Is Romanism Christianity? 103 whose it is to judge respecting the true sense and inter pretation of the Sacred Scriptures;” nor may any one inter pret them “in a manner contrary to the unanimous consent of the fathers” (Session 4). Christ commands us to “prove all things” (1 Thess. 5 :2 1 ) ; to “search the Scriptures” (John 5: 39) ; to ascertain for our selves, as the Bereans did, whether what we hear agrees with what we read in Scripture (Acts 17:11). He commands us. to “hold fast the form of sound words,” uttered by Himself and His Apostles (2 Tim. 1:13) ; to “contend earnestly for the faith delivered once for all to the saints” (Jude 3). But Rome says, “Let no one dare to do so”—let all “ Christian princes . . . cause [men] to observe” our decrees (Session 16), nor “permit” them to be “violated by heretics” (Session 25). The Romanist must not dare to have an opinion of his own; his mind must exist in the state of utter prostration and bondage; he must not attempt to understand the Scripture himself. And if others attempt it—if they dare to receive the teaching and do the will of Christ, instead of receiving fictions and obeying.commands of men, which wholly subvert and destroy the truth and will of Jesus, Rome commands the civil ruler to restrain them; and, by the use of fines, imprisonment, and death, to compel them, if possible, to renounce what God requires them to maintain and follow, even unto death. The Bible, the whole Bible, nothing but the Bible, is the standard and the rule of Christianity. To know its meaning for ourselves, to receive its teaching, to rely on its promises, to trust in its Redeemer, to obey Him from delight of love, and to refuse to follow other teaching, is Christianity itself. But Romanism denies all this; and therefore, Romanism is not Christianity. SECONDLY: Christ commanded us to show “meekness” towards those who oppose us (2 Tim. 2 :25 ). He says, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good
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