Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-06-15

y . III OI my
Catholic friends declare that I am
more Catholic than Protestant, but l
have never acknowledged this. / do
say, however, that If compelled to
choose between the Protestant thought
that all except the elect, sanity few
willi experience eternal torment, and
the NCatholic proposition that many
besides the saints will be saved, by
passing through purgatorial expe-
rlenees, l would sooner believe the
latter, And while / cannot accept the
Catholic Purgatory as Biblical, l do
find Certain threads Of Bible truth in
the pWgatorial theory can even fan
cy how those Bible truths gradually be-
came distorted during the many cen
turies styled "The Dark Ages"
During that time, not only were the
common people illlterate, but printing
had noCbeen invented, and Bibles were
costly. That was the period dur
ing which Councils of bishops from
time to time met and decided for the
people what should and what should
not be believed. In other words, they
formulated the creeds. We do not
question the sincerity of those spirit
ual leaders of the darker days, but we
do challenge their conclusions and.
comparing them with the Bible now
in the hands Of the masses, we know,
accepting the Bible as true, that we
must necessarily condemn many of
their conclusions as false, and when
we speak Of the Bible, we include the
Catholic as well as the Protestant
translations of It IN various languages.
Tho Voice Of tho Church.
Many. both Catholics and Protest
ants, tell us that we should receive the
message of Counclls-the creeds which
they formulated-as OF equal inspira-
tlon with the Bible because, say they,
these Councils were composed Of bish-
ops Of the Church and. under the law
Of Apostolic succession, these bishops
had equal authority with and Divine
inspiration equal to the twelve Apos-
ties Hence the theory says that II
any conflict exists between the Bible
and the creeds the latter should have
the greater weight in our minds, as
being later production.
From this dissent and am glad to
note that am In better accord with
the views Of the present Pope, Plus X,
whose recent proclamation urges upon
all Catholics loyalty to the Bible and
its study. II all Christians. Catholics
as well as Protestants, would accept
this suggestion, | believe that the re-
sultant, untrammeled study would soon
bring to Chrlstendom In general the
one unity and harmony which all de
sire and are striving for.
Whatever the Pope may have once
believed respecting the doctrine Of
Apostolic succession, and the equal In
Spiration Of the bishops Of today Will
the twelve Apostles appointed by oul
Lord. he sees that the people have moi
full confidence that the living bishops
are inspired to the degree Of infalllblli
ty, as were the twelve Apostles And
would say that to my understanding
this Is the right thought The Scrip
lures everywhere recognize the twelve
Apostles of the Lamb--no more, nc
less, They recognize the fall Of one Of
these, and that another took his place
st Paul But there were to be nc
more additions
The choice Of Matthias by the Apos
tiles. before they themselves received
the Holy Spirit, was invalid and with
out authority. Jesus, In His last mes
sage TO the Church, pictured her as
woman" having "a crown Of twelve
stars" And again He symbolically
represents her future glory as the New
Jerusalem with but twelve foundation
stones. and in those the names Of the
twelve Apostles OF the Lamb-no more
The more thoroughly this Scrlptura
fact h dlscerned the more surely will
Gods people turn reverentlally to the
inspired words and interpretations Of
Che Dlvinely appointed Twelve, re-
kpectlng whose teachings Jesus said
"whatsoever We shall bind on earth
Ias necessary, obligatory will be the
same that are hound In heaven. And
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth Gas
NOT necessary shall be the same that
are ooaed In heaven No other teach
ers in the worlds history were so thor.
oughly set apart 70 be the oracles OF
God and their testimony is one-har'
moni0us
Not Present but Future.
We remarked a moment ago that