90 The Faith of Our Fathers interpretation of every chance reader. It is, therefore, a grave perversion of the sacred text to adduce these words in vindication of private interpretation of the Scriptures. But when our Redeemer abolished the Old Law and established His Church, did He intend that His Gospel should be disseminated by the circulation of the Bible, or by the living voice of His disciples? This is a vital question. I answer most emphatically, that it was by preaching alone that He intended to convert the nations, and by preaching alone they were converted. No nation has ever yet been converted by the agency of Bible Associations. Jesus Himself never wrote a line of Scripture. He never once commanded His Apostles to write a word,139 or even to circulate [081] the Scriptures already existing. When He sends them on their Apostolic errand, He says: "Go teach all nations."140 "Preach the Gospel to every creature."141 "He that heareth you heareth Me."142 And we find the Apostles acting in strict accordance with these instructions. Of the twelve Apostles, the seventy-two disciples, and early followers of our Lord only eight have left us any of their sacred writings. And the Gospels and Epistles were addressed to particular persons or particular churches. They were written on the occasion of some emergency, just as Bishops issue Pastoral letters to correct abuses which may spring up in the Church, or to lay down some rules of conduct for the faithful. The Apostles are never reported to have circulated a single volume of the Holy Scripture, but "they going forth, preached everywhere, the Lord co-operating with them."143 Thus we see that in the Old and the New Dispensation the people were to be guided by a living authority, and not by their 139 Except when He directed St. John to write the Apocalypse, i. 11, 140 Matt, xxviii. 19. 141 Mark xvi. 15.