the word OF
God" says st. Paul. The commission to
"teach all nations" which Christ gave
to HIS apostles is plain and unmistakable.
He commanded the M to teach, not wrlte'
to preach the Gospel-not distribute BIZ
bles--to every creature. Hence the Cos
mel was preached and his Church firmly
established before one word of the New
Testament was written. The New les
lament is partial record, by four evan
pelists, of what Christ said and did. 1t
makes no claim to being a complete
summary of the Savior's teaching. The
epistles of the different apostles we're, as
occasion suggested, addressed to the peo-
pie whom they had already converted to
the faith OF Christ, aud are not presented
as an introduction to a knowledge OF
Christian teaching, but rather exhorta
ton and admonition for those Who have
already received the faith by hearing the
word of God. A book is a most unsatis-
factory teacher, unlessit Is supplemented
by an interpreter. A book is silent
mocker at the helplessness of the human
mind If placed in the hands of him who
cannot read it. .....
II men depended for divine faith on
the Bible before the art OF printing Vas
invented, but few indeed would have
been blessed with knowledge OF Chris
tian teachings, for books and bibles were
rare articles indeed. The Bible is
precious treasure, but not an indispen-
cable medium of communication between
God and man. God answers the ques-
lions OF the human soul by the living
voice of His divine SOC, who commits
stoned His spotless spouse, His Church.
to teachin His name till time shall be
no more"
BY THE WAYSIDE.
The Floyd boys were sent to the state
nenjtent;arv at Saltwater last Monday to