The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
"A FEW IGNORANT FIsHERMEN.n

A friend of mine, bright lawyer,
would become Catholic if he could
believe in the Divinity of Christ. He
recognizes the validity of the Catholic
argument on the Church question, but
says that the Divinity of Christ de-
ponds only on the evidence of few
ignorant fishermen. He doubts the
credibility of the Gospels, says a cor
respondent.
Only two of the apostles wrote Cos
pels, we answer. One of these, st.
Matthew, was not fisherman, and his
Office as tax collector indicates his in.
telligence. The other, St. John, was
fisherman, indeed, but his Gospel is
most marvellous piece of writing, and
in the opinion even of infidels ranks
in letter and spirit among the fore
most utterances of wisdom human or
divine
The Apostle ST. Paul teaches the
Divinity of Christ throughout all his
writings, and he was a perfectly edu-
Gated man both as to Greek and He
brew learning The Evangelist st.
Luke was a cultured Hellenist and his
Book on the Acts is a major testimony
to the Divinity of Christ. Much the
same may be said of his Gospel st.
Marks is the favorite one of the four
Gospels with many of the most re.
fined Christians, especially for it's
Straightforward and candid tone. And
it is agreed that in writing it he was
but amanuensis to st. Peter, the leader
of the fishermen. st. Peters Epistles
and those of the Apostles st. James
and ST. Jude, are admittedly powerful
writings, read with immense pleasure
by millions of the best educated OF
every generation since they were writ.
ten. Ask your friend to talk it all over
with some cultivated Catholic-this
question of the credibility of the Cos,
pels.
But apart from the strictly Scriptural
evidence of our Sayiour's Divinity, ask
your friend to consider this: The lofty
Spiritual ideals given by Christ to man.
kind. His doctrine of Gods love for
us, and the perfect superhuman purity
and charity of His teaching. plainly
shows that God gave Him to the world
at least as His appointed master of a
reasonable and a holy life And espe
cially was He sent to deliver the hui
man race from the unspeakable degra
dation of adoring and serving false
gods. God would have Christ deliver
a deadly blow to idolatry.
At least this much is universally
conceded as being Christ's divinely
given mission.
Well, then, would the true God
am supposing your friend to acknowl
edge an everything Providence-would
the true God allow one, who, besides
being great and good man, was His
chosen messenger, to plunge the world
into deeper depths of idolatry?
such is and ever has been all Chris
tendon if Christ be not God. Ever
without Christ, the progress of intel
ligence as we see it in history, would
probably have done away with idola
try in the course of time. If, Their
Christ be not God, idolatry is by Him
fastened more hopelessly on the hui
man race than before His coming;
His wisdom is an idolatrous sophistry
| His tenderness of heart an idolatrous
snare, His touching, winning, fascinat
ing character and career are but 3
lure to the unwary. The conclusion
is inevitable: if Christ be not Goo
there is no over-ruling Providence
there is no God.
Let your friend also consider. this:
The divinity of Jesus Christ is the
foundation of the Christian religion
To Him universal homage is paid, MOI
as to a great man, but as to the in
finite God There are indeed many
who ignore Him, a few who publicly
resist His claim to be the deity, but
the vast multitude of civilized human
ity bow down to adore him. MY Lore
and my God" John Xxx, 28l-St
Thomas act of tardy but perfect
faith, is the cry of the whole human
race so far as it has become enlight
ened. Nor is this a momentary senti
ment, it is the settled conviction o.
ages.
1t grows deeper and stronger will
succeeding generations. 1t is not {
quiescent faith, allied to timid ignor
ance and british superstition The
faith in Christ's godhead is like thu
strength of a tree growing in the oper
fields, tougher and more enduring
from resisting the storms with which
it has had to battle. That wondrou,
truth is today clearer than ever before
1t is all the more peaceful in it.
supremacy on account of the patien
and matured meditation of humanity
best intelligence during nearly a seor'
| of centuries.
The Mfssi0U0YD