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ματος διδαξας; το προς ανατολας τετραφθαι κατά την προσευ χην ποιον εδιδαξεν ημας γραμμα, τα της επικλήσεως ρηματα επι τη αναδείξει του αρτου της ευχαριστίας και του ποτηριου της ευλογίας, τις των αγιων εγγραφως ημιν καταλελοιπεν; ου γαρ δη τούτοις αρκούμεθα, ο αποστολος η το ευαγγελιον επεμνήσθη, αλλα και προλεγομεν και επιλεγομεν έτερα, ως μεγαλην εχοντα προς το μυστηριον την ισχύν, εκ της αγράφου διδασκαλιας παραλαβοντες, ευλογούμεν δε το τε υδωρ του βαπτισματος, και το ελαιον της χρισεως, και προσετι αυτον τον βαπτιζομενον. Απο ποιων εγγράφων; ουκ απο της σιωπωμένης και μυστικής παραδόσεως; τι δε αυτήν του ελαιου την χρισιν, τις λογος γεγραμμενος εδίδαξε; το δε τρις βαπ τίζεσθαι τον ανθρωπον, πόθεν; αλλα δε όσα περι το βαπτισμα αποτασσεσθαι τω Σατανα και τοις αγγέλοις αυτού, εκ ποιας

εστι γραφης; ουκ εκ του αδημοσιευτου ταυτης και απορρητου διδασκαλίας, ην εν απολυπραγμονητω και απεριεργαστω σιγη οι πατέρες ημων εφύλαξαν, και λως εκείνο δεδιδαγμένοι, των μυστηριων ΤΟ σεμνον σιωπη διασώζεσθαι; κ. τ. λ.

Christ, should be marked with the figure of the cross? What writing has taught us to turn towards the East when we pray? Which of the saints has left to us in writing the words of the invocation, at the exhibition of the bread of the eucharist, and of the cup of blessing

For we are not content with those words which the Apostle or the Gospel has recorded, but we say others both before and after, as possessing great authority in the mystery, receiving them from the bless also the water of bapunwritten teaching, and we tism, and the oil of unction, and moreover the person himself who is baptized. From what Scriptures (have we learnt to do these things) ? Is it not from a silent and What mystical tradition? written word has taught us even the unction of the oil? And whence comes the thrice

dipping of a man ? And the other things in baptism ; the renouncing of Satan and his angels, from what Scripture (does this come)? Is it not (derived) from that unpublished and undivulged tradition, which our fathers preserved in incurious and artless silence, having well learnt that the sacredness of the mysteries is preserved by silence?

The Nicene Creed.

Conciliorum omnium nova et amplissima collectio, in quâ præter ea quæ Phil. Labbæus et Gab. Cossartius et novis

simé Nicolaus Coleti in lucem edidêre, ea omnia insuper suis in locis optimè disposita exhibentur, quæ Joannes Dominicus Mansi Lucensis, congregationis matris Dei evulgavit. Tom. ii. p. 665. (Florentiæ, 1759.)

Και εις

Η εν Νικαια πρωτη αγια και οικουμενική σύνοδος.
The first holy and general Council held at Nice.
Συμβολον της αυτης εν Νικαια ουνοδου.

Πιστευομεν εις ένα Θεον, πατερα παντοκρατορα, παντων ορατών τε και αορατων ποιητην. ενα Κυριον Ιησουν Χριστον τον υιον του Θεου, γεννηθεντα εκ του Πατρος μου νογενή, τουτεστιν εκ της ουσίας Πατρος. Θεον εκ Θεου, φως εκ φωτος, Θεον αληθινον εκ Θεου αληθινού, γεννηθεντα, ου ποιηθεντα, ομοούσιον τω πατρι, δι'

ου τα παντα εγενετο, τα τε

εν

τω ουρανω, και τα επι της γης. Τον δι' ημας τους ανθρώπους, και δια την ημετεραν σωτηριαν κατελθοντα, και σαρκωθέντα, και ενανθρωπήσαντα. Παθοντά

και αναστάντα τη τρίτη ημερα, και ανελθοντα εις τους ουρανους. Και ερχομενον παλιν κριναι ζωντας και νεκρους. Και εις το πνευμα αγιον. Τους δε λεγοντας ην ποτε οτε ουκ ην, και πριν γεννηθηναι ουκ ην, και οτι εξ ουκ οντων εγενετο, η εξ ετέρας υποστάσεως η ουσιας φάσκοντας είναι, η κτιστον, η αλλοιωτον, η τρεπτον τον υιον του Θεου. Τουτους αναθεματίζει η καθολική και αποστολικη εκ κλησια.

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, that is to say of the essence of the Father. God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made, both the things in heaven and those upon the earth. Who for men, and for our salvation, came down, and was incarnate, and became man. Who suffered, and rose again on the third day, and ascended into the heavens; and who living and the dead. And in shall come again to judge the the Holy Ghost.

us

But those who say that there was a time when he did not exist, and that he did not exist before he was begotten, and that he was made out of nothing, and that he was of another substance or essence; or that the Son of God was created, or altered, or changed, these the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes.

Decree of the Council of Ephesus* respecting faith.

Ορος της συνόδου περι της πίστεως, κ. τ. λ. Conciliorum omnium, &c. Mansi; ut supra. tom. iv. p. 1362.

The decree of the Council concerning faith.

Τούτων τοινυν αναγνωσθεντωνι, ωρισεν η αγια συνοδος, ετεραν πιστιν μηδενι εξείναι, προσφερειν, ηγουν συγγράφειν, η συντίθεναι παρα την ορισθεισαν παρα των αγίων πατέρων των εν τη Νικαεων συνελθοντων συν αγιω πνευματι. Τους δε τολμώντας η συντιθηναι

πιστιν ετέραν, ήγουν προκομι

ζειν η προσφερειν τοις εθέλουσιν επιστρέφειν εις επιγνωσιν της αληθειας, η εξ ελληνισμω, η εξ Ιουδαισμου, η εξ αιρεσεως οιασδηποτουν, τουτους ει μεν είεν επισκοποι, η κληρικοι αλλοτριους

είναι τους επισκόπους της επισ

κόπης, και τους κληρικούς του κληρου. Εἰ δε λαικοι είεν, αναθεματίζεσθαι.

These, therefore, having been read, the holy Counci decreed that no one should be allowed to put forth, or to write, or to compose any other faith than that which was fixed by the holy Fathers who assembled at Nice with the Holy Spirit. And that those who should presume either to compose any other faith, or to produce it, or to present it to those who should be desirous of being converted to a knowledge of the truth, either from Gentilism, or from Judaism, or from any heresy, if they were bishops or clergymen, that the bishops should be deprived of their episcopal office, and the clergy of their clerical office; and that if they were laymen they should be anathematized.

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH AND SALVATION BY GRACE.

Many beautiful passages on these subjects are contained in writings of the Fathers; and yet, in other parts of their works, satisfaction for sin by alms and sufferings is maintained by many of them, whilst most of the Nicene Fathers were ascetics, and favoured the fanaticism of St. Anthony and his followers. This inconsistency arose from their adopting Cyprian's notion that post-baptismal sins needed alms and penances for their expiation; a doctrine chiefly founded upon the Greek Septuagint version of a passage in

* A General Council.

the book of Daniel, and also upon one or two verses of the Apocrypha, Ecclesias. xxix. 15, and Tobias. The passage Dan. iv. 27, which is rendered in our version, "break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor," is rendered in the Septuagint, which was consulted and quoted by Cyprian, Chrysostom, &c. c. iv, v. 24. “ Τας αμαρτίας σου εν ελεημοσύναις λυτρωσαι, και τας αδικίας εν οικτιρμοίς πενήτων.” "Redeem thy sins by alms, and thine unrighteousness by compassion to the poor." This passage is quoted in his works by Chrysostom six or seven times in support of his doctrine, that sins are redeemed by alms; it is quoted also by Cyprian. In fact, the following passages from the Fathers ought only to be quoted by Protestants to nullify the effect of other passages which may be quoted by Romanists; and to prove the clearness of the Scriptural doctrine, since those who, by their prejudices and ascetical practices, must have been biassed against it, were constrained to give the interpretation which they have done of those passages of Holy Writ which proclaim justification by faith, and salvation by grace.

AUGUSTINE.

Omne bonum meritum nostrum non in nobis faciat nisi gratia; et cum Deus coronat merita nostra, nihil aliud coronat quam munera sua.—(Ad Sixtum Epist. 194. tom. ii. Bened. edit. Parisiis, 1694.)

Nullane igitur sunt merita justorum? Sunt planè quia justi sunt. Sed ut justi fierent merita non fuerunt. Justi enim facti sunt, cùm justificati sunt, sed sicut dicit Apostolus, justificati gratis per gratiam ipsius.-(Ad Sixtum Epist. 194. tom. ii. Editio ut supra.)

Neque ex lege justitia, neque per naturæ possibilitatem, sed ex fide et dono Dei per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum.-(Ad. Innoc. Epist. 177. tom. ii. p. 626. Editio ut supra.)

Quis enim te discernit ? Quid autem habes quod non accepisti? (1 Cor. iv. 7.) Non ergo nos discernunt merita, sed gratia. Nam si merita, debitum est; si debitum est, gratia non est; si gratis non est, gratia non est.-Sermo ccxciii. In natali Joh. Bap.

Augustine is the most evangelical of the Fathers of the fourth century, and does not seem to have cherished the ultra-ascetic principles of Chrysostom or Jerome.

VOL. II.

S. Augustini Episcopi in Psalmus xviii. Enarratio ii. tom. iv. p. 82. (Bened. edit. Parisiis, 1694.)

"Non sunt loquelæ neque sermones, quorum non audiantur Voces eorum. In omnem terram exiit sonus eorum, et in fines orbis terræ verba eorum." Quorum, nisi cœlorum ? Quorum ergo, nisi apostolorum? Ipsi enarrant nobis gloriam Dei, positam in Christo Jesu, per gratiam in remissionem peccatorum. Omnes enim peccaverunt, et egent gloriâ Dei, justificati gratis per sanguinem ipsiùs. Quia gratis, ideò gratia, non est enim gratia, si non gratuita. Quia nihil boni ante feceramus, unde talia dona mereremur; magis quia non gratis inferretur supplicium, ideò gratis præstitum est beneficium. Nihil præcesserat in meritis nostris, nisi unde damnari deberemus. Ille autem non propter nostram justitiam, sed propter suam misericordiam salvos nos fecit per lavacrum regenerationis. Hæc est, inquam, gloria Dei, hanc cœli enarraverunt.

Enarratio in Psalmum xliii. tom. iv. p. 375.-(Editio ut supra.)

Quid dicturi sumus ei, qui primò gratis nos fecit, quia bonus est, non quia aliquid meruimus? Deinde de ipsâ reparatione, de secundâ nativitate quid dicturi sumus? Merita nostra fecisse ut nobis illa salus perpetua mitteretur a Domino? Absit. Si merita nostra aliquid facerent, ad damnationem nostram veniret. Non venit ille ad inspectionem meritorum, sed ad remissionem peccatorum. Non fuisti, sed factus es: quid Deo dedisti? Quid non ab eo gratis accepisti? Meritò et gratia nominatur, quia gratis datur. Exigitur ergo a te, ut tu gratis eum colas: non quia dat temporalia, sed quia præstat æterna.

In Psalmum lxx. Enarratio. Serm. ii. tom. iv. p. 733.(Editio ut supra.)

Gratia, gratis data est. Nam nisi gratis esset, gratia non esset. Porrò autem si proptereà gratia est quia gratis est, nihil tuum præcessit ut acciperes. Nam si aliqua bona opera tua præcesserunt, pretium accepisti, non gratis; pretium autem quod nobis debebatur, supplicium est. Quòd ergo liberamur, non nostris meritis, sed illius gratiâ est. Illum ergo landemus: illi totum quod sumus, et quod salvi efficamur, debeamus.

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