35. Of these read the two and twenty books, but have nothing to do with the apocryphal writings. Study earnestly these only which we read openly in the Church. Far wiser and more pious than thyself were the Apostles, and the bishops of old time, the presidents of the Church who handed down these books. Being therefore a child of the Church, trench [747] thou not upon its statutes. And of the Old Testament, as we have said, study the two and twenty books, which, if thou art desirous of learning, strive to remember by name, as I recite them. For of the Law the books of Moses are the first five, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. And next, Joshua the son of Nave [748] , and the book of Judges, including Ruth, counted as seventh. And of the other historical books, the first and second books of the Kings [749] are among the Hebrews one book; also the third and fourth one book. And in like manner, the first and second of Chronicles are with them one book; and the first and second of Esdras are counted one. Esther is the twelfth book; and these are the Historical writings. But those which are written in verses are five, Job, and the book of Psalms, and Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, which is the seventeenth book. And after these come the five Prophetic books: of the Twelve Prophets one book, of Isaiah one, of Jeremiah one, including Baruch and Lamentations and the Epistle [750] ; then Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel, the twenty-second of the Old Testament.
36. Then of the New Testament there are the four Gospels only, for the rest have false titles [751] and are mischievous. The Manichæans also wrote a Gospel according to Thomas, which being tinctured with the fragrance of the evangelic title corrupts the souls of the simple sort. Receive also the Acts of the Twelve Apostles; and in addition to these the seven Catholic Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; and as a seal upon them all, and the last work of the disciples, the fourteen Epistles of Paul [752] . But let all the rest be put aside in a secondary rank. And whatever books are not read in Churches, these read not even by thyself, as thou hast heard me say. Thus much of these subjects.
37. But shun thou every diabolical operation, and believe not the apostate Serpent, whose transformation from a good nature was of his own free choice: who can over-persuade the willing, but can compel no one. Also give heed neither to observations of the stars nor auguries, nor omens, nor to the fabulous divinations of the Greeks [753] . Witchcraft, and enchantment, and the wicked practices of necromancy, admit not even to a hearing. From every kind of intemperance stand aloof, giving thyself neither to gluttony nor licentiousness, rising superior to all covetousness and usury. Neither venture thyself at heathen assemblies for public spectacles, nor ever use amulets in sicknesses; shun also all the vulgarity of tavern-haunting. Fall not away either into the sect of the Samaritans, or into Judaism: for Jesus Christ henceforth hath ransomed thee. Stand aloof from all observance of Sabbaths [754] , and from calling any indifferent meats common or unclean. But especially abhor all the assemblies of wicked heretics; and in every way make thine own soul safe, by fastings, prayers, almsgivings, and reading the oracles of God; that having lived the rest of thy life in the flesh in soberness and godly doctrine, thou mayest enjoy the one salvation which flows from Baptism; and thus enrolled in the armies of heaven by God and the Father, mayest also be deemed worthy of the heavenly crowns, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
[638] The number "ten" is confirmed by Theodoret, who quotes the article on Christ's "Birth of the Virgin" as from Cyril's fourth Catechetical Lecture "On the ten Doctrines." The mss. vary between "ten" and "eleven," and differ also in the special titles and numeration of the separate Articles.
[639] 2 Cor. xi. 14.
[640] Job xli. 24, Sept.; xli. 15: he kardia autou...hesteken hosper akmon anelatos. These statements concerning the Devil seem to be directed against Origen's opinion (De Principiis I. 2), that the Angels "who have been removed from their primal state of blessedness have not been removed irrecoverably." The question is discussed, and the opinions of several Fathers quoted, by Huet, Origeniana, II. c. 25.
[641] Matt. vii. 15. The same text is applied to Heretics by Ignatius, Philadelph. ii. and by Irenæus, L. I. c. i. § 2.
[642] 1 Pet. v. 8.
[643] Col. ii. 8.
[644] Prov. v. 3.
[645] Is. xlvi. 3. Sept. paideuomenoi ek paidiou heos geros.
[646] Rom. xvi. 17. Cyril has euglottias in place of eulogias.
[647] Compare Ignatius, Trall. vi.
[648] Matt. xxiv. 4.
[649] Compare Rom. vi. 17: "that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered." The instruction of Catechumens in the Articles of the Faith was commonly called the "Traditio Symboli," or "Delivery of the Creed."
[650] Heb. v. 14.
[651] Compare Hermas, Mandat. I. Athan. Epist. de Decretis Nic. Syn. xxii.: houto kai to atrepton kai analloioton auton einai sothesetai. So Aristotle (Metaphys. XI. c. iv. 13) describes the First Cause as apathes kai analloioton.
[652] Irenæus, I. c. xxvii. says that Cerdo taught that the God of the Law and the Prophets was not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: for that He is known, but the other unknown, and the one is just, but the other good. Also III. c. 25, § 3: "Marcion himself, therefore, by dividing God into two, and calling the one good, and the other judicial, on both sides puts an end to Deity." Compare Tertullian, c. Marcion. I. 2, and 6; Origen, c. Cels. iv. 54.
[653] This tenet was held by the Manichæans and other heretics, and is traced back to the Apostolic age by Bishop Pearson (Exposition of the Creed, Art. i. p. 79, note c). Compare Athanasius c. Apollinarium, I. 21; II. 8; c. Gentes, § 6; de Incarnatione, § 2, in this series, and Augustine (c. Faustum, xx. 15, 21, and xxi. 4).
[654] Matt. vi. 24; Luke xvi. 13.
[655] John i. 3; Col. i. 16.
[656] S. Aug. in Ps. lxxv. 6: Si in aliquo loco esset, non esset Deus. Sermo 342: Deus habitando continet non continetur. Origen, c. Cels. vii. 34: "God is of too excellent a nature for any place: He holds all things in His power, and is Himself not confined by anything whatever." Compare the quotation from Sir Isaac Newton's Principia, in the note on Cat. vi. 8.
[657] Ps. viii. 3.
[658] Is. xl. 12.
[659] See Cat. xv. 3, and note there.
[660] idean. Cyril uses the word in the Platonic sense, as in the next sentence he adopts the formula, which Plato commonly uses in describing the "idea:" aei kata ta auta kai hosautos echein. Phaed. 78 c.
[661] Job xxxi. 26, 27. The worship of Sun and Moon under various names was almost universal.
[662] Gaea or Tellus, the earth; Zeus or Jupiter, the sky; rivers, fountains, &c.
[663] Music, Medicine, Hunting, War, Agriculture, Metallurgy, &c., represented by Apollo, Æsculapius, Diana, Mars, Ceres, Vulcan.
[664] Herodotus, Book II., describes the Egyptian worship of various birds, fishes, and quadrupeds. Leeks and onions also were held sacred: Porrum et caepe nefas violare, Juv. Sat. xv. 9. Compare Clement of Alexandria, Protrept. c. ii. § 39, Klotz.
[665] Eros, Dionysus.
[666] Clement of Alexandria (Protrept. c. iv. § 53, Klotz) states that the courtesan Phryne was taken as a model for Aphrodite. "Praxiteles when fashioning the statue of Aphrodite of Cnidus made it like the form of Cratine his paramour." Ibid.
[667] Plutus.
[668] tes monarchias tou theou. See note on the title of Cat. VI. Praxeas made use of the term "Monarchy" to exclude the Son (and the Spirit) from the Godhead. Tertullian in his treatise against Praxeas maintains the true doctrine that the Son is no obstacle to the "Monarchy," because He is of the substance of the Father, does nothing without the Father's will, and has received all power from the Father, to Whom He will in the end deliver up the kingdom. In this sense Dionysius, Bishop of Rome, speaks of the Divine Monarchy as "that most sacred doctrine of the Church of God." Compare Athanas. de Decretis, Nic. Syn. c. vi. § 3 and Dr. Newman's note. In Orat. iv. c. Arian. p 606 (617), Athanasius derives the term from arche, in the sense of "beginning:" houtos mia arche theotetos kai ou duo archai, hothen kurios kai monarchia estin. See the full discussion of Monarchianism in Athanasius, p. xxiii. ff. in this series, and Newman's Introduction to Athan. Or. iv.
[669] For phoran (Bened.) many mss. read phthoran, "corruption."
[670] Compare xi. 4, 9, 18.
[671] Ton homoion kata panta to gennesanti. On the meaning and history of this phrase, proposed by the Semi-Arians at the Council of Ariminum as a substitute for homoousion, see Athan. de Syn. § 8, sqq.
[672] enupostatos. Cf. xi. 10; Athan. c. Apollinar. I. 20, 21.
[673] The mss. vary much, but I have followed the Benedictine text.
[674] Matt. xi. 27; John x. 15; xvii. 25.
[675] This was a point earnestly maintained by the orthodox Bishops at Nicæa, that the Son begotten of the substance of the Father is ever inseparably in the Father. Athan. de Decretis Syn. c. 20 ; Tertullian c. Marc. IV. c. 6. Cf. Ignat. ad Trall. vi. (Long Recension): ton men gar Christon allotriousi tou Patros.
[676] huiopatoria. A term of derision applied to the doctrine of Sabellius. Compare Athanas. Expositio Fidei, c. 2: "neither do we imagine a Son-Father, as the Sabellians." See Index, Uiopator.
[677] Logos prophorikos, the term used by Paul of Samosata, implied that the Word was impersonal, being conceived as a particular activity of God. See Dorner, Person of Christ, Div. I. vol. ii. p. 436 (English Tr.): and compare Athanasius, Expositio Fidei, c. 1; huion ek tou Patros anarchos kai aidios gegennemenon, logon de ou prophorikon, ouk endiatheton. Cardinal Newman (Athan. c. Arianos, I. 7, note) observes that some Christian writers of the 2nd Century "seem to speak of the Divine generation as taking place immediately before the creation of the world, that is, as if not eternal, though at the same time they teach that our Lord existed before that generation. In other words they seem to teach that He was the Word from eternity, and became the Son at the beginning of all things; some of them expressly considering Him, first as the logos endiathetos, or Reason, in the Father, or (as may be speciously represented) a mere attribute; next, as the logos prophorikos, or Word." The terms logos endiathetos, or word conceived in the mind,' and logos prophorikos, or word expressed' (emissum, or prolalivum), were in use among the Gnostics (Iren. II. c. 12, § 5). As applied to the Son both terms, though sometimes used in a right sense, were condemned as inadequate. Compare xi. 10.
[678] anupostatois logois. Athan. c. Arianos Orat. iv. c. 8: palin hoi legontes monon onoma einai huiou, anousion de kai anupostaton einai ton huion tou Theou, k.t.l.
[679] homoiopathe. Compare Acts xiv. 15; Jas. v. 17.
[680] On the origin of the Docetic heresy, see vi. 14.
[681] Valentinus the Gnostic taught that God produced a Son of an animal nature who "passed through Mary just as water through a tube, and that on him the Saviour descended at his Baptism." Irenæus, I. vii. 2.
[682] The words which the Benedictine Editor introduces in the brackets are found in Theodoret, and adopted by recent Editors, with Codd. M.A.
[683] Eusebius, Life of Constantine, iii. 28.
[684] The discovery of the "True Cross" is related with many marvellous particulars by Socrates, Eccles. Hist. i. 17; and Sozomen, E. H. ii. 1. A portion was said to have been left by Helena at Jerusalem, enclosed in a silver case; and another portion sent to Constantinople, where Constantine privately enclosed it in his own statue, to be a safeguard to the city. Eusebius, Life of Constantine, iii. 25-30 , gives a long account of the discovery of the Holy Sepulchre, but makes no mention of the Cross. Cyril seems to have been the first to record it, 25 years after. Cf. Greg. Nyss. Bapt. Christi (p. 519).
[685] Compare xiv. 18, 19, on the Descent into Hades.
[686] The same Old Testament saints are named in xiv. 19, as redeemed by Christ in Hades.
[687] Matt. xi. 3.
[688] Deut. xix. 15.
[689] Justin M. Dialogue with Trypho, 247 C: We call Him Helper and Redeemer, the power of whose Name even demons do fear; and at this day, when exorcised in the name of Jesus Christ, crucified under Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judæa, they are overcome.
[690] Tertullian, de Coronâ, 3: At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the Sign. If for these, and other such rules, you insist upon having positive Scripture injunction, you will find none. Tradition will be held forth to you as the originator of them, custom as their strengthener, and faith as their observer.