Tuesday, October 13, 2015

The Church is built on the foundation of the Scripture alone and not the other way around

The Apostle ". . . testifies that the church is 'built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets'. If the doctrine of the prophets and apostles be the foundation of the Church, it must have been certain, antecedently to the existence of the Church. Nor is there any foundation for this cavil, yet it remains doubtful what writings are to be ascribed to the prophets and apostles, unless it be determined by the Church. for if the Christian Church has been from the beginning founded on the writings of the prophets and the preaching of the apostles, wherever that doctrine is found, the approbation of it has certainly preceded the formation of the Church; since without it the Church itself had never existed. It is a very false notion, therefore, that the power of judging of the Scripture belongs to the Church, so as to make the certainty of it dependent on the Church's will. Wherefore, when the Church receives it, and seals it with her suffrage, she does not authenticate a thing otherwise dubious or controvertible, but, knowing it to be the truth of her God, performs a duty of piety, by treating it with immediate veneration." - John Calvin, The Institutes, I. VII. II.

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