The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-29
AN ATTACK ON THE BIBLE.

4
course, that spoken last Sunday
in the People, Church, ST. Paul,
by Rev. D. j. Cowling, president
Of the Carleton College of North
field. It was the plenary rejection
of the Bible, Old Testament and
New Testament, as a collection Of
inspired writings, or of authentic
history. To DIR. Cowling the Bible
is merely a compilation of the
inner experiences let us saw.
Eimaginings -of different men,
very seldom those whose names
tradition has affixed to the several
books entering into the compila-
ton, very seldom belonging to the
ages to which those books have
heretofore been assigned. The di-
vine is nowhere in the Bible: no.
where in it is that reliable nara
tive which we could term history.
DR.. Cowling's announcements do
not surprise us: often similar
words issue from the lips of
preachers, still styling themselves
Christian ministers, while reject
ing all that is supernatural in
christianity, all that gives chris
tianity the reason Of it's being, all
that endows it with power to save
men in time and in eternity. Yet
we note those announcements, as
further indications of the fast
receding tide, upon the waves of
which Professionalism is merci-
lessly being borne away from it's
old moorings, and losing beyond
recovery all semblances of chris
tianity, save the name alone.
Why, then, retain even the name
when the name is only a faint
echo of other times? Why should
the Carleton College Of Mortified
and similar seats Of mere natural
religion persist in emitting them
selves Christian? Let them be
frank to themselves and to their
patrons, and proclaim to the world
that with the substance they have
given up the shadow, that Chris
tianity, name and substance, has
flown forever from their portals.
We enter into no detailed ar
gument to refute the sayings of
DR.. Cowling. AS read in the
printed report, they are mere
negations-or afirmations rest
ing on the sole authority of the
speaker. Statements Of the kind
must not be a draft on our time
or labor. One, however, we may
notice, as being somewhat holder
than others, inasmuch as it appro-
PIRATES to itself a precise histori-
cal date. DR.. Cowling says: "The
New Testament issued 40 A. D
contained only Luke and the ten
letters Of Paul" We ask that DIR.
Cowling tell us what the volume
or manuscript, that he calls "The
New Testament issued 40 A. Dr.?
Where and by whom was it is
sued? Did the document, what.
ever it was, which DR.. Cowlina
has in mind, set itself forth as
being the New Testament, whole
and exclusive, or did it merely
for one reason or another, repro.
duce a few books, as often manu-.
scripts did, without advancing in
the least the notion, that it I'M
folded to it's readers all the writ.
lngs that were at the time recog.
nlzed as Scriptural. The President
OF famed College should shur
vague and uncertain statements
and references, whatever the topic
under discussion-but, pre-emin
emily so, when he is dealing will
the all-momentous subject of the
Bible and supernatural religion.
A. D. 40! Will DR.. Cowline
pretend that the date of origin
of the Gospels of Matthew ano
Mark, together with that of Luke
does not reach far back into the
first century Of the Christian era
that even for the latest Of the
Gospels, that of st. John, we must
come away down into the second
Has he read the writings of sucl
non-Catholic scholars do no
ask him to read Catholic scholar.
las Harnack and Julicher, who
from the mere standpoint of his
torical criticism, fully vindicatt
the early origin of the four Cos
Ipels-the very early origin
around the middle of the first cen
fury, of Matthew, Mark and Luke
To those famed scholars we refel
DR.. Cowling for light on the New
Testament, before he again fills
pulpit in the City of ST. Paul.