The Irish standard., 1914-04-25
thought I, and consulted more au-
their teachings and interpretations.

thought i, and I consulted more au-
their teachings and interpretations.
Finally, in despair, I turned to
thorities until my head sang with
one Of my Low Church friends and
told him Of MY difficulties. He adj
vised me to consult the Bible. Here
I found my difficulties dispersed. I
knew of course. that the Bible was
not the only criterion Of truth, since
the Church was in existence before
the books of the New Testament were
written. but l knew also the written
word of God was the best authority
I could get. My difficulty now was
that I had no oae to interpret it for
me. I could turn neither to the
Church Of Rome nor to the Church
of England. was left like SO many
other persons in the present day to
interpret by my own private iudg-
ment.
The newest difficulty then pre-
sented itself. Is it reasonable for a
man to be told by the Catholic
Church to follow his own Judgment
until he is led into the Catholic
church and then give it up? found
my answer in Cardinal Newman, who
mad written on this point after it,had
been solved to his own satisfaction.
He said that men may be likened to
travellers on the road to the house of
light through darkness. While in
darkness they make use of a lantern,
which corresponds to private judg-
ment; but when they have arrived
at the house of light they extinguish
the lantern since it has become USE
less.
my difficulty on this score set
tied. I studied the Gospels and
through them I was led to the con-
vtctton that the Roman Catholic
Church was the Church of Christ.
My studies resulted in the gather
Ing of three Impressions. First. the
Catholic Church interprets the BIZ
BILE more simply than any other
church. and, surely, the words of
Christ on important points are clear,
If words mean anything at all. 1
had heard that priests kept the BIZ
bic away from their people, but as I;
read, discovered that nothing could
be more foolish. and I could not con-
ceive of priest so stupid. as to do
such thing, for it is in the Gospels
that found the standardization of
the church. Second, I found that
the Catholic Church believed the BIZ
BILE more than those who claimed
that it was the sole rule of faith.
Third. I found that the Catholic
Church fulfilled what Christ had
said of His Church. that it would be
unpopular, for it had ever been my
experience that in questions Of con-
troversy. all others generally agreed
to disagree with Rome.
Finally. I came to the last argu-
ment that fixed my decision, and fin
ished my struggle. Christ had spok-
en- to st. Peter. telling him that He
was the Door. the Foundation and
the Shepherd. The Door had said to
Peter. Knock. and it shall be opened
unto you The Foundation had said.
Thou are Peter, and upon this rock
I shall build my Church. The Shep-
herd had said. Feed Ny lambs, feed
My sheep The Church of Christ,
then, must be one that taught as He
had taught-with authority. I had
not found it in the Church of Eng
land; did find it in the Church of
Rome.
"An argument against this was adj
vanced by Anglican theologians, as
follows: Christ spoke in Greek, say
ing, Thou are Petros "a little rock),
and upon this petra (the whole rock
foundation of His doctrine) I will
build My Church. They drew dis
tinction, justifiable or not, between
the two words, petros and petra.
Peter was in fact chip of the old
block, but not the foundation Of the
Church. This argument stopped my
progress for awhile until realized
that there are other languages than
the Greek, one of them being Hebrew
and another Arabaic. I discovered
that it was the latter that Christ
spoke, saying Thou are Cephas and
upon this Cephas !. will build my
Church. there being no distinction
between the two words. Peter, then,
is the one and only shepherd of the
flock. and Christ's prayer that all
might be as one as and the Father
are one.' is realized in the Church
of which he and his successors are
the head.
1t appeared to me then that the
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