Hello. I was reading through some oldish Catholic literature to see how different Protestant and Catholic doctrines really are... THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT! So I selected a quote that I found to stand out in particular from James Cardinal Gibbons in the early 1900s. I've bolded the parts of his quote that I then comment on in square brackets [like this]. My comments are not bolded but I've put them in a different font so they're hopefully a little easier to distinguish. Some of the original quote is not bolded so please do not get it confused. I have not modified any of the original text other than font adjustments.
Faith of Our Fathers (1917) Chapter 7 (Infallible Authority of the Church) pg. 67 by James Cardinal Gibbons
"The Church has
authority from God to teach regarding faith and morals, and in her teaching she
is preserved from error by the special guidance of the Holy Ghost. The prerogative of infallibility is clearly
deduced from the attributes of the Church already mentioned. [Okay… so everything I learned in grade
eight history class about the Spanish Inquisition was absolutely A-Okay?]
The Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Preaching the same
creed everywhere and at all times; teaching holiness and truth, she is, of
course, essentially unerring in her
doctrine; for what is one, holy or unchangeable must be infallibly true. [What
about God? Isn’t He one, Holy and
unchangeable?]
"That the Church was
infallible in the Apostolic age is denied by no Christian. [I don’t believe that it was the Church that was perfect… The Holy Ghost’s
outpouring did a marvellous work on the hearts of the Jews and
Gentiles at that time but I think it’s a stretch to say that the new Christian Church
had perfect doctrine, people, etc. Everything conveyed in Scripture, however was flawless. Though the people may have held some false opinions, inspiration prevents error from entering the Scriptures. I
deny his statement though I do fancy myself a Christian.] We never question the truth of the Apostles' declarations;(114)
they were, in fact, the only authority in the Church for the first century. The
New Testament was not completed till the close of the first century. There is
no just ground for denying to the Apostolic teachers of the nineteenth century
in which we live a prerogative clearly possessed by those of the first,
especially as the Divine Word nowhere intimates that this unerring guidance was
to die with the Apostles. On the contrary, as the Apostles transmitted to their successors their power to preach, to
baptize, to ordain, to confirm, etc., they must also have handed down to them
the no less essential gift of infallibility. [Hmm… So where does the Bible say that the
Apostles were unerring? Actually, in
studying the New Testament, you find that even Christ’s disciples were
imperfect. Before Christ’s death, many
of them taught false doctrine (ex. That Jesus was going to overthrow the Jews).
]
"God loves us as much
as He loved the primitive Christians; Christ died for us as well as for them
and we have as much need of unerring teachers as they had. [Is not our teacher the Holy Spirit which
does an individual work on every person’s heart?] It will not suffice to tell
me: "We have an infallible Scripture as a substitute for an infallible
apostolate of the first century," for an infallible book is of no use to
me without an infallible interpreter, as the history of Protestantism too clearly
demonstrates." [So what’s being said
is that Scriptures are not perfect therefore we require an interpreter? Ever read 2 Timothy 3:15-16? While you’re at it, read 1 Thess. 2:13; Matt.
23:45; Ps. 119:9, 11,1 05; John 17:17. Man
is just man. We are wicked, power hungry
and we make mistakes. (Jer. 17:9) Do I believe that perfection is possible…
yes. Do I think we should then have a religious
organization study our Bibles for us – No Way!
Read Acts 17:11-13 where the faithful people of Thessalonica who were
honourable and had knowledge are said to have “searched the scriptures daily.” It was then, after studying for themselves
that they were able to go out and preach to others regarding Christ and His
work of Salvation. It is our duty, as it
was theirs, to search the Scriptures daily
that we might know God, individually and personally. We are not saved as a Church; we are saved as individual children of God.]
Find the book "Faith of Our Fathers" Online here:
This is a free download and it opens online.
I find it a real blessing to read through other people's books whether I agree with their opinion or not. My knowledge of the scriptures are affirmed when I read different arguments and points of view. I am led to study for myself what is truth. I encourage that you do the same.
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