The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-01-23

lowed the teaching Oh his church
he would not be guilty of the
charges made against him. He
fell, therefore, III spite Of the
teaching of his denomination.
His church and it's doctrines are
not to be blamed for his failure to
lead a good life and no man of
common sense will say that his
religion was bad because he, as
an individual, sinned. The blame
must be placed upon the individu-
al and not on the church. This
is a lesson which many people
need to learn.
CONTINUED from Page ~
THE CHURCH AND THE BIBLE
Lord rebuked the learned in Israel for
having corrupted the Word of God on
account of their traditions, and both
He and His Apostles admitted, as sa-
cred books, writings, which were not
in the list of Jerusalem. Finally the
Sanhedrin put Christ to death be-
cause they had lost the true sense of
the Scriptures and failed to recognize
Him, of whom Moses and the prophets
had written.
Christ and His Apostles.
But now a new era dawns. Christ
with His Apostles, who were to be
His witnesses to the ends of the
earth, is the last of the prophets, as
He was the antitEpe Of them all. He
completes and closes all revelation.
The full deposit of Faith is manifest
ed, the full current of divine belief is
sent surging down the ages. 1t will
meet all the old enemies of barbaric
and pagan times and many new ones
in the refined ages to come. VIII it
be like flower that is parched in the
torrid sun, or likb stream, that is
lost in the desert sands? No, because
Christ will give His Spirit to keep ever
| fresh this flowers bloom, to prepare
ever new places to be fortified by
| this currents waters. Heaven and
EARTH" He assures us, will pass away
but My word will not pass away" For
three years in town and in country, in
the midst of crowds and desert places,
He teaches a select band of men,-the
twelve apostles-by word, by example,
by the manifestation of divine power.
He admits them to all the secrets OF
the kingdom. Like Moses, He pre-
pares them for a, state of things to
come, but unlike Moses He does not
inScribe His law upon stone, or in
book, but through His Spirit He writes
it upon their hearts and makes them
living books of the law. He uses the
sacred books then at hand, but,
speaking with the Spirit, in which
they were written, He infuses life into
the letter and brushes aside the hui
man interpretations, that had corrupt
ed the sacred text His Apostles, like
wise will use the sacred books in His
Spirit, some of them will leave writ
ings dictated by the same Spirit, and
they will leave a Church without spot
or wrinkle-without the faint that
comes from a wicked world, with the
bloom that adorns perennial youth, to
keep alive their spirit. Such was ex-
plicitly the design of Christ. When
asked by one of His Apostles, how He
would manifest Himself to the world,
Christ answered: 1.-The Paraclete, the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will
send in My name, he will teach you
all things and bring all things to your
mind, whatsoever | shall have said
to YOU THE things that are to come
He shall show you" fJno. XIV. 26)
In this plan, the Apostolic college is
to take fully the place of Christ. He
who heareth you, heareth Me" 'As
the Father sent me, | send you" 1t
is to go through the world endowed
with power from on high and, saw
ing those first endowments, which
were, peculiarly necessary to the
Apostles in as much as they formed
one moral prophetic person with
Christ, being His witnesses, that col
lege will remain in it's corporate pow
ers for ever. Behold, He said, i
am with you all days even to the con
summation of the world Christ will
identify Himself with His followers.
Saul was prosecuting the Church, but
Christ said to him: saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou Me-" The Church,
therefore, is Christ for all purposes OF
salvation. Hence the Apostles ever
looked OH the Church as the mystic
body of Christ, fully peryaded by His
Spirit.
Perception of True Biblical Sense.
Let us see what bearing this has or
the perception of the true sense of the
Bible 1t is not when we have merely
the works OF master that we have
his teaching, we must have his spirit
also. What impressiveness Shake,
speare received from the rendition Of
a Booth; what grandeur Dante re
ceives from the paintings of a DoTe;
what delicacy Chopin is said to re
ceive from the touch OF a PadereWskl!
We might almost say that these gifted
men had caught the spirit of the mas
tiers, whom they interpret. But there
lis no genius. no talent, no pains-takins
research that can make acquisition Of
tho Spirit Of Christ. Hence the deeI