The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-03-09
THE BIBLE AS
TEACHER" WAS
THEME Of TALK

The Bible as a Teacher was the
subject % a very interesting sermon
delivered BY Father Aiiard last night
in which he explained the attitude Of
thu church towards the Bible and its
attitude towards the private reading of
the scriptures considered a. the sole
and unaided teacher OF Christ's doc
tFines. lie began with a hriet refer
ence % the lecture on Chriss's divinity
and said that having shown Christ is
God and that lie came on earth 20
teach mankind the question naturally
arises. hcw does Re instruct us to
dayg did Christ leave q teacher on
earth 20 pcrpstuste His doctrine. and Is
the Bible that teacher Is the question
asekd. Assuming - a matter Of jus
tice that Christ owed Il 70 mankind
TO have remained or earth 70 teach and
guide. or else 20 have provided an
equivalent 20 HE own personal teach
ing presence. what is that equivalent
IL the Bible prayfully read and private
~ interpreted that equivalent p
Before answering this question the
speaker explained the attitude Of the
church toward the Bible, he said tho
church defines that the Bible In the in
spired word 81 God and every Catho-
nc excepted that as an article Of faith"
he said. which gathered together the
gospels and episties. separated the true
from the spurious, drew up the canon
OF list ~ the sacred Books and sent
them down the centuries with the ina
press r. her credentials and hers alone.
The church has beside this, preserved
the Bible ia the world aud the work Of
transcribing copies. before the days
of the printing press was done within
the walls ~ Catholic monastrries and
Yby the hands % CATHOLIC Monks"
The church encourages the read
ing 81 the Scriptures BY her members.
always OF course, restricting tie right
~ private Interpretation Of passages
doctrinaily defined by herself The
public prayers and services % the
church are made up substantially of
passages from Scripture suitably ccn-
piled ana arranged $50 Il IL not true
TO say that the Catholic church il OPP
posed 70 the Bible 81 itA use By the
people
But granting all this. the question
/ remains. r. the private reading and
/ private Interpretation ~ the Scrip
lures the true and divinely appointed
means ~ learning Christ's teaching
/ The question must be answered Mega
/ lively. said Father Anard Private
reading and Interpretation has not
l been the means III the past whereby
man was led 20 the knowledge Of
1 Christianity. For some years after
I Christs ascension there was no Bible
L because His teachings had not been
| committed 20 writing For over three
+ centuries more there vas no Bible az
a teaching unit. because ita fragments
were scattered throughout the
churches. Then for over a thousand
years. before the invention of print
ing is necessarily limited production
prevented It's widespread use. but all
the while teacher had existed. The
church had conquered the Roman En-
pire and had Christianlxcd Europe.
In the second place. private read
ing and Interpretation cannot be the
equivalent of Christs teaching pres
ence for & cannot give that unity and
infalllhie certainty which Christ would
give. Furthermore. The New Tesla
ment q not. and does hot pretend 10
- a complete statement ~ Christ's
teaching our Lord did not teach By
writing. He did not tell Ills apostles
o. write ON thc contrary. lie founded
a teaching church. and gave 20 That
church. forever infailihiilty IN It's
teaching Teach all nations whatso-
ever have commanded YOU. and be-
hold am with YOU always even 20 the
end If the world Matthew ss:fs"
Mt Obrien Motta rendered 4 violin
solo, Apple blossoms" in MS usual
artistic manner
"infallihility % the Pope il the sub
iect Tor tonight