The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-22
PROTESTANTS AND THE
BIBLE.

The Bible is Gods own book.
Many Protestants, even at the
present day, use these words.
Few of them can give any explana-
ton of their meaning; fewer still
any proof of their truth.
Among the Protestants who
wish to be regarded as peculiar
ly enlightened and modern the
view is that the Bible is about on
a par with the so-called sacred
books of the Hindus and Of the
Chinese. They graciously agree
with the Bible where the Bible
is fortunate and lucky enough to
agree with them; in other cases
they just shrug their shoulders
and say they know thing or
two more than the people that
burned old women in Salem.
Even in this class there is a good
deal Of follow-the- leader, and 60
with the fashion and the fad of
the passing hour. The small num-
Der who attempt the difficult task
of exhaustive Biblical study wind
up far away from the dogmas of
the narrow little sect they started
from.
AS to reasons for believing that
the Bible has God for it's author,
practically they amount to this,
that Sunday school and minister
and, perhaps, parents said so.
There is scarcely Protestant alive
who found out by independent,
personal investigation that the
Bible is the Book Of God. They
all believe it on tradition, and
mere human tradition, too. They
expressly deny that tradition has
any value in matters Of Faith,
that to attribute any such value
to it is mere popery. But the
inspiration of the Bible is surely
a matter Of faith. Hence they be-
lieve in the Bible without rational
ground for their belief. To be
sure, the teacher, or the parent,
or the minister will point out texts
in the Bible itself and say that
these texts show that the Bible
is inspired. But belief is already
gained, implanted in the mind and
based on parental or other author
ity before the proofs are sought;
and indeed the proofs are be-
lieved in just because parents or
teachers say they ought to be be-
lieved in. Afterwards when the
pupil grows up, he may investi-
gate the matter for himself; in
nine cases out of ten he loses his
belief in the dogma Of Protestant
tradition, and either substitutes
for it the coherent and rational
doctrine of the Church, or be-
comes just one more up-to- date
Protestant.
A large number Of Protestants
see no use in the Bible except as
a source Of texts to be twisted into
missiles against the Church. This
suits their temperament when the
periodical attack Of hereditary
Catholic mania seizes them
In cooler moments they may re-
fleet and see that in their attacks
on the Church they are playing
the game of the infdel and the
atheist; for every word they say
against the Church, when traced
to its source and its principle, is
found to be an attack on all re-
ligion and a blasphemy against
Almighty God.
There is still another class of
Protestants who try to use the
Bible seriously for their own per-
sonal edifcation. They do not go
out of their way to SANDER Catho-
lies; they try to give Catholics
credit for their good qualities.
They are living upon the tradi-
ton or Catholic Faith which
heresy could not quite blot out,
even in Protestant countries. They
never realize that their belief in
the Bible, such as it is, is traceable
originally to the Catholic Church.
When they do realize this, their
trial begins; for that realization
is nothing less than special call
from God, bidding them return
to the, home whence rebel heresi-
archs persuaded or compelled
their fathers to go forth. Many
are receiving this grace. Catho-
lies should help them by prayer,
by sympathy, by clearing up their
difficulties, by giving such an ex-
hibition of Catholic principles in
action as may remove the last of
their prejudices. For they are
not far from the Kingdom of God |
and it is privilege to be enabled
fo occsesf fbo11, ~, 70 Ein0 tho last |