CHAPITRE III

Quelle est la règle de foi établie par Notre Seigneur Jésus- Christ, ou quel moyen a-t-il choisi pour nous communiquer sa doctrine ? — La Bible. — La tradition.

Tous proclament à l'envi que la parole de Dieu révélée est la règle de foi. Encore sur ce point il y a unanimité de sentiments.

Mais où se trouve cette parole de Dieu, cette révélation surnaturelle? Les Protestants répondent : a Dans la Bible et dans la Bible seule n W. Les

(1) " We may weU assert, that the rejection of tradition as a rule of faith was the vital principle of tlie reforviation. " — Herbert Marsh, Comparative view of the Churches of England and Rome, p. 83, 1841.

" What I hâve always conceived to be the great leading pTinciple of Protestantism, is namely the entire sufficiency of Scripture, independently of tradition, as a rule of faith and doctrine. " — P. N. SCHUTTLEWORTH, Not tradition but Scripture, p. 21-2, 1839.

" With the doctrine of the Supremacy of the Holy Scripture to the consciences of individuals, and the right of private judgment in contradistînction to the authority of the Church, she (the reformed Church of England) stands or falls. " — Goode, Béguin fidei divina, vol. I, Prœf. p. xLii.

" The grand fundamental distinction between the Roman Catholîc and the Protestant religion consista in this very point, that, whilst Protestants maintain that a fuU and perfect rule of faith is contained in the Scriptures, and that, consequently, thèse furnish in and by thomselves a sufficient basis for ail doctrines nocessary to salvation,