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In the two Testaments, saith Origen, "every word that appertaineth to God may be required and discussed, and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood. But if any thing do remain, which the holy Scripture doth not determine; no other third Scripture ought to be received for to authorize any knowledge: but that which remaineth we must commit to the fire; that is, we must reserve it to God. For in this present world, God would not have us to know all things."

Hippolytus the martyr, in his homily against the heresy of Noetus: "There is one God; whom we do not otherwise acknowledge, brethren, but out of the holy Scriptures. For as he, that would profess the wisdom of this world, cannot otherwise attain hereunto, unless he read the doctrine of the philosophers: so whosoever of us will exercise piety toward God, cannot learn this elsewhere, but out of the holy Scriptures. Whatsoever therefore the holy Scriptures do preach, that let us know; and whatsoever they teach, that let us understand."

Athanasius, in his oration against the gentiles, toward the beginning: " the holy Scriptures, given by inspiration of God, are of themselves sufficient to the discovery of truth."

St. Ambrose, "The things which we find not in the

e In quibus liceat omne verbum, quod ad Deum pertinet, requiri et discuti ; atque ex ipsis omnem rerum scientiam capi. Si quid autem superfuerit, quod non divina scriptura decernat, nullam aliam debere tertiam scripturam ad authoritatem scientiæ suscipi: sed igni tradamus quod superest; id est, Deo reservemus. Neque enim in præsenti vita Deus scire nos omnia voluit. Orig. in Levit. hom. 5. op. tom. 2. pag. 212.

f Unus Deus est, quem non aliunde, fratres, agnoscimus, quam ex sanctis scripturis. Quemadmodum enim si quis vellet sapientiam hujus sæculi exercere, non aliter hoc consequi poterit, nisi dogmata philosophorum legat: sic quicunque volumus pietatem in Deum exercere, non aliunde discemus, quam ex scripturis divinis. Quæcunque ergo sanctæ scripturæ prædicant, sciamus; et quæcunque docent, cognoscamus. Hippol. tom. 3. biblioth. patr. pag. 20, 21. edit. Colon.

Ε Αὐτάρκεις μὲν γὰρ εἰσὶν αἱ ἁγίαι καὶ θεόπνευστοι γραφαὶ, πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπαγγελίαν. Athanas.

h Quæ in scripturis sanctis non reperimus, ea quemadmodum usurpare possuAmbros. offic. lib. 1. cap. 23.

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Scriptures, how can we use them?" And again: "I read that he is the first, I read that he is not the second; they who say he is the second, let them shew it by reading."

"It is well," saith St. Hilary, "that thou art content with those things which be written." And in another place, he commendeth' Constantius the emperor, for "desiring the faith to be ordered only according to those things that be written."

St. Basil: "Believe" those things which are written; the things which are not written, seek not." "It" is a manifest falling from the faith, and an argument of arrogancy, either to reject any point of those things that are written, or to bring in any of those things that are not written." He teacheth further "that" every word and action ought to be confirmed by the testimony of the holy Scripture, for confirmation of the faith of the good, and the confusion of the evil;" and "that it is the property of a faithful man, to be fully persuaded of the truth of those things that are delivered in the holy Scripture, and not to dare either to reject, or to add any thing thereunto. For if whatsoever is not of faith be sin, as the apostle saith, and faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; then

Lego quia primus est, lego quia non est secundus: illi qui secundum aiunt, doceant lectione. Id. in virginis instit. cap. 11.

k Bene habet ut iis quæ sunt scripta contentus sis. Hil. lib. 3. de Trinit. op. pag. 822.

In quantum ego nunc beatæ religiosæque voluntatis vere te, Domine Constanti imperator, admiror, fidem tantum secundum ea quæ scripta sunt desiderantem. Id. lib. 2. ad Constantium Aug. op. pag. 1229.

- Τοῖς γεγραμμένοις πιστεύε, τὰ μὴ γεγραμμένα μὴ ζήτει· Basil. hom. advers. calumniantes S. Trinitat. op. tom. 2. pag. 611.

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φανερὰ ἔκπτωσις πίστεως, καὶ ὑπερηφανίας κατηγορία, ἢ ἀθετεῖν τι τῶν γεγραμμένων, ἢ ἐπεισάγειν τῶν μὴ γεγραμμένων. Id. de fide. op. tom. 2. pag. 224.

· ὅτι δεῖ πᾶν ῥῆμα, ἢ πρᾶγμα πιστοῦσθαι τῷ μαρτυρίᾳ τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς, εἰς πληροφορίαν μὲν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἐντροπὴν δὲ τῶν πονηρῶν, Id. in ethicis. regul. 26. op. tom. 2. pag. 256.

• Καὶ μηδὲν τολμᾷν ἀθετεῖν, ἢ ἐπιδιατάσσεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ πᾶν, ὃ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως, ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν, ὥς φησῖν ὁ Απόστολος, ἡ δὲ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοὴς, ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ διὰ ῥῆματος Θεοῦ, πᾶν τὸ ἐκτὸς τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς, οὐκ ἐκ TίOTεwg ov, àμapria lorir. Id. Ibid. reg. So. cap. 22. op. tom. 2. pag. 317.

whatsoever is without the holy Scripture, being not of faith, must needs be sin." Thus far St. Basil.

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In like manner Gregory Nyssen, St. Basil's brother, layeth this for a ground, " which no man should contradict, that in that only the truth must be acknowledged, wherein the seal of the Scripture testimony is to be seen." And accordingly in another book, attributed also unto him, we find this conclusion made: "Forasmuch as this is upholden with no testimony of the Scripture, as false we will reject it."

Thus also St. Hierome disputeth against Helvidius. "As we deny not those things that are written; so we refuse those things that are not written. That God was born of a virgin, we believe; because we read it: that Mary did marry after she was delivered, we believe not; because we read it not."

"Int those things," saith St. Augustine, "which are laid down plainly in the Scriptures, all those things are found, which appertain to faith and direction of life." And again: "Whatsoever" ye hear from the holy Scriptures, let that savour well unto you; whatsoever is without them, refuse, lest you wander in a cloud." And in another place: "Allw those things which in times past our ancestors have mentioned to be done toward mankind, and have delivered unto us; all those things also which we see, and do deliver unto our posterity, so far as they appertain to the seeking

9 Κἄν τις ἂν ἀντείποι, μὴ οὐχὶ ἐν τούτῳ μόνῳ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τιθέσθω, ᾧ σφραγὶς ἐπέστι τῆς γραφικῆς μαρτυρίας. Greg. Nyss. dialog. de anima et resurrect. tom. 3. pag. 207.

r Cum id nullo Scripturæ testimonio suffultum sit, ut falsum improbabimus. lib. de coguit. Dei, cit. ab Euthymio in panoplia, tit. 8.

• Ut hæc quæ scripta sunt non negamus; ita ea quæ non sunt scripta renuiNatum Deum esse de virgine credimus, quia legimus: Mariam nupsisse post partum non credimus, quia non legimus. Hieron. advers. Helvid.

mus.

In iis quæ aperte in Scripturis posita sunt, inveniuntur illa omnia quæ continent fidem moresque vivendi. Augustin. de doct. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 9. op. tom. 3. pag. 24.

"Quicquid inde audieritis, hoc vobis bene sapiat: quicquid extra est respuite, ne erretis in nebula. Id. in. lib. de pastor. cap. 11. op. tom. 5. pag. 238.

w Omnia quæ præteritis temporibus erga humanum genus majores nostri gesta esse meminerunt, nobisque tradiderunt; omnia etiam quæ nos videmus, et posteris tradimus, quæ tamen pertinent ad veram religionem quærendam et tenendam, divina scriptura non tacuit. Id. epist.232. op. tom. 2. pag. 843.

and maintaining of true religion, the holy Scripture hath not passed in silence."

"The holy Scripture," saith St. Cyril of Alexandria, "is sufficient to make them which are brought up in it wise, and most approved, and furnished with most sufficient understanding." And again: And again: "That' which the holy Scripture hath not said, by what means should we receive, and account it among those things that be true?"

Lastly, in the writings of Theodoret we meet with these kind of speeches. "By the holy Scripture alone am I persuaded." "I am not so bold as to affirm any thing, which the sacred Scripture passeth in silence." "It is an idle and a senseless thing, to seek those things that are passed in silence." "We ought not to seek those things which are passed in silence; but rest in the things that are written."

By the verdict of these twelve men you may judge, what opinion was held in those ancient times, of such traditions as did cross either the verity, or the perfection, of the sacred Scripture: which are the traditions we set ourselves against. Whereunto you may add, if you please that remarkable sentence delivered by Eusebius Pamphili, in the name of the three hundred and eighteen fathers of the first general council of Nice: "Believed the things

* Sufficit divina scriptura ad faciendum eos, qui in illa educati sunt, sapientes et probatissimos, et sufficientissimam habentes intelligentiam. Cyril. 1. 7. contr. Jul.

ν ὃ γὰρ οὐκ εἴρηκεν ἡ θεία γραφὴ τίνα δὲ τρόπον παραδεξόμεθα, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀληθὼς ἔχουσι καταλογίουμεθα ; Cyril. Glaphyrorum, in Gen. lib. 2.

2 Εγὼ γὰρ μόνῃ πείθομαι τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ. Theod. dial. 1. Ατρεπτ. • Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως εἰμὶ θρασὺς, ὥστε φάναι τι σεσιγημένον παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ γραφῷ Id. dial. 2. Ασύγχυτ.

• Περιττὸν καὶ ἀνόητον τὸ τὰ σεσιγημένα ζητεῖν. Id. in Exod. quæst. 26. quod in Græcorum catena in pentateuchum, a Franc. Zephyro edita, ita expositum legimus: Impudentis est, quod a Scriptura reticetur, velle inquirere.

• Οὐ δεῖ ζητεῖν τὰ σεσιγημένα, στέργειν δὲ προσήκει τὰ γεγραμμένα. Theod. in Gen. quæst. 45.

4 Τοῖς γεγραμμένοις πίστευε· τὰ μὴ γεγραμμένα μὴ ἐννόει, μηδὲ ζήτει. Gelas. Cyzicen. act. concil. Nicæn. part. 2. cap. 19.

that are written: the things that are not written, neither think upon nor enquire after."

If now it be demanded, In what pope's days the contrary doctrine was brought in among Christians: I answer, that if St. Peter were ever pope, in his days it was, that some seducers first laboured to bring in will-worship into the Church; against whom St. Paul opposing himself, counteth it a sufficient argument to condemn all such inventions, that they were "the commandments and doctrines of men." Shortly after them started up other heretics, who taught, that "the truth could not be found out of the Scriptures, by those to whom tradition was unknown forasmuch as it was not delivered by writing, but by word of mouth: for which cause St. Paul also should say; We speak wisdom among them that be perfect."

The very same text do the Jesuits allege, to prove the dignity of many mysteries to be such that they require silence; and that it is unmeet they should be opened in the Scriptures, which are read to the whole world, and therefore can only be learned by unwritten traditions. Wherein they consider not, how they make so near an approach unto the confines of some of the ancientest heretics, that they may well shake hands together. For howsoever some of them were so mad as to say", that they were wiser than the apostles themselves; and therefore made light account of the doctrine which they delivered unto the Church, either by writing or by word of mouth: yet all of them broke not forth into that open impiety; the same mystery of iniquity wrought in some of Antichrist's forerunners then, which is discovered in his ministers

e Coloss. chap. 2.

f Quia non possit ex his inveniri veritas, ab his qui nesciant traditionem. Non enim per literas traditam illam, sed per vivam vocem: ob quam causam et Paulum dixisse; Sapientiam autem loquimur inter perfectos. Iren. contr. hæres. lib. 3. cap. 2.

g Bellarm. lib. 4. de verbo Dei, cap. 8.

Dicentes, se non solum presbyteris, sed etiam apostolis existentes sapientiores, sinceram invenisse veritatem, &c. Evenit itaque neque scripturis jam, neque traditioni, consentire eos.

Iren. ut supr.

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