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Instruction 7

The relation of the Bible to the Church

Father S. We have seen, Mr. Jackson, that just as Christ was God and Man, so the institution, which He established to continue His work, consists of human members, but has a divine origin. Just as Christ “was sent” by the Father, to perform divine works through His human nature, so He in turn would “send” men, and through them continue His mission of “saving his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). By this arrangement, those who were the objects of Christ’s personal ministrations 1,900 years ago, were no better off than we of today, to whom the same divine help comes from Him through others: He was to be, and actually is, “Jesus Christ yesterday, today, and the same forever.”

I’ll have to make the instruction brief this evening, so let us get back to where we left off in our last instruction. You asked if all denominations today were in some sense the Church.

Mr. J. I was only declaring what I have often heard and wanted you to tell me on what plea they gain so many followers, and on what they base their claims.

Father S. Although Catholics are agreed that the Church is made up of all baptized persons united in the same true faith, the same sacrifice or worship, and using the same sacraments, under the authority of the successor of Saint Peter, the pope, and the bishops in communion with him, the term “Church” has a very vague meaning for most non-Catholics. A simple trust that Jesus’ merits will save them if they lead a decent life — especially, if they publicly profess that they want Jesus to be their Savior — they think, makes them Christians. Many hold that they need not affiliate with a religious denomination, though if they will, so much the better. They think that they may select the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, or any of the hundreds of other forms of religion. These denominations are all united in one thing — in directing their members to read the Bible for guidance in the development of the Christian life. They teach that the individual is responsible to God directly; that to require him to believe certain things, to impose a creed, is to restrict his liberty of thought; that to impose certain observances is to interfere with his liberty of action. They see only a twofold commission to the Church, viz., to baptize and to preach; and “to preach” means to announce Christ as the Savior and to stimulate people to lead good lives. Little attention is paid to “Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you.” They contend that Christ gave us the command to “search the Scriptures.” As a matter of fact, He was telling the Jews that they read the Scriptures wherein He was prophesied. But He was stating a fact, not issuing a command. Even if He actually told them to “search the Scriptures,” He could have meant only the Old Testament. These people never saw the New Testament, which had to do with His Church, nor did the apostles themselves ever see the whole New Testament, nor did people for four hundred years after Christ, though the Church had enjoyed her golden era — the days when people died for their faith by the thousands. And during the next one thousand years, the generality of Christians could not read the Bible, not because the Church kept it from them, but because the art of printing, by which books are now multiplied, was not invented until the year 1438. We wonder how, in “searching the Scriptures,” our separated brethren do not feel the force of such statements of our Lord, as “if he refuses to hear even the Church” (Mt 18:17); “I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18); “there shall be one fold and one shepherd” (Jn 10:16). We wonder why they do not admit that the true Church can be identified and distinguished from others, when it is compared to one “body” with one head, to “a kingdom,” to “a city on a mountain,” to “a house,” to “a sheepfold,” etc.

Mr. J. Doesn’t it resolve itself into what I have said: they have a wholly erroneous idea of God’s plan of salvation?