The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-01-30
ncn.GatboIe Queries, and Hnswers Cberetc

declares it inspired by His Heavenly Father.
Blessed art thou Simon Bar iona, because Hesh
and blood hath not revealed it 10 thee, but Ny
Father who is in heaven (cf. John Vi. 20; l. Pet l.
2; w. 3; II. Pet. !. y.
The unbelieving st. Thomas, convinced by the
fact of the resurrection, Is forced TO cry out My
Lord and my God"@ (John xx. 2S). ST John wrote
his whole gospel that "may believe that Jesus
is the Christ the Son of God" (John 80, and in
his opening chapter he declares Jesus the only be-
gotten Son of God eternal and consubstantial with
His Father (John l. LA: cf. [. John v. Is; V. 20)
St. Paul writes clearly of Christ: "Who being in
the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal
with God" (Ph ii. 81, and in many other passages
speaks of Him as the eternal Son of God the Crea
tor of all things, etc. (Co /. TO- 16; Rom. iX. );
viii. 50; Heb. j. / 14).
This public unanimous preaching Of Christ's
divinity by His Apostle can be explained other
hypothesis than the positive revelation of Jesus
Christ their Master.
Third. The miracles which Jesus wrought in
His own name and by His own power prove Him to
be God.
When Jesus found that His testimony was gain
said, He frequently appealed to the miracles He
wrought setting the seal of the divine approval
upon His teachings, and His claim TO equality with
the Father Matt. Xi. T. ) John V. So; X. SO; xiv.
12) His life is one series of miracles. He stills
the storm with a word mark iv. 39l. He walks
upon the sea (Matt. xiv 25). He feeds the multi
tudes with a few loaves and fishes (John vi 10), He
changes water into wine (John ii. 81, He drives out
demons from the possessed (Mark %; iii. II V. s.
etc., He heals the blind. the deaf, the dumb, The
leper and the paralytic Mark TX. 25 viii 1 5; Luke
ix. 24), He raises the dead to life Ofatt tx 81. He
rises from the dead converses with the disciples
for forty days. and then ascends on high to His
Heavenly Father Olatt. xviii; Acts i. 9, etc.
The saints and prophets work miracles also, but
they always do so in the of God or Christ
Jesus. He alone performs them of Himself: 81
will be thou made clean" (Matt. viii. 81; "Do you
believe that do this unto youP' (Matt. TX IS;
cf. Luke vii. IA; John XII A; Matt, viii. 49, etc.
The unbehevers of our day have striven to give
life of Jesus while utterly denying the histori
cal reality of the miracles recorded of Him. But
'to expel miracles from the life of Jesus is to de-
stroy the identity of the Christ of the Gospels it is
to substitute new Christ for the Christ of Chris
tendon :. these (rationalistie) commenta-
tors do not affect to take the history it has
down to u.s. As the Gospel narratives stand they
present a block of difficulties to Humanitarian
theories and these difficulties can only be removed
by mutilations of the narrative so wholesale and
radical as to destroy their substantial interest be-
sides rendering the retention of the fragments
which may be retained purely abitrary procedure
In word miracles are so interviewer with the
hfe OF Christ, and so prominent feature of His
daily teaching, that the moral integrity of our
Lords character is dependent, whether we will or
not, upon the reality of His miracles" Qiddon ibid
PIP. 161-163).
Fifth. Pascal considered the prophetical argu-
ment the strongest proof of Christ's divinity Pas
calls Thoughts" p 12S). Even among the pagan
nations there general expectation of new
teacher from on high. The Old Testament in a
series of prophecies extending over thousands of
years, all the details of the life of Christ
God promises Redeemer to Adam (Gen Ill 15).
He Is TO be of the stock of Abraham (Gen. xii 49,
Isaac (xxvi. ~, Jacob (Gen. xviii. IA Num- XVI.
I'D of the tribe of Juda Gen. xviii. $40; cf Heb
Vii. 14), and of the family of David 0sa. tx Z: H.
Ii; cf. Rom. i. 3: IL. Tim. ii. 81
Moses declares that he viii be a great prophet
(Deut. xviii 15), Isaias foretells His birth of viz
gin mother (vii. 14) and His power of miracles
l.; cf. Luke i. 76; iii. % Micheas marks the lace
and Daniel the time of His coming CMich v 2-3;
eff. Matt ii. l.; Luke ii. f. Dan TX 1920, Isaias
declares Him the Prince of Peace (ix 6; cf Luke
ii. a. John xiv. 20 foretells the place of His
preaching Gx. 1-2; cf Matt. w. 15), and says He
will make new covenant for the Gentiles iii 4 ef
Luke /. 3; Matt xvi. 28; xviii. 10: Mark xvi 15y:
the Psalms (Xxi. and xviii, 1saias Qiii). and
Zacharias xxi. 12) tells the minutest details of His
passion and death (AIaas, "Christ in Type and
Prophecy.O
Fifth Chfist's own power OF prophecy proves
Him God.
He foretells His own death and resurrection
{ Matt XII. 10; xvii. 21-22; xvii SO: Xxx 17-49:
Luke xiii 3D. John ii. 19), the treachery of Judas
q Ohm xiii. 26). the denial of Peter and the manner
of HIS death (Matt. XVI "a; John xxi 1929. the
destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. xxiv) the disper-
sion of the Jews luke xxi. 24), and the spread of
His Church (John X. IS; Matt. xiii Sd.
Sixth One of the most striking proofs Of
Christ's divinity is His absolute sinlessness. He
proposes the highest standard of sanetty possible:
BE you, therefore, perfect, as also your heavenly
Father is perfect" CMatt V. 4s) and instead of in
slstlng on His own personal unworthiness. as He t
must needs have done were He only great prophet
ike Isaias (t'I am a of uncean lips" Isa. Vi.
- He, on the contrary, challenges His enemies to
ind III Him the slightest sin; (which of YOU shall
convict me of sin (John viii 49, nddeclares that
He always does His Fathers WILL "for I do always
The things that please Him" (John viii. 80: Bou- /
gard, "The Divinity of Jesus Christ CHI w.: Lid
ion l. G.. PIP. 165-16S).
Seventh. The sublime teachings of the Savior.
ogether with the wonderful spread of His Church
'y the simplest methods against the nightiest enc
mes the transformation of the world from the lust
'rlde cruelty and idoaty of paganism to the Chris
IAN purity, humility, gentleness love of God and .
he brethren for Gods sake, prove that the~Worker
II tins change was not human but divine
Eighth. 'If Christ be not divine actually God
hen the Supreme Ruler of mems souls has failed
10Th IN Ills messenger and His message, and failed
atally. Christ was sent to eradicate idoatry
which had proven to be the deepest seated evil of
humanity, and to establish mpregnably the very
opposite. the knowledge and worship of the true
rod The lghtest belief in Divine Providence