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| Heretics Not Being Christians, But Rather Perverters of Christ's Teaching, May Not Claim the Christian Scriptures. These are a Deposit, Committed to and Carefully Kept by the Church.
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Chapter
XXXVII.—Heretics Not Being Christians, But Rather Perverters of
Christ’s Teaching, May Not Claim the Christian Scriptures. These
are a Deposit, Committed to and Carefully Kept by the
Church.
Since this is the case, in order that the truth
may be adjudged to belong to us, “as many as walk according to
the rule,” which the church has handed down from the apostles,
the apostles from Christ, and Christ from God, the reason of our
position is clear, when it determines that heretics ought not to be
allowed to challenge an appeal to the Scriptures, since we, without the
Scriptures, prove that they have nothing to do with the Scriptures. For
as they are heretics, they cannot be true Christians, because it is not
from Christ that they get that which they pursue of their own mere
choice, and from the pursuit incur and admit the name of
heretics.2247
| 2247 “That is, in
following out their own choice (αἳρεσις) of
opinions, they both receive and admit the name of
heretics,” αἱρετικοί, “self-choosers” (Dodgson). [In Theology,
technically, one must be a baptized Christian in order to be a
heretic. The Mohammedans, e.g., are not heretics but
pagans. But, our author speaks rhetorically.] | Thus, not being
Christians, they have acquired2248
no right to the
Christian Scriptures; and it may be very fairly said to them,
“Who are you? When and whence did you come? As you are none of
mine, what have you to do with that which is mine? Indeed, Marcion, by
what right do you hew my wood? By whose permission, Valentinus,
are you diverting the streams of my fountain? By what power, Apelles,
are you removing my landmarks? This is my property. Why are you, the
rest, sowing and feeding here at your own pleasure? This (I say)
is my property. I have long possessed it; I possessed it before you. I
hold sure title-deeds from the original owners themselves, to whom the
estate belonged. I am the heir of the apostles. Just as
they carefully prepared their will and testament, and committed it to a
trust, and adjured (the trustees to be faithful to their
charge),2249
| 2249 Compare 1 Tim. v. 21, and vi. 13; 2 Tim. ii. 14, and iv.
1–4. | even so do I hold
it. As for you, they have, it is certain, always held you as
disinherited, and rejected you as strangers—as enemies. But on
what ground are heretics strangers and enemies to the apostles, if it
be not from the difference of their teaching, which each individual of
his own mere will has either advanced or received in opposition to the
apostles?”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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