The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

""102 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.issue Pastoral letters, to correct abuses whicn mayspring up in the Church, or to lay down some rulesof conduct for the faithful. The Apostles arenever reported to have circulated a single volume of the Holy Scripture, but they going forth,preached everywhere, the Lord co-operating withthem." 1Thus we see that in the Old and the New Dispensation, the people were to be guided by a livingauthority, and not by their private interpretationof the Scriptures.Indeed, until the religious Revolution of thesixteenth century, it was a thing unheard of fromthe beginning of the world, that people should begoverned by the dead letter of the law either incivil or ecclesiastical affairs. How are your civilaffairs regulated in this State, for instance? Certainly not in accordance with your personal interpretation of the laws of Virginia, but in accordancewith decisions which are rendered by the constitutedjudges of the State.Now what the civil code is to the citizen, theScripture is to the Christian. The Word of God, aswell as the civil law, must have an interpreter, bywhose decision we are obliged to abide.We often hear the shibboleth :The Bible, andthe Bible only must be your guide." Why thendo you go to the useless expense of building finechurches, and Sabbath-schools? What is the use1Mark xvi. 20.