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Sola Scriptura...the Bible being the only authority by which men and churches were to govern themselves by...

Oh man..do we start with Paul's admonition to Timothy that the word of God was "profitable for reproof and doctrine"?

How about the Psalmist "Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee"?

How about the Mosaic Code written by the finger of God?

The revealed word of God was to be the sole authority by which men and churches could rely on to guide them thru false doctrines and schisms. The rules of moral conduct are fairly black and white. Other areas are left to personal discretion provided that they cause not another to stumble, or that the absolute rules of moral conduct should not be broken, or that the princi[ple of love not be violated. The promised Holy Spirit would be a guide to all truth and was promised to help with interpretation of difficult passages"not by private interpretation but by the Spirit".

The danger lies in the insertion of Supra Scriptura rituals and writings that claim to clarify the original writings but instead distort the original scriptures causing the truth sense of the Bible to be lost to the people. Christ accused the San Hedrin of doing that with the application of Talmudic style interpretations on the Torah causing the sense of scripture and Salvation to be lost to men. "Ye have taken away the Keys of knowledge, making men thrice more damned then ye-selves" he railed.

That is what the Catholic churches had done by the 15th century, providing the impetus for schism and renewal!