and is as follows;-"Let no one murmur against me, and say that that also which is confessed by us needs to be certified by a demonstration. For it is sufficient as a proof of our doctrine, that we have the tradition that has come to us from our fathers transmitted as a sort of inheritance by succession from the Apostles through the succeeding saints. But they who have changed the doctrines [of the gospel] to this new faith, would indeed need much aid from argumentative reasonings, if they should be anxious to bring over to their opinion not merely those who are easily excited and fickle-minded, but also those of a steady mind and fixed views. But while their doctrine is brought forward destitute of foundation and proof, who would be so foolish and. brutish, as to make the doctrine of the Evangelists and Apostles, and those who successively shone in the Churches, of less weight than his idle prattle, which is destitute of ALL evidence in its favour ?"1

Now to understand this passage, we must observe that his opponents had been resting their doctrines upon human reasonings and logical arguments, and are charged by Gregory with having taken as the foundation of their statements positions the truth of which they had not even thus demonstrated. Replying, then, by anticipation, to a similar charge against himself, he says, in the words we have quoted above, Let no one say that what I have advanced needs such a demonstration, because my doctrine is that of the Evangelists and Apostles, and therefore needs no such demonstration, as being founded upon the statements of persons inspired. And while he states, as a fact which he believed, that the doctrine he held had been transmitted through his ancestors from the Apostles, (and which we call not in question,) the only point on which he was insisting was, in reply to the objection that his doctrine needed logical demonstration, that being "the doctrine of the Evangelists and Apostles," it needed no such proof of its truth. But if it had further been questioned whether his doctrine really was "the doctrine of the Evangelists and

1 Και μοι μηδεις ύποκρούεται και το παρ' ἡμων διομολογουμένον δια κατασκευής κυρώθηναι αρκει γαρ εις αποδειξιν του ημετέρου λογου το έχειν πατρίθεν ήκουσαν προς ήμας την παραδοσιν, οιονεί τινα κληρον δι' ακολουθίας εκ των αποστόλων δια των εφεξης αγιων παραπεμφθέντα· οἱ δε προς την καινότητα ταύτην μετατιθεντες τα δόγματα, πολλής αν δέοιντο της εκ των λογισμων συμμαχίας οι μυλοιέν με τους κονιορτώδεις των ανθρώπων και ευριπιστους, αλλά και τους εμ βρίθεις τε και βεβηκοτας ταις διανοίαις προσάγεσθαι έως δ' αν ακατάσκευος αυτοίς και αναπο δεικτος ὁ λόγος προφέροιτ' αν. τις ούτως ηλίθιος και κτηνώδης ως των ευαγγελιστών τε και αποσ πολων και των καθέξης εν ταις εκκλησίαις διαλαμψάντων ασθενεστεραν την διδασκαλίαν της avaπoduxтOU phvapias mumoaobal. In. ib. orat. 2. pp. 126, 7. ed. 1615—18. orat. 3. pp. 554, 5. ed. 1638. I have taken the liberty in the past sentence of slightly altering the Editor's punctuation, which was most unaccountable as well as his version.

2 Ουτος από των αμφισβητούμενων αρχεται, και, ως αποδεδειγμένων, αρχην του εφεξής διδα σε λόγω. Ib. ib. p. 126.

Apostles," the passages we have quoted from him above clearly show to what he would have appealed as the Judge, namely, the testimony of Scripture. And his use of the words, "the Evangelists and Apostles," the usual phrase with the Fathers for the New Testament, strongly confirms this view.

EPHREM SYRUS (fl. a. 370.)

"The end and aim of piety," says Ephræm Syrus, "is clearly set before us; it consists, namely, in our believing agreeably to the sacred declarations of the Gospels, and the rest of the Holy Scriptures, giving ourselves up also to every good work and to the cultivation of every virtue."

And again, he sums up the Christian's faith in a belief in "those things that are written in the divine Scirptures."

AMBROSE (fl. a. 374.)

We come next to Ambrose, whose testimony is as follows. "Trust to no one," he says, "to guide you, but where the light of that lamp [i. e. Scripture] goes before. For where you think it shines, there is a whirlpool; it seems to shine, but it defiles; and where you think that it is firm or dry, there it is slippery. And, moreover, if you have a lamp, the way is long. Therefore let faith be the guide of your journey; let the divine Scripture be your path. Excellent is the guidance of the heavenly word. From this lamp light your lamp that the eye of your mind, which is the lamp of your body, may give light."a Again, he says," I read that he is first, I read that he is not second; let those who say that he is second, show where they read it."

Again; "I would not, O sacred Emperor, that you should trust

1 Σκοπός της ευσέβειας προκειμένος εις το πιστεύειν κατα τας ίερας των ευαγγελίων και των λοιπων αγίων γιατων επαγγελίας, επιδίδοντας έαυτους εις παν έργον αγαθον και εις πάσαν αρε THE STITHOUGH. EPHREM. SYR. Instit. ad Monach. Op. ed. Rom. 1732 &s. tom. iii. p. 325.

2. Συδεπίστευε, αγαπητε, τοις γεγραμμένοις εν ταις θείαις γραφαις. ID. In illud, Attende tibi ipsi. cap. 4. Ib. tom. i. p. 234.

3 Nulli credas tuum, nisi præeunte lucernæ istius luce, processum. Nam ubi putas quod luceat, gurges est: videtur lucere sed polluit; et ubi putas solidum esse vel siccum, ibi lubricum est. Sed et si lucerna tibi, iter longius sit. Sit ergo fides tibi itineris tui prævia, sit tibi iter Scriptura divina. Bonus est cælestis ductus eloquii. Ex hac lucerna accende et tu lucernam; ut luceat interior oculus tuus, qui lucerna est tui corporis. AMBROS. In Psalm. 118. Serm. 14. § 11. Op. tom. i. col. 1143. ed. Bened. Paris. 1686.

4 Lego quia primus est, lego quia non est secundus. Illi qui secundum aiunt, doceant lectione. I. De instit. virg. c. 11 i. 265.

to argument, and any reasoning of mine; let us inquire of the Scriptures; let us interrogate the Apostles; let us interrogate the Prophets; let us interrogate Christ."

So far from making his interpretation of Scripture part of the rule of faith, as derived from "tradition," or on any other ground, he entreats the emperor not to trust to his explanation of the matter, but to go to Scripture as that upon which alone his faith should be founded, and make Scripture the judge of the controversy.

2

And to the same effect he speaks in other places of the same work. As also elsewhere. "I would not that my statement should be trusted, let the Scripture be recited."

Other passages might be quoted confirmatory of the same view.3

And, as it respects more particularly the exclusiveness and completeness of Scripture as our only divine revelation, he says, "How can we use those things which we do not find in the Holy Scriptures ?"s

Again, more pointedly, commenting on Matth. xxi. 12 (or Luke xix. 45) he says, "The Lord's money is the divine Scripture; for when about to depart, he distributed pence to his servants, and divided talents; and for the cure of the wounded man, left two pieces of money to the keeper of the inn; for, by the two Testaments, our wounds are cured."

Similar passages might easily be added."

And here we may notice also that, as it respects the full delivery of the Nicene doctrine of the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, the author of the Treatise," On the orthodox faith against the Arians," attributed to Ambrose, and admitted by the Benedictines to be an antient and beautiful treatise, and referred to by Augustine, observes,-"Since, therefore, you may recognize this unity of substance in the Father and Son, not only

Sed nolo argumento credas, sancte Imperator, et nostræ disputationi: Scrip. turas interrogemus, interrogemus apostolos, interrogemus prophetas, interrogeinus Christum. In. De fide lib. I. c. 6. ii. 451.

2 See ib. c. 16, ii. 464.

3 Nolo nobis credatur, Scriptura recitetur. In. De incarn. Dominic. Sacram. c. 3. ii. 706.

4 See in Psalm. 113. Serm. 8. § 59. i. 1078 et Expos. Evang. sec. Luc. lib. S. § 19. i. 1474.

5 Quæ in Scripturis sanctis non reperimus, ea quemadmodum usurpare possu mus? ID. De offic. Ministr. lib. 1. c. 23. ii. 29.

6 Pecunia Domini Scriptura divina est; nam et denarios servis distribuit profecturus, et talenta divisit, et pro sanitate hominis vulnerati duo æra stabulario dereliquit ; duobis enim Testamentis vulnera nostra curantur. In. Expos. Evang sec. Luc. lib. 9. § 18. i. 1498.

7 See De Paradiso, c. 12. i. 171. et Expos. in Psalm. 118. Serm. 18. § 37. i.

by Prophetic but by Evangelical authority [passages from the prophets and the Gospel of John having been quoted in proof of it], how say you that consubstantial' is not found in the divine Scriptures; as if consubstantial' was anything else than what he says, 'I came forth from God the Father,' and 'I and the Father are one;' or what the prophets clearly intimate as to the substance of God?""1

JEROME (fl. a. 378.)

We pass on to the celebrated Jerome.

"Our care is," says Jerome," to speak, not what each may be able or willing to speak, but what the Scriptures direct."""

"When anything appears to you harsh in my work, do not look at my words, but at Scripture, whence my words are derived."

"It is to be proved by us, by the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures, in which God speaks every day to those who believe." "Lest you should cavil at all," he says to Helvidius," and writhe yourself like a slippery snake, you must be bound by the chains of testimonies, lest you querulously murmur, and say that you are overcome rather by tortuous argumentations, than by the truth of Scriptures." And this remark, be it observed, is made respecting a point which is expressly instanced by the Tractators as one that depends upon "tradition," and in which "tradition" is a sufficient informant, namely, the perpetual virginity of the mother of our Lord.

Again; "Moreover, since the Lord's flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed, by consequence we have this only good in the present life, to feed upon his flesh and drink his blood, not only sacramentally, but also in the reading of the Scriptures.

1 Cum ergo hanc unitatem substantiæ in Patre et Filio non solum Prophetica sed et Evangelica auctoritate cognoscas, quomodo dicis in Scripturis divinis povTION non inveniri, quasi aliud sit dvouslov quam quod dicit, Ego de Patre exivi, et, Ego et Pater unum sumus; vel quod prophetæ ex aperto substantiam Dei intimabant! De fide orthodoxa contr. Arian. c. 5. Inter. op. AMBROS. Tom. 2. App. Col. 351, 2. 2 Nobis cura est, non quod unusquisque possit aut velit, sed quid Scripturæ præcipiant dicere. HIERON. Ep. ad Pammach. contr. Jovin. ep. 48. § 15. Op. ed. Vallars. Venet. 1766, &s. Tom. i. col. 228.

3 Quando aliquid tibi asperum videtur in nostro opusculo, non ad mea verba respicias, sed ad Scripturam, unde mea tracta sunt verba. ID. ib. § 20. i. 233. 4 Quod nobis sanctarum Scripturarum testimoniis asserendum est, in quibus quotidie credentibus loquitur Deus, In. Ep. ad Ctesiph. ep. 133. § 13. i. 1042. 5 Ne in aliquo cavilleris, et te quasi lubricus anguis evolvas, testimoniorum stringendus es vinculis, ne querulus sibiles et dicas, te magis argumentationibus tortuosis quam Scripturarum veritate superatum. ID. Adv. Helvid. § 14. ii. 221.

For the true meat and drink which is taken from the word of God, is the knowledge of the Scriptures."

"The error, neither of parents nor ancestors, is to be followed; but the authority of the Scriptures, and the government of God as our teacher."".

"All the questions raised by the heretics and the heathen are the same, because they do not follow the authority of the Scriptures, but the sense of human reason."

"For all questions let us seek for suitable beams from the testimonies of the Scriptures, and cut them down and build the house of wisdom within us." 994

A still more remarkable testimony occurs in his comment on Haggai, where he thus speaks. "The other things, also, which they find and feign, of themselves, without the authority and testimonies of the Scriptures, AS IF BY APOSTOLICAL TRADITION, the sword of God [the word of God in the Scriptures] strikes down." 995

Again; "They therefore err, because they knew not the Scriptures; and because they are ignorant of the Scriptures, they consequently know not the power of God, that is, Christ who is the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

And again, on the question who the Zacharias, son of Barachias, was, who is mentioned Matt. xxiii., he says, "Some think that Zacharias, the father of John, is to be understood; proving it from some dreams of Apocryphal writers, that he was put to death, because he preached the advent of the Saviour. But this, as it has no authority from the Scriptures, is as easily despised as proved." A passage which tends strongly to show where alone

1 Porro quia caro Domini verus est cibus, et sanguis ejus verus est potus, juxta araza hoc solum habemus in præsenti sæculo bonum, si vescamur carne ejus et cruore potemur, non olum in Mysterio sed etiam in Scripturarum lectione. Verus enim cibus et potus, qui ex verbo Dei sumitur, scientia Scripturarum est. In. In Eccles. c. 3. iii. 413.

2 Nec parentum nec majorum error sequendus est; sed auctoritas Scripturarum et Dei docentis imperium. In. In Jerem. c. 9. vv. 12—14. iv. 907.

3 Omnes hæreticorum et gentilium quæstiones eædem sunt, quia non Scripturarum auctoritatem sed humanæ rationis sensum sequuntur. ID. In Os. c. 7. vi. 80, 81.

4 Ad singula problemata, congrua de testimoniis Scripturarum ligna quærentes, praæcidamus ea, et ædificemus domum sapientiæ in nobis. In. In Agg. c. 1. vv. 7. 8, vi. 747.

5 Sed et alia quæ absque auctoritate et testimoniis Scripturarum quasi traditione Apostolica sponte reperiunt atque confingunt, percutit gladius Dei [i. e. sermo Dei. In. In Aggæum c. 1. vv. 11, 12. vi. 749.

6 Propterea errant, quia Scripturas nesciunt; et quia Scripturas ignorant, consequenter nesciunt virtutem Dei, hoc est, Christum qui est Dei virius et Dei sapientia. ID. In Matth. c. 22. v. 29, vii. 178.

7 Alii Zachariam patrem Joannis intelligi volunt, ex quibusdam apocryphorum somniis approbantes, quod propterea occisus sit, quia Salvatoris prædicarit adven