In medieval times every loyal member of the Church
accepted without question its authority in religious matters. The Church taught
a belief in a personal God, all-wise, all-good, all-powerful, to know whom was
the highest goal of life. The avenue to this knowledge lay through faith in the
revelation of God, as found in the Scriptures. Since the unaided human reason
could not properly interpret the Scriptures, it was necessary for the Church,
through her officers, to declare their meaning and set forth what doctrines
were essential to salvation. The Church thus appeared as the sole repository of
religious knowledge, as "the gate of heaven."
THE SACRAMENTAL SYSTEM
Salvation did not depend only on the acceptance of certain
beliefs. There were also certain acts, called "sacraments," in which
the faithful Christian must participate, if he was not to be cut off eternally
from God. These acts formed channels of heavenly grace; they saved man from the
consequences of his sinful nature and filled him with "the fullness of
divine life." Since priests alone could administer the sacraments, [2] the
Church presented itself as the necessary mediator between God and man.
[2] In case of necessity baptism might be performed by any
lay person of adult years and sound mind.
