The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-29

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you have brought into the discussion
Instead of considering with cool head
and sober mind whether my argument
| has some-not infallible-but logical
and above all, historical value-you
more than any body else should do SO
as you are the cause of this discus
sion;-but without waiting for me to
finish what / have to say on the sub
| ject, you with great amount of self
complaeent Infallibility, you simply re-
ject whatever / may have to say,
right or wrong, "you are growing en-
thusiastic -
Allow me to tell you as friend, men
of your mental caliber should never en-
gage in an argument. Cool-minded
sobriety is needed for that, and no en-
thusiasm, which carries you into exag-
geration either above or below the
mark, according as the subject excites
your love or your hatred. There
are, UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE
TRUTH, too many historians Of youi
mental caliber pretending to give racts.
but, biased by their enthusiasm, they
colored them to suit their preconceived
love or hatred. I am feeling that I
lose my time with you. But. to come
back to the infallibiiity before con-
Guiding, let me tell you, in the name of
sound logic, 1t is simply necessary. "A
law code becomes useless if there be
no judge to explain and apply it. He
imposes his decision in the name of his
office. He may not be infallible, and
you may grumble at his sentence. but
you have to accept it on account of
his authority. The moral character Oh
the judge has nothing to do with the
sentence-he may have won his seat by
graft, he may break the very law
which he administers to others. Onca
he is the judge and acts according to
law his word has to be accepted. and
this in name of God. the author Of civil
authority. Yes, but there is no such
thing in religion, you object. To this
answer that once You believe in
Christianity you accept the Bible.
Now, suppose there be no AUTHOR
ITATIVE explanation of the Bible, thiA
book becomes as useless as the law
code without court to apply it. 1t
will bring into the world quarrels and
more quarrels, and no end of quarrels.
Before the coming of Christ the
Synagogue was that authority, estab-
lished by God for that purpose. Do
not say the Bible does not teach me
this, therefore I do not believe it. Your
reason claims as well as mine that
no man can impose a dogma to the be.
lief of his fellow man, unless it be
proved that this man has authority to
do so Now, God could not and can
not do absurd things. There is no
doubt that the Jewish high priest was
at his time the authoritative inter.
prefer of the Bible. He was in a po.
sition to impose his view on others;
God gave him this position. We must
therefore say that God owed him the
necessary assistance to teach and i'm.
pose with authority only such views
as were in harmony with His Sovereign |
and righteousness. And then
his fellow men accepted the high |
priests views not on account Of the
man, good or bad, that gave them, but
on account of the particular authority |
and protection he enjoyed in that par
ticular office he held from God. Christ I
the Synagogue by the Church.
We must expect that the same rea-
sons which made God give to the Syn
agogue a monarchical form of govern
ment, made Him adopt the same fol-
the Church, unless evident proof is
offered for the contrary. The writings
IF the New Testament show that He
lid. The very existence of more IN,
,pired writings is an argument for
greater necessity, if possible, of an aus
.horitative interpreter Of same. nv
arguments on the constitution Of the
Church, as well as Of the infallibility,
nave been given in the Star. If your
mind is open for an argument, please
cad those articles. If there be some
hing illogical in them, let me know
There must be dogmas, because God
las revealed such, and He can not be
Indifferent to truth and error. They
re imposed not by man. but by the
agent of God. Man &C
epts and accommodates his Intellect
O such teaching of dogmas, on account
If the authority of God, who has Gre
tied our reason and reserves the right
O improve, strengthen and guide it by
he light of faith, which, far from
rushing or obstructing it, on the con-
rary, faith is to it what the MONDAY
un is for the eye, what the rails are
or the cars, a help of incalculable ad~
-antage.
The reason why man accepts it and
accommodates his reason to it, is not
nan (this would be the above-mention-
d absurdity), but God, who can neither
eceive nor be deceived.
With what eyes must our all-merci-
ul God look down upon us in this
resent controversy? From all sides
ome the directors who try under di-
,ersified erroneous notions to deny, to
estrict to slighten, to crush that 1nsti.
ution the Church, which He has es-
a blished in order to bring down to all
nen. at all times and all places, the
ruits of our redemption. The powers ]
# evil are at work, no doubt. Are
hey behind me pushing me against my
different opponents2 Everybody may
answer for himself according to his
lights. But am very sorry to know
hat charity and mutual good under
tanding should suffer any prejudice on
his account; that the opposition or
should be transferred to the
,ersons that uphold them +,
Mr. Mnh6rQ