individual to search the Bible, and nothing but the Bible, until he finds out what he has to believe?
No; for not the Bible alone, but the Bible and Tradition, both infallibly interpreted by the Church, are the right Rule of Faith.
1. If it were the will of our Saviour that we should arrive at the knowledge of the truths of salvation simply by reading and searching the Scripture, why is it written: 'Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the [preaching of the] Word of Christ'? (Rom. x. 17.). And why, then, did not Christ Himself write? Why did He not commission His Apostles to write? Why did they write only after the lapse of a long space of time, and only upon special occasions? Why did they not all write? Why did He Himself 'give some Apostles, and some Prophets, and other some Evangelists, and other some Pastors and Doctors'? (1 Cor. xii., Eph, iv.). Why did He not command that every one, or at least every Christian, should learn to read? Why did God allow printing to be invented so late? etc.
2. The Christian Religion had been spread, and flourished, before the Books of the New Testament were written; and even after they had been written, there were many Christian nations, as St. Irenseus testifies, who did not so much as possess the Holy Scriptures.
33. What has the Church decreed with regard to the reading of the Bible in the vulgar tongue?
1. That we should have the learning and piety requisite for it; and 2. That the translation should be accompanied with explanations, and that both should be approved of by the Church.
By this wise provision the Church by no means intends to withhold the Word of God from the faithful, since she desires nothing more than that all should know it and meditate upon it; she merely wishes to guard them against corrupted Bibles, which are often designedly offered to ignorant people, and against erroneous interpretations, sects, and schisms.
§ 5. Tradition.
34. Is it enough to believe only those doctrines which are contained in the Holy Scripture?
No; we must also believe Tradition—i.e. those re-
