288 THE STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE.
"to whom, after the apostles, the Church owes its growth — who have planted, watered, built, governed, and cher- ished it";^ the holy Fathers, We say, are of supreme authority, whenever they all interpret in one and the same manner any text of the Bible, as pertaining to the doctrine of faith and morals; for their unanimity clearly evinces that such interpretation has come down from the apostles as a matter of Cathohc faith. The opinion of the Fathers is also of very great weight when they treat of these mat- ters in their capacity of Doctors unofficially; not only because they excel in their knowledge of revealed doctrine and in their acquaintance with many things which are useful in understanding the apostolic books, but because they are men of eminent sanctity and of ardent zeal for the truth, on whom God has bestowed a more ample measure of His light. Wherefore the expositor should make it his duty to follow their footsteps with all rever- ence, and to use their labors with intelligent appreciation. But he must not on that account consider that it is for- bidden, when just cause exists, to push inquiry and exposi- tion beyond what the Fathers have done; provided he care- fully observes the rule so wisely laid down by St. Augus- tine — not to depart from the literal and obvious sense, ex- cept only where reason makes it untenable or necessity requires; ^ a rule to which it is the more necessary to adhere strictly in these times, when the thirst for novelty and the unrestrained freedom of thought make the danger of error most real and proximate. Neither should those passages be neglected which the Fathers have understood in an alle- gorical or figurative sense, more especially when such in- terpretation is justified by the literal, and when it rests on the authority of many. For this method of interpretation has been received by the Church from the apostles, and has been approved by her own practice, as the holy Liturgy attests; although it is true that the holy Fathers did not
'S. Aug. c. Julian, ii. 10, 37. » De Gen. ad litt. Iviii. c. 7. 13.
