When tradition is corrupted,the Church must go back to Scr.267 to learn; because he teaches also better, who daily increases and advances by learning better. This too the same Apostle teaches us, admonishing, that if any thing better 1 Cor. 14, 30. be revealed to another that sitteth by, the first should hold his peace. 13. But for religious and simple minds, there is a short method whereby to put off error, and to discover and extract the truth. For if we return to the head and original of Divine tradition, human error ceases; and having seen into the grounds of the heavenly sacraments, whatever lay hid under the gloom and cloud of darkness, is laid open to the light of truth. If a conduit conveying water, which before flowed copiously and abundantly, should suddenly fail, do we not go to the fountain, that there the reason of the failure may be ascertained, whether the springs having failed, the water has dried up at the fountain-head; or whether, flowing thence in unimpaired fulness, it is stopped in the middle of its course; that so, if through the defect of leaks or obstructions in the conduit the water supplied have been hindered from flowing in a continuous and unbroken stream, then, the conduit being repaired and strengthened, the water, kept together, may be supplied for the use and consumption of the city in the same abundance and fulness, wherewith it issues from the fountain? This then it now behoves the priests of God to do who keep the Divine commandments, that if the truth has in any respect tottered and faltered, we should go back to our Lord, as our Head, and to the Evangelic and Apostolic tradition; that so the grounds of our action might spring thence, whence both our order and origin took its rise. 14. For it has been delivered to us that there is One God, and One Christ, and one hope, and one faith, and one Church, and one Baptism appointed only in the one Church, from Ephes. which unity whosoever shall depart must needs be found 4, 5. with heretics; whom upholding against the Church, he impugns the mystery of the Divine tradition. A mysterious image1 of this unity we see expressed in the Song of Songs, Sacrain the Person of Christ, Who says; A garden enclosed is My sister, My spouse, a fountain sealed, a well of living water, mon's an orchard of pomegranates. But if His Church is a garden Song, 4, mentum Solo 12. 13. A. 256. 20. 268 Scripture proofs of oneness of Baptism. EPIST. enclosed, and a fountain sealed, how can he who is not in LXXIV. the Church, enter the same garden, or drink of its fountain? Peter likewise, setting forth and upholding unity, has charged and admonished, that we can only be saved by the one only 1 Pet.3, Baptism of the one Church. In the ark of Noah, few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water, as also Baptism shall in like manner save you. With how compendious and spiritual brevity has he set forth the mystery of unity? For as in that Baptism of the world, whereby the old iniquity was cleansed', he who was not in the ark of Noah, could not be saved by water; so neither now can he appear to be saved by Baptism, who has not been baptized in the Church, which is founded in the unity of the Lord after the mystery of the one ark. 15. Having then, dearest brother, searched out and discovered the truth, what we observe and maintain is this, that all converted to the Church from whatsoever heresy, be baptized with the alone legitimate Baptism of the Church, except such as had been baptized before in the Church, and then had gone over to heretics. For these, when they return, having done penance, should be received by imposition of hands only, and be restored by the shepherd to the fold whence they had strayed. I bid thee, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell. EPISTLE LXXV. Firmilian to Cyprian, his brother in the Lord, greeting. We have received, dearest brother, by the deacon whom you sent, our well-beloved Rogatian, the letter which you n. 6. 5 See ab. Ep. 69. §. 2. p. 222. and a S. Firmilian was of noble birth in Cappadocia, (S. Greg. Nyss.) was eminent as a Bishop in A. 231. (Eus. H. E. vi. 26.) He appears to have been a disciple of Origen, and is mentioned by Eusebias as one of the most distinguished of those who looked up to him. He valued Origen so much, as "sometimes to bring him to his own country for the benefit of the Churches, sometimes to visit him in Judæa, passing some time with him, for the sake of improvement in Divine things." (1. c. 27.) He was the like-minded friend of S. Gregory Thaumaturgus, who confided to him first his purpose to abandon secular philosophy, and give his life and his thoughts wholly to God. (S. Greg. Nyss. vit. S. Greg. Thaum. t. i. p. 542.) S. Greg. Nyss. calls him "an ornament of the Church of Cæsarea." (ib.) S. Dionysius the Great counts him among the most illustrious Bishops of his time, (ap. Eus. H. E. vii. 5.) Oneness of Christians, however separated in space. 269 addressed to me, and we gave most hearty thanks to the Lord, for that it has happened, that we who are separated from one another in body, are so united in spirit; as though we were not merely living in one country, but dwelling together in one and the selfsame house. And this too may be said, since the spiritual house of God is one. For it shall Is. 2, 2. come to pass, saith the Prophet, in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest, and the house of God above the tops of the mountains: wherein such as meet together are with gladness united; according, as in the Psalm, request is made to the Lord, to dwell in the house of Ps.27,4. the Lord all the days of his life. Whence too it is elsewhere made manifest, that saints have great delight in meeting together: Behold, he says, how good and how pleasant it is Ps. 133, for brethren to dwell together in unity. For unity and 1· peace and concord afford the highest pleasure, not only to Eusebius, as (with S. Greg. Thaum. and six others) one of the most eminent of the very large Council of Antioch, which condemned Paul of Samosata. (ib. c. 28.) He is quoted by S. Basil, (from his then extant writings,) as an authority in doctrine, (de Sp. S. c. 29.) Theodoret calls him " an illustrious person, and possessed both of secular and divine knowledge." (Hær. Fab. ii. 8.) He seems to state that he himself had with many others been present at the Council of Iconium, where the practice of baptizing heretics was confirmed; and if so, it must have been at the very beginning of his Episcopate, (jampridem bel. §. 7.) He with Helenus and Theoctistus urged S. Dionysius to 66 come to the Synod of Antioch, where some were trying to establish the heresy of Novatian," (Eus. vi. 16.) and he is mentioned as one of those who joyed exceedingly at the restored peace of the Church, which had been distracted by it. (ib. vii. 4.) He was present at two Synods of Antioch, in which he condemned the heresy of Paul of Samosata, at the second of which he seems to have presided, since he is related to have deferred the sentence against Paul, trusting in his promise to recant. (ib.) He departed this life at Tarsus on his way to the great Council of Antioch, where Paul was condemned, and which was awaiting his coming, and by whom he was at once, with Dionysius, entitled "of blessed memory." (1. c.) Pope Stephen rejected his Communion and that of the Bishops of the neigh- Questions as to the genuineness of 66 LXXV. 270 All time and space,angelsandmen,knittogetherbytheSpirit. EPIST. faithful men who know the truth, but also to the very angels in heaven; among whom, the Divine word says, there is joy over Luke15, one sinner that repenteth, and returneth to the bond of unity. A. 256. 10. 2. Which assuredly would not be said of angels, who have their conversation in heaven, unless they too, who rejoice in our unity, were united to us: as surely they contrariwise are saddened, when they see the diverse minds and divided wills of some; so that not only they do not join in calling upon One and the Same Lord, but, separated and divided from one another, they can no longer hold common conversation and discourse together. However, we may for this thank 1 inhu- Stephen; that through his unkindness' it hath now happened, that we should receive a proof of your faith and wisdom. But though we have received the mercy of this favour through Stephen, yet Stephen has not therefore done what deserves favour and thanks. For neither can Judas, by reason of his perfidy and treachery, wherewith he dealt accursedly against the Saviour, be thought worthy, though he had been the cause of blessings so great, and through him the world and the people of the Gentiles were freed by the Passion of the Lord. manitas 3. But let the acts of Stephen for the present be passed over; lest, whilst we recal his bold and presuming deeds, we prolong the sadness occasioned by what he has done amiss. But knowing of you, that according to the rule of truth and the wisdom of Christ, you have ordered this, about which a question is now raised; we exult with great joy and give thanks to God, that, in brethren so far distant, we find such unanimity of faith and truth with us. For the grace of God is able to join and knit together in the bond of charity and unity, even what seems divided by great distance of space, as, of old, the Divine power joined together in the bond of unanimity those separated by a long interval of time, Ezekiel and Daniel, of later date, with Job and Noah who were among the first; so that although they were disjoined by long periods, yet by divine inspiration they held the same. This too we now observe in you, that ye who are separated from us by very distant regions, yet prove yourselves to be united with us in mind and spirit. All which proceeds from the Divine Unity. For since there is One and the Same Lord Who dwelleth in us, He every Depthof God's word knownbypartialunderstandingofmany.271 where knits and joins together His own in the bond of unity. Whence their sound went forth through all the earth, who were sent by the Lord, running swiftly in the spirit of unity. As contrariwise it nothing profits others that they are near and conjoined in body, if they differ in mind and spirit; for that Ps.19,4. souls cannot be any way united, which have divided themselves from the Unity of God. For, lo, it says, they that are far from Thee shall perish: but such, as they deserve, shall undergo the judgment of God, in that they depart from the words of Him, Who entreats the Father for unity, and says, Ps. 73, Father, grant that as Thou and I are One, so they also may' 27. be one in Us. 4. But what you have written to us, we receive as if it were our own; nor have we read it cursorily, but oftentimes John 17, repeating it, have committed it to memory. Nor doth it 21. hinder any saving uses, either to repeat the same things for confirming the truth, or to add, it may be, some things for accumulating proof. But if any thing has been added by us, it is not added as though you had said too little; but because the Divine word surpasses human nature, and the soul cannot conceive it wholly and perfectly. Wherefore also the number of Prophets is so great, that the manifold wisdom of God might be distributed through many. Whence also whoso first speaketh in prophecy is bidden to hold his peace, if any thing be revealed to a second. For which cause it is of necessity arranged among us, that we, elders and prelates, meet every year to set in order the things 1 Cor. entrusted to our charge: that if there be any matters of 14, 30. graver moment, they may be settled by common advice; that for brethren who have lapsed, and after saving Baptism have been wounded by the devil, a remedy may by penance be sought: not as if they obtained remission of sins from us", but that through us they may be brought to a knowledge of their offences, and be compelled to give fuller satisfaction to the Lord. But since your messenger was in haste to return to you, and the winter season was close at hand, we have answered your letter to the best of our power. bfor what God does through His priests, is of His own power." S. Pacian. ap. Rig. e individually, instead of sending a Synodical letter on the following Easter. |