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

INFALLIBILITY VERSUS REVELATION. 24-5But Romanists hold that it is not in the words, but in thesense of these passages that the proof lies ; and that of thatsense the Church is the infallible interpreter. They holdthat the Scripture is so obscure, that we can know nothingof what it teaches on any point whatever, but by the interpretationof the Church.It was the saying of one of theirdistinguished men, Mr Stapelton, " that even the Divinityof Christ and of God did depend upon the Pope."^'This is a demand that we should lay aside the Bible, as abook utterly useless as a revelation of the Divine will, andthat we should accept the Church as an infallible guide.-f*It is a proposition which, in fact, puts the Church in theroom of God. It is but reasonable that we should demandproof clear and conclusive of so momentous a proposition.Romanists, in their attempts to prove infallibility, commonlybegin by alleging the necessity of an infallibleauthority inmatters of faith. This Protestants readily grant. They,not less than Papists, appeal every matter of faith to an infallibletribunal. But herein they differ, that while the infallibletribunal of the Protestant is God speaking in theBible, the infallible tribunal of the Papist is the voice of theChurch. Now, even a Papist can scarce refuse to admit thatthe Protestant ground on this question is the more certainand safe.Both parties—Protestants and Papists—acknowledgethe inspiration and infallibility of the Scriptures ;whileone party only, namely, the Papist, acknowledges the infallibilityof the Church. But the Romanist is accustomed tourge, that Scripture is practically useless as an infallibleguide, from its liability to a variety of interpretations on thepart of a variety of persons ;and he hence infers the necessityof a living, speaking judge, at any moment, to determineinfallibly all doubts and controversies. The Bible, accord-* Poole's Blow at the Boot of the Romish Church, chap. ii. prop. ii.t Richard du Mans asserted in the Council of Trent, " that the Scripturewas become useless, since the Schoolmen had established the truth ofall doctrines."