of all former impressions, to your vagaries and sophisms? You would be possessed of great power indeed, if it shall fall to your lot to have the command of those things which the devil himself with his various artifices has not obtained; if, that is, in obedience to you we should judge the tradition that has been held by so many holy men [he was too wise a man to talk of every body always everywhere] in all past time less valuable than your impious conceits." In all this I need not say that there is

991

not one word from which we dissent.

Again, Basil says in his Homily against the Sabellians and others," But let the tradition deter you from separating the Holy Spirit from the Father and Son, The Lord hath thus laught, Apostles have proclaimed this doctrine, Fathers have kept it, martyrs have confirmed it. Be satisfied to speak as you have been taught." But this passage confirms our view; for by consulting the preceding context we find that "the tradition" referred to is "the tradition of baptism," that is, our Lord's tradition delivered Matt. xxviii. 19; and, in fact, the grounds upon which the matter is placed are precisely those for which we contend, namely, the teaching of our Lord and his Apostles as the foundation, and that of Fathers and martyrs as in their place confirmatory of the correctness of our view of a doctrine. And, therefore, we agree fully with the admonition of Basil in the context,—" | entreat you, not to seek in every way to hear from me that which is agreeable to you, but that which is well-pleasing to the Lord, and accordant with the Scriptures, and not at variance with the Fathers.”

Tbus, also, he says elsewhere, after having laid down what he considered to be the orthodox faith, These, brethren, are the mysteries of the Church, these are the traditions of the Fathers,"

1 Τι λέγεις; μη νοιμωμεν το πλεον τοίς προλαβουσες μη αιδέσθωμεν το πλήθος των τε νυν όντων Χριστιανων, και των όσοι γεγόνασιν αφ' οὗ κατηγγέλη το ευαγγέλιον ή μη λογισώμεθα το αξιωμα των εν παντοίοις χαρισματι διαβάνετων πνευματικοις, οἷς απασιν εχθραν και πολύ μιαν την πονηραν όδον ταύτην της ασέβειας εκαινοτομησας, αλλα μυσαντες απαξαπλώς τους της ψυχής οφθαλμους, και πάντος αγίου μνήμην της διανοίας ὑπερορίσαντες, σχολάζουσαν και σεσαμωμενην την εαυτου καρδίαν έκαστος ταις παραγωγοις σου και τους σοφισμασι φέροντες υποθώμεν ; μεγάλης μεν τ' αν είης της δυναστείας επειλημμένος, είπερ ων ταις ποικίλαις έαυτου μεθοδος εις ὁ διάβολος ουκ επέτυχε, τουτων σοι τυχειν εξ επιτάγματος περιέσται καν περ πεισ θεντες σου, την εν παντι τω παρελθοντι χρόνω ύπο τοσουτων αγίων κεκρατηκυίαν παράδοσιν στι μοτεραν κρινώμεν της δυσσεβούς ύμων επίνοιας, Adv. Eunom. lib. i. 5 3. i. 210, 11.

2 Αλλά μη χωρίσης Πατρός και Υιου το Πνεύμα το αγιον, δυσωπείτω σε ή παράδοσις. Ο Κύριος ούτως εδίδαξεν, αποστολοι εκήρυξαν, πατέρες διετηρήσαν, μαρτυρες εβεβαίωσαν, αρκε σθητε λέγειν ως εδιδάχθης. Hom. contra Sabell. Arium. et Anom. § 6. ii. 194.

3 Η παράδοσις του βαπτίσματος. Ib. The passage is very similar to one of Athanasius quoted above, vol. i. pp. 104, 5.

4 Ύμας δε παρακαλω μέν, μη εκ παντός τρόπου ζητειν το ύμιν αρέσκον παρ' ἡμων ακουσαι, αλλ' ό τω Κυρίω ευαρεστων εστί, και συμφωνον ταις γραφαις, και μη μαχόμενον τοις πατράσιν. Ib. 5 14. ii. 193.

- 5 Ταυτα εστιν αδελφοί, τα της εκκλησίας μυστήρια, αύται των πατέρων αἱ παραδόσεις. Ep. ad Sozopolit. ep. 261. 53. iii. 403,

VOL. II.

where he states what he justly considered as a stringent argument for the reception of what he had been delivering, but not as any part of the rule of faith, for he immediately adds, "We adjure every man who fears the Lord and expects the judgment of God, not to be carried away by divers doctrines. If any one teaches otherwise and adheres not to the wholesome words of the faith, but, rejecting the oracles of the Spirit, holds his own teaching to be of more authority than the Evangelical documents, avoid such a man;" where we plainly see what was his sole rule of faith.

Again; he says,- -"But as to the faith, we neither receive that which is written by others, junior to us, nor dare ourselves to deliver the offspring of our own conceits, that we may not make the words of the orthodox faith dependent upon men; but what we have been taught by the holy Fathers, that we deliver to those who question us. But the holy Fathers" here mentioned are only "the Nicene Fathers," for it follows," Therefore the creed written by the holy Fathers, those, I'mean, that met at Nicæa, has been received in our Church from the times of our Fathers," and he then proceeds to deliver the Nicene creed.

And this assembly that met at Nicæa, or Nice, he justly considers to have strong claims upon our regard, though not to demand our faith; for having spoken of the creed promulgated by the Fathers that met at Nicæa, and noticed the fact that some persons did not receive the word "consubstantial," which they had introduced into it, he says, "Whom any one might perhaps justly blame, and yet again might judge them excusable. For, on the one hand, not to follow the Fathers, and esteem their word of more authority than their own notions, is worthy of blame as a very arrogant thing; while again, on the other hand, to be suspicious of a word blamed by others, this seems pretty well to clear them from blame. For in truth those that met in the matter of Paul of Samosata, found fault with the phrase as not sounding appropriate."

1 Διαμαρτυρόμεθα παντί ανθρωπω φοβουμένω τον Κυριον, και κρίσιν Θεου αναμενοντι, διδαχαις ποικίλαις μη παραφερεσθαι. Ει τις ετεροδιδασκαλει και μη προσέρχεται ὑγιαίνουσι λόγεις της πιστεως, άλλα παρωθούμενος τα του Πνεύματος λόγια την οικείαν διδασκαλίαν κυριωτέραν ποιεί και των ευαγγελικών διδαγμάτων, φυλάσσεσθε τον τοιούτον. Ib.

2 Πιστιν δε ημείς, ούτε παρ' άλλων γραφομένην ἡμῖν νεωτέραν [? νεωτέρων] παραδεχόμεθα, αυτό αυτοί τα της ημετέρας διάνοιας γεννηματα παραδίδοναι τολμώμεν, ίνα μη ανθρώπινα ποιησει μεν τα της ευσέβειας δηματα αλλ' ατερ παρα των αγίων πατέρων δεδιδαγμένα, ταυτα τοις EPCOTWTW nuas diagquer. Epist. ad eccles, Antioch. ep. 140. § 2. iii. 233.

3 Εστι τοίνυν εκ πατέρων εμπολιτευομένη τη εκκλησία ήμων ἡ γραφείσα παρα των αγίων πατέρων πίστις, των κατά την Νικαίαν συνελθέντων. Ib. 1

4. Ους και μεμψαιτο αν τις δικαίως, και πάλιν μεν τοι συγγνώμης αυτους αξιώσειεν. Το μεν γαρ πατρασι μη ακολουθείν, και την εκείνων φωνην κυριωτέραν τίθεσθαι της ἑαυτου γνώμης, εγκληματος άξιον, ως αυθάδειας γεμον. Το δε παλιν ὑφ ̓ ἑτερων διαβληθεισαν αυτήν ύποπτον έχων, του το πως δίκες του εγκληματος αυτους μετρίως ελευθερουν· και γαρ τω οντι, οἱ ετι Παν

In all these passages, then, (which, if not all, are at least the strongest that can be brought from the writings of Basil that have any show of supporting the views of our opponents,) we find nothing which, when compared with his clear statements as to the claims of Holy Scripture, given above, presents any difficulty as to his views on the subject.

GREGORY OF NYSSA (fl. a. 370.)

From Basil let us pass to his brother, Gregory of Nyssa. First; Is Scripture solely and exclusively the authoritative rule of faith? The following passages will show us his opinion on this point.

In his treatise "On the soul and the resurrection," written in the form of a dialogue between himself and his celebrated sister Macrina, he says,

We have not this power, the power I mean of saying what we please, inasmuch as we use the holy Scripture as our rule for every doctrine and our law: and being under the neces sity of referring to this, we receive that only whatsoever may be agreeable to the scope of what is there written."

And a little further on the dialogue runs thus ;- I think it behoves us to inquire, with respect to what has been said, whether that which divine inspiration has taught us is consonant with these things. But said she, [i. e. Macrina] who could possibly deny, but that we must consider that alone to be truth for which there is a seal of Scriptare testimony?"

Again; writing against Eunomius, he says," But let us proceed to that which follows of his discourse, after we have added a few words directed to the confirmation of our doctrine. For since the inspired testimony is the sure criterion of truth in the case of EVERY doctrine, I think it well to prove the truth of what I have said by citing the divine oracles."3

And to the Holy Scripture he distinctly appeals, as the Judge of controversies among Christians.

λω τω Σαμοσατει συνελθοντες, διέβαλον την λέξιν ως ουκ ευσημον. Εp. ad Canonicas. ep. 52. § 1. iii. 145.

1 Ημεις δε της εξουσίας άμοιροι ταυτης εσμεν, της λέγειν φημι απερ βουλομεθα, κανονι παντος δογματος και νόμω κεχρημένοι τη αγια γραφη αναγκαίως προς ταύτην βλέποντες τουτο δεχο μεθα μόνον ότιπερ αν η συμφώνουν τω των γεγραμμένων σκοπω. GREGOR. Nyss. De anim. et resurrect. tom. ii. pp. 632, 3. ed. 1615-18. tom. iii. pp. 200, 1. ed. 1638.

2 Ζητειν οίμαι δειν επί τοις ειρημενοις, οι ή θεόπνευστος διδασκαλία τουτοις συμφέρεται. Η δε Και τις αν αντειποι, φησί, μη ουχι εν τούτω μόνω την αλήθειαν τιθέσθω, ωταραγές επεστι της apapians fœptupsas. Ib. tom. ii. p. 639. ed. 1615-18. tom. iii. p. 207. ed. 1638. 3 Ημείς δε προς τα εφέξης του λόγου προέλθωμεν μικρων ετι προς συστασιν του ημετέρου δογματος προσδιορθωθεν των [? προσδιορθωθέντων] επειδή γαρ κριτηρίου ασφαλες της αληθείας επι παντος δογματος ή θεοπνευστος εστι μαρτυρία, καλώς έχειν ἡγοῦμαι τη παραθετει των θείων και TOV HUSTEROV ROJOV magaracter. Contr. Eunom.lib. i. Appendix, p. 82. ed. 161518. tom. ii. p. 346. ed. 1638.

In his Treatise respecting the Trinity, he says of certain heretics," They charge us with introducing novelties, forming their accusation against us thus. When we confess three hypostases, they accuse us of saying that there is one goodness, one power, and one Godhead. And they affirm this not without reason. For such is our language. But they blame us for this, and object against us that the faith, as customably received among them, contains not this, and the Scripture does not agree with it. What, then, do we say to this? We do not think it just that the custom that prevails among them should be made the law and rule of right doctrine. For if the plea of custom is valid as a proof of the correctness of what is said, it will be lawful for us also, without doubt, to bring forward in opposition the custom that prevails among us. But if they repudiate this, neither doubtless can we be called upon to follow them. Therefore let the inspired Scripture be the arbiter of the controversy between us, and the suffrage of the truth will, beyond doubt, fall to the lot of those whose doctrines will be found agreeable to the divine words." In these words, then, the Holy Scripture is clearly and distinctly put forward in that character to which Dr. Pusey and his party tell us it has no claim, and for a purpose which the same persons tell us it cannot fulfil, namely, as the proper arbiter of controversies among Christians. The appeal which those heretics made to the Scripture, saying that the orthodox doctrine was not agreeable to Scripture, did not for a moment prevent Gregory's appeal to it as the arbiter of the controversy.

Nay more, he even speaks of it in one passage as our sole authoritative rule in points of ecclesiastical duty. In his treatise, "Respecting those who visit Jerusalem," he says, "I assert that it is proper for those who have once dedicated themselves to a heavenly course of life, to refer in everything to the words of the gospel; and, as men shaping their work by a rule, reduce the crooked things in their hands to straitness by the straight line of the rule, so I think it proper that those persons applying to these things a certain right and immutable rule as it were, Į mean the course of life laid down in the gospel, should shape

1 Αλλά καινοτομίαν ἡμῖν προφέρουσιν, ούτωσι το έγκλημα καθ' ἡμων συντίθεντες· τρεις υποσ τάσεις ὁμολογούντων, μιαν αγαθότητα, μιαν δυναμιν, και μιαν θεότητα λεγειν ήμας αιτιώνται. Και ουκ έξω τουτο της αλήθειας φασιν λεγομεν γαρ, αλλ' [read φασιν λεγομεν γαρ. Αλλ'] εγκαλουντές του το προφέρουσιν, ότι η συνηθεια αυτών τούτο ουκ εχεί, και ή γράφη ου συντίθεται. Τι ουν και προς του το ήμεις ; ου νομίζομεν δίκαιον είναι την παρ' αυτοίς επικρατούσαν συνηθειαν νόμον και κανονα του ορθού ποιεισθαι λόγου. Εν γαρ ισχυρον εστι εις ορθότητα λόγου ἡ συνηθεια, εξέσται και ημιν πάντως αντιτροβάλλεσθαι την παρ, ήμιν επικρατουσαν συνηθείαν σ δε παραγράφονται ταυτην εκείνο, ουδε ήμ ν πάντως ακολουθητέον εκείνοις. Ούκουν ή θώπνευστος ἡμῖν διαιτησάτω γραφη και παρ' εἰς αν εύρέθη τα δόγματα συναδα τις θεοις λόγοις, επι του τοις ήξει πάντως της αλήθειας ή ψήφος. De S. Trin. tom. ii. pp. 439, 40. ed. 1615-18. tom. iii. p. 8. ed. 1638.

their course to God by it. Since, therefore, there are some of those who have chosen for themselves a solitary life in retirement, by whom it has been determined to be a part of religion to see those places in Jerusalem in which are seen the evidences of our Lord's sojourn in the flesh, it would be well to look to the rule and if the tendency of the precepts there given is such as to exhort us to it, to perform the act as a command of the Lord; but if it is not contained in the commands of the Lord, I know not what precept there is that a man becoming a law of what is good to himself, should desire to do something not commanded."1 Here, then, the Scripture is proposed to us as our rule, even in a more extended sense than that for which we are now contending.

In these passages, also, we must observe, that he places it before us as a perfect rule in respect of extent, that is, as embracing not only all the necessary, but all the doctrines of the Christian faith; as he does also in the following passage.

Speaking of the doctrine advanced by Eunomius, he says,"If, indeed, these are the doctrines of any of the heathen philosophers, let not the gospels, or the rest of the revelations of the inspired Scripture, be at all troubled about the matter; for what communion is there between the Christian doctrine and the wisdom that has become folly? [1 Cor. i. 22.] But if they depend upon the Scriptures, [as he manifestly thinks they ought to do, to the exclusion of all other authorities,] let him give an instance of such language from the holy writers, and we will be silent."

There is, however, one passage in his writings (I am not at present aware of more than one,) which requires a remark; but which, especially when taken in connexion with the passages we have just quoted, as of course it must in fairness be taken, admits of an easy and satisfactory explanation.

The passage occurs in one of his Orations against Eunomius,

1 Εγω τους απας ανατεθεικότας ἑαυτους τη ύψηλη πολιτεία, καλως έχειν φημι προς τας του ευαγγελιου δια παντος αποβλέπειν φωνας· και ωσπερ οἱ τω κανονι το υποκειμένων απευθύνοντες, κατά την επί του κανόνος ευθειαν τα σκολια τα εν χερσιν εις ευθύτητα μεταβάλλουσιν ούτως μέσα σηκειν ήγουμαι οἷονε: τινα κανόνα ορθον και αδιαστρέφον, την ευαγγελικήν λέγω δη πολιτείαν, του τις επιβάλλοντας, κατ' εκείνην προς τον Θεον απευθυνεσθαι. Επει τοίνυν εισί τίνες των τον μονήρη και ιδιάζοντα βιεν επανηρημένων, εἰς εν μέρει ευσέβειας νενόμισται το τους εν Ιεροσολύμοις του πους ιδείν, ἐν οἷς τα σύμβολα της δα σάμκος επιδημίας του Κυρίου έραται, καλώς αν έχει προς τον κανόνα βλέπειν και ει ταύτα βουλεται η παρά των εντολών χειραγωγία, ποιείν το έργον, ως πρόσταγμα Κυρίου" ειδε έξω εστι των εντολών του Δεσπότου, ουκ οίδα τί εστι το διατεταγμε ναν τι θέλειν ποιείν αυτόν ἑαυτου του καλου νομον γινομένον. Orat. de iis qui adeunt Hiero. sol. tom. ii. p. 1084. ed. 1615-18. tom. iii. pp. 651, 2. ed. 1638.

2. Ει μεν ουν τινι των έξω σοφών ταυτα δοκει, μηδεν ενοχλείσθω τα ευαγγελία, μηδε ή λοιπη της θεοπνεύστους γραφης διδασκαλία. Τις γαρ κοινωνία των Χριστιανω λόγω προς την μαμαγή θεισαν σοφίαν, ει δε τας γραφικοίς επερείδεται, δείξατα τοιαύτην εκ των αγίων ζωνών, και ημείς σιωπήσομεν. In. Contr. Eunom. Orat. 9. tom. ii. p. 254, ed. 1615-18. Orat. 10. tom. ii. p. 682. ed. 1638.