The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-01-04


native do you elect?"
If either, the latter"
'Presbyterians, then, are the only es-
4 sentially orthodox Frotestants?"
Very we'll"
''Presbyterians aresfalIible. liable To
| be mistaken"
/ I'VE do not. like Romanists, sets UP
a claim to infaIlibility"
If they are falliL4e. it is possible
! they take that to be the word of God
which is not his word, or deny that to
! be his word which is his word. In
either case, they will be guilty of es-
sential error. Consequently. it is pos
sible that PresbyterianS themselves are
! in essential error. and therefore. inn
| possible for them to say with certainty
that they are essentially orthodox, and,
therefore, they must admit that it is
uncertain whether there are any es-
sentiaIly orthodox Protestants at all!'
But you forget that the essentials
| are clearly and manifestly revealed,
and, therefore. may be known with all
necessary certainty"
You also forget that we have just
agreed that all revealed truth is essen
tial, and that you have surrendered the
distinction between essentials and nom
essentials. You assumed, as you were
obliged, the nonessentials to be re-
vealed for otherwise they would be
simply the words of men or of devils,
which it is not lawful to believe to be
the word of God; but the moment you
admit them into the category of re-
vealed truths, you must either concede
them to be essential, or else that it is
no essential error to disbelieve God:
that is to be an infidel and make God
a liar This last you could not do;
therefore, you were obliged to say all
that is revealed is essential. But, II
you say this, you must say either that
the essentials are not restricted TO what
is clearly and manifestly revealed, or
else that nothing but what is clearly
and manifestly revealed is revealed at
ALL Which will you say?"
For the present, that nothing IS re
vealed but what is clearly and mani
testify revealed. Almighty God is good,
and natural reason suffices to prove
that he cannot have made that neces-
sary to be believed which is obscure
or doubtful. If he has made his whole
word necessary to be believed, the
whole must be clearly and manitestly
revealed. and what is not so revealed
can be no part of his word.
His word. being clear and manifest
cannot be mistaken, or, at least, there
can be no difficulty in determining
what it is?'
None"
"Rut clear and manifest are relative
terms. A thing may be clear and man
ifest to you and not to me. 10 Whon'
then, do you say the word is clearly
and manifestly revealed?
What is clear and manifest is clear
and manifest, and can be honestly mis-
taken by no one.
But 1 mean, what is alike clear anu
manifest to all men,"
1.-The word is revealed in the scrip
lures. and in the scriptures alone, and
these alone are sufficient"
yes; that is what all Protestants
assert. The word is revealed in these
alike clearly and manifestly to all
men?"
Yes
TO those who cannot read. as to
those who CAM"
There should be none who cannot
read"
But nineteen twentieths of mankind.
at the Lowest calculation, cannot read,
and nearly as large proportion OF
those who can read cannot read so as
to understand what they read. Do
YOU say the revealed word is clearly
''Of those to whom little is given
little will be required
''That is to say, Almighty God does
not require faith in his word of the
immense majority of the human race?'
81 say not that. Those who cannot
read He instructs by his pastors and
by His HolA Spirit"
But if the instructions of pastors
and the direct revelation of the Holy
Spirit are necessary in the case OF
the LARGER part of mankind. how can
you say the scriptures are sufficient
1.-The scriptures are sufficient.
THAT is, for whom they suffice, and
when and where they are not insuffici-
ent. That can hardly be questioned.
But let us confine ourselves to those
who can read and claim to be teach
ars among Protestants, so-called. These
all admit the scriptures contain the
whole revealed Word?"
''They do"
"That they are the sole and suf-
fcient rule of faith and practice?"
Certainly"
and that the word revealed in them |
is clear and manifesto
"Unuuestiona BLY,"
"And that only what is clear and |
manifest IS revealed?'
''Be it So"
"Then they all agree as to what the
word ESP"
mo; am sorry to say they do
not"
"There is disagreement. then-some
saying the word is one thing, others
saying it is not that, but something |
alse?"
But there is no honest disagreement; |
Tor the matter is clear and manifest, |
and none who do not willfully close |
their eyes to the truth can mistake
it,
Are all parties dishonest?"
mo.
(which is the honest, which the dis
"The orthodox party is the honest
party"
(which party is that?"
"The one which believes what, and
only what, is clearly and manifestly
revealed
so say all parties; but which is that
oarty?"
''The scriptures must decide"
(To Be Continued)