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Newman, the Bible and Obiter Dicta

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2024

H. Francis Davis
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Extract

Every word of Christ is good it has its missions and its purpose, and does not fall to the ground. It cannot be said that He should ever speak transitory words, who is Himself the very word of God, uttering, at His good pleasure, the deep counsels and the holy will of Him who is invisible…. All His sacred speeches, though clothed in a temporary garb, and serving an immediate end, … yet all have their force in every age, …

These words are Newman's, quoted in Dr Seynaeve's recent Newman's Doctrine on Holy Scripture, an important monument of scholarship in a province hitherto neglected.

On the Continent last year, I was told about someone who, hearing Newman's name mentioned, remarked: ‘Isn't he the man that held the theory of the obiter dicta?’ I was also told by a Roman student of some years back that, in his time at Rome, Newman would be mentioned among the Adversarii, when the question of the plenary inspiration of Scripture was under discussion.

Type
Research Article
Information
Life of the Spirit , Volume 8 , Issue 92-93 , March 1954 , pp. 398 - 407
Copyright
Copyright © 1954 Provincial Council of the English Province of the Order of Preachers

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Footnotes

*

This article was originally written for another purpose, but it will be seen to have relevance to a number of The Life devoted to the Scriptures.—Editor.

References

1 J. S. Seynaeve, W.F. Newman's Doctrine on Holy Serif ture. (Bkackwell (unbound) 63s. (bound) 70s.)

2 Op. cit., 385, n. After this, the page numbers in the text refer to this book, except where they are preceded by the words Catholic Commentary which case they refer to the recent Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (Nelson).

3 Newman, Stray Essays, p. 32.

4 cf. Denzinger, 783. (Fontem omnis et salutaris veritatis et morum disciplinae hanc veritatem et disciplinam contineri in libris scripsis et sine scripto traditiones tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes.)

5 C.T.S. edition, 22.

6 Newman, Stray Essays, pp. 11-12; J. Seynaeve, op. cit., pp. 166-7.

7 Catholic Commentary, 308, h.

8 Parochial and Plain Sermons, iv, 18, 19.

9 One admits, of course, that the doctrine of the papal document would have called for a revision of some parts of his articles on this subject. This he would immediately and gladly have done.