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A more direct and unqualified contradiction to the view of the Tractators than is contained in this passage could not be framed. Again ; “ We are confident,” he says, "from the divine Scriptures, respecting the orthodox faith, and place it as a light upon a candlestick."

"The Scripture hath laid down such examples and images, in order that, since human nature is unable to comprehend the things of God, we may be able, in some small and imperfect way, as far as is attainable, to know something of them. And as with respect to the existence of a God and a Providence, creation is sufficient to give us this knowledge . . . . and we do not require words to learn this from them [i. e. from the things that are made]; but upon hearing the Scriptures believe; .... in the same way, the afore-mentioned passages being sufficient with respect to the divinity of the Son, it is vain, nay, rather, it is the height of madness, to doubt, and heretically to ask, how can the Son be eternal ?9

Far from supposing that there was any obscurity in Scripture that could be any apology for the Arians, he only blames them for their ignorance and perverse interpretation of such clear declarations of the truth as are to be found there.

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They,” he says, " laying down their own impious doctrine as a sort of canon, pervert all the divine oracles so as to make them accord with it, who, while only uttering these things, deserve no other answer than Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.' "3

The reason why the heretics did not confess Christ to be the Son of God in an orthodox sense, was, according to him, their

φέρουσιν ; . . . Προς μεν γαρ την ιδίαν της επινοίας ασέβειαν έκαστη τούτων των αιρεσεων ουδεν κοινον έχει προς τας γραφάς και τουτο ίσασι και οἱ τα τουτων πρεσβεύοντες, . . . απατης δι χάριν των απλουστέρων . . . . σχηματίζονται μελεταν και λέγειν τας λέξεις, ως ὁ πατηρ αυτ των διαβολος, ένα εκ των λεξεων δόξωσιν ορθον έχειν και το φρόνημα και λοιπον πείσωσι παρά τας γραφας φρονείν τους ταλαιπωρους ανθρώπους Πολλά μεν ουν αν τις γραψειεν, ει βούλοιτο περί τούτων επεξεργασασθαι. Επειδη δε ή θεια γραφη παντων εστιν ἱκανωτέρα, του του χάριν τοις βουλομένοις τα πολλα περί τούτων γινωσκειν, συμβουλευσας εντυγχάνειν τοις θεοίς λόγοις, αυτός νυν το κατεπείγον εσπούδασα δήλωσαι, διο μάλιστα και ούτως έγραψα. ID. Ep. ad Episc. Egypti et Lib. (al. Orat. 1. contra Arian.) §. 4. i. 273, 4.

...

1 Ιδου γαρ ήμείς μεν εκ των θείων γραφων παρρησιαζόμεθα περί της ευσεβούς πιστεως, και ως λύχνον ἐπι της λυχνίας τιθεμεν. Ib. Orat. 1. contra Arian. 5 9. i. 412.

2 Τοιαύτα γαρ τα παραδείγματα και τοιαυτας τας εικόνας έθηκεν ἡ γραφη, ἵν' επειδαν αδυνα τος εστιν ή ανθρώπινη φύσις περί Θεού καταλαβειν, καν εκ τούτων ολιγοστως πως και αμυδρώς, ως εφίκτων εστι διανοείσθαι δυνηθώμεν. Και ωσπερ περί του είναι θεον και προνοιαν, αυτάρκης ή κτίσις προς την γνωσιν . . . . και ου φωνας απαιτούντες παρ' αυτών μανθάνομεν, αλλ' ακουον τις μεν των γραφων πιστευομεν . . . . τον αυτον τρόπον περί της του υίου θεότητος ἱκανων ον των των προειρημένων ρητων περιττον μάλλον δε και μανίας πλέον εστιν αμφιβάλλειν, και αίρε τικως πυνθανεσθαι, πως ουν δυναται αίδίως ειναι ὁ υἱος ; κ. τ. λ. In. Orat. 2. contra Arian. § 32. i. 500.

3 Ως κανόνα τινα την ιδίαν ασέβειαν οἱ τινες και μόνον αυτα φθεγγόμενοι, τας γραφάς, μηδε την δύναμιν του Θου.

σιν

θέμενοι, προς τουτον παντα τα θεια λογια διαστρέφου ουδεν ἕτερον ακούειν οισιν αξιοι, ή, Πλανάσθε рен άδοτες ID. Orat. 1. contra Arian. § 52. i. 457.

"ignorance of the truth, and want of acquaintance with the divine Scriptures."

And he says, that "they who call the Arians Christians, are much and greatly deceived, as persons who have neither read the Scriptures, nor are at all acquainted with Christianity and the faith in Christ."

Lastly, on the style Scripture phraseology, he says, that "it is the custom of the divine Scripture to deliver and describe things that are above human comprehension in the words of man. And that "it is the custom of the Scripture to speak in a plain and simple style of phraseology.”4

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Other passages of a similar nature might easily be added 5 And the directions he gives for ascertaining the meaning of Scripture are such as these ;—

"This doctrine will be found abundantly contained in the divine oracles by him who diligently reads them, and investigates the time, and the persons, and the cause of the things written, and so reads with judgment and discrimination. Thus such a one will find out the time of this passage we are now considering, and will understand that the Lord, having existed from eternity, afterwards at the end of times becaine man, &c."

"It is right, as it behoves us to do in the case of the whole divine Scripture, and as, indeed, is necessary, so here also, faithfully to ascertain the time of which the Apostle spoke, and the person and the thing on account of which he wrote, that the reader may not, by ignorance of these things, or some other similar matter, err from the true meaning." And having noticed some who had not attended to this, he adds,-" Such, therefore, in truth, having been the case with the enemies of Christ, they have fallen away into grievous heresy. For if they had known both the person and the thing, and the time of the Apostle's words, they would not, by understanding what was spoken of his

* Το δε είναι του τον του Θεου υιον οὐχ ὁμολογοῦσιν· ἐστι δε του το της αλήθειας αγνωσία, και των θείων γράφων απειρία ID. De decret. Nic. Syn § 17. i. 222.

2 Οἱ τούτους [i. e. Αρειανους] καλουν τις Χριστιανους, πολυ και λίαν πλανώνται, ως μητε τας γραφας ανεγνωκότες, μητε όλως ειδότες τον Χριστιανισμού και την εν αυτώ πίστιν. ID. Orat.

1. contra Arian. § I. i. 406.

3 Έθος γαρ τη θεία γραφή, ανθρωπίνως τα ύπερ άνθρωπον λαλείν και σημαινειν In. Orat. 4. contra Arian. § 27. i. 638.

4 Εθος δε τουτο τη γραφή, απεριέργως και απλώς τας λέξεις εκφράζειν Ip. Orat. 4. contra Arian. § 33. i. 642.

5 See Orat. 3. contra Arian. § 1. i. 551. A. Ib. § 15. i. 564. B. Epist. 1. ad Serap. 13. i. 661. E. Ib. § 20. i. 669. B. C. Also Pseudo-Athanas. Disp. cum Ario § 43. savg, Αἱ αγιας γραφαι πάντα σαφή διαλεγονται. Tom. ii. p. 228.

6 Την δε διάνοιαν ταύτην εύρήσει καλως εν τοις λογίοις κειμένην ὁ μη παρεργον ήγουμενος την αναγνωσιν, αλλα και τον καιρόν και τα προσωτα και την χρειαν των γεγραμμένων ερευνών, και ούτω τα αναγνωσματα διακρίνων και διανοούμενος. Τον μεν ουν καιμον του μη του τούτου εύρη σει και γνώσεται ότι αει ων ο Κύριος ύστερον επι συντέλεια των αιώνων γεγονεν άνθρωπος, κ. τ. λ. ID. De decret. Nic. Syn. § 14. i. 220.

human nature as applying to his divinity, have madly reached such a height of impiety."

These are the practical directions he gives for ascertaining the meaning of Scripture. And his words clearly show that he considered that it needed only the proper use of these means to discover the sense of Scripture. On all points, then, the testimony of Athanasius is wholly with us.

ANTHONY (fl. a. 330.)

Among others, let us hear the testimony of the pious Anthony respecting the sufficiency of Scripture for teaching the faith. In one of his addresses to the monks who had associated themselves with him, as recorded by Athanasius, he commences by saying,"THE SCRIPTURES ARE SUFFICIENT TO TEACH US; but it is well for us to exhort one another in the faith, and animate one another by discourse."

CYRIL OF JERUSALEM (fl. a. 350.)

I proceed to Cyril of Jerusalem, for whose opinion as to the sufficiency of Scripture for teaching the faith, we may note the following passages.

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After having given an account of the principal articles of the Christian faith, as taught by Scripture, proceeding to discuss the remaining elementary points, he says, "But the inspired Scriptures of the Old and New Testament teach us these things." And accordingly, in the latter part of the same Lecture, he says, "Fortify thy soul in every way, attending diligently to fastings, works of charity, and the perusal of the divine oracles, that living the rest of thy time in the flesh with temperance, and in the acknowledgment of the pure doctrines of Christianity, thou mayest enjoy the one salvation of the font."

1 Δεί δε ως επι πάσης της θείας γραφης προσηκει ποιειν, και αναγκαίον εστιν, ούτω και ενταυθα, καθ' όν είπεν ὁ ἀπόστολος και μων, και το προσωπον, και το πραγμα, διόπερ έγραψε, πίστως εκλαμβάνειν, ίνα μη πάρα ταύτα η και παρ' έτερον τι τουτων ἀγνοῶν ὁ ἀναγινώσκων, έξω της, αληθινης διάνοιας γένηται. Τοιαυτα δη ουν και οι Χριστομαχοι παθόντες, εις μυσαραν αίρεσιν εκπεπ ωκασιν. Ει γαρ εγνώκεισαν το το πρόσωπον και το πραγμα, και τον καιρον του αποστολικού ρη ου, ουκ αν τα ανθρωπινα εις τον θεοτητα εκλαμβάνοντες τοσουτον ησείβουν οἱ άφρονες. In. Orat. 1. contra Arian. §§ 54, 55. i. 458, 9.

....

2 Τας μεν γραφας έκανας είναι προ [προς] διδασκαλίαν ἡμας δε καλον παρακαλείν αλληλους α) τη πισε, και αλείφειν εν τοις λόγοις. ANTON. MON. ad Monach. in Athanas. Vita Anton. § 16. Ed. Ben. Op. Athanas. tom. i. p. 808. Ed. Celon. 1686. tom. ii. p. 461.

3 Ταυτα δε διδασκουσιν ἡμας αἱ θεοπνευστοι γραφαι της παλαιάς τε και καινης διαθήκης. CYRILL. HIEROS. Cat 4 § 20. p. 63. ed. Milles.

4 Παντοίως την σεαυτού ψυχήν ασφαλίζου, νηστείαις προσέχων, ελεημοσύναις, και θείων λο γιων αναγνωσμασιν. ένα με τα σωδμοσύνης και δογματων ευσείβων τον επίλοιπον εν σα κι έδωσας χρόνον της μιας του λου ρου του ηρίας απόλαυσης. ID. Cat. 4. § ult. p. 68.

Again;-"Go to the bee, and learn how laborious it is; how, flying from flower to flower of every kind, it produces honey for thy profit; that thou also thyself, going through the divine Scriptures, may obtain thy own salvation, and being filled. with these divine Scriptures may say, 'How sweet are thy words unto my taste, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb to my mouth.'"

Again; "But for the future let us go to the divine Scriptures, and drink waters from our own cisterns, the holy fathers, and Let us drink from living from the fountain of our own wells. water springing up into eternal life."

Again; "For the time would fail me in my discourse if I wished to speak of the points that remain respecting the Holy Spirit from the fourteen Epistles of Paul, in which, in various ways, and with a fulness that has omitted nothing, and in the fear of God, he has taught us [the faith]. But may it be the office of the power of the Holy Spirit himself to grant to us pardon for the things which we have omitted on account of the shortness of the days, and to infuse into you my hearers a more perfect knowledge of the things omitted; the studious among you learning these things from a more frequent reading of the divine Scriptures; and now also from these present catechetical lectures, and from what I have before spoken, having a firmer faith, that is, faith in one God the Father Almighty," &c.*

HILARY OF POICTIERS (fl. a. 354.)

"When," saith Hilary of Poictiers, "after a long night of ignorance, after the ambiguous and uncertain teaching of human opinions, after the various views of different religions, man has long been in error and inquiring respecting God... every prudent man having betaken himself to the Prophets and Apostles will have obtained the knowledge of the whole law of God, under

1 Πορεύθητι προς την μελισσαν, και μάθε ως εργάτες εστι πως ανθη παντοία περιτρέχουσαν συντίθησι σοι προς ωφέλειαν το μέλι ένα και αυτός περιεχομενος τας θείας γραφας, της ἑαυτου σωτηρίας περίδραξη, και τουτων εμφορούμενος είπης, "Ως γλυκέα τω λαρυγγι μαι τα λογια σου In. Cat. 9. § 6. p. 121. ύπερ μελι και κηρίον το στοματι μου·

ἐ Λοιπον δε εις θειας γραφης επανελθωμεν, και πινωμεν ύδατα απο ἡμετέρων αγγείων, αγιων πατέρων, και από ημετέρων φρεατων πηγης· πινωμεν απο ύδατος ζωντος αλλομένου ως ζων ID. Cat. 16. § 5. p. 228.

αιώνιον, κ. τ. λ.

8 Επιλείψει γαρ με διηγουμενον ὁ χρόνος, ο εβουλόμην λέγειν τα λέποντα περί αγίου Πνευ ματος εκ των Παυλου τεσσαρεσκαιδεκα επιστολων, εν αἷς ποικίλως, και ανελλιπως, και ευλα Έως εδίδαξεν. Έργον δ' αν μη της δυναμεως αυτού του αγίου Πνώματος, ἡμῖν μεν, εφ' οἷς πελλειπομεν, δια τι των ήμερων ολίγον δουναι συγγνωμην, ύμιν δε τοις ακραταις των λείπον των τελειοτέραν ενθέναι την γνωσιν, των σπουδαίων εν ύμιν εκ της πυκνοτέρας των θείων γραφων πναγνωσίας ταυτα μανθανόντων, είδη δε και εκ των παρουσων τουτων κατηχήσεων, και εκ των αρότερον ειρημένων ήμιν βεβαιότεραν την πίστιν εχοντων, των [? την] ως ένα Θειν πατερα παρα ID. Cat. 17. § 16. p. 257.

τοκράτορα, και το λο

the mystery of its eternal arrangement." And having added a brief statement of the faith which is thus learned, he says,"And then this mystery of piety being received, being placed in the light of knowledge after the night of ignorance, he thus speaks, Shall not my soul be subject unto God? For from him cometh my salvation, &c.' [Ps. Ixii. 1, 2.]"

6

"We must first act according to the commands of God; then his ways are to be considered; for unless the practice of faithful works shall have gone before, the knowledge of doctrine will not be attained; and we must first act obediently that we may obtain knowledge. His ways,' therefore, we consider to mean, according to our former exposition, the Law, the Prophets, all the Gospels and the Apostles [i. e. the books of the Old and New Testament]."

6

"Salvation is far from the wicked, because they have not sought the statutes of God; since for no other purpose were they consigned to writing than that they should come within the knowledge and conceptions of all without exception.""

"The word of God [speaking expressly of Scripture] has consulted the benefit of all who shall ever live, being itself the best adapted to promote the instruction of mankind in every age."

"The only-begotten God, conscious of his own nature, declares the ineffable mystery of his nativity, for the confession of our faith, with the greatest possible fulness that words would admit of, that he might be understood to be born, and yet believed to be in the nature of God."5

1 Cum post multam inscientia noctem, post ambiguam humanarum sententiarum incertamque doctrinam, post diversarum religionum variam opinionem, cum diu erratum quæsitumque de Deo sit. . . . prudens quisque conversus ad Prophetas atque Apostolos, Dei legem omnem sub sacramento æternæ dispositionis perceperit ..... ac tum hoc sacramento pietatis accepto post ignorationis noctem in scientiæ lumine collocatus ita dicit, etc. HILAR. PICTAV. in Ps. 61. (al. 62.) § 2. col. 146, 7.

2 Prius exercendum est in mandatis Dei, tum deinde viæ ejus considerandæ : quia nisi fidelium operum usus præcesserit, doctrinæ cognitio non apprehendetur; et agendum a nobis antea fideliter est, ut scientiam consequamur. Vias ergo, secundum superiorem expositionem, Legem. Prophetas, omnia Evangelia et Apostolos esse existimamus. In. in Ps. 118. (al. 119.) Litt. 2. § 10. col. 255.

3 Ob id longe a peccatoribus salus est, quia non exquisierunt justificationes Dei, cum non utique ob aliud consignatæ litteris maneant, quam ut ad universorum scientiam notionemque defluerent. ID. In Ps. 118. (al. 119.) Litt. 20. § 5. col.

359.

4 Universis qui in vitam venirent Dei sermo consuluit, universæ ætati ipse aptis. simus ad profectum. In. Prolog. in Cant. quind. grad. § 4. col. 368.

5 Unigenitus igitur Deus naturæ in se suæ conscius, nativitatis propriæ inenarrabile sacramentum, ad fidei tamen nostræ confessionem, quanta potest verborum absolutione significat, ut et natus intelligatur et in Dei natura esse credatur, etc. ID. ib. lib. vii. § 22. col. 930.

VOL. II.

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