The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"THE CHURCH AND THE BIBLE. 105A competent guide, such as our Lord intended forus, must have three characteristics. It must bewithin the reach of every one ;it must be clear andintelligible; it must be ^able to satisfy us on allquestions relating to faith and morals.1st. A complete guide of salvation must be within the reach of every inquirer after truth ;for, Godwishes all men to be saved, and to come to theknowledge of the truth ;and therefore He must" 1have placed within the reach of every one the meansof arriving at the truth. Now, it is clear that theScriptures could not at any period have been accessible to every one.They could not have been accessible to the primitiveChristians, because they were not all written for a longtime after the establishment of Christianity. TheChristian religion was founded in the year 33. St.Matthew s Gospel, the first part of the New Testament ever written, did not appear till eight yearsafter. The Church was established about twentyyears, when St. Luke wrote his Gospel. And St.John s Gospel did not come to light till towards theend of the first century. For many years after theGospels and Epistles were written, the knowledge ofthem was confined to the churches to which they wereaddressed. It was not till the close of the fourthcenturythat the Church framed her Canon ofScripture, and declared the Bible, as we now possessit, to be the genuine Word of God. And this was1 1. Tim. ii. 4.