Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-07-19

d.vinely inspired to write. Inspiration
does not necessarily mean revela-
tion. Inspiration is the guidance OF
those who wrote, so that when they
wrote they wrote the truth. 1t did
not take away the free will of their
writings. They were free to exer-
else that free will to a considerable
extent, as is shown by their indi-
gidual style in writing. I'VE believe
that everybody who is competent to
read ought to read the Holy Scrip
lures, and those not able to read
ought to obtain adequate instruction
o. regard to Scripture history and
Scripture truth. Hence, in all our
Catholic schools we expect that in
the curriculum there shall be a study
OF the Sacred Scriptures. What is
1t, then, that we do not believe about
tie Scriptures? We do not believe
that the Holy Scriptures are of them
selves the sole rule of faith"
The Archbishop quoted Christ's
suthority as TO the spoken WORD
and the importance of the teacher.
In the apostolic age the greater part
Of the New Testament was not writ
ten," he said "It would have been
impossible in the first, second and
third centuries to make the Bible the
rule of faith, because there was no
Bible as we understand it now
The Archbishop also said that in
dividual Interpretation of the Scrip
lures is widely variant. He COM
pared this to civil war. Sometimes
we are said to be governed by the
constitution of the United States, :"
ne went on. "Well, we are not We
are governed by the ones who in
terpret the constitution of the United
states. You begin to read this con-
stitution and you find, 'All men are
created free. You try to interpret
that freedom according to your own
notion and you find that you run
AGAINST the Government. The consti-
triton may serve as written order,
but 1t must have an Interpretation.
4 book can never govern people"
The speaker said those who oppose
the teaching that the Pope Is infal-
lible concerning Bible interpretations
try, on the other hand, to make
everybody infallible in their inter
probation of what the truth ls." He
added: Everybody finds Just what is
written in his own mind. Some find
one sacrament in the Holy Scriptures;
some find two; some find three;
some find none at all. Some think
Gfant baptism is the only thing;
some think only adult baptism; some
baptize by immersion; some baptize
by sprinkling; some think Christ rose
from the dead. some not; some find
In the Holy Scriptures Trinity,
some only a Unity. Private interpre-
tation leads TO the confusion, misery
and disorder we find everywhere out
side the Catholic church. The
Protestant commentators for the last
hundred years have been a most
earnest. most studious. energetic body
of writer's. Their study of place and
CT language. and OF fact, and of
miracle, and of mystery, has been
thorough and profound. But we find
now that the most learned have ex-
planned the Holy Scriptures by ex-
planning II all away. They find out
there is nothing sacred about 1t. A
great deal of II is simply folk lore,'
much like the books which exist In
all nations" The Archbishop urged
the hearers to cling the more closely
to the Bible, declaring this devotion
would simply be revival of the zeal
felt In the beginning for the sacred
writings.