God ordained that these writings should always remain in
the custody of a living Church, which He solemnly founded
and placed under the control of St. Peter and his successors
forever. This Church is to be the arbiter of all religious
disputes, and this Church is to decide beyond all appeal the
amplitude of revelation. There is no higher court, empowered
to review or reverse its decisions; and Grod has promised it
immunity from error in matters of dogma. It is the guardiaq
and authoritative interpreter of God's word, as contained in
the Old and New Testaments; the witness to and the dis-
penser of tradition. For revelation is of wider extent than
the mere written word, and embraces all the points of belief
insisted on and taught by the Catholic and true Church of
Christ, though not explicitly set forth in the pages of Holy
Scripture.
EEVELATION 187

Scripture itself bears us out in all these statements, but
their further discussion belongs to the domain of theology.
