And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. The Church has carefully conserved this word of mouth teaching by historical records called Tradition. Even the Protestant Bible teaches that many Christian truths were to be handed down by word of mouth. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Religions founded on the Bible only are therefore necessarily incomplete.
The first book, St. Matthew s Gospel, was not written until about 10 years after Our Lord s Ascension. However, this important work was begun after Constantine gave peace to Christianity in 313 A.D., allowing it to be practiced in the Roman Empire. Shortly before 400 A.D. a General Council of the Catholic Church, using the infallible authority which Christ had given to his own divine institution, finally decided which books really belonged to the New Testament and which did not. Either the Church at this General Council was infallible, or it was not. The original writings were on frail material called papyrus, which had but temporary enduring qualities.