"Is The Bible The Sole Guide?"
We continue our study of Catholic teaching, found in an ad in the Ledger of October 19, 1952. Quote: "The Church had existed 1600 years, in fact, before the theory was advanced that the Bible should be the sole guide to Christian believers. Early century Christians never saw the complete Bible. It was 400 years after Christ died before the books of the Bible were assembled into their present form. And it was 1400 years before printing was invented and the mass distribution of the scriptures became possible. If Christ had intended the Bible to be the sole guide to His teaching, would He have allowed this delay — permitting millions of people to die in ignorance of the printed word?"
We shall consider these gross misrepresentations in their order. (1) The idea of the Bible being the SOLE GUIDE is not a THEORY but a FACT. Catholics believe the Bible is inspired and the Bible says that it "equips or furnishes the man of God unto EVERY GOOD WORK." (2 Tim. 3:16,17) If the scriptures furnish us unto EVERY GOOD WORK then, it is ALL God's people need and is not therefore a THEORY but a FACT that the Bible is our SOLE GUIDE. Catholics speak loud of their "love and respect for the Bible" but they are constantly proclaiming their lack of love and respect by denying what it affirms namely, its PERFECTION for the people of God as a GUIDE. If the Holy Spirit knew what He was talking about, when He here spoke through Paul, Catholics do not know what they are talking about when they deny what Paul said. One is the word of God; the other is the word of the Devil. (2) That early century Christians did not see the complete Bible is just not so. Catholics are either ignorant of facts or exceedingly deceitful. There are manuscripts dating back to the middle of the third century and they are COPIES. Thus, the original manuscripts necessarily existed earlier than that. This proves the claim, that it was 400 years before the Bible was in its present form, to be false. (3) Because it was 1400 years until the printing press, and because millions died without the PRINTED WORD does not mean they died without what is in the PRINTED WORD. That which was the WORD OF GOD, as it was spoken by inspired men, has been preserved in the book (Bible) hence, it WAS (when spoken orally) and IS (though now written) the same gospel which IS God's power to save. (Rom. 1:16) Since the oral and written word is the same it is wrong to conclude that "millions died without God's word." This is simply a cunning effort of Satan to deceive the unsuspecting and to turn them from the sufficiency of the Bible (God's word) to the TRADITIONS of the Romish Church (the doctrines of devils). (1 Tim. 4:1-4)
In an advertisement of the Ledger, November 11, 1952, "paid for by a convert," we have these words (evidently alluding to our articles): "If you are honestly interested in the claims and benefits of the Catholic Church where is the best source of information? Certainly not a display advertisement in a newspaper?" Now, this would be true if you could depend on Catholics to give you the truth but such is not the case. Candidly, friends, have Catholics made any effort to prove we have given FALSE INFORMATION about them? The public knows they have not. We insist that they come out in the open and disprove what we have said about them (in answer to their own propaganda — ads); otherwise the reading public is too intelligent to fall for their insinuations.