The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-03-17
That Was Theme of Excellent Dis
course by Rev. George Gislinser,
D. D., at ST. Mary's Church
Last Evening
BIBLE IS GODS WORD
However, in Course Of Centuries
Some Slight Alterations From
Original Have Been
Made in it.

A large crowd attended Rev. DR..
Gigglinger's lecture last night at st.
Mary's church, on Bible and Tradi-
ton. He said, in part, that tie
Bible was not a mere human book, but
was Gods word to men. 1t can not
be denied, however, that in the course
of centuries some slight alterations
! from the original text have crept in,
| but they cannot be attributed to its
author, God. The sacred writer's, as
for instance, the prophets, proved
their commission from God by miracu
lous prophesies. Each one wrote in
his own style, but under Gods inspira-
ton, which also directed them in mat
tiers OF past or contemporaneous his
/ tory, so that their writings are free
from error.
The Bible, however, does. not
decide living questions for us and
needs an interpreter. st. Peter, him
self, said, concerning the epistles OF
st. Paul, that there are some things
hard to be understood and that the
unstable would pervert these to their
lies and Protestants consider the Bible
as a divine book, yet it is here that
we find the wall of separation between
Catholic and Protestant. The Protest
ant claims the free and independent
right to interpret the Bible as God
inspires him; in other words, every
man is the supreme court in matters
of religion, and there is no appeal
from his decision. The Catholic looks
upon the Bible as very useful, divine
book that can be read with very great
spiritual profit, but he does not claim
the right to be it's judge. Jesus Christ
never wrote line and never told any
body to write down His doctrines, but
founded church to perpetuate His
divine mission upon earth with the
command to hear the church. Chris
tian communities were fourishing long
before the Bible was completed and
it was not until the fourth century
that the question of the books that
, make up the Bible was settled. All
Professionals claim that they take their
only one Bible and several hundred
Protestant denominations that differ
among themselves in some of the most
essential doctrines of Christianity
Anyone can prove anything from the
Bible. We may prove from it the
recent invention of airships, for We
read in Isaias, so, s: who are these
+. that fly as clouds. and doves to theil
! windows. The Bible is divine, but i
needs an official interpreter, and thi
interpreter is not as Professionals sa.
every man for whom divine inspira
: ton is claimed, but the historic churcl
: which Christ founded. and which is III
:, other than the Catholic church. Th'
: Catholic church relies not only on tn
? Bible. but also on the tradition, viz
: on the doctrines that We're preache
by the apostles. but not committed t
writing by them. They can be foun
:, in the writings of the fathers, the de
= crees of councils, the creed, the pray
= ers of the church st. Paul says t
hold ''the traditions witch you hav
learned, whether by word or by on
epistle." Catholics hold both Bibl
and tradition in the highest esteem
. some doctrines. as infant baptism al
/ the observance of Sunday. instead c
Saturday, can be proved only from tr;
: dition Discoveries in Asia, as the fine
! ing of the tower of Babel and the cit
= of Nippur, of which the tenth chapte
of Genesis speaks under the name {
- Chalanne, confirm the truth of tn
. Bible account. though such addition,
l. proofs are not necessary to convinc
y us that the Bible is the word of God.