from Peter, and James, and John, and Paul, as a son from his father, have come to us, here to deposit the Apostolic seeds received from their elders. — Christ did not reveal to many, what did not appertain to many; but to a few, whom he thought proper; that they receiving it might communicate what they had received to others.” Strom. L. 1. p. 322, 323.—“ They are instigated by a love of false glory, who, by other Traditions, corrupt those truths, which agree with the inspired word, and were delivered by the Holy Apostles and by Teachers, opposing the divine Tradition by human doctrines, that they might establish heresy. For among those learned ornaments of the Church, what was left for Marcion, or for others who entered not by the right road? In wisdom they could not surpass their predecessors, so as to add any thing to what they had truly taught. It would, indeed, have been well for them, could they have acquired what had been delivered.” Strom. L. vii. p. 896.
TERTULLIAN, L. C.-“ With this design Marcion dared reject so many original documents of Christ, that the reality of his body might not be proved. And by what authority? I ask thee.- If thou art a Prophet; foretel us something ; if an Apostle; publicly proclaim it: if of apostolic origin; think as the Apostles thought: if a Christian only; believe what has been delivered: but if thou art none of these; why, I say, die: for, in truth thou art now dead, not being a Christian, by having rejected that belief which makes a Christian. Wherefore, rejecting what thou didst believe, thou shewest thy want of Faith ; but this proves not that thou didst it properly. Rather it evinces, that what thou hast rejected was before otherwise believed. So it had been
