1936-01-27 — Page 6

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BELIEF

BASED ON MIRACLES

The Catholic Position Explained

The following Sermon was broad- cast from St. Joseph's Catholic Church, on Sunday. By Rev.. T. Fleming 8, J. Professor of Theology. Regional Seminary, Aberdeen, Honz Колк

"And" Jesus stretching forth. His band, touched him, saying: I will Be thou made clean." VILI, 3.

Match

The world of to-day is strewn with the ruins of falling Churches, and the dust of broken creeds. The

com-

storms of atheism, munism, and the modern craving for forbidden pleasure, have work- ed havoc with the religious beliefs of many. No one is exempt from these destructive forces, and so, if we wish to pass unscathed through this crisis, we must make sure that the foundations of our Faith are firmly laid on the immovable rock

of right leason,

Now, there are many arugments on which we base our beliefs- different arguments appeal to different people-but, this morning we are going to examine carefully one of the chief reasons for the Faith that is in us, namely the truth of the miracles which the Gospels attribute to Our Blessed Lord.

ATTACKS ON THE GOSPEL MIRACLES

All through the history of Chris- tianity, from the time of the Pharisees right down to the present day, the miracles of Our Redeemer have been a centre of attack for the enemies of our Faith. These attacks have completely tailed in their object. In fact, the oppon- ents of our religion, on a tioser study of the question, have 31 times been changed into our sincerest triends. In most cases however the different groups of attackers have remained obdurate, very often ending at variance among nem selves, each group attacking the other's line of argument as weak and unscientific.

the land of Genesareth, than the inhabitants immediately knew him, and running through that country, they began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard He was; and whither- soever He entered; tato towns or villages or cities, they laid the sick in the stresis and besought Him that they might but touch the hem of His garment. And as many as many as touched Him were made whole."

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A TYPICAL GOSPEL MERACIF

Let us now turn our thoughts to a typical Gospel miracle, namely, the healing of a leper by Our Blessed Lord. Rationalists" have vainly tried to explain away these miraculous cures by the power of suggestion: But medical science replies that although psycho- therapy may remedy functional or tervous disorders, it cannot poal- tively cure organic diseases; that is it cannot create or immediately

References to this continual restore tissues which have been destroyed. And yet, that is what healing of the sick are found all Our Saviour has done over and through the Gospels, so that to over again. In the Gospel of the assert that the miracles attributed day's Mass, taken from the eighth to Christ are due to exaggerations chapter of 36, Matthew, we find the in the text is to relegate the sub- following account of one of these stance of the Gospel narrative to that this proof was a line of argu- miraculous cures, told in the sim- pure mythology, a theory long sincement accomodated to the intel- ple style characteristic of the condemned as false and unscienti-gence of all His-bearers, both Gospel narrative; "And when He fic even by Rationalists themselves. educated and literate alike. For All admit that the Gospels portrayinstance, as a result of the miracles was come down from the moun-

followed Christ to us as the Ideal man, at Cana and elsewhere, Hls follow tain, great multitudes

even from a human standpoint,ers, the poir humble fishmen and Him. And behold a leper came and

but His miraculous powers are others, belleved in Him." The adored Him, saying: Lord, if thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.even more conspicuously revealed educated classes were represented And Jesus stretching forth." His hand, touched him, saying: "I will

And forth-i Be thou made clean. with his leprosy was cleaned. And Jesus saith to him; see thou tell no nean; but go, shew thyself to the priest and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a testimony Junto them."

~THE DECEPTION THEORY----- Take for instance the works wili- ten by Reimarus and Paulus who contended that the Gospels were composed merely to decieve men into taking up a new religion. Paulus in the last century, tried to work out a "natural explanation" of each of the miracles of Jesus." These "explanations" were wel comed at first by a certain class

of

|

וי

SCRIPTURAL LEPROSY

In order to realue to some ex- tent the wonderful event recorded

therein.

WHY DID CHEIST WORK MIRACLEST

The question now arises as to whether there was any special purpose on the part of Our Saviour in this lavish display of miraculous power. The answer to this is clear from the mode of acting of Our Blessed Lord. These miracles were intended not merely as works of charity, but as "proofs of the truth of His teaching." He appeals to

in these simple words of St. Matthem as such on several occasions. thew; it is helpful to recall briefly the nature of the disease which Our Saviour instantaneously heal- ed. There seem to have been various forms of leprosy prevalent among the Jews of ancient times. In the 13th chapter of the Book of Leviticus the most malignant form of the dread disease is de- scribed, and the conditions are there laid down under which the Jewish priests were obliged to de- clare its victims "unclean." The words of Leviticus are: "If the stroke of leprosy be in a man, he shall be brought to a priest, and shall view him. And when there shall be a white colour in the skin, and it shall have changed the look of his hair, and living flesh itself shall appear, it shall be judged and inveterate leprosy and grown into the skin. The priest shall therefore declare him un- clean."

he

'

of Rationalist, but the more The leprosy in question is that honest-minded section vigorourly form of the disease which reveals condemned then as an unproved itself by shining white patches on collection of inventions and calum- the skin. When these become ries. After all, is not the honesty ulcerated, the

+ living

flesh" the Evangelists undeniable? (referred to in Leviticus) appears. Did not three of them give, their Elceration usually appears on the lives to prove their sincerity? joints of the bones, and as the Besides, have not the Gospels, heen

disease advances the flesh corrupts. admitted by competant critics to giving forth a loathsome odour and un the world's greatest literature? making habitation with others im- To state that such a work was pro- possible. Finally the limbs begin to duced under the inspiration of drop off, and the unfortunate vic- fraud, would be to assert as great

tim becomes an object of helpless a "miracle" as many of those at misery and horror both to himself tributed to Christ Himself.

and his fellow-men.

who

CHRIST'S METHOD OF HEALING

It was one of these pitiable creatures, who came to Our Bless- ed. Lord, begging to be cleansed from his hideous affletion. Our Saviour, filled with human sym- pathy at the sight of such suffer-

THE MYTH-THEORY The German Rationalist, Strauss, discredited the Deception- Theory, inventeri & theory of his own to replace it. He declared that so far from deceiving his hearers, Christ was actually the most-per- fect man who ever lived, and the greatest teacher the world, had- ever seen. As a result, accordining, Immediately granted him his

heart's desire. to Stratiss all kinds of legends and myths grew up about Jesus after Els death Near the end of the accond century, Strauss concluded, these myths were formed into the account which we have in the Gospels.

And what method dld Our re deemer use?... Did He use any natural means to bring about this cure, 88 some unbelievers afirm? No. He merely laid His hand on the sufferer, and pronounced the words: "I will Be thou made Anti-Catholics of the last century

clean." And immediately the oper greeted, this theory as the death-sores closed up, the flesh which warrant of the Catholic Church. But when Strauss's followers tried to prove his statements by his-

had

rotted away was replaced anew, and the happy man returned once more to the society of his fel-

fect health

torical research when they ex-low-men in the enjoyment of per- tumined ancient writings of the first and second century, and found

The enemies of our Faith Fainly them already acquainted with the Gospels, they were forced to admit attempt to attribute such cures to that Strauss had made a bad mis-the power of the imagination or take, and that the Gospels were to some other vague natural cause. But such statements are absolute- written too close to the life-time

ty without proof, completely un- of Jesus to allow a suficient period seientific, and against all medicat for the growth of a Christian

principles. What doctor would risk mythology. Finally, at the end of his reputation for sanity by even the last century; Professor Hamack, attempting to cure a case of in another outstanding opponent of veterate leprosy by unaided psycho- the miraculous, admitted that,

therapy? after all, the traditional dating of the Gospels was substantially the OTHER GOSPEL, MIRACLES correct one Strauss's theory was That the number of Christ's then in its turn-declared-complete-miracles was very great we can, 19 unscientific and antiquated easily understand. We know how With the rejection of the above the sick and diseased of to-day theories, the opponents of the would have docked to Jesus if Ho Gospel miracles were reduced to a had, chicset the cities and villages state of mental confusion, "Almost of South China for His mission in- everywhere," admitted the Ration- stead of the towns and hamlets of ast Bousset, We are left standing Pulestine. Hence we are not sur helplessly in the intust of uncer prised to read in St. Mark's ace teintier and suppositions.

count off Christ's visit -w to

by Nicodemos "a ruler of the Jews." who came to Jesus by night saying: Master we know that Thou art come a teacher from God: for no man can do these miracles which Thou dost, 'unless God be with him."

Thus from several dinerent events in the Gospels we conclude that Christ "intended" Els miracles to be taken as "proofs" of the truth of His teaching, and that they had "de facto" this desired effect on His hearers,

reject this doctrine, because they "feel" it is too terrifying to be true. But the Catholic attitude is com- pletely different. A catholic may: indeed "feel" about it at times as the disciples' once felt about an- other doctrine: "This saying” 15 - hard and who can hear it?". But all the same. In spite of all feelings to the contrary, the Catholic gives. an unshakeable "assent" to this doctrine, because Christ has reveal- ed it, and Christ (being God)-can- not err. This tenacious clinging to the teaching of Christ, relying on the help of the Holy Spirit, is what Catholics call Divine Faith.

***TOO THEORETICAL?"" { It is sometimes argued against the Catholic Church that she is

100

theoretical This objection may have arisen owing to the dis- cussions which take place at times CATHOLIC FAITH NOT BASED ON on points of Catholic Doctrine.

品

To the Jews who refused to believe

RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE

But these discussions are as a rule that He was "one with the Father," He declared; "I speak to you, and Hence the Catholic teaching on merely a matter of self-defence. you belleve not; the works that I the nature of Faith is completely Nations keep armies and fleets to Fad their do in the name of My Father they in accordance with the teaching of defend the citizen's

So, tooy the give testimony of Me." In other the Scriptures. For us Catholics, national honour. words you refuse to believe what I an act of Faith is not a mere plous Catholic Church has its intellec- teach you, but do not the works! "feeling." or the outcome, of re- Itual armament to defend its sub- and miracles which I perform, ligious experience, it is an assent fects from unprovoked aggression. prove that I am speaking the of the "mind" given to religious even as its Maater formerly de- truth? A similar reply was given doctrines under certain conditions. fended His disciples from the at- to the Apostle Philip who doubted Our position then may be sum-tricks of the Pharisees.

But for the ordinary, Catholle... the truth of His Master's teaching marised as follows: From the Jesus did not appeal to his pious miracles of Christ we conclude the line of argument is simple feelings" or "religious experience that he is speaking the truth. The amall child in a convent on the contrary. He directed His Hence when He reveals to us that school firmly believes the teaching appeal to the "intelligence" of He Is God Himself, who has come of Jesus, because she knows He is God and cannot err. And the Philip. with the words: "belleve into the world in human form to

faith of the child is the same as for the very works' sake.". Philip teach us the right religion, we

the faith of over 300 million had seen His Master continually legically accept this fact as true. curing the blind, the lame, the When He teaches us other doc Cathollds; who firmly believe, us with one mind, the self-game lepers, and every manner" of trines, we again accept them as

doctrines And they tenaciously a sense. These things were clearly true, because we know that God

believe these doctrines, not merely not done by natural mearis, arid so cannot err

because priests and bishops teach the only rational conclusion possi

them so, but because they are con-- ble was that his Master possessed

vinced that those doctrines have divine power.

been revealed in the world by Almighty God Himself.

MIRACLES A PROOF OF VERACITY Throughout the Gospels there are several similar appeals by Jesus to Els miracles as a proof of the truth of His teaching. And we find

LL

THE STABILITY OF CATHOLIC BELIEFS Thus we see that Br catholic's faith is founded on reason (which never changes)! it does not depend or religious feelings: Take, for example, one's belief in the exist ence of Hell: An increasing num- ber of non-catholics' non-a-days

THE FLIGHT FROM REASON That faith is an intelligent act and not a mere sentiment, bas (Continued on: Page 11)

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