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To: Cronos; Natural Law; Judith Anne; daniel1212
They have only one rule; Catholics, from Pope to pauper, must not interpret Scripture.

Exactly -- they deny the Apostolic interpretation handed down by Christ and replace it with each and every one of the myriad ones of their own.

For I demand, whence it is that we learn that the church cannot err in consigning the canon of scripture? They answer, that it is governed by the Holy Spirit (for so the council of Trent assumes of itself), and therefore cannot err in its judgments and decrees. I confess indeed that, if it be always governed by the Holy Spirit so as that, in every question, the Spirit affords it the light of truth, it cannot err. But whence do we know that it is always so governed? They answer that Christ hath promised this. Be it so. But where, I pray, hath he promised it? Readily, and without delay, they produce many sentences of scripture which they are always wont to have in their mouths, such as these: "I will be with you always, even to the end of the world." Matth. xxviii. 20. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I will be in the midst of you." Matth. xviii. 20." I will send to you the Comforter from the Father." John xv. 26. "Who, when he is come, will lead you into all truth." Johnxvi. 13. I recognise here the most lucid and certain testimonies of scripture. But now from hence it follows not that the authority of scripture depends upon the church; but, contrariwise, that the authority of the church depends on scripture. Surely it is a notable circle in which this argument revolves! They say that they give authority to the scripture and canonical books in respect of us; and yet they confess that all their authority is derived from scripture. For if they rely upon the testimonies and sentences of these books, when they require us to believe in them; then it is plain that these books, which lend them credit, had greater authority in themselves, and were of themselves authentic. (William Whitaker, Disputations on Holy Scripture (Cambridge: Parker Society, 1894; reprint, Orlando: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2005), 334-335.)

550 posted on 10/26/2011 10:14:47 PM PDT by boatbums ( Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Titus 3:5)
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To: boatbums

Looks like you just proved cronos’ point.


552 posted on 10/26/2011 10:28:42 PM PDT by Judith Anne (qwerty)
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To: Cronos; Judith Anne
"But now from hence it follows not that the authority of scripture depends upon the church; but, contrariwise, that the authority of the church depends on scripture."

St. Thomas Aquinas, in his logical proof for the existence of God, established that everything in creation is contingent upon something that precedes it with the one exception of God. Scripture is no exception. When one traces Scripture backward toward its ultimate source they will find the Episcopacy of the Catholic Church as one of the fundamental contingencies in the chain.

The irony is that to be a Protestant one must simultaneously both accept AND reject the authority of the Catholic Episcopacy that compiled the Canon of the Scripture.

555 posted on 10/26/2011 10:50:47 PM PDT by Natural Law (Transubstantiation - Change we can believe in.)
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