speaking of St. Ignatius, the disciple of St. Peter, and who, after him, was the second Bishop of Antioch, says: “ As he was led through Asia under a strict guard of soldiers, and entered the several cities, in his exhortations to the Churches, he admonished them in the first place, to be aware of the false doctrines of the heretics, which now began to emerge into light, and to spread themselves widely. He then exhorted them to hold fast to the tradition of the Apostles, which tradition, confirmed by his own testimony, for the more sure information of posterity, he deemed it necessary to commit to writing.” Hist. Eccles. L. iii. c. 36. p. 130.
CENT. II.
Sr. IRENÆUS, L. C.—“ When these heretics are convicted from the Scriptures, they begin to accuse the Scriptures themselves, as not being accurate, and void of authority, and so variously expressed, that from them truth cannot be discovered by those who are ignorant of Tradition. For that truth came not by writing, but by the living voice: wherefore Paul said: (1 Cor. ii. 6.) Horobeit we speak wisdom among the perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world. —Now this wisdom each one of them pretends to possess, as he has drawn it from himself. For each one in his own perversity, perverting the rule of truth, blushes not to vaunt himself. On the other hand, when we appeal to that Tradition, which, coming from the Apostles through the succession of Ministers, is preserved in the Churches, they object to it, observing, that, being themselves wiser than those Ministers, and the Apostles themselves, they have discovered the genuine truth.Thus they assent neither to the Scriptures, nor to Tradition." Adv. Hær. L. iii. c. 2. p. 174, 175.—“ And
