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To: OLD REGGIE
In the absence of a word by word interpretation of Scripture approved by the unanimous consent of the fathers, it would appear you could be in deep doo doo.

Why in the world would you say that? You seem to think the follwing:

There was unanaimous consent of the Fathers on a certain point (or any point)only if there is one place, or text, written by the Fathers themselves,where all the views of the Fathers are drawn up.

But this is just simply a false assumption. The Fathers wrote at different times and places on different texts, in different genres;not just commentaries but homilies,treatises, etc. DO you think the Fathers of Trent did not realize that? The whole vast body of Patristic literature needs to be considered. I receive the truth about the unanimous consent of the Fathers in any one of a number of ways: first by reading as much of them as I can, second, by leaning on the Church's teaching office, which does not pronounce on something until the Fathers have been reviewed, and finally in other places where alot of their unanimous opinions have already been gathered, codified and systematically presented. There is a cooperative division of labor among all the people who contribute to the Chruch's teaching office (despite the false image of top-down unilateral, papal deliverances) See, for one example, Ludwig Ott's "The Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma" for a primer text. Or go to the Catholic answers website and see their pieces that present the unanimous opinions of the Fathers, in excerpt form. Maybe you better not, they were all in unanimous consent on the things the Catholic Church teaches.

In all fairness, perhaps you are concerned that the decree from Trent forbids you from holding what is contrary to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, and yet you have no easy way of knowing what the unanaimous consent of the Fathers was on a point. But you do, it is called the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was composed after the largest consultation of Bishops and theologians of any text in the history of Christianity. And yes, the composers of the Catechism knew about this very decreee from Trent (which has been reaffirmed by Pope Leo XII and, I think, more Popes) and were concerned not to put forward anything contray to the unaimous consent of the Fathers.

If you are interested in a Patristic Commentary on Scripture that attempts to put together in one place some, and only some, of what they thought on particular passages, I can refer you to some titles.

405 posted on 11/22/2002 3:39:21 PM PST by pseudo-justin
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To: pseudo-justin
If you are interested in a Patristic Commentary on Scripture that attempts to put together in one place some, and only some, of what they thought on particular passages, I can refer you to some titles.

I have little, or no, interest in a body of literature which "attempts to put together in one place some, and only some, of what they thought on particular passages,".

Why in the world would you say that? You seem to think the follwing:

There was unanaimous consent of the Fathers on a certain point (or any point)only if there is one place, or text, written by the Fathers themselves,where all the views of the Fathers are drawn up.


"Furthermore, in order to restrain petulant spirits, it [the Council of Trent] decrees that no one, relying on his own skill, shall,-in matters of faith, and of morals pertaining to the edification of Christian doctrine,-wresting the sacred Scriptures to his own senses, presume to interpret the said sacred Scripture contrary to that sense which holy Mother Church-to whom it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures-hath held and doth hold; or even contrary to the unanimous consent of the Fathers; even though such interpretations were never (intended) to be at any time published. Contraveners shall be made known by their Ordinaries and be punished with the penalties by law established."

"never (intended) to be at any time published." Never published. Exists nowhere.

You must rely on what some men tell you. You would be better off not reading the Bible at all. Confine yourself to the writings and words of a bunch of men who will tell you what to think.

It is not possible in any way to prove such a thing as "Unanimous Consent Of The Fathers"..

==============================

Or go to the Catholic answers website and see their pieces that present the unanimous opinions of the Fathers, in excerpt form. Maybe you better not, they were all in unanimous consent on the things the Catholic Church teaches.

Catholic Answers has given too many incorrect answers to be considered a consistently reliable source.

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Just who are these "Fathers" you speak of? Can you list them? Does the list change throughout history?

410 posted on 11/23/2002 8:18:47 AM PST by OLD REGGIE
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