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" I ama Protestant, secondly : Became 1 hold the Holy Scriptures a f un- dent rule of my faith, and mynelf respontdlUe for searching them. " Rev. Win, Stephenson's Sermon. OTTAWA: "FREK PRESS" PRINTING HOUSB, EIX>IN STEEKT. 1872. m t oM ii i m- m0limm*mt*fmmmmmitmmimmim ■T— »I T- * 'SI - i*,- ' t-.W ■'»•!{( ^6 if' REPLY — TO — THE Rev. Wm. STEPHENSON, — OR- Jn ;|n^«rg tub % j|i tt p&u intm, WHY I AM A PROTESTANT,"- -BY THB — REV. JOHN L O'CONNOR, D.D. " I am a Protestant, secondly : Beqp,u»e 1 hold the Boty Seripturet a sttfi* 9%ent ruk qf my faith, and I hold my»e\f retponnblefor tearching them." Rev. Wm. Stepheoaon's Swmon. OTTAWA ; FREE PRESS" PRINTING HOUSE, ELGIN STREET. 1872. BX4-S/? OZ THE BIBLE. THE SOLE RULE OF THE PROTESTANT'S BELIEF. " The Bible, and the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants." — Such ia the fundamental rule of Protestants. * the great and important principle of the sufficient and exclusive authority of the Scriptures, to .be respected, as the unerring guide in all matters qf faith, and religious institution, was the leading star, which conducted our Reformers to the discovery and acknowledgement of the truth. — Dr. Gray, Brampt Lect. " Our incomparable Chillingworth and some others established^ for ever, the old principle, that the Bible and that only, interpreted by our best reason, is the religion of Protestants." — Bishop Hurd — Study of Proph. We must indeed, as Protestants, ever maitOain this principle, or we cannot , justify our having emancipated ourselves from the bondage qf the Church "When Jesus was here," says Mr. Stephenson, "in the world preaching, he said, ' .slieve in me,' not simply believe in certain truths that I teach." But what does this exactly mean ? If it means that we must not only be- lieve in the truths which Christ has taught, but aUo that he was God, " the Word made flesh," the Messiah — truths which He also taught — then I perfectly agree with Mr. Stephenson. But if he means by it, that to be true Christians, to hold Christianity in "the essential sense," — that is, Christianity without belief in which we will be damned, — it is iuffieient to believe that Christ was G%to come to a knowledge of Christ and all the truths which Christ has taught? There must he certainly some means open to them ; for it would be outrageous to say, that all men must believe in Him and them up >n pain of being damned, and that Christ has left no means by which they mAy learn what they are rver be a means adapted to thd capacity of all people, the dullest and most iguoraiit, as well as the most intelligent and learned ; for the former have as good a right to the joys of Heaven as the latter. It must Hnally, be a means, that will, if people honestly and sincerely follow it, infallibly lead them, without danger of error, without possibility of mistake to know Christ and "all thmgs" which he has commanded them to believe upon pain of being damned. These conditions, our own reason con- vinces us, nmst attach to the rule which Christ has left us. Now, where is the rule, which Christ has left us, to be found ? The Kev. Mr. Stephenson says, he has it, that Protestantism has it ; and that it consists in the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible as under- stood and interpreted by each person " I am a Protestant," he says "because J hold the Holy Scriptures a au^cient rule of my faith, 'and myself re- sponsible for searching them." (Page 5.) By the " Holy Sciiptures" he must necessarily mean the whole Bible ; for he does not limit the meaning of the words. But, now, if the Scriptures or whole Bible be a sufficient rule of faith for Mr. Stephenson, they must also be, and must always have been, a suffi- cient rule of faith for all people ; for it would be absurd to suppose, that Christ established a particular rule of faith for Mr. Stephenson ; and if he is held responsible for searching them, so must, also, all other persons in all times. This, no one can question. Well, then, have the Holy Scriptures, or the whole Bible, in all times in the past, been a " sufficient " rule of faith for all men, and could all men be held responsible for searching them ? Axe they, even, in the present day, a " sufficient " rule of faith for all people and can all men be held responsihle for searching them ? Father Damen said ; No. I say no also ; -uid I will give his and my reasons for saying so. Tho Holy Scriptures or the whole Bible, as Protestants now profosB to have them, have not, in all times of the past, been a "sufficient" rule of faith for all men, and all men could not have be^n held responsible for searching them — (my first questirm)— and why ? Because first, there was a time when the whole Bible did not exist — was not complete • and, therefore, during that time the Rev. Mr. Stephenson's, or the Protestant rule of faith, — the Holy Scriptures as Protestants now profess to have them — could not be a " sufficient " rule of faith ; for if they could, then the New Testament is not an essential part of the rule of faith, and Protestants deny this. Well, then, St. Mathew — the first of the apostles who wrote anything of the Now Testament — did not write his Gospel until about seven years after the ascen- sion of (Jhrist into Heaven ; therefore, for seven years, the chief part of tho Protestant rule of faith had no existenco. St. Mark wrote his Gospel about ten years after Christ had left the world ; St Luke about twenty - five years, and St. John did not write anything until about sixty-three years after Christ's ascension. Therefore, for ten, for twenty-five, for sixty- three years, the Protestant rule of faith — tho whole Bible — was incomplete and consequently it could not be looked upon as a " sufficient " rule, li v/as only about the year sixty-five that St. John wrote the last pai t of the Nev Testament ; and therefore it was not until that year that Mr. Stephenson's 1 ale of faith — the Holy Scriptures, or whole Bible — became complete and could be regarded iu any light, as a " sufficient" rule. But after that period, w-n Mr. Stephenson's rule a sufficent rule? It was not ; and why ? Becautio before iu, under any pocnibility, could beconie a sufficient rulC; A before Christ could hold any man responsible for e^^arch- ing it — the Bible, the whole Bible, — it was strictly necessary that the inspired Gospels and Epistles should have been well known throughout the Christian world from the many spuriouc Gospels and Epistles then extant, and that all the books composing it should have been gathered into some convenient form, that people, without great trouble or difficulty, might be able to consult or search them. Was this the case ? Every student of history knows it was not. It was not until over throe hundred years had elapsed, that it was definitely known what books or writings really constituted the Bible. In some places the spurious Gospels and Epistles were looked upon as in- spired, while in other places the inspired writings were regarded as spurious. And, thus it Was, that people generally did not know, and could not know, for ove- three hundred years, what books or writings constituted the Bible, the whole Bible or Protestant rule of faith ; and not knowing this, they could not, of course, consult or search it ; and not being able to consult or search it, they could not learn from it ; and not being able to learn from it, they could not know what they ever required to believe ; and not being able to know what they were required to believe, they conld not believe ; and TT ■•p^^^^^ ipwii I" «■ 7 8 not believing, they were all damned — for " he that believeth not ehallbe condemned" — damned through no fault of their own, but through the fault of Jesus who gave them a rule which it was impossible for them to follow — which is simply absurd. Therefore, for over three hundred years, Mr. Stephenson's rule of faith was nou a " sufficent " rule ; for, as I have shown, instead of guiding people to heaven, its impossibility or unavailability would have sent them to hell. Again ; it was not until the fifteenth century, that the art ol printing was invented. People, now-a-days, are so accustomed to see a Bible on every table, that, without reflection, they imagine that Bibles should have been always as numerous and common as they are at present. But, some- times, people make mistakes, and they never fell into a greater mistake, than to imagine that before the art of printing was invented, Bibles could have been, as plentiful as they are now. At the present day, by the aid of type and steam-presses, Biblescan be struck off and printed by thousands in the day ; but before the fifteenth century, when neither type nor steam- presses existed, the whole labour of getting up a copy of the Bible, had to be pei'fcrmed by hand and pen. And, now, tell me, Mr. Stephenson, how many Bibles could be got up in this manner — not in a day — ^but in a year by a man of average expertness in writing ? and what woxild be the cost of each ? I will let a Protestant author answer the question ; the estimate he makes is certainly exceedingly low. The author is the Rev. S. R. Maitland D.D.F.R.S, & F.S.A,, sometime librarian to the late Arch- bbhop of Canterbury and keeper of the M.S.S., at Lambeth. In his series of lectures, intended to illustrate the state of religion and literature in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th centuries, he says: "To copy all these books (of the Bible) was a great undertaking ; and even when there was no affectation of caligraphy, or costly ornament, and when we reduce the exaggerated statements about the price of materials to something re- asonable, it was not only a laborious but an expensive matter. Of course, writing and printing are very different thincr I do not pretend to speak with accuracy, (for it would require more trouble than the thing is worth), but I am inclined to suppose that at this day a copy of our Eng- lish Bible, paid for at the rate at which law-stationers, pay their writers for common fair — copy on paper, would cost between sixty and seventy pounds (sterling) for the writing only ; and further, that the scribe mi'.st be both expert and industrious to perform the task in much less than ten months." (Page 202). This is what a Protestant author says. Add to this estimate, the cost for'material (which was parchment or ftther costly prepara- tions) and binding, ice, and twenty or thirty pounds more may be added to the cost of the wriiiing. Thus, you see, Mr. Stepenson, that your ordi- nary English Bible, which now can be purchased for fifty cents, would, in !<■ i ■HP ot shall be [h the fatilt bo follow — years, Mr. ave shown, irailability of printing a Bible on lould have But, Bome- r mistake, blea could the aid of >usands in lor steam- had to be iBon, how in a year I the cost ' 3 estimate ev. S. R. te Arch- his series iro in the 3se books was no luce the ;hing re- f course, to speak thing is mr Eng- r writers seventy be mi!8t than ten d to this prepara- Etddedto )ur ordi- ould, ia those good old times before printing was invented, have cost you about a hundred pounds sterling, or about five hundred doUars of our money ; or if you had preferred to copy it off yourself, it would take you about ten months' or a year's constant labor. What do you think of this ? And I wonder whether you would feel very much inclined, under these circum- stances, to press your rule of faith very strongly upon your congregation and insist on their reading it ; especially if you had yourself to write out a copy of the Bible for each of them, or pay $500 for it. What I also ask ? would all poor men, men 'vith little and hard earned money, think of it ? What would all daily workers, laborers, mechanics, artisans, &c ., who con- stitute now aud have always constituted, two thirds of the population of the world, think of it ? What would they say, Mr. Stephenson, of your rule of faith, if they had to pay about $500 to get it, or spend about twelve months' of their time to copy it ? I opine they would rather open their eyes, and say : " What ! Mr. Stephenson ; you say, we must believe oi- be damned, and that we must purchase a Bible as our rule of faith at a coat of about $500 and search it, and learn from it, what we are to be- lieve. Why, the thing is utterly impossible, sir ; we have not that amount of money, never have had it at any one time, and never expect to have it. That rule of faith may suit you and be "sufficient" for you, us you say, as perhaps you have $500 to spare ; but for us, it, evidently, its not a rule that we, having no $500 to spare, can avail ourselves of ; and therefore it is not and cannot be a sufficient rule of our faith, and our case is the case of two thirds oi the population of the world. What then are we to do Mr. Stephenson ? What is to become of us ? We must believe, you say, or be condemned, damned, and it is utterly impossible for us, according to your rule of faith, to believe ; for we can- not now, and never expect to be able to, purchase a Bible at $300, and search it, to learn what we are required to believe. What, therefore is to become of us ? Must we be damned ? Ah ! Mr. Stephenson, this is rather a hard thought to digest. To be damned through our own per- versity, our own fault ; we could understand it. But to be damned through no fault of our own, and with the best desire and wish in the world to believe all that God requires of us, simply because we cannot scrape together $500 to buy a Bible, as our rule of faith and search it, to learn what we should believe — the thing is terrible ; it appears to us frightfully inconsistent with what you have often told us in your sermons ; — that Christ has a deep, an anxious, and unbounded desire to save uh. Surely, if He had such a desire, He would not require us to believe upon pain of being eternally damned, and then have given us a rule of faith, wherein we must search out and learn what we are required to believe ; which it is utterly impossible for us to make use of, aa we have not and ■Bl 7 i I I I ! 1 r ■ . 1 10 never expect to have $500 to oe able to purchase it. If your teaching there- fore about the necessity of believing and the rule of faith, is right, Christ must have cared very little about the salvation of the souls of the poor. The rich may make use of your rule of faith, but we, who are poor, who have no $500 to spare, can never avail ourselves of it. Therefore, if your rule of faith be the rule of faith, ordained by Christ for the poor man as well as the rich, then never speak to us again about the great, the un- bounded desire of Christ to save us, the poor of the world." Such might well be the language which the poor, the vast majority of the world in all ages, might have addressed, in regard to the rule of faith, to the Rev. Mr. Stephenson, had he lived and preached befcre the art of printing was invented. Previous to the 15th century it was impos- sible, as every one acquainted with the difference between writing and printing knows, — I will not say for one in a thousand — ^but for one in every ten thousand of the population of the world, to become possessed of a copy of the Bible ; for f 500 was as rare a thing then as it is now, in the hands of the poor man. And such being the case, how could Mr. Stephenson's rule of faith be a " sufficient" guide for all people during these fourteen hundred years ? And if it was not a sufficient rule for over fourteen hundred years of the Christian religion who can say that it is the rule or means, ordained by Christ ? It is evident from what I have said that, while the Holy Scriptures may be the Rev. Mr. Stephenson's rule, they were not and are not the rule given by Christ to the world, — to the poor as well as the rich, — to teach thera what they must believe upon pain of being damned. But even at the present day, when type and steam-presses, have scattered Bibles over the world by millions, and reduced their price to a mere trifle, are there not difficulties in the way, which prove that the Holy Scriptures are not a " sufficient" rule of faith for aU men and consequently not the rule ordained by Christ ? — (Second question ; see pa<^e 6. ) — What is the proportion of the population of the world, who are unable to read ? At least one half, some say two thirds, some say three fourths. And what can this one half, two thirds or three fourths, do with the Bible as a rule of faith for themselves ? They cannot read, therefore they camiot consult or search it themselves. And stiU Mr. Stepenson says, they must search it ; must " hold themselves responsible" for searching it. Really this is a hard saying ; millions and hundreds of millions of people held responsible for search- ing the Bible ; they cannot go to Heaven unless they do search it and learn from it what they must believe — " he that believeth not shall be condemn- ed." — and still they cannot read, and therefore cannot search it themselves ; they must, therefore, if left to themselves, without teachers to instruct, to teach, them ever remain ignorant of what they are required, under pain : 11 nr teaching there- h, is right, Christ souls of the poor, ho are poor, who Therefore, if your the poor man as le greats the un< I." he vast majority rd. to the rule of eached befcre the iry it was impos- between writing in a thousand pulation of the r $500 was as rare And such being '* sufficient" guide d if it was not a Christian religion •ist ? It is evident i,y be the Rev. Mr. m by Christ to the . what they must sam-presses, have their price to a ove that the Holy and consequently e pafije 6.) — What unable to read ? arths. And what Bible as a rule of cannot consult or y must search it ; lally this is a hard jonsiblefor search- learch it and learn shall be condemn- rch it themselves ; chers to instruct, [uired, under pain of damnation, to believe ; consequently they cannot believe, and not believ- ing they will bo damned ; for Christ has said " he that beiieveth not shall be condemned." So you see, Mr. Stepenson, that even now-a-days, when Kibles are scattered, through the aid of type and steam-presses, all over the world oy millicns, your rule of faith is an impossible one for all unable to read, the majority of the people of the world. It therefore cannot be a "sufficient" rule for them, and consequently can not be the rule ordained by Christ, who came on earth to save the illiterate and the ignorant as well as the learned. But even supposing, that every man, women, and child, in the world could read and read well, would the case be very diflferent ? It is a well '■ known fact, that compari^tively very few in the world, know anything I about the languages in which the Scriptures were originaly written. Very few therefore coald consult or search them, in their vernacular tongues ; [the great bulk of the population of the world would have to search the tran- slated versions. Well, then, take the English Bible for example. A man takes it in his hands, seats himself and begins to search it. A thought strikes him. I am about, he says, to do — what ? To try and learn from this Book, which is given to me as a "sufficent"ruleof my faith, whatsoever, Christ has commanded I shall believe upon pain of damnation. And how must I proceed in order that I may not be led astray, be deceived ? I must, first, i make myself perfectly certain that this English copy of the Bible is [ a correct rendering, a faithful translation of the Bible as written in the or- [ iginal languages ; for, if it is only au unfaithful rendering, a corrupt tran- Islation, then it does not contain the pure word of God ; therefore, in search- f ing it, I may be led astray and deceived, for I may fall upon the corrupt passages in it. And how can I make myself certain, that it is a faithful translation ? Here I am at a stand-still ; for I do not know even the first word about the origiaal lans^ages, and therefore cannot test the matter." Thereupon, Mr. Stephenson steps forward and charitably relieves [the embarrassment of the searcher of the Bible by saying : "Being more [or leas familiar with both languages, I am bold to aver that the English Itranslation, as we have it, does no violence to the original, perverts no divine [truth." (see page 8. ) The man reflects seriously, for a few moments, on this solemn assurance ; but not finding in it that perfect satisfaction or certainty rhich he considers he should have in a matter of such serious import he replies: '"Your bold averment, Mr. Stephenson, may be perfectly Rgatisfactory to yourself, but to me it is not so. Tou m y, indeed, as you Isay, be more or less familiar with both languages, and feel convincea, that the English translation, " as we have it," does no violence to the original, perverts no divine truth ; but it strikes i>» that I have often heard and jften read, that our English translation doej do violence to the original and T IT i 12 does pervert divine trath, and that this has been maintained even by some men most learned in the original languages, and in biblical lore. And when I have read and heard that this is the case, you, surely, cannot ini' agine, that I should so far forget the dictates of common prudence and, to use expressions of your own, "ignore my intelligence and offend my conscience," (see page 8) — as to accept your ipse dixit or " bold" averment in the matter. When learned doctors disagree, what can I, who know not a word about the Greek Hebrew, &c,, decide in the matter. Therefore I vaxiat ttill say, I am at a stand-stiil, that I know not what to say ; and, therefore, I am forced to conclude, on the very threshold of my search, that the Bible is not to me a '* sufl¢ " rule of my faith, and that I cannot be held responsible for searching it." But even grantingthatthis point — the correctness and faithfulness of the translation is settled, — does the searcher of the Bible find himself in a much better position? As great difficulties yet remain. The man takes the Bible and opening it at the XXii Chapter of the Book Revelations, he reads a quotation which he finds in Mr. Stephenson's sermon as follows : "If any man shall add unto those things, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book ; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prohecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life." " This is a terrible threat," says the Bible searcher to himself ; " so I must be careful, to make myself certain, not to add anything to the book or take away any- thing from it. And how can I make myself cei-tain of this ? Only by being certain, assured beyond the possibility of doubt, or mistake that the deduc- tions or doctrines, or teachings, I draw from the words of ; 'le book, are the truths which Christ has taught, that God has revealed. And Law can J. be thus certain ? Only by being certain beyond room for doubt, of giving to the words of the book, the exact meaning which Christ, which God, intended they should express and convey to the minds of men. And how can I be certain of this ? Ah ! here is the difficulty which puzzles me. If I trust my own judgment, I know I may be led astray ; for I know my judgment is liable to err, and, as a matter of fact, has often erred in my life time, and may, of course, err, also, now in this instance . Wliat then must I do ? Consult my minister ; but my rule of faith says, no ; search the Scriptures yourself, they are " sufficient" for you. Consult my Church as the divinely instituted organ of God's word, which cannot lead me astray, but my church, says, she is not infallible, is not a divinely instituted body commissioned by Christ to teach infallibly the truth and nothing but the truth, she may, therefore,, like my own judginent. err. Where then must I turn in my perplexity? I am at a stand -still again. I cannot trust my judgment, I cannot trust my minister, I cannot trust my Church ; what, then, am I to do ? Is it possible, that, in this fearful uncertainty, I am held responsible IS intained even by >iblical lore. And lurely, cannot im- prudence and, to e and offend my bold" averment in I, who know not a Therefore I must ; and, therefore, I ch, that the Bible I cannot be held faithfulness of th* himself in a much takes the Bible and e reads a quotation " If any man shall 3 which are written ords of the book of >k of life." "ThiB io I must be careful, : or take away any- is? Only by being ike that the deduc- f •> le book, are the . And Law can I. 3r doubt, of giving 'hrist, which God, men. And how can zles me. If I trust ow my judgment is my life time, and it then must I do ? rch the Scriptures •ch as the divinely ay, but my church, y commissioned by he truth, she may, nust I turn in my t my judgment, I hat, then, am I to m held responsible by Christ to go on and search the Scriptures ? It cannot be ; for if I go on and search, the only result of my search may bo, to give a wrong inter- pretation to the words of God, to run into error, profess doctrines which are not the teachings of inspiration, and, therefore, I may add to, or take .away from, " the words of the book ;" and God has declared that if any man do 80, He will visit him with plagues and take away his part out of the book of life. Surely, Christ could not place any man in such a terribly perplexing • position." But, here Mr. Sephenson might again step forward, and lecom- mend the Bible searcher to have recourse to prayer and " boldly aver" that if he adopced this advice, the Holy Spirit would guide him all right. But to this the searcher of the Bible might answer : " This is indeed a very good advice you give me, Mr. Stepenson, but I do not think that after all your "bold" avermenfc will relieve me out of my difficulty. There are my neighbours, great Bible searchers, Mr. Prayerful, Mr. Pious, Mr. Religious, • Mr. Sanctimonius, Mr. Honest, Mr. Sincere, Mr. Welldisposed, Mr. Well- intentioned, Mr. Goodreasoner, Mr. Goodjudgement, Mr. Scientific, and Mr. Learned, and a better intentioned, more prayerful set of men I have never known in my life ; and they have been praying and praying and searching and searching the Scriptures, and imagining that the "Holy Spirit" was guiding and directing them in doing so, for the last forty-five years • and what is the result ? Why, that Mr. Prayerful, nothwithstand- ing all his praying and imagining the " Holy Spirit" was guiding him, has come to the conclusion that the Bible teaches, that there are not three really distinct persons in God, while Mr. Pious, on the contrary, has come to the conclusion, that there are three persons ; that Mr. Religious quotes the Bible to prove that Christ was not God, while Mr. Sanctimonious quotes it to prove that He is God ; that Mr. Honest says, there is no hell, taught in the Bible, while Mr. Sincere says, there is ; that Mr. Welldisposed proclaims polygamy as a Scriptural institution, whUe Mr. WeUintentioned says, the Scriptures abhor such a monstrous doctrine ; that Mr. Goodreasoner from his searching of the Bible professes Free-loveism, while Mr. Goodjudgment stoutly maintains the Bible teaches marriage ; that Mr. Scientific says you must not baptize infants because no such teaching is to be found in the Bible, while Mr. Learned says it is to be found there and you must baptiz« them. And so on it is with many others of my neighbours, all apparently honest and prayerful &c., and all nevertheless professing the most con- tradictory doctrines, which they imagine, that, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they have found to be contained in the Bible. Now, how can the searcher of the Bible, if he be a sensible, prudeni mail, in the face of such facts, accept, the Rev. Mr. Stephenson's "bold" averment, that the Holy Spirit will guide him all right, and thereon trust himself to searching the Scriptures, when he sees so many ; , 14 at'ound him, who have been led astray in doing so. His common sense tells Lim, that all these men, professing the most contradictory doctrines, cannot all be right, all believing the truth ; and, still, they appear, in their searching after truth in the Bible, all to be as sensible, as honest and as prayerful as he is himself. What, then, must he conclude ? Simply that Mr. Stephenson's bold averment is not *• sufficient," and the rule, which has led so many other people into error and often into the greafest blasphemies, may lead him astray also. And this being the conclusion which he must, in common sense, draw, how can he trust that rule ? And not being able to trust it, he cannot look upon the Holy Scriptures as " a sufficient" rule of his faith, and, consequently, csumot regard it, as the rule ordained by Christ, to lead all men, without fear of mistake or error , to a knowledge of what they must believe, upon pain of being damned. '* He that believeth not shall be condemned." But, do not the Scriptures themselves warn the Bible searcher against trusting to his own private judgement, in searching and interpreting them ? Does not St. Peter tell him, that in the Scriptures there are contained " things hard to be understood which the unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction"? (2 Pet. Ch. III. 16, ) And if there are ' 'things hard to be undei stood" in the Bible, or Holy Scriptures, how can " the unlearned aud unstable," the great mass of man- kind, without the greatest temerity and the blindest presumption, imagine that they can easily understand and interpret them ? And how can 'fr. Stephenson place the Bible in their hands as a " sufficient " rule oft eir faith, and assure them, that they will be able to learn from it, the truths, the *' all things " which they are required to believe, to save themselves ? St. Peter warns them that they may wrest these " things hard to be under- stood " as they may also all the other Scriptures to their "own destruction," — that is damnation ; but Mr. Stephenson assures them, there is no such danger — ^but, on the contrary, that the Bible including the "hard things " •will unquestionably, lead them right, make them "wise unto salvation." Which are we to believe, St. Peter or Mr. Stephenson ? And again; does not St. Peter also assure us, that " no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation "? (2 Pet. 11 Ch. — 20 V.) But Mr. Stephenson's rule of faith says, that St. Peter is wrong ; that all prophecy of Scripture, all the Scriptures, are of private interpretation, and that they are, St. Peter to the contrary notwithstanding, a " sufficient " rule of faith for all men, even the " unlearned and unstable." Again, I ask, which are we to be- lieve ; St. Peter or Mr. Stephenson ? Most people would say : unquestion- ably, St. Peter. Then, in that case, how can the "unlearned and unstable," the great mass of mankind, look upon the Bible as a sufficient rule of their faith ? And if they cannot do thu, how can they regard it as the means or- dained by Christ T ipipllpil ppp "PIP" mm^. His common sense ost contradictory truth ; and, still, Jible, all to be as hat, then, must he is not "sufficient," rror and often into nd this being the bow can he trust )ok upon the Holy isequently, cannot i, without fear of eve, upon pain of med." 3 Bible searcher g and interpreting bhere are contained unstable wrest as tion»?(2Pet. Ch, the Bible, or Holy eat mass of man- Jumption, imagine bid how can 'fr. •nt " rule of + eir 'm it, the truths, save themselves ? hard to be under- )wn destruction," , there is no such le "hard things " unto salvation." "no prophecy of —20 V.) But Mr. hat all prophecy and that they are, ule of faith for all liich are we to be- lay : unquestion- 3d and unstable," ent rule of their as the means or- 15 But even supposing all these difficulties removed, are there not yet pointd which the searcher of the Bible must satisfactorily settle before he can make ; Use of Mr. Stephenson's rule of faith ? How will he be able to prove, beyond doubt, the inspiration of the Bible and all parts of the Bible ? And how can he establish the Canon, or the authentic list, of the books of the Scripture, which are to be received as divine ? In regard to the first question, the I Scriptures themselves furnish r.o satisfactory information or proof, in re« gard to their being inspired in all their parts. The Rev. Mr. Stephenson himself cannot produce this essential information or testimony from any part of the New Testament, from the first page of the Gospel of St. Mathew to the last page of the Book of Revelations. But, even, if he could, it might still be objected, that the book, being on its trial could not legi* ; timately bear testimony in favor of itself ; or that those parts which might i be produced, as bearing testimony to it, were not themselves inspired, and. I therefore were useless as testimony. To be a sufficient rule, the inspiration of every part of the Bible must be first settled, and settled by unques- I tionable testimony, which the Bible, itself does not furnish. The Rev. Mr. Stephenson may, however, say, that the few texts, that can be wrested or [ forced into a weak semblance of proof, that the Scriptures assert their own ! inspiration, ought to satisfy any man ; but from what I have said and in \ the face of the fact, that learned men, Protestants also, like Bishop Colenso and the writers in the Essays and Reviews, have unhesitatingly called in ques- tion the inspiration of the Scriptures or at least the inspiration of parts of them, the searcher of the Bible, could have but little confidence in the Rev. Mr.*Stephenson's assertion ; and therefore on the very threshold of his enquiry he would have to give up the Bible as a sufficient rule of faith for him. Now, as to the question of the Canon, or authentic list, of the books which constitute the Bible, the Scripture searcher, would be very little better off. The Scriptures, themselves give no catalogue of those books of the New Testment, which are to be received as divine. How, then, could he determine them. His own private judgement could decide nothing in the matter ? Would the Rev. Mr. Stephenson here again "boldly aver" something for his satisfaction ? But might not he as before, dissent from the Rev. Mr. Stephenson's averment, especially should he happen to know, that learned Protestants themselves have wrangled and quarrelled over the ques* I tion ; and that both in the Old and New Testaments mention or allusion, is made (Numb XXI ch. v, -14 ; 11 Chron. ix ch. 29 v. Math, xxviich. 9 v. [ and elsewhere) to books which are now lost. Parsons, Grabe, Toland and I many other learned Protestants, have regarded the Canon as either full of difficulties or as very incomplete. The celebrated Protestant divine, the , Rev. Jeremiah Jones, who died in the last Century (1724), published a leaiT- T it 1 , I I 1; ■ \< 16 ed treatise on a *' New and full method of settling the Canonical awthority of the New Testament "; and in that work, he admits that the qnestion of the Canon is " attended with very many and great difficulties"; and that " a great number of christians are destitute of any good arguments for their belief of the Canonical authority of the books of the New Testament ; and " very little has been done on the subject " to settle it. The quotations are from the first edition of his work (the heads of the chapters as given on the first page) published at Oxford in 1827. And at page 12 he says : ''H« who ha* but the least occasion to acquaint himself with the religious state of mankind^ cannot butioith surprising concern have observed, how slender and uncertain the principles are, upon which men receive the Scripture as the word of God." And he adds : " The truth is though a very painful cne, that many persons. . . .by the chance of education and the force of custom receive the Scriptures as the word of God, without making any serious enquiries, and consequen- tly without being able to give any solid reasons, why they believe them to be such. "^And the celebrated Richard Baxter in still stronger language, speaks of the difficulties of the Canon. In his well known work. "The Saints' Everlasting Rest" at page 197 he says : " Are the more exercised, under- standing sort of Christains able by aoMnef arguments to make good the verity of Scripture ? Nay^ are the meaner sort of ministers able to do this ? Let them that have tried judge." So you see, Mr. Stephenson, that, even according to the celebrated Protestant divine, Richard Baxter, not only are the exercised and understanding class of Protestants, not able to prove the truth of Scripture, but that the lower order of ministers or teachers are not able to do it. And again at page 201, he says : " It is strange to consider how we all aWn • that piece of Popery, as most injurious to God of all the rest, which resolves our faith into the authority of the Church ; and yet that we do, for the generality of professors, content ourselves with the same kind of faith, only with this difference. — the Papostles ; he was not •th. that the Scriptures is have given us, iu ary of the Christian in the New Testa- i required to believe not done so, and the nass of contradictory eir rule of faith, and . them to write down 1, is it not probable, iown for us, all that lave not. During the lurrection from the 9,ve said and done an > any of the inspired iters record of His sayings and doings, during that time. And, still, who [ say, that this was not a time, in which Christ was very likely to say and loa great deal ; discourse much with his Apostles about the kingdom of Qod ? it. Paul himself tells us that He did speak -'things" about it. (Acts i. 3.) Iff not surprising, then, that the Apostles, if the Protestant rule of faith be the true one, have not left us a fuller account of "the things" which He did Ipeak, pertaining to the kingdom of God ? Is it not surprising also^, that they should have satisfied themselves with giving to the world in the writ- ten word, only very brief summaries of a few of the many things Christ lid, and said, during His whole public life? It really is. And still the Rev. Mr. Stephenson says, the Scriptures are a satisfactory, a "suffi- Bienf'rule of faith. If, indeed, all the many "things" which Christ said and did, rere recorded fully in them, there might be some pret«nce, to regard them such. But how can any sensible man hold them as "sufficient," when he reads in St. John xxi. 25. ^"But there are also 'Mny other thing* (which Jesus did, which, if they were written every oae, the world itself^ [I think, would not be able to contain the books thai should be written." Again ; is it not a generally admitted fact, that until the time of Moses, Ithere was no written revelation to form the guide or rule of faith for all ths {people who lived before his day ? And, still, will the Rev. Mr. Stephenson isay that Seth, Abraham, Isaac, Melchisedeck, and all God's people, were [not saved T And, nevertheless, the truths which they believed and by jbflief in which they were saved, were truths for which they had no [authority but tradition. Moreover, did Moses, when he had written the flaw, give a copy of it to each person of the people of Israel, as the only rule \ of his faith ? He did not ; on the contrary, he delivered it to the priests [and the ancients, (Deut. xxxi. 9.) — and commanded them to deposit it "in ! the side of the ark of the covenant," adding, " c^fter teven yeart, in the year of remission. . . . thou shalt read the word of this law, before all Israel in their hearing." This does not look much like, as if the Scrip- tures or written law, in tbe days of Moses, formed the tole rule of faith for Ithe people, or that they were held responsible for searching them. The |;>n««te themselves were to read them to the people and this only, once in seven [years. Again, (Deut. xvii. 8. 9.) what do we read? That in all matters [concerning them, they should take the written law as their »ole guide or Ijudge and search it ? Not so ; for we read that when any hard and doubt- il matter in judgement was among them, recourse should be had to the Ipriests and the judge of the law and thty should decide it, and all should |abide by their judgement, uponptunof death. "If thou perceive l^ere among you a hard and doubtful matter in judgement. . . . thou shalt eomt |to the priests of the Levitical race and to the judge, that shall be at that I time ; and thou shalt ask of them and theyshaHahtwyoM. the truth of the judge- J* I ) li: i f ' 1 f MI , n 1 ■ 1 II ■ ; t ■ ! Iv , ! fl ! i t ,' |l ^ 1 ' n ;,' 20 ment. And thou shalt do wbtitKoevor thet/ shall 8ay, thnt preside in the plare which the fjord shall choose, and what they shall toach thee according to hin law ; and Moh shnlt follow il from Israel. And all the people hearing it shall foar, that no one after- wards npell with pride." (Deuter xvii. 8 to 13,) From this it is clear, that the people of Israel were not allowed to indulge their judgement by private interpretation of the written law, but, on the contrary, were com- manded to consult the pri'ssts and especiaUy the judge or High Priest in matters hard and difficult to be decided, and to follow their judgement, upon pain of death. And again : (in ii Par. or Chron.) we read : " In Jerusalem, also, Josaphat appointed Levttes and priests, and chiefs of the families of Israel to judge the judgement and the cause of the Lord for the inhabitants thereof. And he charged them saying : Thus shall you do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart. Every cause that shall come to you (before you) of your brethren. . . , concerning the law, the eommandments, the ceremonies, the justifieattons, shew it them, (decide it for them,) that they may not sin against the Lord. . . . And Amarias the priest your high priest shall be chief in the things which regard Ood. . . . »nd you have before you the Levitesfar masters." (ii Par. or Chron. xix 8. to 11.) Here again, we find that it was the priests, especially the High Priest, and not each individual, that were to search the Scriptures and ex- plain or decide, "the things which regard God." — Elsewhere, (in Malachias II. 7.) the Lord declares that " the lips of the priest shall keep knowledge ; and they (the people) shall seek the law at his mouth ; because he is the Angel (the minister) of the Lord of Hosts." — I might quote many other passages from the old Testament to shew, that before the advent of Christ, the private interpretation of the Scriptures was not permitted; and that the pt-ople were not allowed to "hold the Holy Scriptures" as a "sufficient' rule of their faith and hold themselves responsible for searching them. But, I think, the quotations I have made, are clear and explicit enough to decide the question ; as they shew, beyond doubt, that recourse was to be had "in the things which regard God" to the priests and especially to the High Priest. And what are we to infer from this ? That there is a very strong antecedent probability that the rule asserted by the Rev. Mr. Stephenson and by Protestants generally, ismt the rule ordaineil by Christ, and that, therefore, it is not a sufficient rule. Again, is it not absurd to place such a book as the Bible in the hands of even the most stupid and ignorant men, and pretend that each one of 21 \ttt. preside in the plaet thee according to hin thoii decline to t '•e right md re/ute to obey the > to the Lord thy Qod u shalt take away the »r, that no one after- pom this it is clear, e their judgement by I contrary, were com- ge or High Priest in low their judgement, • Chron.) we read : a8s, the period of four thousand years, and advances further fowardn the most distant future, by embracing the origin and destiny of ^an and the universe —a book which, with the continued history of a chosen ^ople, intermingles, in its narrations and prophecies, the revolutions of •lighty empires— a hoos. which, side by side with the magnificent piotures, ff the power and splendor of Eastom monarchs, describes, in simple folors, the plain domestic manners, ihe candor and innocence of a young llation — a book in which historians relate, sages proclaim, their maxims of ^(risdom. Apostles preach, and doctors instruct — a book in which prophets, finder the influence of the divme Spirit, thunder against the errors and forimptions of the people and announce the vengeanoe of the God of Sinai, 4r pour forth inconsolable lamentations on the captivity of their brethren, Ipid the desolation and solitude of their country ; where they relate, in f^onderful and sublime language, the magnificent spectacles which are pre- rated to their eyes ; where, in moments of ecstacy, they see pass before iem the events of society and the catastrophes of nature, although veiled tmysterious figures and v- i m, of obscurity — a book, or rather a collection books, where are to be jund all sorts of styles and all varieties of Etrrative, epic majesty, pastoral simplicity, lyric fire, serious instruction, irave historical narrative, and lively and rapid dramatic action ; a collec- tion of books, in fine, written at various times and in various languages, in various countries, and under the most peculiar and extraordinary circum- itances. Such is the Bible." And, now, Mr. Stephenson is there not something very absurd, |n putting such a book, as a rule of faith, into the hands of illiterate, ignorant men and telling them to search it, to try and understand it ? Must not such A book, in the words of the same author, confuse the heads of men, even Well instructed, who puffed up with their own conceit, grope through thes* pages in the dark, ignorant of climates, times, laws, customs, and man- ners. They will be puzzled by allusions, surprised by images, deceived by expressions ; they will hear the Greek and Hebrew, which was written in those remote ages, now spoken in a modem idiom. What effects must lull these circumstances produce in the minds of readers who believe that |he Bible is an easy book; to be understood without difficulty by all ? Jj^ersuaded that they do not require the instructions of others, they must either resolve all these difficulties by their own reflections, or trust to that individual inspiration which they believe will not be wanting to explain to jthem the loftiest mysteries. ''Yho, therefore, can be astonished, that Protestantism has produced so many absurd visionaries, who have imagin- A fir f III ! f 1 ... ■ 1 • ' ' i j ! , 'I iii!' :'M! I f^ Hit ^^ It il 22 ey law." But, this attempt, as a writer commenting on the )ve says, was in vain ; for man cannot struggle with success against the Iture of things : Protestantism endeavoured, without success, to limit the j;ht of private judgement. It raised its voice against it, and sometimes peared to attempt its total destruction ; but the right of private judgement, iich tots in its own bosom, remained there, developed itself, and acted there, , spite of it. Thero was no middle course for Protestanism to adopt , it compelled, either to throw itself into the arms of authority, and thus iknowledye itself in ^^^ wrong, or else allow the dissolving principle of private igement, to exert so much influence on its various sects, as to destroy fen the shadow of the religion of Jesus Christ, and debase Christianity to le rank of a school of philosophy. The cry of resistauce to the- authority of the Church once raised, the »1 results might have been easily imagined ; it was easy to foresee that it poisoned germ, the principle of pri', ate judgement, in its develope- ent, must cause the ruin of all Christain truth. And time, the best judge I opinions, has confirmed these melancholy prognostics. Things have now siched such a pass, that those only who are very HI instructed, or who pe a very limited grasp^of mind, can fail to see that the Christian relig* as explained by Protestants, is nothing more than an opinion — a system le up of a thousand in< oherent parts, and which is degraded to the level the schools of philosophy. If Christianity, among Protestants, still Bms to surpass these schools in some respects, and preserves some feat- 8S which cannot be found in what ia the ptire iuvention of the mind of »n, it ought not to be a matter of astonishment. It is owing to that siiblim' of doctrine and that sanctity of morality, which, more or less disfigured, ivays shines while a trace is preserved of the v/ords of Jesus Christ. But ke feeble light which struggles with darkness after the sun has sunk below l^e horizon, cannot be compared to that of day : darkness advances, despite I struggles, and spreads and extinguishes the last | expiring reflection, and ght comes on. Such is the doctrine of Christianity among Protestants . glance at thsse sects shows us that they are not purely philosophical, \f.t it shows us at the same time that they have not the characters of the le religion. Christianity has no authority therein ; and is there like a |uig out of its proper element, — a tree deprived of its roots ; its face is le and Uisfigured like that of a corpse. Protestantism talks of faitli, its fundamental principle destroys it,; it endeavors to exalt the Gospel, id its own principle, by subjecting that Gospel to private judgement, weak- its authority. If it speak of the sanctity and purity of Christian mor- Jty, it is reminded that some of its dissenting sects deny the divinity of 8US Christ : and that they may all do so according to the principle of private I 24 ! >■ ! I ■i I !i:! i: i'i!i' judgement on which it rests. The divinity of Jesus Christ once doubted, the God made man is reduced to the rank of great philosopher and legis- lator; He is no longer the authority necessary to give to his laws the] august sanction which renders them so holy in the eyes of men ; he can no longer imprint upon them the seal which raises them above all human '' thoughts, and His sublime instructions cease to be lessons flowing from the lips of uncreated wisdom. — If you deprive the human mind of the support of ■ authority of some kind or other, on what can it depend ? Abandoned to ■■_ its own delirious dreams, it is forced again into the gloomy paths which led the philosophers of the ancient schools to chaos. Reason and exper- ience are here agreed. If you substitute the private judgement of Protes- tants for the authority of the Church, all the great questions respecting God and man, remain without a solution. All the difl&culties are left ; the mind is in darkness, and seeks in vain for a light to guide it in safety ; stun- ned by the voices of a hundred schools or sects, who dispute without being able to agree or throw any light on the subject, it relapses into that state of discouragement and prostration in which Christianity found it, and from which, with so much exertion, she has withdrawn it. Doubt, pyrrhonism, and indifference become theiot of the greatest minds ; vain theories, hjrpothet- ical systems, and dreams take possession of men of more moderate abilities ; the ignorant are reduced to superstitions and absurdities." Of what use, then, would Chiistianity have been on the earth, if the dis- •olving principle of private judgement, which affords no support to the human mind, had been the true principle, the true and only guide, which the human mind had to direct it, in its search after the truth. " Let us, if you will," as the same author remarks, " acknowledge the dignity and elevation of our minds to shew our gratitude to our Creator, but, lot us not forget our weakness and defects. Why should we deceive ourselves by fancying, that we kuow what we are really ignorant of ? Why forget the incon- fltancy and variableneas of our minds, and conceal the fact, that with respect to many things, (even those with which we are supposed to be well acquainted, ) we have but conf u jed ideas ? How delusive is our knowledge, and what exaggerated notions we have of our progress in information, even in those things? Does not one day contradict, what another had affirmed ? Time runs its course, laughs at our predictions, destroys our plans, and «learly shows how vain are our projects. Wliat have those geniuses who have descended to the foundations of science, and risen to the boldest flights of the loftiest speculations told us? After having reached the utmost limits of the space which it is permitted to the human mind to range over, — after having trodden the most seoret paths of science, and sailed on the vast ocean of moral and physical nature, the greatest minde of all ages have returned dissatisfled with the results. They have seen a beaiitiful illusion IS Christ once doubted, t philosopher and legis- give to his laws the eyes of men ; he can no. them above all human I essona flowing from the n mind of the support of spend ? Abandoned to 3 gloomy paths which a. Reason and exper- ]^ be judgement of Protes- »at questions respecting lifficulties are left ; the | ;uide it in safety ; stun- : dispute without being lapses into that state of lity found it, and from f it. Doubt, Pyrrhonism, vain theories, hypothet- more moderate abilities ; lities." on the earth, if the dis- )rds no support to the only guide, which the iruth. "Let us, if you dignity and elevation I but, let us not forget f ourselves by fancying, 1 V^hy forget the incon-| the fact, that with! ■re supposed to be well 1 sive is our knowledge, js in information, even another had affirmed ? istroys our plans, and] i^e those geniuses who m to the boldest flights reached the utmost ^ mind to range over, ce, and sailed on thej mindb of all ages have I n a beautiful illusion ' 25 Ippear before their eyes, — the brilliant image which enchanted them has ^anidhed ; and when they thought, they were about to enter a region of ght, they have found themselves surrounded with darkness, and they have Kewed with affright the extent of their ignorance. It is for this reason lat the greatest minds have so little confidence in the strength of the ^uman intellect, although they cannot, but, "be fully aware that they are iperior to other men." And, still, in the greatest and deepest of all sciences, |he science of God, the Eternal, the Infinite, and of the truths He has re- paled, the Rev. Mr. Stephenson would tell the poor, ignorant, illiterate man, iat he is, by his own individual judgement, fully competent to explore it, id, with the Bible, — that most difficult of books, — ^in his hands, fully |ble to unravel all its mysteries and difficulties, and learn what God has Bvealed, and what He requires, that he shall believe, upon pain of being lamned ! Is there not something here very absurd ? Let the. human mind study itself, its own history, and it will see id understand how little security, there is to be found in its own strength, |nd how very liable it is to err, in it" own judgement. Abounding in jTstems, inexhaustible In subtilties; as ready in conceiving a project as icapable in maintaining it ; full of ideas which rise, agitate, and destroy ich other, like insects that abound in lakes ; now raising itself on the rings of sublime inspiration, and now creeping like a reptile on the face of lie earth j as able and as willing to destroy the work of others, as it is ipotent to construct any durable ones of its own ; urged on by the Kolence of passion, swollen with pride, confounded by the infinite variety ^f objects which presiint themselves to it; confused by so many false lights id so many deceptive appearances, the human mind when left entirely itself, resembles those brilliant meteors which dart at random through ^he immensity of the heavens, assume a thousand eccentric forms, send forth thousand sparks, dazzle for a moment by their fantastic splendor, and isappear without leaving even a reflected light to illuminate the dark- less. Such is the history of man's knowledge. And in the light of such istory can we be astonished that man, relying solely on his private judge; , lent, in interpreting the Holy Scriptures, should grope in the dark, follow lelusion after delusion, profess error after error, until, in the hundreds of ^ects which have been established, a ray of that divine truth which Christ taught, is scarcely discernible. The Catholic Church, knowing this weakness of man's mind, says to xan : " Thy intellect is weak, thou hast need of a guide in many things." Protestantism, on the contrary, says to him : " Thou art surrounded by light, ralk as thou wilt ; thou canst have no better guide than thyself." Which I right ? I leave the reader, to his own reflections on what has been said bbout the difficulties of the Bible and the weakness of man's intellect, to iBwer the question himself. . f \v ; 1 i t ♦- ■■ '- \ 1 If I! m ! * ii \ ■ [| f 26 But, it is not alone Catholic writers who proclaim the Bible as replete with difficulties, which puzzle the weakness of man's mind when left to itself; Protestant authors themselves proclaim them, and point out the results, of private interp'-etation, in attempting, by its own unaided light, to solve them. "In order to understand the Bible, " says the celebrated Pro- testant divine, Claude, " a great deal is required. A great many obstacles are to be surmounted, and a great many difficulties, to be overcome. The | terms are to be weighed exactly ; the style to be examined. Similar ex- pressions must be considered, and dissimilar passages discussed, The sense I of obscure and ambigous sentences should be penetrated, and the connection of texts alluded to, as they refer to' such aud such an object. For these purposes, it is necessary to know how to distinguish the Apocryphal books from the Canonical ones, and to understand the original languages, in order to be enabled to judge of the fidelity of the translations ; m so much that it is in/act true, that the whole length of a life is not too long to do this well. Nay, I even say, that it is too short ; and that all human strength is too weak to fathom the sense of the Bible — the bottomless source of mysteries and heavenly truths.' (Def de la Ref). And, still, Mr. Stephenson would give this "bottomless source, &c. ," which it is above all human strength to fathom, to even ignorant men, to learn by their own private judgement, what God has revealed, what they are required to believe. Another Protestant, the renowned Jurieu, writing on the same subjeet saTS : " The ignorant and simple are not only incapable of finding out the truth by reading the Bible; but, I allow, with Monsieur Nicole, that such means of finding out the truth is absurd and impossible (Vrai Syst.) Again ; the Protestant Bishop of Durham, Van Mildert, . writes : "Whatever some may dream of the facility cf extracting from the Scripture, a coherent and correct system of divine truth, this hardly is to be effected, without such qualifications and attainments as we shall look for in vain among a very considerable portion of mankind. . . . A general knowledge of the principles of grammar and criticism, and an acquaintance with the idioms of thelangnage in which any book is written, are tn every instance indispen- sable. ... It is chiefly by attention to the vorbal analogy of Scripture, that the Biblical critic is to be dietinguished. Here his labour must begin ; and aid must be sought of a competent apparatus for the purpose — of Con- cordances ; Scripture Lexicons ; and other helps of a similar kind. Commentators, harmonists, philologists — all must be called in, to enable \u to analyse, or to combine, rightly to divide or to compare spiritual truths. To neglect these, ts virtually to neglect the means of profiting by the Bible" (Bamp. ' Leot.) And, still, the Bible, says Mr. Stephenson, is the only rule of faith h for all men, «ven for the poor ignorant man who knows no more about lexi- '. cons, concordances, ttc, than he does about " the man in the moon" ! Another Protestant divine, Bishop Mant says : "It is not every man, ■ \ 27 ^at 18 duly qualified to explain thein (the Scriptures) to advantage. In ler to understand the Scriptures, not only much zeal and diligence are Scessary ; but also much study in preparatory exercises ; much care in [tmparing them ; much discrimination in distinguishing between passages of llimited and those of an universal import ; much humility and sobriety of ind, in explaining the more mysterious points of doctrine ; and especially, eedom from all preprossession, &c. , (Brampt Lect. ) Another learned Protestant critic, the great Dr. Barrow, says: "The iths and precepts of religon are conveyed (in the Scriptures) to us in the iguage of a distant age and country ; and consequently, in translations ly can they be known to the great majority of mankind. They are ex- ed in terms, alluding to the customs and manners of the times ; to eculiar modes of thinking and acting now known by little else than these lusions themselves. They are collectedfrom a variety of treatises, historical rophetic, moral, and religious No wonder, then, surely, that so *ny theological controversies have begun and ended in mere disputes jout the meaning of words. No wonder, under these circumstances, iat the upright, the pious, and even the learned, should have been led into the b'4on. The Fathers, Y Mr. Stephenson -(and mention the in an unquestion- o«c and the private ined by Christ, to I, which they are led. I have gone , which he quotes e passages, as he The first Father, Mr. Stephenson quotes from in favor of his rule— the iptures alone, — is TertuUian, and he gives the great number of six wordt Im this Father. Now let us see, if TertuUian really did teach, that the Iriptures alone are " all-sufficient," and that tradition is to be altogether re- sted. TertuUian, the reader will remember, was bom about the year 160 ; became a convert to Christianity, and was afterwards ordained a priest, id died about the year 245 ; having lived about 85 years. TertuUian must, lerefore, have known pretty well, whether the Christian Church, in those tiarly days rejected tradition and the authority of the Church, and regarded iJie Scriptures alone, as the rule of faith. WeU, what does TertuUian say l|n the matter ? Let him speak for himself. In his most excellent work i|n " Proscriptions against Heretics," he says : " We are not allowed to %i(lulge our own humor, nor to choose what another has invented. We have 'fhe Apostles of our Lord for our founders, who were not themselves, the ■^jbiventors nor the authors of what they left us ; but they have faithfully tught the world," (not allowed the world to teach itself by Scripture search- ig) " the doctrines which they received from Christ." (Ch. vii.) And aware we to know these doctrines? TertuUian answers: "Now to low what the Apostles taught, that is what Christ revealed to them, recourse lustbehad." — (To the Scriptures? No, but,) — '"to the Churches which ley founded and which they instructed by word qf mouth and by their ^pistles." "For," continues TertuUian, "it is plain that aU doctrine, rhich is conformable to the faith of these mother Churches," — (not to the |[aith which each individual imagines he finds in the Scriptures) — " is true, sing that which they received from the Apostles ; the Apostles from Christ ; Christ from God ; and all other opinions must be novel and false." jh. XXI. ) And addressing those who would claim the Scriptures as justify- ig and upholding their " notions," he asks • "What wiU you gain by recurring to Scripture, when one denies what the other asserts ? Learn gather, who it is that possesses the faith of Christ ; to whom the Scrip- ires belong ; from whom, by whom, and when that faith was deUvered, by which we are made Christians. For wherever shall be found the true faith, there will be found the genuine Scriptures ; there, the true interpretation of ^them, and there, all Christian tradition. ... If then the truth be adjudged ^o us who embrace the rule, which the Church received from the Apostles ; the Lpostles from Christ ; and Christ from God ; heretics, it is plain, cannot tallowed to appeal to Scriptures, in vhich we prove, they have no concern, ley are not Christians ;" — (in the essential sense, I presume, TertuUian leant) — " and therefore, to them we may say : What business have you on I my estate, you, who are none of mine ? . . . The possession, I say, is mine ; has been long mine ; mine first ; the title deeds are in my hands, derived I from them whose property it was. I am, the heir of the Apostles. As 71 IP ! I 'I 32 I they settled it by will, on the conditions prescribed, I hold it. Youk (heretics), they disinherited, as aliens and enemies. And why are you tuch, '?''• but by the divemity of the doctrine which each one of you, as he was dis- posed, produced or received against those Apostles. Where this diversity of doctrine is, there, will be adulterated the Scriptures and the expounding , of them," — All this, Mr. Stei^henson, does not look very like, as if Tertul-f^i lian adored the plenitude of the Scriptures, as the only, and "all sufficient" rule of men's faith. Mr. Stephenson, next, quotes from Eusebius. He died in the year 338. Now, what does Eusebius say in favor of Mr. Stephenson's rule, and against tradition and the authority of the Chur^ ^ ? Let the reader peruse his words, and then he can judge for himself. In his work (Bern. Evang. lib. i.), speaking of the truths of Clirist, he writes: "Which truths, though they be consigned to the sacred writings, are still in a fuller manner confirmed by the traditions of the Catholic Church, which Church is diffused over all the earth. This unwitten tradition confirms anil seals the testimony of the Holy Scriptures." — So you see, Mr. Stephenson, that Eusebius was not, after all, a great advocate of your sole and "all sufficient" rule of faith. Unlike you and Martin Luther, he had great respect for the unwritten tradition ; and, stiU, if you could have any ground to expect, that any of the early Fathers would favor your rule, you might hope that Eusebius would, for he was pretty strongly suspected of being tainted with Arianism and favouring that heresy. St. Athanasius is the next Father, which the Eev. Mr. Stephenson summons up in favor of his rule. He was bishop and patriarch of Alexandria, and lived in the fourth century. He was one of the most celebrated Fathers of the Church ; he wrote much against the Arian heresy. Well, let the reader peruse the following prayer of St, Athanasius and say, whether he looks much like a Protestant, or an advocate of the Protestant rule of faith. Addressing the Blessed Virgin, Mary, he says. " Hear now oh ! daughter of David ; incline thine ears to our prayers," — ^We raise our cry to thee. Remember us, oh I most Holy Virgin, and for the feeble eulog- iums we give thee, grant us great gifts from the treasures of thy graces, thou who art full of grace, — Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Queen, and Mother of God, intercede for us." — (Serm' in Annunt), — I think this extract from St, Athanasius, is quite sufficient, without any more, to decide, whether St, Athanasius was a Protestant or not, St, Basil, (fourth century), is the next Father, which the Rev. Mr. Step- henson mentions ; but he does not quote any extract from him. I will supply the omission. Hear St. Bazil on tradition, or the unwritten word : "Among," he says, "the points of belief and practice, in the Church, some were delivered in writing, while others were received by apostolic tradition* in mystery, that is in a hidden maimer % but both have an equal author *i 33 id, I hold it. You I nd why are you tuch, j^ you, as he was dis- Where this diversity I and the expounding I ry like, as if Tertiil- and "all sufficient"! He died in the year i Stephenson's rule, ? Let the reader In his work (Dem, writes: "Which! are still in a fuller ' urch, which Church j lition confirms and see, Mr. Stephenson, your sole and "all ther, he had great i have any ground to )ur rule, you might suspected of being V. Mr. Stephenson riarch of Alexandria, it celebrated Fathers heresy. Well, let hanasius and say, )of the Protestant says. "Hear now rs," — ^We raise our : the feeble eulog- res of thy graces, the Lord is with rm" in Annunt). — I , without any more, at. the Rev, Mr. Step- rom him. I will 3 unwritten word : L the Church, some apostolic traditiont %n equal author Ir arc thoy opposod by any one, who ia but slightly vorsod in coclcaiaR- lul rihcs. For, if wo attompt to reject, us mtftf.nt o/lilt!r nmmcnt, mir.hpoint.f at lir;' not written^ we idiall, l)y our iini)nidonco ofTer a -vijunl injnn/ In titr <}ox)>eh iliiiin.; till! wholo prciichiiii:! of faith to a mere uamt; " (do Spir. Sanct). Juparato not the Jtoly Spirit from the Father and tho Son : tni tnidition ^er you." (Ser. adv. sabul). — This makes it pretty clear, that St. Basil us no advocate of the Scripture aloiw as the rule of faith. .St. Ambrose (fourth century) is the next Father, cited Viy Mr. Stephen- |n. I do not the think, 1 need weary my readers bygiving long extracts )m him on the (picstion. Martin Luther's opinion of him is quite sufti- Bntto settle the matter. Luther says of him : " Neither do T consider lat Ambrose, Austin, &e., say; I know their opinions so well that I havr \clftred againsl t/ie>n." The next Father is St. Jerome (fourth century. ) Let the reader peruse |d following extract from that Father and sec liis "mind" about those, 10 believe, that every man, and women is able to interpret the Scriptures. ie remarks of St. Jerome are very sarcastic. Ho says, that in every kin.; clso wo must have some one to show and guide us, but ever old foman, and doting old man, Bible searchers, think they arc able.and able alone, » master the Scriptures. " In all menial art')" he says, " there must be some 10 to show the w.ay. The art of understanding the Scriptures alone is open every reader I Hero learned or unlearned, wo can all interpreto. Th^. \Uli'\g old woman, the doting old man, the icordy sophist, all. all here presume ; %ey tear texts asunder and dare to become teaehem before they hane learned. Sp li. T. tv,) What doa.'j Mr. Stephenson think of St. .Jerome after these rcas tic remarks on " tatling old woman, &c.," who presume to learn all things jm the Scripture, and " become toachm's before they have learned '!" St. Theophilus, (second century) is the next brouglit up. He was ishop of Antioch ; Hu wrote strongly against the heresies of Marcion and icrs ; and, also, wrote an apology for the Christain religion. Tn his loloTy, he says, that, as there are islands in the sea, furnished with safe irbors to which mariners may ili"- for security "from tlic tossing of tlie npest.' so also has (I od given to the woi'id Churches — those established the Apostles and teaching the same doctrine — into whose safe havens the ivorsof truth may floe, and, also, "all those who desire to be saved and escape 10 wrath of God." And representing heresies, as dangerous islands in the sa ho says, as those islands "are destructive to sailors," so likewise are rroneous doctrines and heresies, destructive to '■ those who are seduced id drawn aside by them." Any one who reads the writings of this author |ill easily porcieve, that he has little to say in favor of Mr. Stephenson's lie. St, Chrysostom is tho last Father, put by Mr. Stephenson in the ■ M .1 r i U witnoas box. Oommonting on tlio words of St. Paul, to the Thessaloni.-.nn (Flom. IV in 2 TIiohh.) "Hence," ho says, "it . plain that all things woro not delivorol in writing, l>ut many othorwiae, and are cciually to In; l)iiliovo(l, ^VllM•oforl^ lot m hold fust tliu tralitions of tlu! Church. It is tradition ; lit this huIUco." -This is pretty plain ; is it not ? Thoso aro all thoFathora, whom the llcv. Mr. Stephon.son, fjuotos from ; and, P.S the reader will liavc proceivod, they have little to Hay in favour of his rule of faith. On the contrary, they all speak clearly against it, and h'll I fast, as St. Ohrysostom say.s, " to the traditions of the Churcji whicharj O'^ually to bebeliovod," Avith tho things, or truths, contained in thi Scriiitures, Tho Il>v. Mi*. Stephenson, had better lot tho Fathers alone ; for their writings contain more evidence than would bo sufficient, to condonui, his " all-snlFiciont" rule a hundred times over. It is nr>t only tho Fa'.hors, quoted by Mr. Stephenson, who speak a:^ linst his rule ; but so, also, do all the other Fathers, wlio have toiichcd upon th > subJGjt, either directly or indirectly. 1 caimot encumber this article with too many citations from thorn, otherwise, I might cover any number of pa^es, with thoir testimony. I will content myself with ro- foring to St. Iren'uus, who lived in tho second century, and a few othorH, St. Iron'ous, — whom tho great book-of-Martyra'-man, Jolin Fox -an a'.ithirity, which, 1 presume, the ll'iv. Mr. Stephenson will not qncHtiou d jsignatcs as " tlio zealous opposor of heresies in general,' -Avas tho disciph' of St. l\)lycarp, who was a convert of St. John, tho Evangelist ; and thcrof )ro, ho must liavo bien well acquainted with tho mind of tlic Apo.stloi> and of tli'i Church in his day, on theipiestionof the private intcipictation of th3 Scrii>ture8. Well, what does ho say ? Ileui' him. "To him" he writes, " th\t bilieveth that there is one CJod and holds to tho head whicli is Christ, — (whom all Catholics hold to bo the invisible head of tho ( 'hurch,)- to this man .all things will bj plain, if he read >o. liut)— with tho aid of thoso who arc tho priests in the Church a-i I in whoso hands, ai we have shown, rests the doctrine of the ApoKtlcs." An I oisewhero in book first of tho same work. Chapter 1st., he says, speak itiTof thoso samo heretics: "And not only from the evangclic;>l and apostolical writings, which thoy perversely interpret and wickedly expound, flo those (horetics) att'-mpt to prove bht-lr assertions ; but also from th" law an 1 tho prophets. For as there ar:/ in thoso, many paraldcs au'l allcg irias, whidi may bo forced into , a lous meanings, them thoy ciMt'liiy fit to thoir own purposes." And aguiu in tho same work. "Such iiciug tlicir positions (or doctrines) which the prophets uovor preached, nor < Jhrist tiu?ht, nor the Apostles delivered, thoy boast their own superior knowledge, and attempt to make it seem credible— (like Mr. Stephen- It the Thensaloui.-.nn )laiii that all thinj;s 1 are t3((ually to liu iiH of th(! Ciiurch. 8 it not ? onson, quotes from ; to say in favour :irly agaiust it, ami 18 of tlio Churcli truths, contained iit iur l.)t tho Fathers would be sufficient, vcr. icnson, who speak wlio have touehc.l mot onouinher this I might cover any nt myself with ro- aml a few otherw. n, John Fox —an will not question ■was thodJHciplf le E\Mii;,'cli8t ; and lind of tlio Apostlos .te interpretation of ini. "To him" he i to the liead whicli isible liead of tin- read diligently tlu' lont in iaturjiretiu" ioats in the Churuli c of tlie Apostles. " Jt., he says, speak - le evangelic;' I an! wickedly expound, but also fi'om th'^ any parables and them thoy oiMt'tily rk. "8ueli liciug er preached, nor heir own superior iko Mr. Stephen- 36 with his "bold" averments) — forming as it wore a rope of sand by Iding some words from the parables or sayings of tho prophets, «r of irist, or of tho Apostles,"- like Mr. .Stephenson, by tho texts of Scrip- Ire which he cite 4, in support of his position. And, again, in the same work Bok IV. Ch. XIX. after stating that " so varying are the notions," which »OHo searchers of tho lilblo "draw from tho Scriptures," ho declares, that is scarcely worth tho trouble to refute them, for thoy already rofutu lomselves, by thoir constant variations. "When they shall bo agreed," |o says, "among themselves on what thoy draw from tho Scnpturos it will he our time to refute them. Meanwl no, thinking wrongfully, and not ♦grooing in tho mjaning of tho same words, they convict themselves." iwit as tho many sacts of Protestantism do now convict themselves, by thiukuig wr.iagfuUy and not agreeing on tho moaning of tho same words. I presume th ? Ilov. Mr. Stephenson will not consider St. Irenteus mucli of an authority in favor of his rule of faith. A few more extracts and I am done with the Fathers for the i)resent. Origen who lived in the same century says: "That alono is truth which in nothing dilTors from ecclesiastical and apostolical tradition. iVracf. lib. 1. do I'rincip. ) And again : "As often as tho heretics pro- tluco tho Canonical Scriptures in which every (Christian i.s agreed and believes, they seem to say, Lo I witli us is tho word of trutli. Ihit to them (tho heretics) we cannot give credit nor depart from tho first and eoclo.'iastical traditions." (Tract 2!) in Mat.) St. Cyprian says: "If wo turn to tho source of Divine tradition, error ceases." (Kp. G3.) St. E[>iphanus says : "We must look also to tradition for all things cannot be learned from the Scriptures." But, enough from the Fathers. The reader can, now, see what truth .there is in tho "bold averment" of tho Rev. Mr. Stephenson, (Pago 0. ) that " the authority of the Fathers" is with him in his attitude against tradition. As I. have said before, ho had bettor let the Fathers alono. Tliey were not Protestants, as any one can preceive from the foregoing extracts. Tho next witness, which the lie,'. Mr. Stephenson calls up, to testify ill favor of his rule of faith, are the Scriptures. And what do they say ? "In tlio second Epistle to Timothy (3. 15)," he says, "it is said that 'the Scriptures are able to make !M wise unto salvation." (Page G.) Be honest, Mr. Stephenson ; the Scriptures say no such thing, lii your anxiety to pro[> up your rule of faith, you should not allow yourself to change the words of Scripture. Even in your own Protestant Bible, the text reads, "are able to make thee (not "us") wise unto salvation ; or, as the Catholic Bible has it ; j " can instruct tfiee to salvation." Now why did Mr. Stephenson change the ^wor J. "thea" iutu ' =ub"? Uia objeet is avideut : he wished to make his hearel-a 36 iuiagiuo, that St. Paul was speaking in tlii? text to all the laity or faithful ; and that he Aviahetl them ("us") U) s'jarcli tlio Scriptures, as their only rule of faith, to beoomc wise unto salvation ; whereas Mr. Stejihenson must know, St. Paul was aldressing Timothy, a bishop of theChurcli. It was to him Timothy, a Insliop, and not to the laity that the Apostle said, t)ie Scriptures "are able to make tJifit; (not "u.s") wiae unto salvation." It was Timothy's duty, as a bishop, to study and possess the Scriptui-es, that he might, not only make himself, " wise unto salvation," but bo able to instruct others —the faithful committed to his care, —to become wise unto it also. And St. Paul himself tells him this ; for he says to liiui, " all Scripture ...... i. 4 profitable to teach, to rcjvove, to correct, to inslruct in justice •" or as the Protestant Bible e.vnresses it, " is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for ccu'i'oution, for instruction in righteousness." If any further jn-oof were required that St. Paul was not, in the text quoted, speaking of the private interprjtation of the Scriptures as the .■"//'' rule of faith, either for the laity or, even, for Thimothy himself, althoi gh a P>ishop ; it can easily be found in the vcr.^e preceding, where tlie Apostle, tell ^ Timothy : "Continue tiiou in those things whicb thou hast learned, an I whioh hive been ominH'cd to tii^j ; or as in Prot. Bible; "thou haat h-i'MX assured of knowing of whom tiion last learned them." Pumark, the .\po3tlo does no;, say : k;iowing tliou hast learned them by thy own private judgement from tli.; Scriptures; )iut "of >vhn:ii (St. Paul himself) thou hist learne 1 tliam." Tlie reader can now judge for himself, what value there is in arguinoiit in favor of his rule, which Mr. Stephenson attempts to draw from this text of St. Paul ; and Avhy he changed the word " thee " into "us." Besides, he must remember that the Scriptures, St. Paul speaka of, were not the vhole IJi'ole, or Protestant I'ulo of fiiith ; for the whole of tlie New Testament was not then written. Th' next text whicli the llev. Mr. Stephenso.i quotes, is from St. ..iame.'ii. ^lartin Luther used to cdl his Epistle "an Epistle of straw " ; but, it is evident, Mr. Stephcns(m does not look upon it in tlio same light as the "great Peformer," since he (piotes from it in favor of his rule. Well, what does St. Jamos .say? "In St. James, (f. 21)" says Mr. Steidienson, "we are told ; 'tlie engrafted word is able to save us.' " But wliat of this': Has Mr. S<"ophcnson read over carefully the chapter of St. James fro|n which he quotes ? If he ha ' do not think he would be in a hurry to summon St. James as a witness to testify in his favor. St. James says : "the engrafted word is able to save us" -, and then Mr. Stephenson conclijdes tiiat he, thei-efore, teaches the private interpretation of the' Scriptures. Now, if he really ir.oant this by the words quoted, what does he mean in verse ] G, by the words ' ' let every man be nwlf l to hear" ; in veisv> '11, " bo ye doers of the word, aoid xiot hearers only'; inverse 23. " If » 37 man Ite a hearer of the word, and not a door " ; in verse 25, " not becoming A forgetful hearer, but a door of the work " and in tlie very verse quoted (21), "with meekness rcceiinrnj the engrafted word," I'leaae explain all tlieso Jfeare/n and reeeiners of the word, so of ten repeated in the immediate context (if the text quoted, do not seem to establish that St. James was speaking about senrcher^ or pricate interpret it iom of the Scrijtures. People hear with their ean>, tkuy search the Scriptures- with their eiien. ,\nd, again ; if the engrafted word is able to save us, in the sense Mr. .Slephonson wishes it to be understood, what did St. Jamas mean by doer of the word repeated three times in a few short verses ? It is clear, St. Jamas knew nothiag of Mr. Stephenson's doctrine about the rule of faith, and he would have gained much more for his cause, by treating St, James' writing, with Lutlier, "the great lief ormer, " as an "Epistle of straw," than by Eummoning him up as a witues.s. Lat the reader ponder St. James' words. But, perhaps, the Rev. Mr. Stephenson's next quotation will be more satisfactory. Ho tolls us, that Christ gave us a "precept" to search the Scriptures in those words, " search the Scriptures, '' (John v. 39.) Why does not jSIr. Stephenson give the whole text ? Christ said ; " Search tha Scriptures for you think \\\ them to have everlasting life ; and the same are they that give testimony of me," or, as we read in the Protestant Bible, ■ ' for in thorn ye think ye have eternal life : and tlioy are they, which testify of nie-" Now, is it a (question beyond dispute, tliat in this text Clirist gives a precept, as Mr. Stephenson says, to search the Scriptures. Mr. Stephenson must know, if )ie knows anything, at all, about the writings of commenta- tors, even Protestant commentators, on this text, that it is not beyond (|uestiou, that a precept was therein given. Many maintain, tliat Christ in speaking, did not use the imperative mood, but the present tense of the indicative ; and that the words should read, "ye search the Scrip- tures" and not " search the Scriptures.'' Even the great Protestant ciitic, j.)r. Campbell, whom the colebratccl Baptist divine. Dr. 1,'arsons, calls "one of the ablest critics that has evei appeared," mauitains that the words of Christ should be read in the indicative. I'lie llev. Albert Barnes, another Protestant commentator, is of the same opinion. He says : " The word [scarcli) nuiii be either in the indicative or imperative mood, in our translation it is in the imperative, as if .lesus commanded them to search the Scriptures. But it is probalde that he meant merely to say that they bcll, " "Uc of the ai)lest critics tliat has ever appear- ed," as Dr. (.'arsons calls liiio, ^ir. Stephenson is "bold" enough to aver unreservedly, that a " prece])t" is given in the words: "Search the Scriptures.' Ileally, his boldness seems ti> liavo uo limit. 38 But, even allowing that the words of Christ do convey a precept, what follows ? That Mr. Stphenson's rule is right ? Not at all. To whom was Christ speaking at the tiino ? To His Apostles, His disciples or followers' ? Evidently not, as any one can perceive in reading over carefully this Chapter of St. John ; but to the Scribes and Pharisees, to the Jews and the enemies of Christ. His words were addressed reproachfully or sarcastically to then;, becacuse they had all along boasted they knew the prophecies, and, still in Hini they could not preceive the fulfilment of them. He spoko in much the same manner, as if He har the latter reason, as some say it was, b3cause, that the Jews in Thessalonica, where the Ax»osile had been preaching only a short time before, had " stirred up t!io people and th? rulers of the city " against him, and forced him to tiy to Borea (Acts 1?) ; — then the text is decidedly against the Protestant rule of faith. But, even if the oomuiendation, "more nol)le." was bestowed on them for the former reason, it offers no solid argument to Mr. Stephenson. And why ? Because, in tha first place, what S.^riptures did the Bereans examine daily, whether the faith St. Paul tauglif, the sacraments he ad- ministered and the observances he commanded, were so ( " whether those things were so?") Kvidently not the Acts of the Apostles, or at least this part of them ; for it is self evident this part of the New Testament was not 40 then written, nor did they soarcU any portion of it, for all of iU opistlos wjro not written : nor is it likely tlio lierean? had a copy of any (lospel or Epistle tli^in writtsn. It wa*?, tlicreforo, the Old Testament tlioy searched, the very sanio which, a fov/ d.ayf; before, St. I'aul liad exponmled, had preached, to them. It was not, therefore, the w/infr p.iblo, or Protestant rule i»f faith, whieh they searched. But M'hy did they search tlie Old Scriptures at all ? Evidently not to call it doubt or (luostion, or to set np and jn-ofess doctrines extracted from them, by theirown private judgement, contrary to, what St. TaiU had preached to them by word of mouth a few days before ; since we tind they M'ero "all eagerness." or "all readiness" to receive the worct. But, being Jews, and desiring to embrace the religion of Christ, if they found it to bo true, they very naturally turned to the propheoies to ascertain, whether what St. Paul had preached to them, about the fulfilment of these prophecies in Christ, was correct or not ; and, finding that it was, they be- came Christians. It was simply on this account tlicy searched the Scrip- tures, and not because thoy believed they were required to take them as thoir sole rule of faith and search them, to learn what thcj' were required to bolievc, upon pain of being condemned. But enough : I must not extend this article to too great a length. The texts of Scripture which the Rev. Mr. Stcplicnson quotes, even by straining them out of their real meaning, afford no satisfactory proof in favor of his rule of faith. What he shouhl do, to prove the Protestant rule of faith to be the ou'} ordained by Christ, is to give his liearers or readers some clear, distinct texts from the Scriptures, wliich may, not only in their isolation from their context, be forced or 3trained into appearing to give a feelilo support to his rule of faith ; but which will, read in their connection with the context, dmrbi and diatincthi, and without room/or rea.tona/jh' doiiJil, prove that Ids or the Protestant rule of faith — the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing l)nt the Bible — is the one, stole rule ordained l)y Christ, and that all men must hold themselves responsible for searching it. "lam a Protestant," ho says, ''because 1 hold the Ilohj Serifjlur's a sufficient rule of mji faith, and mi/self responsible for searchinf/ them." I ask my readers to consider, well, whether in his sermon ho has proved this rule, in any satisfactory manner from the Holy Scriptures? A few M'ords more on some of his other "bold " averments, and I have done for the present. His next argument is on Page 0. Tliere he says : " The great mass of men, who have been saved by tlie Biblo are emphatical- ly Bible Cliristians, unacquainted with the traditions of men, individuals of humble minds —in many cases illiterate, who knew, but, knew no more, their Bible true, and who felt and cared only for this, that the Bible is tlie word of God, aud who 8ot themaelvos to find Him and His truth in its 41 .^"**en pages «/,«,.., boldly ay , /^" this amounts tn ,. i^ a]] T. . ^^^a'-chmg God and ),-. «en-" BibJo rn, ®*^Pienson ^ *"• " IS another '«K 1,7, "'**''Uti in thno ^^'■^3«ans"_K tinr. .. ^.'""^ *he Scrint«.„„ ^„^^ ?^^«* connected ^.v,. ., . '"'»» on Which *k''^''"'^ wore, his rule o£f. , "" ''''^J averinenf ^^^^ oMighi tures". ''^""P'ove th.t «« ^^'^ ^« ^"« ovvn wo? "' ^'■"»- ^ '* Buftcient rnle of my f.itl f ''P^^"«°" ^ays .- « r , , , ^l'-^. -gain, he assumes t V ^^^^ «^ tie faJJibi,!^'^^ *^° «^'^-ipturc. .ua^f ^ ^'^^^^ o"t"e ot . > ° ^^^'^"^^^ P-ve H '/^ '^^ t-dition" q"«iify them to give stal ' ' '''^''^ P^cuJiar , ''' '"^«H say • a'r:;f '-"*^-.« tt^rf ^^-^^ '^e wtrr-/-^ *^«^'o said, that the P-ifK ' " '^ "ot nrrw^f . , ^^ '^^nijiuro '" d. *ir. istephensonig 42 very prolific in asking questions ; more so than in answering them. Nobody, as he admits himself, ever said they were iusjjired like the Apostles. And as to their infallibility, in the sense lie means, I am not aware, that anybody, ever mauitained it. It is clear, from the manner, in which ho writes, that he does not really understand what tradition means. Tradition signifies, the umeritten word of God, not the Fathers, either individually or collectively. They arc not tradition ; they are, indeed, the channels, through which tradition or the unwritten word of God, has been handed down to us ; thoy are faithful and credible witnesses of the doctrines professed and taught by the Church, in all the ages of her existence ; but they are not tradition itself. They bear reliable testimony to it, are credible witness of it, in all the ages, in which they, respectively, lived ; that is all. Their falli- bilty, as men, therefore, has nothing to do with the infallibility of tradition itself. But, though they were not inspired or infallible "in the sense in which the Apostles were," there is no reason to say, why they were not, and could not be, just as infallible in recording the belief of the Church in their respective days, as other iiisto vns ' cording events which transpir- ed in those same days. Most people would say, they should be more infalli- ble. But let Mr. Stephenson, re(.;va-afo.e Shff"' *^^* tie ^' ^iufc thoyart " '^ ^^■'^•^' to itii^ ^^■^^«' « the 'u/l"'7*^*t tie *-"°j in it ;ori 'Tf '"^^ "' the lib ;r?'"'° "^-« ' L?? °'"^'"' ^»^« -fe::tr^ -"ttt^^r -:"::5 ":f^^^ ««^/«>«o/^ ' '^ ^'"^^''.from th7f ' «0"taiued in ^-^.^""^ very t'-uth. ami f '^ ''^'•^f'^23j 8ta^ ^^"'i' redJai. / ^""ff^^." r "• '^'Ki from hiretonding to even a fair know- ledge of history, would utL'jr such a barefaced statement, merely for the purpose of making himself ridiculous befoie the ^vorld. He must, indeed, have been laughing within himself when ho uttored it, and saw his hearers swallow it without objection. " One copy" of the Bible in the vernacular tongue, to "ori3 single nation of Europe indeed ! The thing is really rich. And Mr. Stephenson's hearers swallowed the whole of it, without one sign of repugnance ? Wonder.s will never cease. Who will say, after this, that the a;j;o of miracles has passed ? A minister boldly averring, and a whole congregation unhesitatingly swallowing, the state- ment, that not one copy of the Bible was ever given before Luther's time, in the vernacular tongue, to one single nation of Kuropo. Is not this one of the greatest wonders of the age ? But, to be serious ; is it true ; is there even the smallest particle of truth, in this bold avei-ment of the llev. Mr. Stephenson? There is not ; and it is almost impossible to believe that ho himself did not know there was not. "One copy" of the Bible to "on-,; single" nation of Europe Why, has the llev. Mr. Stephenson ever read a pago of real history ? Has ho never cast his eyes beyond the pages of the short epitomes of history placed in the hands of children in the elementary scIt^oIs of the country ? or has ho never thought it his duty to wander beyonu the lying pages of some authors, like D'Aubigne, who, in their mad hatred against the Catholic Church, have not hesitated to garble history, to misrepresent facts, and write the most unbluahing falsehoods ? If he had, he would have hesitated himself before making so bai-efacod a statement. ' ' One copy " of the Bible in the vernaouliir tongue t) "one single" nation of Europe! Now, what arc the facts ? I wish the reader, to call to mind, here, that printing was not iuvjufced until about the year 1440 ; so boforo that time it was not possible to print and publish any copy of the Bilde. There were, however, before that timy, niany manuscript translations — not mentioned in the follow- ing list — into the vernacular tongues, as even learned Protestant historians admit. Now, \vhat versions of tlio Bible wera published after the invention of printing, and before Luther had published his version ? I will give a list of soma of tliem, wliich will bo quite sufficient to show what little truth there is in Mr. Steph-inson's statement. It was about the year 1523 that Luther commenced his translation of the Bible, and it was not, until about eleven year afterwards, that he completed it. It was, therefore, not until about the year 1434, that his whole version was published, or until about ninety four ^/* Pt-mted boot- f *P^'«*edv„ • ^"^''^ /irsfc , "'"^^^ation / ' ^"' ^^"*ier'«r'^''''«nei„«,„,'^j' ««J tin's 1, ''' *'--n«7ated "^'^''^y undor '•ni^s/ ""«' « tran,],t. ^ P'^bli^hed d^l ""'^^ *W of .1 ''^^ ^^^6 the -^J.t—C■■'■"^^■'"iS^.'••«. 46 how little truth there is in the reckless statemeut of the Eor. Mr. Steph< eiisoQ, that to ouo siaglo nation of Europe ono copy of the Bible in the vernacular tongue was never given before the time of Luther. But, even, had not ono copy of the Bible in the vernacular tongue boon given to ouo single nation of Europe, would this fact prove Avhat the Rev. Mr. Stephsuson desires to insinuate by his statement, — tU»t the Oatholic hierarchy wished to conceal the Bible from the people ? It would not ; for, not to speak of the vernacular versions, there were the Latin versions, which could be easily consulted. "The Latin language," as an author before me remarks, ' ' continued to be that which was most general- ly understood, and even spoken in Europe, until the reign of Charlemange, in the beginning of the ninth century ; and even for several centuries after- wards, while the modem languages were struggling into form, it was more or leas known, and was not, properly speaking, a dead language. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, and for a long time afterwards, it was the only language of literature, of theology, of modiciue and of legislation. Most of the modern languages were formed from it, and were so similar to it both in words and in general structure, that the common people of Spain, Italy, Portugal and even France, coald understand the mother tongue without great difficulty. In Hungary, it had boon the common language of the people since the days of King Stephen, in the latter part of the tenth century. It was, moreover, taught and studied in every school and college of Christendom, and it was the medium through which most other, branches were taught. The Latin language must, therefore, have been pretty commonly understood in Europe, even up to the time of the Reforma- tion, and the Catholic Church, consequently, could not have concealed the Bible from the people, even if she had given it to them, only in the Latin Vulgate ; nor could it have remained "an unknown book," as the Rev. Mr. Stephenson, wished his hearers to believe it was. It is a w«ill known fact, that one of the first — if not the first — books published after the art of printing was invented was the Latin Bible. The Protestant historian Hallam insists it was the first book printed ; probably in the year 1456. And the learned Protestant bibliographer, Didbin, mentions several other Latin Bibles printed before Luther's time. " From the year I4G2 to the end of the fifteenth century," he says in his ' Library Companion,' " the editions of the Latin Bible may be considered literally innumerable,'' and ho mentions the places at which some of them were printed : " at Mentz in 1455 ; at Bambei-g 1461 ; at Rome, 1471 ; Venice 1476 ; Naples, 1476 ; in Bohemia, 1488; in France, 1475 ; in Holland, 1477 ; in Spain, 1477."— So you see, Mr. Stephenson, the insinuation, which you wished to convey to the minds of your hearers by your "bold," averment, has not one particle of truth to rest npon. When you, next time, try to prejudice your hearera, against I ti it Ci ha lab per «10( «ele( year loma treasi I put a centui did no proof t '"''", hi The lisi Council ^ius IV during t the vario son is so *oo reclcit But (] oiodern la -^ot that J •^fcophensoi ^^ere ia no *« «ie Coun ">d««d, afte Poi-aryandi 47 ::":f f !^--"^^^ little plausibilityin «o utterly ,g„oraut of history aa y;„ Ze"\ ^""' "^"grogation are m.ght undertake to oontradfot yolr^ZVlT'"''' ''"' """^ °^ »»'- th« would be rather unpleasant for you their ""' ^'^^^^^^-^ -^ But besides all this, if the CaS VT ""'"«*««• «f truth." B'ble. had she notaprety fair pp!^ ?"f ^''^^d to destroy the -ation was thought of ? ^^ L ^21! I" '" -' '^^^'« ^'^^ «« '- and was it not from hor that the lUorlZ . ""T"'"' ^'^'^ P''«««'^«d it y l^efore measks, <'koptitsafe through ^ll^^^^^^ '\- ''^''' — ^^or t>ons. wars, and the dastructivo torrent, b!n"- '' '" '''' ""'''' '' --«»«'- It over and over again, before the art / "'° '""""'"" ' ^^'h«°opieel Church didalUhis; andyetip;a;t;dr'' '''' ''^'"*" ^^^^'''^ ^ -ing concealed this Book of U e f :'tr* T"*"^ """ *°^'"-^- "^ labor vigilant watchfulness, and Maternal sol-rJ' '' ""* '°'- ^^'^ !>««-* penahed with thousands of ^the bToks J^^^^^^^^^^ *'« ^'^^« ""'g^t >'-- good book, and wished to keen it hi n ' , '^" """' *" ««««>' o{ this •elections from it read to he7peo j ""'" * '"«'^' •' ^^^ ^-^ choice yoa. oven according to th ll^T ZZ 'T'^' ^^ ^^^^val in the romantic historian of the KefonnatLn Zf , °"' "»«-»P"lous and treasure from the people - A cur^" 1; o 7'^'"' *" ^'^"-*' *h« But did not Pope Paul IV lul '""°«*^'"g i* t^'ly. put all the various editions L'themof'- f'- ''^^^^"^"n boldly avers, century, in the Irule. E.,urZ^\^t^Z "'"'"' ^^*^"* '" *^« ^^^^ did not, Mr. Stephenson to the Inf •""^'' "^''''"°« being made ? He proof that he di.l not is o lo fo ndtT -t-^bstanding ; and the best "-. had no existence until PauJv was f ' "' *'' '"''' ^^^-^«'- The list of prohibited books.-or the /„r JL' ^ "'"^ '«*^» ^^^ ^^--d. Council of Trent had closed its sessions 1 1563 f'""" ? ""^'^ ''"^^ *^« Plus IV ; and the Congregation of the AI I ' ' """^ "'' l^ontificate of during the Pontificate^f Pope luLy 7' -t established until 1588. the various editions of the Bib ^ t .,' r7' *^'"' '°"^*^ ^*°1 ^ V pu Bon is so particular to Z^^\^^l '\f;/:f" -*^«/-. Mr. StephL- too reckless in his «• bold " averments. ^''^'''"'°" '^' «^'J«"«y. « little But did not some Pone imf fi,<. ,. • -Oder., languages, --not a gle rxceX 1^ " f '^' ^'"^ ^ ^^« ^otthat I have over been ablf to dl "'J '"'^^«'" '" "'e Jnde.f Stephenson will have a pretty d^TffiuIt ,71 '' Tt ' *''"'' ''^ ^^^^ M- There is no evidence that any g uer^l re't ' , ^"'' ^^""' «^ '' "^ber. to the Council of Trent, a^tf he JaT ^ '^ ''" ^^^ ix^deed. after the close o the C W 1 eft 1 ' ""''''■ ^'"^ ^^ " ^^<'' Po^. ^a looal eha^eter on .« :i^:^rr:;;;:^ - 48 vernacular tongiio;*, in that period of religious vertigo, which followed the outbreak of the Iloformation, and in which inon'a niindd dwelt in an effer- vescence of oxoitoment, incapablo of calmly and dispassionatoly judging ony question. In issuing this temporary decree, Pius iv. gave his reason for doing so, in these words ; "that experience had made it manifest, that the perraic '.mi to read tho Biblo indiscriminately in the vulgar tongues had, from th» raahnfss of mi'n, done more harm than good." And tho Pope was not alone of this opinion, fw many others wore of the same opinion ; and tho learned Gorson himsolf, who cannot certainly bo accused of having favoured tho maxims of tlio Ultramontanists, felt himself constrained to avow, that th" alleged right of reading and interpreting the Bible, was tho empoitoned toiirec from which came forth and daily increased, the errors of all innovators ; that it wa"? "the source of errors and evils, without number." Tlie decree in question, however, as I have said before, was merely a disciplinary regulation of a temporary and local character, and it has limg since ceased to be of binding force in any part of the Catholic Church. Any rescripts which may liavo been since issued, regard not the reading itself of the Bible, but only the false and corrupted versions of it, which some people in tlioir zeal and bigotry would force upon tho attention of Catholics. There is no prohibition whatsoever, against any Catholic reading an approved version of tho Bible, accompanied with explanatory notes takan from tho Fathers, or approved Catholic commentators. On tho contrary, they are urged to read it, as anyone may see by iftferring to the letter— published at the beginning of approved editions of the Catholic Bible — of Pope Pius VI.. to Anthony Martini, the translator of tho Italian version, in 1778. In that letter the Pop» says: " At a time that a va.st number of bad books, which moat grossly attack tlu> I'atholic religion, arc circulated, even among the unlearned, to tho great destruction of souls, you judge exceedingly well, that the faithful should be excited to tho reading of the Holy Scrip- tures ; For these are the most abundant sources which ov ^lit to bo left open to every one, to draw from them purity of morals and of doctrine, to eradicate errors which are so wildly disseminated in these corrupt times." These are tho words of the Po[>o himself, published in every Catholic Bible, and, still, we arc never done hearing the slander repeated, that the Catholic Church hates the Bible and forbids her children to read it. There are no people so blind as those who have eyes and will not see ; and such are they who are constantly rehashing this slander at Bible society meeting's &c. , about the Catholic Church. I have now done with the consideration of the chief reason given by the Rev. Mr. Stephenson for his being a Protestai't. " I am a Protestant," he said, " because I hold (he Holy Scriptures a sufficient rule 0/ my faith, and myself responsible/or searching thent.." I have endeavored to ascei'tain whether this ' 'r ^«w., &'"r'^'*'>^ ^afL^^^'^^""' W'"^"'«'^'>«i«g "•^-nboie. if "' Jmay take 50 desire to study it, he will find it pretty fully treated in Wisemen's work on "The doctrines of the Church," or in "the Points of Controversy" by Samarius. These books may, I believe, be procured at the book store of Mr. Joyce, Rideau Street. I now conclude, apologizing for the length to which I have extended this article, and expressing the sincere hope ihat the reader will calmly, dispassionately, and without prejudice, weigh seriously the arguments, one by one, that I have advanced, with a view, to leerning where is to be found that true religion, which the Saviour came on to establish, and which is to lead us to the haven of eternal rest. For, * ' who is the man that shall live and not see death," (Ps. 88, 49.) and we know not the hour that the Son of man will come to judge us, and " what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer loss of his own soul." (Math. 16. 26). Ottawa, February 7th, 1872. P.S. — fn reference to Father Damon's visit to this city, I find the following remarks, in the Ottawa Citizen of 17th inst., which it may not be out of place to insert here : ^ " Father Damen.— Now that the little controversial breeze raised by this missionary has subsided, the good works he achieved are becoming known. In the annals of the Police Court, for many years past, the names of certain delinquents, sunk in drunkenness, poverty, and vice, were con- tinually appearing, but since Father Damon's last visit to this city they have not been seen at their usual place, in trembling dejection or hardened effrontery. They had been induced to hear the gifted preacher, and their hearts, that had withstood all previous efforts of reclamation, were melted. They were induced to take the pledge of temperance, and this point once p;ained, the rest was easy. Sobriety brought reflection, which in turn brought shame and repentance, and now these poor outcasts are straggling with poverty alone, having thrown from them the serpent drink and the devil vice. This we hold to be a great triumph for temperance and religion, and tie pre; cher, who tan perform such wonder, no matters what his creed may be, is deserving of the warmest approbation of all good people." ■^r llMiMIMiMtaMriiMWM'ki i..iiiiii»..*iia«il^ttMiail ^age 5 j,v „ ^^H AT j> s^ o. iines 36 'IS • "^ ^ A , taught." ^^^^«*i-B thought" . ^*«« 32. line 42 .„ * *^^"'' " insert • u ^ ^^mred. '• *^. instead of " author " ^^''^P*' " authority."