I love this line:
"Hence, Christ never said to His Apostles, "Go and write Bibles and distribute them, and let everyone judge for himself." That injunction was reserved for the Sixteenth Century, and we have seen the result of it. Ever since the Sixteenth Century there have been springing up religion upon religion, and churches upon churches, all fighting and quarreling with one another."
Instead Christ said, "Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
John 20:31, [But these things are written that you "may" (some early manuscripts add "continue to") believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.]
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book," - Revelation 1:11
"...and distribute them..."
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." - Mark 16:15
"...and let everyone judge for himself"
"The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." - Acts 17
(hiya K!)
"Hence, Christ never said to His Apostles, "Go and write Bibles and distribute them, and let everyone judge for himself." That injunction was reserved for the Sixteenth Century, and we have seen the result of it. Ever since the Sixteenth Century there have been springing up religion upon religion, and churches upon churches, all fighting and quarreling with one another."
That's not an accurate statement of history. I challenge you to find instructions of any Protestant Reformer from the 16th and even 17th Centuries, which called for a free-for-all of individualistic interpretations. The Protestant creeds developed at the time (and there are actually very few...and they all agree on 90%+ of doctrines) show that Protestant leaders were trying to call for consistent, communal (not individualistic) interpretation--written and agreed upon by the leading Christian scholars of the day.
The Reformation period only saw 3 bodies... (Lutheran, Reformed and Anglican) (based as much on geography as belief) with a 4th, catch-all category of "Anabaptists", or "Radicals", which the main Reformers (Luther, Calvin, et als) regarded as fanatics. Historians agree that 90%+ of the Protestants in the 16th and 17th Centuries belonged to those 3 main groups--not exactly evidence of a free-for-all of interpretations.
Of course in Spain, France, Italy and other parts of Europe Protestant ideas were heavily suppressed...at the behest of Rome, through the power of the state. And in the Eastern churches too--it was always considered normal and necessary to suppress heresy using government sanction. That same sort of repression...in a much milder way, still exists in traditional Orthodox countries.
It took the religious freedom of America (spreading to other places, and back to Europe, too)(along with the freedom of the press...to print bibles) to really allow for the spawning of the multitudes of denominations we see today.
So in order to stem the tide of denominational splits, all good Roman Catholics have to do is reinstate the Inquisition, then we can have back the good-old days of medieval Roman Catholic hegemony.
Show me countries where 90%+ are Christians of one denomination and I'll show you countries where freedom of religion, and of the press, and of expression, are either currently compromised, or, are relatively new phenomena.
... churches upon churches, all fighting and quarreling with one another."
What churches are these ... which are fighting and quarreling with one another ?
The most antipathy I've seen ... comes from churches which think that they're it.
Most of the other churches are quite content to live and let live.
We even have many interdenominational fellowships.
We learn and share with one another.
We delight in one another.
We hold our essentials in common, ... and grant freedom in the non-essentials ... even as did Paul ...Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
...
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.