| I am at a loss in trying to convey the truth to my | | | | the Church did not abandon Holy Tradition as though |
| friends who have been steeped in Protestant | | | | it could be replaced by Holy Scripture. No, they were |
| thinking. The biggest problem is in convincing them | | | | thought to exist side-by-side as sacred assets |
| that Christ wanted to establish a living, breathing, | | | | enhancing the truth of God's revelations to man. |
| church that would endure to the end of time. | | | | It is reckless for a Christian to ignore Holy Tradition, |
| Those holding to "sola scriptura" seem to believe that | | | | for it reflects what has always been believed, taught, |
| His church is nourished by the Bible alone rather than | | | | and practiced by the majority of Christians before |
| by this holy book together with the ever-present | | | | and after the Bible, throughout time, in all places. |
| Holy Spirit, whom Christ promised. He said that He | | | | Thus we have Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, both |
| would not leave us orphans but that He would send | | | | to be held high. |
| his spirit to guide us into all truth. Obviously, more | | | | Christ established His Church with the permanent |
| truth was to come. | | | | authority to teach. As all of civilization has gone |
| Even though Scripture itself declares its own | | | | through cycles of corruption throughout history, so |
| incompleteness, these partially fed souls persist in the | | | | has the authentic Church that belongs to our Savior. |
| false ideal that the Bible is all that is needed. It is | | | | However, no-one can argue that even in the darkest |
| needed, for certain, but much more is required as | | | | times, the Church taught the truth to the faithful in |
| spiritual food for those who hunger for truth. Thus, | | | | matters of faith and morals. |
| the Holy Spirit has been given, who lives within those | | | | While customs and practices change, the Church has |
| who will accept Him in His most important role: | | | | never officially taught error in dogma; that is, matters |
| revealing and illuminating divine principles. | | | | of essential belief. The Church could not and cannot |
| Christ is more than a famous author; He is the | | | | teach error because Christ said that the gates of hell |
| bridegroom of His eternal Church, which is also His | | | | would not prevail against His Church. He did not say |
| body. In addition to all that Christ did here on earth, | | | | that evil would never come against His Church, nor |
| which even the scriptures cannot contain, he founded | | | | affect His Bride, but that these attacks of Satan |
| His Church. He established one single church, and he | | | | would not destroy what God had established. |
| gave her the authority to teach. | | | | Today we are blessed with the precious resource of |
| The Church came first, not the Bible. For the first | | | | the very same Church that Christ Himself began, |
| 300 years, there was no Bible. It was not until the | | | | along with all of the authority that He granted to Her. |
| bishops of the time assembled the mountains of | | | | Even though the Holy Bible is both a great blessing |
| writings that had been produced and decided which | | | | and a necessity, only the Church can preserve it and |
| accounts, letters, etc., were truly inspired; that is, | | | | teach it without error. And only the Church can be |
| produced by the Holy Spirit. Other writings were | | | | depended upon for the reception of new truth |
| deemed true and helpful to the faith but were not | | | | revealed by the Holy Spirit, as promised by Christ |
| included. | | | | Himself. |
| Even after establishing what the Bible should contain, | | | | |