The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"106 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.the golden age of Christianity The most !perfectChristians lived and died and went to heaven before the most important parts of the Scriptureswere written. And what would have become ofthem if the Bible alone had been their guide?The art of printing was not invented till thefifteenth century, (1440.) How utterly impossibleit was to supply every one with a copy of the Scriptures from the fourth to the fifteenth century I Duringthat long period, Bibles had to be copied with thepen. There were but a few hundred of them in theChristian world, and these were in the hands of theclergy and the learned. According to the Protestant system, the art of printing would have beenmuch more necessary to the Apostles than the giftof tongues. It was well for Luther that he did notcome into the world until a century after the immortal discovery of Guttenberg. A hundred yearsearlier, his idea of directing two hundred and fiftymillions of men to read the Bible would have beenreceived with shouts of laughter, and would inevitably have caused his removal from the pulpitof Wittenberg to a 1hospital for the insane."And even at ike present day, with all the aid ofsteam printing-presses, with all the Bible Associations extending through this country and England;and supported at enormous expense,it taxes all theirenergies to supply every missionary country with1Martinet, Keligion in Society, Vol. II., c. 10.