Reading the Scriptures in the latter days.

At the advent, therefore, of Christ, and of the word of God, and of church doctrine, and of the consummation of Nineveh, a most beautiful harlot, the people, who were before asleep under their masters, will arise and will hasten to the mountains of the Scriptures, and will there find the mountain Moses, and Joshua the son of Nun, the mountains the prophets, and the apostles and evangelists, who are the mountains of the New Testament; and when they shall have fled to these mountains, and be well skilled in the reading of them, if they shall not find any to teach them, their study shall be approved, because they have fled to the mountains, and have reproved the indolence of their masters, -Commentary on Nahum, c. S, tom. 5, p. 415. (Edit. as above.)

Scripture the sole Rule of Faith.

But the word of God smites the other things, which they spontaneously discover, and feign as it were by an apostolical authority, without the authority and testimony of the Scriptures.-Commentary on Huggai, chap. 1, tom. 5, p. 506. (Edit. as above.)

The Lord will speak in the Scriptures of the people, in the holy Scriptures, which Scripture is read to all the people with the intent that all may understand it. What the Psalmist says, is this. As the apostles wrote, so also the Lord himself has spoken, that is, by the Gospels, not in order that a few, but in order that all may understand. Plato wrote scripturally, but he did not write to the people, but to a few. Scarcely three persons understood him. But these, that is, the princes of the church, and the princes of Christ, did not write to a few, but to the whole people. And see what he says of the princes, that is of the apostles and evangelists who were in her. He says, who were, not who are, so that with the exception of the apostles, whatsoever should afterwards be said should be cut off, should thenceforth have no authority.*-Jerome's Commentary on the 86th Psalm, vol. 7, p. 259. (Printed at Paris, 1602.)

On the Spirituality of the Church of Christ.

The human soul is the only true temple of Christ. The church of Christ is nothing but the souls of those, who believe in Christ.Comm. on the 86th Psalm, tom. 7.

But the church herself, which is the congregation of all the saints, on account of her eternal stedfastness in the Lord, is called the pillar and ground of truth.-Com. on Job, c. 27, tom, 8, p. 72.

Let the church be anxious to be united with Christ. But mark, the church is the assembly of all the saints.—First Hom. on the Song of Songs, tom. 8, p. 299.

It must be recollected that Jerome elsewhere complains that every mechanic fancies that he can interpret Scripture. If Protestants overlook this passage, Romanists will remind them of it.

In adventu ergo Christi, et sermonis Dei, et doctrinæ ecclesiasticæ, et consummationis Nineve speciossimæ quendam meretricis, elevabitur et properabit populus, qui sub magistris anteà fuerat consopitus, et ibit ad montes Scripturarum, ibique inveniet montes Moysen et Jesum filium Nave, moutes prophetas, montes Novi Testamenti apostolos et evangelistas, et cum ad tales montes confugerit, et in hujuscemodi montium fuerit lectione versatus, si non invenerit qui eum doceat, illius studium comprobabitur, quia confugerit ad montes et magistrorum desidia coarguetur.-Comm. in Nahum, c. 3, tom. 5, p.

415.

Sed et alia quæ absque auctoritate et testimoniis Scripturarum, quasi traditione apostolica, sponte reperiunt atque confingunt, percutit gladius Dei.-Comm. in Aggaum, c. 1, tom. 5, p. 506.

Dominus narrabit in Scripturis populorum, in Scripturis sanctis. Quæ Scriptura populis omnibus legitur, hoc est, ut omnes intelligant. Quod dicit hoc est. Sicut scripserunt apostoli, sic et ipse Dominus, hoc est, per evangelia, locutus est, non ut pauci intelligerent, sed ut omnes. Plato scripsit in Scriptura, sed non scripsit populis, sed paucis. Vix enim intelligunt tres homines. Isti vero hoc est, principes ecclesiæ, et principes Christi, non Scripserunt paucis, sed universo populo. Et principum, hoc est apostolorum et evangelistarum, horum qui fuerunt in ea, vide quod dicat. Qui fuerunt, non qui sunt, ut, exceptis apostolis, quodcunque aliud postea dicetur, abscindatur, non habeat posted auctoritatem.-Comm. S. Hieronym. in Psalm. 87, tom. 7, p. 259. (Parisiis, 1602.)

De Ecclesia.

-Comm. on

Verum templum Christi non est, nisi anima humana. Ecclesia Christi, non est alia, nisi anima credentium in Christum Psalm. 86, tom. 7.

-

Sed et ipsa ecclesia, quæ est sanctorum omnium congregatio, pro æterna sibi in Domino stabilitate, columna et fundamentum dicitur veritatis. Comm. in Job. c. 27, tom. 8, p. 72.

Ecclesia sit desiderans Christo conjungi. Ecclesiam autem cætum omnium adverte sanctorum.-In Cant. Cant. Hom. prim. tom. 8, p. 299.

Ꮓ

Canon of Scripture.

But you must know that there are other books, which are not canonical, but were called by the ancients ecclesiastical, that is to say, the book of Wisdom, which is said to be Solomon's, and the other Wisdom, which is said to be the son of Sirach's, which book is called by the Latins by the general name of Ecclesiasticus, by which name not the author of the book, but the nature of the writing is declared. Of the same class is the book of Tobit, and Judith, and the books of Maccabees. And in the New Testament the book of the Shepherd, or Hermes, which is called the two roads, or the judgment of Peter, all of which they have thought fit to be read in the churches, but not to be brought forward for the confirmation of the faith.—Symbol of Ruffinus, vol. 9, p. 186. (Edit. as above.)

Whatsoever is without these,* is to be placed among the Apocrypha. Therefore, Wisdom, which is commonly called the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Book of Jesus the son of Sirach, and Judith, and Tobit, and the Shepherd are not in the canon.-Preface to the Book of Kings, vol. 3, book 24. (Edit. as above.)

Anti-Transubstantiation.

He did not offer water, but wine, as a type of his blood.-Second Book against Jovinianus, vol. 2, p. 90. (Edit. as above.)

Moreover, forasmuch as the flesh of the Lord is true meat, and his blood is true drink anagogically, we have only this good in this life, if we eat his flesh and drink his blood not only in the mystery, but also in the reading of the Scriptures.-Comm. on Eccles. c. 3, tom. 5, p. 24. (Edit. as above.)

We read the Holy Scriptures. I believe that the Gospel is the body of Christ. I believe the Holy Scriptures to be his doctrine, and when he says, He who does not eat my flesh and drink my blood, although this may be understood of the mystery, yet the word of the Scriptures and the divine doctrine is more truly+ the body of Christ and his blood. If at any time we go to the mystery, whoever is faithful understands that if he falls into sin he is in danger; so if at any time we hear the word of God, and the word of God, and the flesh of Christ, and his blood be poured into our ears, and we are thinking of something else, how great is the danger we incur.-Upon the 47th Psalm, vol. 7, p. 420. (Edit. as above.)

He shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.] Because he despised the sacrament of so great a mystery.-Commentary on the first Epistle to the Corinthians, c. 10, vol. 8, p. 295.

The twenty-two books of the canon.

+ This could not be if transubstantiation were true.

Sciendum tamen est, quod et alii libri sunt, qui non sunt canonici, sed ecclesiastici a majoribus appellati sunt,id est, Sapientia,quæ dicitur Salamonis, et alia Sapientia, quæ dicitur filii Sirach,qui liber cum apud Latinos hoc ipso generali vocabulo dicitur, non autor libelli, sed Scripturæ qualitas cognominata est. Ejusdem vero ordinis libellus est Tobiæ et Judith, et Machabæorum libri. In Novo vero Testamento libellus, qui dicitur pastoris sive Hermes, qui appellatur duæ viæ, vel judicium Petri. Quæ omnia legi quidem in ecclesiis voluerunt, non tamen proferri ex his ad fidei confirmandam.-Symbolum Ruffini, tom. 9, p. 186.

Quidquid extra hos est, inter Apocrypha ponendum: Igitur Sapientia quæ vulgò Salamonis inscribitur, et Jesu filii Sirach liber, et Judith, et Tobias, et Pastor non sunt in canone.-In Lib. Regum Praf. tom. 3, lib. 24.

In typo sanguinis sui non obtulit aquam sed vinum.-Lib. 2, adversus Jovinianum, tom. 2, p 90.

Porrò quia caro Domini versus est cibus, et sanguis ejus verus est potus, juxta avaywyny, hoc solum habemus in præsenti sæculo bonum, si vescamur carne ejus cruoreque potemur, non solùm in mysterio, sed etiam in Scripturarum lectione.-In Eccles. c. 3, tom. 5, p. 24. (Edit. qs above.)

Legimus sanctas Scripturas. Ego corpus Jesu evangelium puto. Sanctas Scripturas puto doctrinam ejus. Et quando dicat qui non comederit carnem meam et biberit sanguinem meum, licet et in mysterio, possit intelligi, tamen verius corpus Christi et sanguis ejus sermo scripturarum est, doctrina divina est. Si quando imus ad mysterium, qui fidelis est intelligit, si in maculam ceciderit periclitatur. Si quando audimus sermonem Dei, et sermo Dei et caro Christi et sanguis ejus in auribus nostris funditur, et nos aliud cogitamus, in quantum periculum incurrimus.-In Psalm. 147, tom. 7, p. 420..

Reus erit corporis et sanguinis Domini.] Quia tanti mysterii sacramentum pro vili despexerit.-Com. in Epist. Prior. ad Cor. c. 10, tom. 8, p. 295.

Against the judicial Power of the Priests in forgiving Sins. The bishops and priests not understanding that passage, assume to themselves somewhat of the arrogance of the Pharisees, so far as to imagine that they may condemn the innocent or absolve the guilty, whereas with God, it is not the sentence of the priests, but the life* of the guilty that is looked into. We read in Leviticus concerning the lepers, where they were commanded to show themselves to the priests, in order that if they had a leprosy, they might be made unclean by the priests: not that the priests made them lepers and unclean, but because they knew who were lepers and who were not, and could discover who were clean and who were unclean. In the same manner therefore as the priest there made a man clean or unclean, so here the bishop or priest either binds or loosens, not those who are innocent or guilty, but officially, when he has heard the nature of their sins, he knows who is to be bound and who is to be loosened.-On the 16th chap. of Mat. vol. 6.

He will never come out, because he will always pay the last farthing, whilst he pays the eternal punishment of his earthly sins.-On the Lamentations of Jeremiah, book 1, c. 1, vol. 5, p. 684.

The Church of Rome in the Fourth Century denied the Canonicity of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Gaius held a famous disputation under Zephyrinus, the bishop of the Roman city, in the time of Antonine the son of Severus, against Proculus, a disciple of Montanus, accusing him of temerity in defending the new prophecies, and in the same book enumerating only thirteen epistles of Paul. He says that the fourteenth, which is addressed to the Hebrews, is not his, and among the Romans even at the present day it is not held to be his.- Treatise on Illustrious Men, c. 59.

The apostle Paul wrote to seven churches, his eighth letter to the Hebrews is put out of the canon by most persons.—Epist. 53, to Paulinus.

Rome.-Babylon.

And I think that this place is more holy than the Tarpeian rock, which, often thundered against by Heaven, proves that it displeased God. Read the Apocalypse of John, and see what is said concerning the woman in purple, and the blasphemy written upon her forehead, concerning the seven hills and the many waters, and the destruction of Babylon. Come out of her, says the Lord, my people, and be not partakers of her sins, lest ye receive of her plagues. Fly

This extract may be successfully opposed to Chrysostom, who in his work upon the Priesthood (de Sacerdotio), with a singular inconsistency, establishes the superiority of the Christian ministry over the Jewish priesthood, by arguing that the former only declared a person to be clean, whilst the latter make him clean.