The sun., 1899-12-31

sible answers to the Inquiries rropoundcd by
Cog and Orega," touching the motives ol
judas. are wonderfully treated and weighed
by that very talented and admirable artist.
roet. sculptor. all-rounder. William Wetmoro
Story. In "A Roman Lawyer In Jcrusalem."
After reading and re-rendlng II you will doubt
less conclude that Lord Dundreary's wise saying
applies: That's something no fellow knows.
NEW foRK, Dec. IL. MAaoo.
A Roman Catholic View of the Authority
of tho Bible.
To THE EDITOR OF THE suS-Sr: Accord
ing to Episcopalan writing in THE Sun. the
foundation OF a building being an essential
portion OF It. the Church could not exist I'll the
Gospels wero written. for they are the foun-
dalton OF the Church. Now. the Gospel OF
Matthew was written about six years after
Christ's death. and John wrote his sIIty-three
years later. Christ died about ~ A. ID. Honce
II was near the end OF the hrst century before
tho Christian Church was founded. Who. then
IL It's founder?
The fact II. the Church existed before the
Gospels were written. The whole Christian
religion, leasing says. wns believed and taught
before word Of them was written. Tho words
prescribed in baptism were used before the
Apostles committed anything to writing. from
and primeval revelation was transmitted by
word Of mouth. When Moses was near dying
he told his hearers to consult the ancients.
aud accordingly the Vatican Council says
that supernatural revelation IL found IN the
Bible and In tradition. Briggs t'The Bible tho
Church and the Reason admits there were
truths taught by tho Apostles not In the Bible.
but these truths were not transmitted
in an insallible way. Roman Catholics
hold the Bible Is inspired. and is
profitable to teach. to rerroye and correct. but
they do not recognize 1t as the original medium
OF revelation. or sufficient to teach the truths
OF revelation to one who has had no prellmi-
nary instruction In tho faith. They hold that
you might as we'll put the calculus into the
hands OF a boy who had never heard OF arlth-
metc as the Bible without some instruction;
that II you may say you are interlorly illumi-
mated ny tho Holy Ghost you deny the
sufIlciency OF the Scripture: that the orig
inal revelation was made to a fcw chosen lnd-
vlduals. and thoy communicated It to others:
that msn believed the truth ~ substance thou
sands OF years before Christ. and hundreds OF
years before letters were invented: that the
primitive Christians learned the faith in the
same way or by word Of mouth: and that the
Church received it's doctrine and its
constitution Immediately from God. AMI
not through the medium OF the written
word To have received tho written word
the Church must have been in existence. as Is
evident on the face OF the New Tes;anent. the
Gospels and Epstles having been addressed
to the Church already existing. The Bible pre-
supposes the rudiments OF faith and the los
pels were written for believers and tho Epistles
to correct some errors Christ taught by word
Of mouth. lie selected twelve believers 10
preach from the housetops what He hnd told
them conndentlally and In seclst. He told
them to go forth and preach. not to write.
The Jews In tho captivity lost the Hebrew
tongue In which the Bible was written. and
spoke a mixture OF Syrac and Chaldean. Now.
It Is certain the Bible was not translated into
Syrlac For fourteen generations. Therefore. the
Jews had no Bible In the vulgar tongue. The
Scripture was real In their synagogue. and
psalms sung In an unknown tongue. and Christ
found no fault Hence He did not consider the
written word necessary for salvation. The
Apostles did not have the Bible translated into
the language OF the people. Peter aid Paul
lived a long time In Rome. yet they did not DO
this. In fact. Paul wrote his Epistle to tho
Romans In Greek. 1t is true the learned knew
Greek, but Christ's doctrine was for all, II
Christ commanded all men 20 read tho Bible he
would order an i'm possibility. for He knew that
there were. and there would be. millions who
could not read. Then. again, he could not refer
to tho New Testament. for II was not yet
written. and before the art OF printing was lis
covered very few could get a copy OF tho Bible.
1t Is true the Bereans were praised. because
| they daily searched the Scriptures.
| II we are to decide matters by the Riblo. let
us have the whole OF it, In Numbe xxi. IA.
B there is reference to a book Of the wars. Where
| is Il? In First Kings iv. 80. solomon spoke
! 1000 proverbs. and his canticles were l.OU5
| Where are they2 In Second Chronicles ra.er-
ence Is made to several book OF the Prophets
Where are they' In the Epistle to Colossians
| Paul commanded that the Epistle from
| Laodcea be rend. Where is II? Paul In his
First Epistle to the Corinthians says no had
written another to them ". 9. Where Ia it -:
Matthew xvii. 9. cites words spoken by the
, Prophet Jeremy. Where are those words
/ found Matthew. quotes: -" He shall be called a
Nazarene." Who calle him so? Chrysos,om
commenting in the ninth homly on Matthew,
writes that the Jews destroyed some OF tho
; prophetical monuments. 1t is certain that
some Of the Scriptures have pcr!shed. Where
then. are all tho things necessary for salvation
! to lie found?
How did "EpiscopalIan" get his knowledge
| OF Christianity Was It not at his MOTHER
knee. or in the church from the mouth OF the
preacherr The judgment Of those who col.
! lected the scattered munuscrips'intO the New
Testament" he says. was tho most compe-
tent to decide Gs to what was the true record
OF wba. Christ taught while on earth" The
Canon was not fixed til tho fourth century
As seen In the S"ptuaGnt. tho Old Testament
numbers thirty books. Joscphus. who lIvedi in
the first century attor Christ says they were
| reduced to Twenty-Five At Babylon they were
fixed at twenty-four and the Jews retain thi.
enumeration to this day. The Church adopted
the SeptuaGlrt Canon but in controversy with
the jews they assigned the place OF honor Ia
tho Hebrew Canon. According to the VulgRte
the Old Testament comprises forty-six books
How are we gong 10 settle what Is and wha;
Is not Scripture then.'
rllng to Matthew. Chris, did not appear
to His disciples ri on the mountain In Gallee,
but Luke and John say His FIRST appearance
WAS on tho evening OF the Resurrection. Ac-
cording to Luke and Mark. the Ascension
seems to follow the Resurrection. but. accord
ing to the Acts. Christ showed IInsclfio forty
days. How shall reconcile these statements
lam pain. blunt American. working from
early morning till late at niGht and when re-