Chapter XXV.--The Apostles Did Not Keep Back Any of the Deposit of Doctrine Which Christ Had Entrusted to Them. St. Paul Openly Committed His Whole Doctrine to Timothy.
But here is, as we have said, [2115] the same madness, in their allowing indeed that the apostles were ignorant of nothing, and preached not any (doctrines) which contradicted one another, but at the same time insisting that they did not reveal all to all men, for that they proclaimed some openly and to all the world, whilst they disclosed others (only) in secret and to a few, because Paul addressed even this expression to Timothy: "O Timothy, guard that which is entrusted to thee;" [2116] and again: "That good thing which was committed unto thee keep." [2117] What is this deposit? Is it so secret as to be supposed to characterize [2118] a new doctrine? or is it a part of that charge of which he says, "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy?" [2119] and also of that precept of which he says, "I charge thee in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Jesus Christ who witnessed a good confession under Pontius Pilate, that thou keep this commandment?" [2120] Now, what is (this) commandment and what is (this) charge? From the preceding and the succeeding contexts, it will be manifest that there is no mysterious [2121] hint darkly suggested in this expression about (some) far-fetched [2122] doctrine, but that a warning is rather given against receiving any other (doctrine) than that which Timothy had heard from himself, as I take it publicly: "Before many witnesses" is his phrase. [2123] Now, if they refuse to allow that the church is meant by these "many witnesses," it matters nothing, since nothing could have been secret which was produced "before many witnesses." Nor, again, must the circumstance of his having wished him to "commit these things to faithful men, who should be able to teach others also," [2124] be construed into a proof of there being some occult gospel. For, when he says "these things," he refers to the things of which he is writing at the moment. In reference, however, to occult subjects, he would have called them, as being absent, those things, not these things, to one who had a joint knowledge of them with himself. [2125]
[2115] Above, in chap. xxii. [Note the Gnostic madness of such a plea. Kaye, p. 235 and Elucidation IV.]
[2116] 1 Tim. vi. 20.
[2117] 2 Tim. i. 14.
[2118] Ut alterius doctrinæ deputetur.
[2119] 1 Tim. i. 18.
[2120] 1 Tim. vi. 13.
[2121] Nescis quid.
[2122] Remotiore.
[2123] 2 Tim. ii. 2.
[2124] 2 Tim. ii. 2.
[2125] Apud conscientiam. [Clement of Alexandria is to be interpreted by Tertullian, with whom he does not essentially differ. For Clement's Esoteric Doctrine (See Vol. II. pp. 302, 313, etc.) is defined as perfecting the type of the Christian by the strong meat of Truth, of which the entire deposit is presupposed as common to all Christians. We must not blame Clement for the abuse of his teaching by perverters of Truth itself.]
Chapter XXVI.--The Apostles Did in All Cases Teach the Whole Truth to the Whole Church. No Reservation, Nor Partial Communication to Favourite Friends.
Besides which, it must have followed, that, for the man to whom he committed the ministration of the gospel, he would add the injunction that it be not ministered in all places, [2126] and without respect to persons, [2127] in accordance with the Lord's saying, "Not to cast one's pearls before swine, nor that which is holy unto dogs." [2128] Openly did the Lord speak, [2129] without any intimation of a hidden mystery. He had Himself commanded that, "whatsoever they had heard in darkness" and in secret, they should "declare in the light and on the house-tops." [2130] He had Himself foreshown, by means of a parable, that they should not keep back in secret, fruitless of interest, [2131] a single pound, that is, one word of His. He used Himself to tell them that a candle was not usually "pushed away under a bushel, but placed on a candlestick," in order to "give light to all who are in the house." [2132] These things the apostles either neglected, or failed to understand, if they fulfilled them not, by concealing any portion of the light, that is, of the word of God and the mystery of Christ. Of no man, I am quite sure, were they afraid,--neither of Jews nor of Gentiles in their violence; [2133] with all the greater freedom, then, would they certainly preach in the church, who held not their tongue in synagogues and public places. Indeed they would have found it impossible either to convert Jews or to bring in Gentiles, unless they "set forth in order" [2134] that which they would have them believe. Much less, when churches were advanced in the faith, would they have withdrawn from them anything for the purpose of committing it separately to some few others. Although, even supposing that among intimate friends, [2135] so to speak, they did hold certain discussions, yet it is incredible that these could have been such as to bring in some other rule of faith, differing from and contrary to that which they were proclaiming through the Catholic churches, [2136] --as if they spoke of one God in the Church, (and) another at home, and described one substance of Christ, publicly, (and) another secretly, and announced one hope of the resurrection before all men, (and) another before the few; although they themselves, in their epistles, besought men that they would all speak one and the same thing, and that there should be no divisions and dissensions in the church, [2137] seeing that they, whether Paul or others, preached the same things. Moreover, they remembered (the words): "Let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil;" [2138] so that they were not to handle the gospel in a diversity of treatment.
[2126] Passim.
[2127] Inconsiderate.
[2128] Matt. vii. 6.
[2129] John xviii. 20.
[2130] Matt. x. 27.
[2131] Luke xix. 20-24.
[2132] Matt. v. 15.
[2133] Literally, "the violence of neither Jew nor Gentile."
[2134] Luke i. 1.
[2135] Domesticos. [All this interprets Clement and utterly deprives the Trent System of its appeal to a secret doctrine, against our Præscription.]
[2136] Catholice, or, "which they were bringing before the public in catholic way."
[2137] 1 Cor. i. 10.
[2138] Matt. v. 37.
Chapter XXVII.--Granted that the Apostles Transmitted the Whole Doctrine of Truth, May Not the Churches Have Been Unfaithful in Handing It On? Inconceivable that This Can Have Been the Case.
Since, therefore, it is incredible that the apostles were either ignorant of the whole scope of the message which they had to declare, [2139] or failed to make known to all men the entire rule of faith, let us see whether, while the apostles proclaimed it, perhaps, simply and fully, the churches, through their own fault, set it forth otherwise than the apostles had done. All these suggestions of distrust [2140] you may find put forward by the heretics. They bear in mind how the churches were rebuked by the apostle: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?" [2141] and, "Ye did run so well; who hath hindered you?" [2142] and how the epistle actually begins: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him, who hath called you as His own in grace, to another gospel." [2143] That they likewise (remember), what was written to the Corinthians, that they "were yet carnal," who "required to be fed with milk," being as yet "unable to bear strong meat;" [2144] who also "thought that they knew somewhat, whereas they knew not yet anything, as they ought to know." [2145] When they raise the objection that the churches were rebuked, let them suppose that they were also corrected; let them also remember those (churches), concerning whose faith and knowledge and conversation the apostle "rejoices and gives thanks to God," which nevertheless even at this day, unite with those which were rebuked in the privileges of one and the same institution.
[2139] Plenitudinem prædicationis.
[2140] Scrupulositatis.
[2141] Gal. iii. 1.
[2142] Gal. v. 7.
[2143] Gal. i. 6.
[2144] 1 Cor. iii. 1, and following verses.
[2145] 1 Cor. viii. 2.