Yesterday, 06:41 AM
PART SECOND.
XI. Protestantism is not, nor can it be the Religion of the People.
— No; Protestantism is not made for the people. Jesus loves the poor and the humble. But Protestantism, in giving the reading of the Bible as the fundamental rule of Christian Faith, excludes the people from Christianity. In fact, many among the poor cannot read, and what is a book for those who cannot read?* Again; many among them have no leisure to read, their time being wholly taken up with manual labor, and what is a book to him who has no time to read it?
If Protestantism is in the right, if to attain one's salvation one needs read the Bible, then, in the words of the Lutheran Lessing, "Oh, how much do I feel for you, who are born in countries where the native language cannot render the language of the Bible!* you, who are born in these conditions of society wherefrom all knowledge is banished, and cannot therefore read the Bible! You believe yourselves Christians because you are baptized? Unhappy wretches! know, that in order to be saved, it is as much necessary for you to know how to read, as it is to have been baptized. And yet I fear you shall have to learn Hebrew that you may make your salvation perfectly sure."
And even when all the poor will have learned how to read, will they be much benefited by it? Will they not find themselves at a standstill at almost every verse of the Bible, as we have just said? Nor can you tell me that it will be enough for the people if their pastors will read them a lecture on the Holy Scriptures once a week! These explanations rest only on personal opinions, are not supported by any authority, and will vary according to every individual view. It is the word of God no more; it is the word of Mr. A, or of Mr. B, — quite a different affair.
Thus whether the people know how to read or not, it is absolutely impossible that the Bible should be the Rule of their Faith. Had God given the Bible for a Rule of Faith, he would have kept away from his Church and from eternal salvation almost all men; the which it is an impiety to assert, and none will ever believe it.
Then Protestantism, telling us, Take up and read the Bible; away with Church and priests; be satisfied with the word of God, as it is given in the Bible, — cannot be the religion of the people, and accordingly it cannot be, and is not the true Christianity, the religion of all.
XI. Protestantism is not, nor can it be the Religion of the People.
— No; Protestantism is not made for the people. Jesus loves the poor and the humble. But Protestantism, in giving the reading of the Bible as the fundamental rule of Christian Faith, excludes the people from Christianity. In fact, many among the poor cannot read, and what is a book for those who cannot read?* Again; many among them have no leisure to read, their time being wholly taken up with manual labor, and what is a book to him who has no time to read it?
If Protestantism is in the right, if to attain one's salvation one needs read the Bible, then, in the words of the Lutheran Lessing, "Oh, how much do I feel for you, who are born in countries where the native language cannot render the language of the Bible!* you, who are born in these conditions of society wherefrom all knowledge is banished, and cannot therefore read the Bible! You believe yourselves Christians because you are baptized? Unhappy wretches! know, that in order to be saved, it is as much necessary for you to know how to read, as it is to have been baptized. And yet I fear you shall have to learn Hebrew that you may make your salvation perfectly sure."
And even when all the poor will have learned how to read, will they be much benefited by it? Will they not find themselves at a standstill at almost every verse of the Bible, as we have just said? Nor can you tell me that it will be enough for the people if their pastors will read them a lecture on the Holy Scriptures once a week! These explanations rest only on personal opinions, are not supported by any authority, and will vary according to every individual view. It is the word of God no more; it is the word of Mr. A, or of Mr. B, — quite a different affair.
Thus whether the people know how to read or not, it is absolutely impossible that the Bible should be the Rule of their Faith. Had God given the Bible for a Rule of Faith, he would have kept away from his Church and from eternal salvation almost all men; the which it is an impiety to assert, and none will ever believe it.
Then Protestantism, telling us, Take up and read the Bible; away with Church and priests; be satisfied with the word of God, as it is given in the Bible, — cannot be the religion of the people, and accordingly it cannot be, and is not the true Christianity, the religion of all.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre