The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-27
VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM FOR DEMONSTRATION
On No Other Foundation Than the Authofy of the Old
Church of Rome Does Can Rest Belief in
the Inspired Book

In a Lenten discourse delivered at
the Church Of st. Francis Zavier, in
Dublin, Rev. J. Gwynn, S. j., referred
to the inspiration Of the Bible as fol-
lows:
It is not the fact that the writings
OF the New Testament are true, re.
garded as historical documents, that
makes them stand apart in a class by
themselves. No, they have another
claim. There is another reason that
has made them the object Of the deep
est reverence from the earliest ages
OF Christianity, SO that in our days, in
matters concerning the highest human
interests, when life itself is in the
balance, and man standing before his
fellowman appeals to his Creator to
witness what he says is true, he can
think Of no more solemn or impressive
ceremony than to lay his hand on and
press asist lips to g book which he be.
slievssi TO contain the. Handwriting Of
the Almighty. It would not cof1c
within the scope Of my lecture to
speak at any great length on the ir-
SEPARATION of the Bible. To say that a
tniting is inspired means that God di-
rected the mind Of the writer to these
truths. He wished to be committed to
writing, urged that writer effectively
to obey. and assisted him in the exc
cution Of that behest lest he should err.
Inspiration is thus a supernatural, Lsy-
Geological fact whose existence cal
only come to our knowledge by the tes-
timony Of God. The mere testimony
CT the inspired writer himself with re-
gard to the fact of inspiration is net
sufficient to convince us Of it's reality.
SO many are the dangers of illusioa no
human writer could by his own simple
testimony bring home with certaints
to the minds Of others that that knowl-
edge and impulse to write came from
God. Gods testimony is the only
ground which can justify any but a
,reakly, credulous mind in admitting
such a stupendous fact that He is the
Author of any document.
1t will help us to understand Cathc-
lie position and Catholic doctrine to
hear the answer given by various non :
Catholic religious. bodies to the vei7
simple yet very fundamental question:
"Why do you believe the Scripture is
inspired?" Shall we put the question
briefly, bluntly, and fairly. as have
just stated it to. one or other IF those
numerous religious bodies who owe
their existence directly or indirectly
to the sixteenth century schism. T12
authorities of that particular bodv
known as the Church of England, ami
I presume those of it's offshoot. the
Church of Ireland, point to the rock
of Holy Scripture" as the ground of all
their beliefs, and therefore Of their te-
like in the inspiration of the Billie. In
an essay entitled "Chrst's Teaching
ana the Primitive Church." Dean Far
rar an English clergyman, says. "For
tue members of the English Church
this principle is laid down in Our Arti-
cles with unmistakable emphasis" ani
tEen he proceeds to quote the sixth of
the famous Thirty mine Articles that
give his Church her religious code.
Holy. Scripture containeth all things
that are necessary to salvation. so that
whatsoever is not read nor may be
proved thereby, Is not to be required Of
any man that it should be believed as
an article of faith, or be thought reqli-
site or necessary to salvation" Hence
no member of that religious BODY need
regard the Scriptures as inspired u~-
less he finds that truth in or. can
prove it from the same Scripture. To
say Scripture is inspired. is really to
make two statements. First that Of
al! the numerous documents written at
given period, certain definite docu
ments are selected and collectively
termed Scripture; second, that-these
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