the fulness of the Scriptures. Let Hermogenes show that it is written; if it be not written, let him fear that wo appointed for those that add, or diminish." In another place, thus,* "We have the apostles of the Lord for our authors; who never brought in any thing at their own will, but what doctrine they had from Christ, they faithfully delivered to the nations; wherefore if an angel from heaven should preach otherwise to us, we would pronounce him accursed." To this objection [the apostles did not know all or if they did, they did not deliver all] he replies, "That both ways, such reproach Christ, as if he had sent apostles either unskilful, or unfaithful."+ Again, "In matters of faith, men must argue no other way than from the Scriptures." In short, he lays down the doctrines of this age in a confession of faith, agreeable to that which is called the apostles' creed, and says, "They are not doubted of by any amongst us, but heretics." In the like manner speaks Origen,‡ who lived also in this age, of the perfection of the Scrip

* Apostolos Domini habemus authores, qui nec ipsi quicquam ex suo arbitrio, quod inducerent, elegerunt; sed acceptam à Christo disciplinam fideliter nationibus assignaverunt. Itaque etiam si angelus de cœlis aliter evangelizaret, anathema diceretur à nobis. Idem de Præsc. Hæret.

† Solent dicere, non omnia apostolos scisse,-omnia quidem apostolos scisse, sed non omnia omnibus tradidisse; in utroque Christum reprehensioni subjicientes, qui aut minus instructos, aut parum simplices apostolos miserit. Ibid. Aliunde suadere non possent de rebus fidei nisi ex literis fidei. Ibid.

Id. ibid. Origen. in Levit. Hom. 5. tom. 1.

ture: "In the two Testaments every word that appertains to God may be required and discussed, and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood; but if any thing remains, which the Holy Scripture does not determine, no other third Scripture ought to be received to authorize any knowledge.” And more in other places.* See also a large confession of faith by him, and Gregory Neocesar, containing the doctrines that we hold.†

Jerome‡ who died A. D. 420, says thus, "Whatsoever we affirm, we ought to prove out of the Holy Scriptures. The speakers' words have not so much authority as the Lord's command.”

Ambrose§ also, who was born about the year 333, is of the same judgment. "We ought to add nothing, no, not for caution, to God's command; for if thou dost add, or diminish, it is a prevaricating of the command; the pure and simple form of the command is to be kept. Nothing therefore, seem it never so good, ought to be added to it. Therefore we ought not to add to or take away from the

* Hom. 2. in Hieremiam.

+ Madgeburg. Cent. 3. p. 34, 35.

Hieron. in Psal. 98.

§ Nihil, vel cautionis gratiâ jungere nos debemus mandato. Si quid enim vel addas, vel detrahas, prævaricatio quædam videtur esse mandati, pura enim et simplex mandati forma servanda. Nihil vel quod bonum videtur, addendum est. Docet igitur nos præsentis lectionis series neque detrahere aliquid divinis debere mandatis, neque addere. Ambr. tom. 4. de Paradis. cap. 12.

commands of God." Again, he saith," Who shall speak where the Scripture is silent?"* Augustine (born A. D. 355) subscribes the same doctrine. "In those things which are laid down plainly in the Scripture, all those things are found which belong to faith, or direction of life.t "Let us not hear, this I say, this you say, but let us hear, thus says the Lord; there is God's book, to whose au

* Sanctis Scripturis non loquentibus, quis loquetur? Idem. de Voc. Gent. 1. 2. c. 3.

In iis quæ aperte in Scripturâ posita sunt, inveniuntur illa omnia, quæ continent fidem moresque vivendi. Aug. de Doct. Christ. tom. 3. 1. 2. c. 9.

‡ Non audiamus, hæc dico, hæc dicis, sed audiamus, hæc dicit Dominus. Sunt certe libri Dominici, quorum autoritati, utrique consentimus, utrique credimus; ibi quæramus ecclesiam, ibi discutiamus causam nostram; auferantur illa de medio, quæ adversus nos invicem, non ex divinis canonicis libris, sed aliunde recitamus; quia nolo humanis documentis, sed divinis oraculis sanctam ecclesiam demonstrari. Idem de Unitat. Eccles. cap. 3. Legite nobis hæc de lege, de prophetis, de Psalmis, de ipso evangelio, de apostolicis literis; legite et credimus. Idem. ibid. cap. 6. Ipse Dominus Jesus discipulos testimoniis legis et prophetarum confirmandos esse magis judicavit. Hæc sunt causæ nostræ documenta, hæc fundamenta, hæc firmamenta. Idem. ibid. cap. 16. Nemo ex me quærat sententiam meam, sed potius audiamus oracula, nostrasque ratiunculas divinis summittamus affatibus. August. de Mor. Eccl. Cath. cap. 7. tom. 1. Per Scripturas divinas multo tutius ambulatur. Controversia ex eâdem Scripturà terminetur. Id. de Doct. Christ cap. 8. Sententias Ambrosi, Hieronymi, &c. non ob hoc interponere volui, ut cujusquam hominis sensum tanquam Scripturæ canonicæ auctoritatem sequendum arbitreris. Id. Epist. 112.

thority we both consent, both believe. There let us seek the church, there let us discuss our cause. Let those things be taken from amongst us which we quote one against another, from any source but the divine canonical books; for I will not, that the holy church be demonstrated from the documents of men, but from the oracles of God." Again, "Read us these things out of the law, out of the prophets, or psalms, or gospel, or the apostles' epistles; read ye, and we believe." Again, "Our Lord Jesus himself did rather judge that his disciples should be confirmed by the testimony of the law and prophets. These are the proofs, foundation, and strength of our cause." Again, "Let no man ask me my opinion, but let us hearken to the Scripture, and submit our petty reasonings to the word of God. We walk much safer according to the Scripture; controversies are to be determined. by the Scripture." Again, "I insert the opinion of Ambrose, Jerome, &c., not that thou shouldst think that the sense of any man is to be followed as the authority of canonical Scripture." Augustine has abundance more in many places of such doctrine, and he was above a thousand years before Luther.

Chrysostom also, who lived in the same age, and died about the year 407, taught the same doctrine, in this point, as the reformed churches now do. Thus he writes: "Would it not be an absurd and preposterous thing, that when we have to do with

men in matters of money, we believe them not, but count it after them; but when we are to judge of things, we are simply drawn into their opinions; and that, when we have the law of God for an exact rule, balance, and square of all things, Wherefore I beseech and entreat you all, that you matter not, what one or another thinks of these things; but that you would consult the Holy Scriptures concerning them.99* In another place, thus: “ These things which are in the Holy Scripture, are clear and right; whatsoever is necessary, is manifest therein." Many more testimonies we might have from this author, and others quoted in the note,‡ but brevity forbids the transcribing of their words. To conclude this particular, take the testimony of a

* Πως γαρ ουκ άτοπον ὑπερ μεν χρημάτων μη έθεροις πιστευειν, ἀλλ ̓ αριθμω και ψήφω τούτο επιτρέπειν, ὑπερ δε πραγματων ψηφιζομενους ἁπλως ταις ἑτερων παρασυρεσθαι δόξαις: και ταύτα ακριβη ζυγον ἁπανίων έχονλας και γνώμονα και κανόνα, των θείων νόμων την ἀποφασιν; διο παρ ρακαλω και δείμαι παντων ὑμῶν ἀφεντες τι τα δεινι και τω δεινι δοκει περι πούλων, παρα των γραφων ταυ]α άπαντα πυνθάνεσθε. Chrys. Hom. 13. in 2 Cor.

† Ταυτα σαφή και εύθεα τα παρα ταις θείαις γραφαις. Πανία τα ἀναγκαια δηλα, Idem Homil. 3. in 2 Thess. cap. 2.

Η Cyprian. lib. 2. Epist. 3. et ad Quintinum, et ad Pompeium; et ad Jubajanum. Αυτάρκεις εἰσιν αἱ ἅγιαι και θεοπνευστοι γραφαι προς την της αληθείας επαγγελίαν. Athanas. tom. 1. pag. 1. Η μεν αληθης και ευσεβης εις τον κύριον πιστις φανερα πασι καθεστηκεν ἐκ των θείων γράφων γινωσκομένη τε και αναγινωσκομενη. Idem. tom. i. 398. Ἡ θεία γραφη παντων εστιν ἱκανωτερα. Idem. pag. 114. vide etiam pag. 217. 423. Τα μεν σύμφωνα ταις γραφαις δεχεσθαι, τα δε αλλοτρία ἀποβαλλειν. Basil. Mag. in Moral. lib. Sum. 72. cap. 1. vide etiam eundem, Sum. 80. cap. 22. et Homil. de Confes. fidei. et passim.