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THE ANCIENT TRADITION OF FAITH.

IREN AUS.

Η μεν γαρ εκκλησια, καιπερ καθ' όλης της οικουμένης εως περατων της γης διεσπαρμένη, παρα δε των Αποστολων και των εκείνων μαθητων παραλαβουσα την εις ένα Θεον πατερα παντοκράτορα, τον πεποιηκοτά τον ουρανον, και την γην, και τας θαλασσας, και παντα τα εν αυταίς, πιστιν. Και εις ένα Χριστον Ιησουν, τον υιον του Θεου, τον σαρκωθεντα υπερ της ημετερας σωτηρίας. Και εις πνευμα αγιον, το δια των προφητων κεκηρυχος τας οικονομιας, και τας ελευσεις, και την εκ Παρθενου γεννησιν, και το παθος και την εγερσιν εκ νεκ ρων, και την ενσαρκον εις τους ουρανους αναληψιν του αγαπημενου Χριστου Ιησου του Κυριου υμων, και την εκ των ουρανων εν τη δόξη του Πατρος

παρουσίαν αυτού, επι το ανακεφαλαιώσασθαι τα παντα, και αναστήσαι πασαν σαρκα πάσης

ανθρωπότητος, ένα Χριστώ Ιησου τω Κυρίω ημων και Θεω, και Σωτήρι, και Βασιλει, κατά την ευδοκίαν του Πατρός του αοράτου, παν γονυ κάμψη επου ρανίων, και επιγείων, και καταχθονίων, και πασα γλωσσα εξομολογήσηται αυτω, και κρισιν δικαιαν εν τοις πασι ποιη

For the Church, although she is extended throughout the whole world even to the ends of the earth, received the faith from the Apostles and their disciples, which faith is in one God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven and the earth, and the seas, and all things that are in them. And in one Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was incarnate for our salvation ; and in the Holy Spirit, who foretold the dispensations of God by the Prophets, and the advent, and the generation from the Virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascent in the flesh into heaven of Jesus Christ our beloved Lord, and his coming from heaven in the glory of the Father, to sum up all things, and to raise the flesh of all mankind, so that according to the good pleasure of the invisible Father, every knee of those who are in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, should bow to Jesus Christ our Lord, (and God, and Saviour, and King, and every

"Salutat vos ecclesia,

quibus Petrus primam suum epistolam absolvit. quæ est in Babylone co-electa.” Id enim si conferatur cum iis quæ Apoc. c. xvii. v. 5 et 9, leguntur de Babylone magnâ, quæ habet septem montes, quæque ex ver. 18. Est civitas magna quæ habet regnum super reges terræ, non obscurè percipitur per Babylonem Petrum indicare Romam ipsam, ut exponunt, Tertull. Eusebius, S. August. Orosius, et alii.

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Τουτο το κηρυγμα παρειληφυια, και ταυτην την πίστιν, ως προεφαμεν, η εκκλησία, καιπερ εν ολω τω κόσμω διεσπαρμένη, επιμελως φυλασσει, ως ενα Οικον οικουσα. Και ομοιως πιστεύει τούτοις, ως μιαν ψυχην και την αυτην εχουσα καρδιαν, και συμφωνως ταυτα κηρύσσει, και διδάσκει, και παραδιδωσιν, ως εν στομα κεκτημένη. Και γαρ αι κατα τον κόσμον διαλεκτοι ανόμοιαι, αλλ' η δυναμις της παραδόσεως μια και αυτή. Και ουτε αι εν Γερμανιαις ιδρυμεναι Εκκλησιαι αλλως πεπιστευκασιν, η αλλως παραδιδοασιν, ούτε εν ταις Ιβηριαις, ούτε εν Κελτοις, ουτε κατα τας ανατολας, ούτε εν Αιγύπτω, ουτε εν Λιβύη, ούτε αι μεσα του

κατα

κοσμου ιδρυμέναι. Αλλ' ωσπερ ο ηλιος, το κτισμα του Θεου, εν όλω τω κόσμω εις ка ο αυτός. Ουτω και ΤΟ

tongue should confess him, and that he should judge all things in righteousness, and that he should consign to eternal fire the spiritual things of iniquity, and angels that have transgressed and apostatised, and the impious and unjust, and the blasphemers among men; and that freely bestowing life, he would give immortality and would secure eternal joy for the just and the holy, and for those who keep his commandments, and for those who abide in his love, some from the beginning, and others after repentance.

2. And the Church, albeit she is scattered throughout the whole world, having received this preaching and faith, diligently keeps it, as if she inhabited one house, and, in like manner, she believes in these things as if she had one soul and one heart, and she uniformly teaches them, and hands them down, as if she had one mouth. For although there are different languages in the world, yet the authority of the tradition is one and the same. And neither do the churches which are founded in Germany believe or hand down otherwise ; nor do the churches which are in Spain, or in Gaul, or in the East, or in Egypt, or in Lybia, or those which are established in the middle of the world. But as the sun,

κηρυγμα της αληθειας παντα-
χη φαίνει, και φωτίζει παντας
ανθρώπους τους βουλομένους
εις επιγνωσιν αληθειας ελθειν.
Και ούτε ο πανυ δυνατος εν
λόγω των εν ταις Εκκλησιαις
προεστώτων έτερα τούτων ερει.

(Ovdels Yap VTEр Twv didaσka-
λων.) Ούτε ο ασθενης εν τω
λογω ελαττώσει την παραδοσιν.
Μιας γαρ και της αυτης πιστεως
φυσης, ούτε ο πολυ περι αυτης
δυναμενος ειπειν, επλεονασεν,
ούτε ο το ολιγον, ηλαττονησε.-
(Irenæi. lib. i. contr. hæreses.
c. 10. p. 50. Bened. edition.
Parisiis, 1710.)

the creation of God, is one and the same in the whole world; so, also, the light, which is the preaching of truth, everywhere shines and enlightens all men, who will come to the knowledge of the truth. And neither will he, who is strong in speech, enlarge it; (for no one is above his master): nor will he who is weak in speech diminish it. For this faith being one, neither has he, who can say much about it, amplified it; nor has he who can say little curtailed it.*

TERTULLIAN.

De Virginibus Velandis, liber. Rothomagi, 1662. Regula quidem fidei una omnino est, sola immobilis, et irreformabilis, credendi scilicet in unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditorem, et filium ejus Jesum Christum, natum ex virgine Maria, crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato, tertiâ die resuscitatum a mortuis, receptum in cœlis, sedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris, venturum judicare vivos et mortuos, per carnis etiam resurrectionem. Hac lege fidei manente, cætera jam disciplinæ et conversationis admittunt novitatem correctionis, operante scilicet et proficiente usque in finem gratiâ Dei.

De Præscriptionibus adversus Hæreticos, liber. (Editio ut supra.)

Regula est autem fidei, ut jam hinc quid credamus profiteamur; illa scilicet quâ creditur, unum omninò Deum esse; nec alium præter mundi conditorem ; qui universa de nihilo produxerit, per verbum suum primò omnium emissum: Id verbum filium ejus appellatum, in nomine Dei variè visum patriarchis, in prophetis semper auditum, postremò delatum ex spiritu Dei patris et virtute in Virginem Mariam; carnem

The whole of this tradition of faith, which according to Irenæus no one must enlarge, is contained in the Scriptures. This perfectly agrees with the creed of the first Council of Nice, which says nothing about the "Holy Catholic Church," or "one baptism for the remission of sins."

factum in utero ejus, et ex eâ natum hominem et esse Jesum Christum; exinde prædicasse novam legem, et novam promissionem regni coelorum; virtutes fecisse; fixum cruci; tertiâ die resurrexisse; in cœlos ereptum sedere ad dexteram Patris misisse vicariam vim Spiritus Sancti qui credentes agat. Venturum cum claritate ad sumendos sanctos in vitæ æternæ et promissorum cœlestium fructum, et ad profanos judicandos igni perpetuo, factâ utriusque partis resuscitatione cum carnis resurrectione.* Hæc regula a Christo ut probabitur instituta, nullas habet apud nos quæstiones, nisi quas hæreses inferunt, et quæ hæreticos faciunt.

Whilst the above was the only tradition of doctrine and faith; Tertullian and Basil enumerate various traditions of ceremony respecting the sacraments, &c. These however are not all of them observed by the Church of Rome. Roman Catholics (for instance) are not forbidden to kneel in church on Sundays, nor are they thrice dipped at baptism.

Tertulliani de Coronâ militis, liber. (Editio ut supra.) Etiam in traditionis obtentu exigenda est, inquis, auctoritas scripta. Ergo quæramus an et traditio non scripta non debeat recipi? Planè negabimus recipendam, si nulla exempla præjudicent aliarum observationum, quas sine ullius scripturæ instrumento, solius traditionis titulo, exinde consuetudinis patrocinio vindicamus. Denique ut a baptismate ingrediar, aquam adituri, ibidem, sed et aliquando prius in ecclesiâ sub antistitis manu contestamur, nos renunciare diabolo, et pompæ, et angelis ejus. Dehine ter mergitamur, amplius aliquid respondentes quàm Dominus in evangelio determinavit. Inde suscepti, lactis et mellis concordiam prægustamus. Exque eâ die lavacro quotidiano per totam heb

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* The first Council of Nice, an. 325, set forth a creed, which ends with the words “and in the Holy Spirit." The first Council of Constantinople, an. 381, set forth a creed which added, "the Holy Catholic Church," and one baptism for the remission of sins." The Council of Ephesus, an. 431, reverted to the creed of the Council of Nice, and forbade the setting forth of any other. The Council of Chalcedon, the fourth general Council, an. 451, confirmed both the creed of the Council of Nice, and that of the first Council of Constantinople. The latter creed is not that which we receive, and is not quite orthodox; for it speaks of the Holy Spirit as proceeding from the Father, and makes no mention of his procession from the Son. In the eighth century the Roman Church endeavoured, by a pious fraud, to introduce the word "filioque" into the Constantinopolitan creed, at which the Greeks were very indignant. In these creeds, as well as in the doctrinal traditions of Irenæus and Tertullian, we vainly look for the last twelve articles of Pope Pius IVth's creed.

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domadam abstinemus. Eucharistiæ sacramento et in tempore victus et omnibus mandatum a Domino, etiam antelucanis cætibus, nec de aliorum manu quam præsidentium sumimus. Oblationes pro defunctis, pro natalitiis, annuâ die facimus. Die Dominico jejunium nefas dicimus, vel de geniculis adorare. Eâdem immunitate a die Paschæ in Pentecosten usque gaudemus. Calicis aut panis etiam nostri aliquid decuti in terram anxiè patimur. Ad omnem progressum atque promotum, ad omnem aditum et exitum, ad vestitum, ad calciatum, ad lavacra, ad mensas, ad lumina, ad cubilia, ad sedilia, quacumque nos conversatio exercet, frontem crucis signaculo terimus. Harum et aliarum ejusmodi disciplinarum si legem expostules scripturarum, nullam invenies; traditio tibi prætendetur auctrix, consuetudo confirmatrix, et fides observatrix.

BASIL.

S. Basilii Caesarea Cappad. Archiep. lib. de Spir. Sanc. c. xxvii. tom. iii. p. 55. (Benedict. edit. Parisiis, 1730.)

Εκ

Κεφαλ. κζ.]—Των εν τη εκκλησια πεφυλαγμενων δογματων και κηρυγμάτων, τα μεν του εγγράφου διδασκαλιας εχομεν, τα δε εκ της των αποστόλων παραδόσεως διαδοθέντα ημιν εν μυστηριω παρεδεξαμεθα. Απερ αμφότερα την αυτην ισχυν έχει προς της ευσεβειαν. Και τούτοις ουδεις αντέρει, ουκουν ος τις γε κατα μικρον γουν θεσμων εκκλησιαστικων πεπειραται. Ει γαρ επιχειρησαιμεν τα αγραφα των εθων ως μη μεγαλην έχοντα την δυναμιν παραιτείσθαι, λαθοιμεν αν εις αυτα τα καίρια ζημιούντες το ευαγγελιον. Μαλλον δε εις ονόμα ψιλον περιιστωντες το κηρυγμα. Οιον (ινα του πρω

του και κοινότατου πρωτον μνησ σθω) τω τυπω του σταυρού τους εις το όνομα του Κυρίου ημών Ιησου Χριστου ηλπικότας κατασημαίνεσθαι, τις ο δια γραμ

Of the doctrines and preachings which are preserved in the Church, we have some from written teaching, and we have received others mysteriously handed down to us from the tradition of the Apostles: both of which have the same authority for piety ; and no one will gainsay these, if he be ever so little experienced in ecclesiastical institutions. For if we venture to reject the unwritten customs as not having great authority, we should be secretly (or thoughtlessly) injuring the Gospel in its vitals, or rather we should reduce the preaching to an empty name. For instance, to mention that which is first and most common, who has taught us by writing that those who believe in our Lord Jesus

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