The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-27

tcr,nined: First, is their theory OF OK
lia nation self-consistento Is it
thinkable theory? Second. does IL ex-
plaia the facts it undertakes tt, OK
plain? The credibility of either wit
ness we have not discussed. That
will appear from my later Lectures.
But l have said enough to show that
the answer of the Catholic Churcn is
logical, self consistent, and, more than
that, explains belief in the inspira-
ticn of the Bible, whilst the answer Of
non Catholic bodieg, as far as they
give an answer at all, is self contra
7ictory, and even when assumed docs
not explain what it claims to do.
| Non Catholics in England are fairly
we'll awake to those facts. Nom Cath
clio religious thought in Ireland docs
net seem to be so. IT is where nor
Catholic religious thought in England
was half century ago. and more, ana
at present does not seem even to he
aware Of those difficulties which are
pressing so hard on their co-religio.,-
ISIS elsewhere and causing such we'll
grounded CONSERVATION in their
ranks. Ought IT,, then, to cause rs"
tonishment that outside the Catholic
Church belief in the inspiration of
Scripture is slowly but surely eboing
away? That it is so we have the au-
thority of many non Catholics ~
PORTION to know. Listen to the con-
ecssion of the Protestant Dean .f
Westminster. In one Of his le,:ureb
on the inspiration Of the Bible, de-
livered in Westminster Abbey scns
five years ago, he says that "hanv
men had closed the Old Testament
altogether, and to vast multitude:,,
Unless some help was offered, it woud
presently become a sealed book" ne
rlight have added that the New
Testament would soon share the Same
fate. The Catholic Church alone by
IT'S logically consistent ground for he
lief in inspiration, can give that nc;p
for which Dean Robinson so pitcc1 IS
ls appeals. Many upright souls out
side the One True Fold still cling. and
cling devotediy to brifef in the. in-
spiration of the Bible. 1t is a bS!:'ef
: Of the imagination and heart rather
than of the intellect. 1t is the last
remnant of the portion of their saS-
stance they took with them when they
left their Fathers home some three
hundred years ago. 1t is the last sir
c.!+ from the vine 1t has been living
On it since, but now it is slowly but
; surely dying. They are clinginy II
what has no foundation, no root. Take.
away the foundation of any belief, an.1
sooner or later Il will crumble. Build
house on sand, and sooner or later
doce or can belief in the inspirati;n
OF those documents we call the New
Testament rest than on the rock
placed by Christ Himself, the author
ity of the One Infallible Church. And
sc when ] put before you this ,venirg
the pages Of the New Testament put
them before you with that widc-ex-
tending web of circumstances that
nineteen centuries have woven around
them. Down the broad stream of
time have they noated, suspected by
every age and challenged by every
generation. They have delivered their
message to the guardians .f c.:n,y
people, and to the world of today have:
they shown their credentials. signed
by the world OF yesterday, signed ;,y
! the hostilely critical and cavllliIe
learned Of the ages through which
they come. AS they passed. a'oEs
every science has turned on then. .hc
glare of it's searchlight Alike they
underwent the reverent scrutiny o. tn,
I.c~mit in his cell and the critical SIT
ing Of the scientist in his study. They
have reached us bearing the names Of
the best the nobest. the most leaned
"a record veracious-and 70 us
Catholics, and to us Catholics alone
the Inspired Word Of God, the Hand
writing of the Almighty.