The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-02-05
Just Among Ourselves

pie, both we're simply lald In ruins.
Chesterton liked TO compare the truths OF faith
10 The stones OF an ARCH perfectly fitted together
SO long all the stones are in place, the arch IS
strong and firm and will stand forever But let
single stone be pulled out of place-lt matters not
whit which stone it is or where it is located IN the
srch,-snd the whole arch tumbles down
The people who set out TO reform the Church
merely succeeded in pulling out stones OF doctrine,
and in countless souls, they wrought the ruin OF
faith and utterly destroyed it. They made no return
TO form.-and that is what reform means-but OBJ
liberated all form.
First of all the Bible was declared to be the
only word of God. Now, indeed the Bible is the
word of God; it is source of divine revelation,
But it is not the only source of this revelation The
Apostles sent to preach the true religion
Christ did not command them to write in any re-
corded utterance, even though some OF them were,
in fact TO write under divine inspiration And the
Apostles preached The true faith and brought thou
sands INTO the Church before the Bibl" was fully as
sembed: indeed, before the New Testament books
were all composed.
Devotion TO the Bible as to the word of God is
requisite But devotion TO the Bible as the sole and
sufficient source OF revelation is mistake. Those
who in The usurped name OF reform promoted this
singular devotion seemed TO be raising the Bible to
a place OF supreme emlnence. AS a fact now hlStor-
ically certain. they destroyed the Bible The stone,
once out OF place, su3 oftS no arehvsy
Now. after four hundred years of what is loose
ly called ProtestantiSm, find solemn conelave
OF hundreds of men who occupy the place of Chris
tisn teachers and leaders, finding the Bible only
the record Of Gods dealings with one ancient peo-
pie, The sole course,aS they claimed,-ot divine
inspiration aud revelation is now proclaimed, IN
Christian caucus IS no revelation at all. Thus has
4LN tha adpftr DF
Christian truth in the minds and words Of the re-
formers,-come 10 he book shredded and torn
with nothing divine left IN il.
And thus. those who preach Bible alone" come
inevitably to the position of preachers OF Bible
an incidental" The worship of the Bible ends IN
the neglect of the Bible The people who try 10
raise the Bible to place above its true position,
end by lowering IL TO a place far below lis true po-
sition. Those who proclaimed il Gods own word.
declare il mere useful record of little and
local religious activities.
Ii is amusing-or would be if the whole matter
were not calamitous.-to find ministers Of religion
who balk proudly against an infalble authority
divnely established in the world, speaking with
personal lnlability as they reverse the old re
formers judgement on the Bible. Truly the lndi-
vidual private judgement IN which man was
expected 10 accept with humility the guidance OF
the Holy Spirit has turned into prldeful assert
ivcneSs in which every man claims personal ihia
hbility. We can clearly why Arnold Lunn once
wrote, We need fewer and better popes' for now
each man is his own pope
Thus the stone OF truth c'the Bible is the word
of Godl was torn out of the arch for the declared
purpose of making the arch higher and stronger
But the arch has tumbled down, and the displaced
stone becomes, and more, useless and bur
densome object in the hands OF the would.be build
ers.
This sad result of reform that is no form is
manifest IN other things that came WITH or out Of
the socalled Reformation. For instance, Christ Our
Lord looked TO Being apart from every
creature. He who came through one diyiney chosen
creature TO save all human creatures was sternly
severed from every creature The reformers thought
TO make the Godhead of Christ more manifest
by doing away with all devotion TO His Mother
And instead of making His Godhead more manifest
they have come finally to doub, and deny it,
And thus the bright year of 1854 can find Chris
tian ministers seemingly content With spokesmen
who are not ashamed 10 list Christ with Mohammed
and Confucius and other great leaders of the
past. Ministers In conelale pronounce the dogma
that Christ is not divine
The amazing thing is this Men call themselves
Christians but make nothing of Christ Men pro
doubt deny the true way in which souls are 10
be led Is this lack OF logic, or lack OF honesty?
II man thinks that Christ is not God let him
frankly abjure the name of Christian. He can't
have the thing both ways II wants TO
teach people and preach 10 Them what he sincerely
If mistakenly thinks to be the truth, let him do
on his own authority and not try 10 dodge behind
the name Of Christ whom he essentially denies.
If man thinks the Bible is the word Of God.
LEI him accept and preach that word The Bible
proclsims the truth that Christ is God. If man
thinks the Bible Il not the word Of God but only
record OF revelation that is history of Gods
dealings with a peopleet him honestly foreeo
the cant Of protesting TO revere the Bible. II does
not seem TOO harsh to quote here, in view of the
agendd and octa of the recent ministerial assembly
the word Of Scripture, They are blind and leaders
of the blind
II is time for all Catholics to give humble thanks
10 God for the light of the holy faith, and 10 pray
feryently that it may shine into the souls Of many
who stumble in the dark trying TO follow the
leaders who know not where they lead, and TO hear
teachers who cannot decide what they are 10 teach