enemies to the Apostles, but from the diversity of doctrine which each one of them, as he likes best, has himself advanced or received in opposition to them? Where, therefore, this diversity of doctrine is, there will the Scriptures, and the expounding of them, be adulterated.[1] For they who proposed to themselves to teach differently, would see a necessity of altering the instruments whence that teaching is derived. They could not otherwise advance their opinions. And as they could alone succeed by such means; so we, to maintain the integrity of our doctrine, must preserve its sources pure. In our Sacred Writings what is there adverse to us? What have we imported that we must amend, by making some change in the Scriptures, because something adverse is found in them? What we are, they are. From them we were formed, before there was any thing different from what we are.” This reasoning he pursues with great ingenuity, shewing that the heretics Marcion and Valentinus erased passages, or altered the sense, of the Scriptures, as their respective views required. He then adds: “I am much deceived, if these men even agree in their own rules, while each one, according to his own fancy, modifies what he has received, as he did, who delivered it.[2] What Valentinus might do, that might his followers; that might Marcion and the Marcionites; that is, change their belief as they liked In one word, view narrowly all these heresies, and you will find that, in many things they differ from their founders. Most of them indeed have no Churches, and wander far and wide, like solitary and selfish exiles, void of faith and without See or Mother-Church.”[3] De Præscrip. c. xxxviii. xlii. p. 338, 339.
- ↑ Illie Scriptuarum et expositionum adulteratio deputanda est, ubi diversitas invenitur doctrinæ.
- ↑ Unusquisque suo arbitrio modulatur, quæ accepit; quamadmodum de suo arbitrio ea compsuit ille qui tradit.
- ↑ Plerique nec Ecclesias habent, sine matre, sine sede, orbi fide, extorres, quasi sibi, late vagnatur.
