Scripture Interpretation: Authority of the Church and Fathers
The principle that Scripture must be interpreted according to the sense held by Holy Mother Church and the unanimous consent of the Fathers, not by private judgment. Decreed by the Council of Trent under penalty of law.
Preliminaries
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DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (SESSION IV).
— Trent decrees that no one may interpret Scripture contrary to the sense held by Holy Mother Church or contrary to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, under penalty of law.
"no one, relying on his own prudence, in matters of faith and morals pertaining to the edification of Christian doctrine, twisting the sacred Scripture to his own senses, shall dare to interpret the sacred Scripture contrary to that sense which holy mother Church — whose it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the holy Scriptures — has held and does hold; or even contrary to the unanimous consent of the Fathers"
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture
— Jerome rebukes those who claim Scripture for themselves without learning: they fit incongruous testimonies to their own meaning.
"The art of the Scriptures alone," he says, "is one that everyone everywhere claims for themselves... nor do they deign to know what the Prophets and Apostles meant, but they fit incongruous testimonies to their own meaning"
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Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture
— Many bend Scripture like wax, twisting it into alien senses against the decrees of the Fathers, Canons, Councils, and the Council of Trent.
"they bend Scripture like wax in every direction, transform it into every shape by a marvelous metamorphosis, and like gamblers with the divine words play with it as the lot falls"
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Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers
— Hebrew tradition: Moses received on Sinai not only the law but also its explanation, commanded to reveal hidden mysteries to Joshua, and they to their successors.
"Moses received on Mount Sinai from God not only the law but also the explanation of the law, and that he was commanded to write down the law, but to reveal its hidden mysteries and meanings to Joshua, and Joshua to the priests"
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Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers
— Dionysius and Clement teach that Scriptures were handed down to be taught to disciples and transmitted to posterity in continuous succession.
"St. Dionysius, the disciple of the Apostle Paul, and Clement, the disciple of St. Peter, teach that the Scriptures were handed down to them, so that they too might teach them to their own disciples, and transmit them to posterity in a continuous succession"
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Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers
— Basil and Gregory studied Scripture for 13 years in a monastery, not from their own presumption but from the writings and authority of the elders who received the rule of interpretation from apostolic succession.
"the divine volumes," says Rufinus, book XI of his History, chapter IX, "they studied through commentary not from their own presumption, but from the writings and authority of the elders, whom they knew had likewise received from apostolic succession the rule of interpretation."
Commentary on the Pentateuch of Moses
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Canons Bearing a Torch Before the Pentateuch
— Canon 1: Moses' narration is historical, not symbolic; the Church condemns Origen's allegories
"his narration is not symbolic, not allegorical, not mystical, but historical, simple, and plain"
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Canons Bearing a Torch Before the Pentateuch
— Canon 36: There can be multiple literal senses of Scripture, including dissimilar and disparate ones
"That there can be multiple literal senses of Holy Scripture — not only typical and typically subordinated ones, but even dissimilar and disparate ones"