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| Chapter XX.—Those pastors are to be heard to whom the apostles committed the Churches, possessing one and the same doctrine of salvation; the heretics, on the other hand, are to be avoided. We must think soberly with regard to the mysteries of the faith.
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Chapter XX.—Those pastors are to be
heard to whom the apostles committed the Churches, possessing one and the same
doctrine of salvation; the heretics, on the other hand, are to be avoided. We
must think soberly with regard to the mysteries of the faith.
1. Now all these [heretics] are of much later date
than the bishops to whom the apostles committed the Churches; which fact
I have in the third book taken all pains to demonstrate. It follows,
then, as a matter of course, that these
heretics
aforementioned, since they are blind to the truth, and deviate from the
[right] way, will walk in various roads; and therefore the footsteps of
their doctrine are scattered here and there without agreement or
connection. churches, to be heard" title="548" id="ix.vii.xxi-p1.2"/>But
the path of those belonging to the Church circumscribes the whole world,
as possessing the sure tradition from the apostles, and gives unto us to
see that the faith of all is one and the same, since all receive one and
the same God the Father, and believe in the same dispensation regarding
the incarnation of the Son of God, and are cognizant of the same gift of
the Spirit, and are conversant with the same commandments, and preserve
the same form of ecclesiastical constitution,4619
| 4619 “Et eandem figuram ejus quæ est
erga ecclesiam ordinationis custodientibus.” Grabe supposes this
refers to the ordained ministry of the Church, but Harvey thinks it
refers more probably to its general constitution. | and expect
the same advent of the Lord, and await the same salvation of the complete
man, that is, of the soul and body. And undoubtedly the preaching of the
Church is true and stedfast,4620
in which one and the same way of salvation is
shown throughout the whole world. For to her is entrusted the light of
God; and therefore the “wisdom” of God, by means of which she
saves all men, “is declared in [its] going forth; it uttereth [its
voice] faithfully in the streets, is preached on the tops of the walls,
and speaks continually in the gates of the city.”4621
For the Church preaches the truth everywhere, and she is the
seven-branched candlestick which bears the light of Christ.
2. Those, therefore, who desert the preaching of the
Church, call in question the knowledge of the holy presbyters, not taking
into consideration of how much greater consequence is a religious man,
even in a private station, than a blasphemous and impudent sophist.4622
| 4622 That is, the private
Christian as contrasted with the sophist of the schools. | Now,
such are all the heretics, and those who imagine that they have hit upon
something more beyond the truth, so that by following those things
already mentioned, proceeding on their way variously, inharmoniously, and
foolishly, not keeping always to the same opinions with regard to the
same things, as blind men are led by the blind, they shall deservedly
fall into the ditch of ignorance lying in their path, ever seeking and
never finding out the truth.4623
It
behoves us, therefore, to avoid their doctrines, and to take careful heed
lest we suffer any injury from them; but to flee to the Church, and be
brought up in her bosom, and be nourished with the Lord’s
Scriptures. For the Church has been planted as a garden
(paradisus) in this world; therefore says the Spirit of God,
“Thou mayest freely eat from every tree of the garden,”4624
that is, Eat ye from every Scripture of the
Lord; but ye shall not eat with an uplifted mind, nor touch any heretical
discord. For these men do profess that they have themselves the knowledge
of good and evil; and they set their own impious minds above the God who
made them. They therefore form opinions on what is beyond the limits of
the understanding. For this cause also the apostle says, “Be not
wise beyond what it is fitting to be wise, but be wise
prudently,”4625
that we be not cast forth
by eating of the “knowledge” of these men (that knowledge
which knows more than it should do) from the paradise of life. Into this
paradise the Lord has introduced those who obey His call, “summing
up in Himself all things which are in heaven, and which are on
earth;”4626
but the things in heaven are
spiritual, while those on earth constitute the dispensation in human
nature (secundum hominem est dispositio). These things, therefore,
He recapitulated in Himself: by uniting man to the Spirit, and causing
the Spirit to dwell in man, He is Himself made the head of the Spirit,
and gives the Spirit to be the head of man: for through Him (the Spirit)
we see, and hear, and speak.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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