Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/98

 these we prove the inspiration of the word of God to the convict/on of all reasonable men, without having recourse to the blind submiasioa which the autAtn of the Church of Rome requires when propounding Scripture as inspired. We acknowledge the 8ISTOalCL EVIDENCE OF TaADITION, and Pro- testants avail themelyes of its light and truth without having recoume to the absurd dogma of the Church of Some which asserts th we de- pend on the church for the proofs of the inspiration of Scripture. It is utterly false to assert that we are principally indebted to the Church of Rome for the Scriptures. The Jews preserved the Old Testament. which was originally committed to them. The Christian Church h preserved the New Testament, together with the Old. And all the sections of the church have done this. The Bible is handed down to us by the Jews and Hebrews, by the Syriln churches still existing in India, by the Greek Church, more ancient and more pure than the Church of Rome; by the famous African churches, which in the da]n of Augustine denied their dependence on the Church of Rome; by the Waldeusian churches, which possessed the oh/Ita/ vr/on before the Vulgate was written; by the apostol/c churches in England, Scotland, Ireland, and S!in before they were overrun by popery; by the Church of Rome herself, which preserved the Scriptures, though witIt leas fle- lity than any other church possessed of equal advantage; and, finally, the Protestant churches, during the last three hundred years, have don infinitely more than all other churches' in tranRmitaing pure and extend- ing the circulation of Scripture. Proofs to any amount could be brought to ti effect. To mention the existence and operations of the Britinh and American Bible Societies alone is enough to stop the mouth of every Romanist, and cover him with confusion. Moreover, all the ver- sions of the Bible made in the first, second, and third centuries in Asia, Africa, and Europe, have the val/d authority of undoubted historical traditions. It will be observed that we have given only a very brief epitome of' the evidences for the genuineness, authenticity, and inspiration of Scripture. But we refer to Horne's Introduction for a complete dis- cussion of the whole, as he has collected the entire arecunt of argument on the subject. It is lamentable that Catholics take infidel ground in opposing Protestantism, which is a clear proof of their deep .corruptint and of the fact that infidelity has deeply affected their clergy. X. When other methods of dislmrang Scripture fail, Catholics attempt to undervalue the English version of the Scriptures. We have the testimony of the best and ablest scholars, as Selden, Lowth, Hom- ley, Whitaker, Taylor, Scott, Adam Clarke, and others, in fayour ed' the correctness sad fidelity of the authorized English translation. The singular pains taken with it give strong expectations of its correctness. It is ateted by a gendeman who is in the habit of collating the oriai Douay Bible, Dr. C, halloner*s and Haydock's editions, and the author* ised English version, that he is convinced that Ch,dioaor's mad dock's editions are corrected and amended by King James' Bible. ,id,m lSecept is altered or pervurtod by 1

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