One of the premier issues that divides Protestants from Roman Catholics is the question of the place of Scripture. Protestants declare that the Scriptures alone are the rule of faith and practice, while Roman Catholics assert that it is Scripture and the traditions held by the Church that constitute the final word on a matter. This debate is not new. William Whitaker (1547-1595) championed the Protestant position in this book, first printed in 1588. He deals with the number of canonical books, the authority of Scripture, the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture, the proper interpretation of Scripture, and the perfection of Scripture against unwritten traditions.