The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-14

StoiltI anu IIiiuel
An immense congregation was present
at ST. Augustus Church yesterday to hear
Father Pardow on the subject, The
Catholic Church Before the Tribunal OF
Reason.
Father Pardow began by reading from
chapter Ky of the Acts of the Apostles,
the description of the first council of the
church He said in part: Il call atten-
ton in a very special manner to this
council Of Jerusalem. as in il we see the
church in the working dress. not on Mt.
Tabor. surrounded with the glory OF
heaven but on a very commonplace
piece Of earth facing human difficulties.
! call attention. also, to the human ele-
ment in the Church OF Christ. From
supposing that Christ should have elm
mated completely the human element
from his church. its history is not read
Alright The Bible tells us that in the
first council of the church there was
much disputin@ Acts Ky, :. But why
should there be any disputing if Christ
is ever with his church to guide it? |
answer, Christ wishes his apostles and
their successors 10 use their own natural
powers Of mind; he wished them to study
the question before them thoroughly AMI
he only promises to be with them 50 that
they teach nothing but what is true in
matters of faith and morals. But listen
to The decision as We read il in the
49,. a. .+t, -,,,,,7 ,-oa7 n The Holy
't'''
| spirit ana 10 US. Does h'' 'i''S So'''''
/ like presumption? How do these Few I'M
educated men dare to pronounce on what
! tba Holy Ghost thinks IT is only be
/ -. -. r,,,,.,,,I,o,. ~, words If the
~
dlNihe ci'4iteI % liie eii'i u 90
! teach an Things whatsoever nave com
manded YOU and behold I am with you
All dav even unto the contamination Of
I , ,,-,,17. ,-I..,- INN. pronounce indy
- u,
! lliehl vi d NeiE "ei7'i'' A'"t'-' "'-' CO
! discussion is a end.
AS in the first council of the church.
! there ,z-as freedom If discussion. 50 was
.,,.;1 49, 90 ~,
aucah- ne boy spirit uoe7 Aol IeNedI
new truths 10 the church. but merely
guides her TO understand Alright the rev
aIatioDs alraa5,- made The tribunal If
. -. -, ,,,t,
e-'''' i-'7 i-''i1iA's ~ soy 7''i--"
BUT a stlll "elghter matter hau 10 De
I settled by the Catholic Church, namely,
/ the canon of the Bible what was really
Bible and what was not. To judge from
/ the way in which some people speak Of
4 the Bible one would be led 10 think that
! Christ had the New Testament all writ
ten out and printed before He assembled
/ into heaven. The fact is that the collect
! ing Of the various writings that go to
make up the New Testament was the
work Of the Catholic Church. People
4 forget that there Were many written
I claimants to the distinction Of being
I Bible besides the four gospels and the
( Acts and the Epstles which we now
I have There We're in the early DAYS Of
/ the church the GOSPEL according to ST
Z Thomas. the Gospel of Nicodemus, the
! Acts Of ST Paul. the EDistles Of St
4 Clement. of St Barnabas the Acts of St
4 Andrew. and a great many others looked
upon by many as the word of God The
church was called upon to decide which
1 or all these writings was really the word
! Of God and which was not Counting on
the power conferred by the divine char
ter. they selected some, rejected others.
our separated Protestant brethren re-
fuse to admit the infalibHity of the
church, and Yet they unhesitatingly adj
nit all the writings now found in Inc
I New Testament solely on the authority
Of the church. Now. the church is either
infallible or she is not. If she is not, then
she may have admitted into the Bible
what is not really the word of God. but
only human words. and so the divine
authority Of the Bible disappears. II she