The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-25
DOCTRINE SERMONS
 PROVING POPULAR
Question Box Is Big Sue cess-Father Skinner
 Delivers Lecture

The second night of the doetrinal lec- lures being delivered by the Paulist Fathers at St. Pauls church passed off auspiciously. There was a large crowd in attendance and number of copies of the "Question Box" and the "Faith Of Our Fathers" were distributed to those who sought them. These books will be given out again tonight
 Father Devery spent the first 30 min utes answering questions found in the question box placed at the entrance. Many Of these questions were regarded as high ly interesting and instructive. The peo- pie were urged to make use of the ques- ton box, as the fathers are anxious to impart as much information about the church as they can in the limited time at their disposal.
 The lecture of the evening was de- liver by Father Skinner.
 It dealt with what was claimed to be the most vital question upon which the Christian church is divided-the question of private interpretation of the scrip lures as opposed to the theory of a teach ing church. summary of the lecture follows.
 'Dfd Christ leave a teacher on earth to perpetuate his doctrine, and is the Bible that teacher? is the question ask ed. Assuming as matter of justice that Christ owed 1t to mankind to have re- mained on earth to teach and guide, or else to have provided an equivalent to his personal teaching presence what is that equivalent? Is the Bible, prayer that equivalent?
 Encourages Bible Reading
 Before answering this question Fr Skinner explained the attitude of the church toward the Bible. He showed that 1t was the church which gathered together the gospel and epistles, sep arated the true from the spurious, col lected them into canon and sent them down the centuries with the impress of her credentials and hers alone. For h centuries before the invention of print ing did her monks and writers care fully and with reverence copy and repro- duce the sacred text, with infinite labor.
 "A modern authority" said Father Skinner, has calculated the cost of pro- ducing one of those Bibles before the invention of printing at $1000 No wonder we hear of the chained Bible. They could hardly afford to be distributed about like the modest penny tract. But the church has always promoted the reading of the Bible, and 1t is the Cath ollie church which is today the most uncompromising defender and champion of the Bible against the attacks of ra- tionalist and unbelievers But granted that the Bible is inspired, that it is prof Hable to be read, the question remains: Is the private reading and interpreta- tion of that book the sole means Christ provided for teaching mankind his say ing doctrine?
 ''The question must be answered mega lively. Private reading of the scripture has not been the means in the past whereby man was led to the knowledge Of Christianity.
 No Bible to Read
 For some years after Christs as- tension there was no Bible, because none of his teachings had been committed to writing. He Himself had neither written nor directed the writing of any part of it. For over three centuries more there was no Bible as Q teaching unit, because its fragments were scattered throughout
 
 years more before the invention of print ing it's necessarily limited production prevented it's widespread use, but all the while teacher had existed. The church had conquered the Roman empire and had Christianized Europe.
 "1n the second place, private reading of the Scriptures cannot be that equiva- lent which Christ was bound to leave to man, for it cannot give that unity and 1 lint xrr1,f FI-if.+ n give. It is sometimes said that the diff ferences resulting from private interpre- tation of the Bible are non-essential But it is answered: Isn't it essential to know Christs teaching concerning baptism? Isn't it essential to know what plan Christ provided for the forgiveness of mems sins? Isn't it essential to know what Christ means when he said, This is my body?' Isn't it essential to know what Christ thought concerning the bond of matrimony? And dare anyone say there is agreement on these points?
 Private interpretation invariably leads to contradictory interpretation. Where there is contradiction there must be error. Therefore, private interpretation of the Bible cannot possibly be regarded as the means Christ left for the teaching of mankind.
 If our Lord left private interpreta- tion as the rule of faith, He would be grossly unjust to us. Here is a book the Bible. It has only one true meaning: it may appear to have 100 false meanings. Therefore, left to ourselves we have one chance in hundred of finding out the true meaning of the Bible. and yet God commanded us to believe that truv mean- ing under penalty of damnation
 Private interpretation is not univer- sal rule of faith; therefore, 1t cannot be Christs. It is not universal in time for the world was converted by body of teachers, not by reading. The Roman empire was largely Christian before the New Testament ever was written. It is not universal in application. for it is Il rule impossible to the vast portion of men who cannot read.
 Arguing from Scripture, our Lord never wrote 6 word and never told his apostles to write-an absolutely incomprehensible condition of affairs if the reading of the Bible were the way to salvation. On the contrary, He founded d teaching church, and gave that church forever infalbility in its teaching. Teach all nations what soever I have commanded you, and be- hold I am with you always, even to the end of the world Matthew 2S:1S.
 He promised His church a paraclete, the spirit of truth, who should abide with them forever. Against His church the gates of hell were never to prevail
 Now, the problem presents itself, to which one out of the hundreds of churches claiming each to be the church of Christ did He give His authority and power. One church, and only one of the-a churches. can be the true church. All may be sincere, hut all cannot be true; sincerity does not make truth
 Tonight's lecture will answer the ques- tion: How can an earnest inquirer find which Is the true church of Christ?'