The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

APOSTOLIC MODE. 177of diverse, unclean, and monstrous things is that overwhich the mighty Roman motlier, Infallibility, sits brooding.Peter, it is maintained, frowned upon private interpretation,when he wrote as follows respecting the Epistlesof Paul:— " In which are some things hard to be understood,which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as theydo also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction."Now, first, this shows that they who so wrested the Scriptureshad free access to them ; and, second, the statementis limited to the Epistles of Paul, and in these it is onlysome things that are hard to be understood, showing thatthe i7ian9/ are not so. But what preservative does theapostle recommend for this evil? Does he blame thosenegligent pastors who allowed their people to read theScriptures ? Does he enjoin Christians to hear the livingauthority in theChurch ?—and there were then some reallyinfallible men in her : no ; he has recourse to no such expedient; but, seeing they were the unlearned and the unstablewho so wrested the Scriptures, he enjoins them to" grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord JesusChrist." But how are men to grow " in the knowledge ofJesus Christ V Unquestionably by the study of that bookthat reveals him ; agreeably to his own injunction, " Searchthe Scriptures ; they are they which testify of me." " Proveall things ;But thehold fast that which is good."Church of Rome, in the very act of forbiddingthe exercise of private judgment, and demanding of men implicitsubmission to her own authority, requires of them theexercise of their faculties. She makes her appeal to thosevery faculties which she forbids them to use, and calls uponthem to exercise their private judgment in order that theymay see it to be their duty not to exercise their privatejudgment. The appeal of Rome is, that men should submitto her infallibility ; but she herself shows that she is consciousthat a rational being can submit to this appeal onlyin the use of reason, because she recommends her appealwith arguments. Why does she urge these arguments, if