ANF09. The Gospel of Peter, The Diatessaron of Tatian, The Apocalypse of Peter, the Vision of Paul, The Apocalypse of the Virgin and Sedrach, The Testament of Abraham, The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena, The Narrative of Zosimus, The Apology of Aristides, The Epistles of Clement (complete text), Origen’s Commentary on John, Books 1–10, and Commentary on Matthew, Books 1, 2, and 10

Bad Advertisement?

Are you a Christian?

Online Store:

Visit Our Store

From the Preface.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP

From the Fifth Book.

From the Preface.⁴⁷⁸²

⁴⁷⁸² From the Philocalia.

You are not content to fulfil the office, when I am present with you, of a taskmaster to drive me to labour at theology; even when I am absent you demand that I should spend most of my time on you and on the task I have to do for you.⁴⁷⁸³

⁴⁷⁸³ This is addressed to Ambrose, who was at the time absent from Alexandria. Cf. book i. chap. 6, p. 299.
I, for my part, am inclined to shrink from toil, and to avoid that danger which threatens from God those who give themselves to writing on divinity; thus I would take shelter in Scripture in refraining from making many books. For Solomon says in Ecclesiastes,⁴⁷⁸⁴

⁴⁷⁸⁴ xii. 12.
“My son, beware of making many books; there is no end of it, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” For we, except that text have some hidden meaning which we do not yet perceive, have directly transgressed the injunction, we have not guarded ourselves against making many books.

[Then, after saying that this discussion of but a few sentences of the Gospel have run to four volumes, he goes on:]
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH