If you don’t mind me asking…where is it? the refutation. Or is this thread about Mary?
I got it! but I don’t think I understand?
I’ve started calling solo Scriptura, a “mono-rule of faith.” I’m of the opinion that we are really talking about Is an infallible rule of faith that can be authenticated. The reason an infallible measure is important is because the subject, our soul, is very much at stake – particularly mine. Personally, I want those ‘assurances’ Protestants talk so much about but deliver so little of. The Catholic faith, however, seems to deliver assurances upfront in the form of the Real Presence. We hold a measure of faith founded on right-reasoning in faith.
Paraphrasing St. Francis de Sales, the sole and true rule of right-believing is the Word of God as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ. This rule is made up of eight individual principles, 1. The Scriptures, 2. The Traditions, 3. The Church, 4. The Councils, 5. The Fathers, 6. The Popes, 7. Miracles, 8. And natural reasoning. The intellect demands to know the existence of the true Christ, His Messianic ministry, and His teachings preemptively required to faith’s workings – that is inasmuch has the human intellect is capable of knowing.
Some call Scripture only the mono-rule of faith whereby Scripture alone authenticates and interprets Scripture infallibly. This principle rests in a subjective reasoning that scripture alone is the sole and infallible rule of faith. Occasionally, you’ll hear the refrain that the Holy Spirit guides our understanding. My objection to this is that the Holy Spirit would create several mono-rules of infallible fallible faith; the contention is a house divided cannot stand. If ever you wanted to cripple your faith intentionally (don’t ask why – I haven’t figure this one out) try going through the act of Christian discernment (what’s right and what’s wrong) using the principles of Solo Scriptura. You’ll end up with the same results a boxer would expect if he went into the ring with his hands tied- the poor guy can duck one coming and it’s only a matter of time before he sports a black eye.
Without discipline in the rule our reasoning is subject to human nature and all its filings. Equally important, there is no verse that might suggest that Scripture validates itself as being the infallible rule of faith; Christ didn’t set out written instruction in his own hand. In the most cursory of scriptural glosses we find that Christ’s mission, at least in part, establishes a “Church;” not a Scripture. And, should we find Scripture infallible, it would rightly be an object of worship – that is having the infallible spirit of word. We decidedly don’t worship a book, do we? Church Councils, Synods, Fathers, Pope and miracles along with natural reason are a uniform measure that gages the breadth of that faith, whereby the faithful can equate good and discern evil. Miracles are individual extra-ordinary graces by which we can see the Word of God and are although not normally binding on the remaining body of Christ. And finally nature reasoning usually requires knowledge of things unseen; which is revealed by God alone.
When used as a measure the first two principles in St. Francis’ rule can be considered conjoined principles. That is we say they give us knowledge in “Christian faith grounded on the Word of God,” warranted as eternal and infallible Divine Truth. We can be assured that those things taught by the Apostles and their successors are testimony of the living Word experienced through the lives the Twelve. You might say, an experienced faith, not just ‘book smart’. Scripture is special case of our living Tradition, preserving the very actions and deeds of witnesses who received their instruction directly from Christ. The extent of our collective Catholic knowledge of Christ isn’t complete by any stretch of the imagination. However, it’s sufficient knowledge for those things necessary for a redemptive faith. In this way a subjective faith can be borne out by the witness of Scripture. An objective faith is infallibly validated. But, what of those things that are subjective in our faith? These can be understood in Scripture to the extent that it is possible cooperate with our grace of faith. Who validates Scripture? Since scripture is of an infallible Word of God, there can only be one infallible accreditation.
Saint Francis de Sales places Tradition as the second rule because Scripture is most profitable and that Traditions role are more to maintaining unity or a oneness. This can be viewed as the accreditation we must have to satisfy our hunger for knowledge of Christ. If we think of Holy Scripture as the ‘what’ of our belief, then Tradition could be thought of as the ‘how, why, and wherefore’ of our belief. That is the role of tradition applies discipline in ‘right-reasoning’ in Devine revelations, whether or not they are contained in Scripture. Hence, we are told to, “hold the traditions, which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle.” Many hold that God’s revelation ends when we fold the book closed on the Gospels, but we know that God continues to work in this world through men. Thus St. John reminds us that not all things have been written concerning Christ and God’s revelations “having more things to write.” And likewise John tells us of Christ’s promise of more revelations to come, “I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12). Tradition’s role is not only to recognize God’s revelations newly deposited in the Church, but to hold the “form of sound words which you have heard of me… Keep the good thing committed”. (Cf. 2 Tim 1:13, 14). Consequently, we find that the rule that makes tradition the posterity and the splendor that has been held faithful, the doctrine of Christ, as taught to us by the Twelve.
JoeT
