The Formation of Christendom, Volume II

121

Rom. x. 15.

122

ἡ παράδοσις. It will be shown hereafter that the four great writers, Irenæus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen, unanimously refer to Tradition in this sense.

123

See S. Irenæus, ii. 1. expressly stating this of S. Mark's and S. Luke's Gospel, and of the Apostles generally: “quod (Evangelium) quidem tunc præconaverunt, postea vero per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt;” which is repeated by Euseb. Hist. ii. 15, who declares that the Roman Christians, not content τῇ ἀγράφῳ τοῦ θείου κηρύγματος διδασκαλία, besought Mark with many prayers ὡς ἂν καὶ διὰ γραφῆς ὑπόμνημα τῆς διὰ λόγου παραδοθείσης αὐτοῖς καταλείψοι διδασκαλίας, which S. Peter afterwards approved.

124

Luke i. 2-4.

125

John xx. 30.

126

As one instance out of many take the words of S. Paul, 2 Cor. i. 22: “He that confirms us with you is Christ, and that has anointed us is God; who has also sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.” How differently would this passage appear to one who had received the confirming chrism, with the words conveying it, “Signo te signo crucis, et confirmo te chrismate salutis;” and to one who had lost the possession of this Sacrament. Those who have deserted the ecclesiastical tradition and practice read the Scriptures with a negative mind, and so fail to draw out the truth which is in them.

127

Eine Gnadenanstalt: our language does not supply the expression.

128

Heb. iv. 2; Acts xvi. 14.

129

By Möhler.

130

See Macaulay's Essays.

131

S. Aug. de Trin. iv. 11, 12, tom. viii. 817.

132

Tertullian, Apol. 50. “O gloriam licitam, quia humanam, cui nec præsumptio perdita nec persuasio desperata deputatur in contemptu mortis et atrocitatis omnimodæ, cui tantum pro patria, pro imperio, pro amicitia pati permissum est, quantum pro Deo non licet.” See again the instances he collects ad Martyres, 4; and Eusebius, Hist. 5, proœm., draws the same contrast.

133

Celsus only alleges the suffering of Socrates as a parallel to that of the martyrs. Origen c. Cels. i. 3.

134

With an appeal to this fact Athenagoras begins his apology to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, about a. d. 177. ἑνὶ λόγῳ κατὰ ἔθνη καὶ δήμους θυσίας κατάγουσιν ἂς ἂν ἐθέλωσιν ἄνθρωποι καὶ μυστήρια. οἱ δὲ Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ αἰλούρους καὶ κροκοδείλους καὶ ὄφεις καὶ ἀσπίδας καὶ κύνας θεούς νομίζουσι. καὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν ἐπετρέπετε καὶ ὑμεῖς καὶ οἱ νόμοι … ἡμῖν δὲ (καὶ μὴ παρακρουσθῆτε, ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ, ἐξ ἀκοῆς) τῷ ὀνόματι ἀπεχθάνεσθε. Ch. i. See also Kellner's Hellenismus und Christenthum, p. 79; and Champagny, Les Antonins, ii. 189.

135

1 Tim. vi. 13; ii. 6.

136

“Æmulos nos ergo Sibi esse voluit, ac primus virtute cœlesti injustorum justus obtemperavit arbitrio; dans scilicet secuturis viam, ut pius Dominus exemplum famulis Se præbendo, ne onerosus præceptor a quodam putaretur. Pertulit ante illa quæ aliis perferenda mandavit.” Epist. Ecc. Smyr. i. Ruinart, p. 31.

137

Apoc. ii. 2, 10, 14.

138

This is what Tertullian calls “sub umbraculo insignissimæ religionis, certe licitæ,” Apolog. 21; and ad Nationes, i. 11, “Nos quoque ut Judaicæ religionis propinquos.”

139

See Justin Martyr, Dial. c. Tryph. 17, who speaks of the Jews as sending everywhere deputies in order to defame Christians.

140

Acts xxviii. 22.

141

Tacitus, Ann. xv. 44.

142

Ὁ Παῦλος, μαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων, οὕτως ἀπηλλάγη τοῦ κόσμου. S. Clem. Rom. ad Cor. 5.

143

Tertull. Apol. 10. “Sacrilegii et majestatis rei convenimur: summa hæc causa, immo tota est.” Lassaulx says, “die beiden Hauptanklagen, die Religion-verachtung, die Majestäts-beleidigung.” Fall des Hellenismus, p. 11.

144

Matt. x. 22; xxiv. 9.

145

S. Clemens Rom., writing just after Domitian's time, associates as sufferers with S. Peter and S. Paul in his own time πολὺ πλῆθος ἐκλεκτῶν, οἵτινες πολλὰς αἰκίας καὶ βασάνους διὰ ζῆλον παθόντες ὑποδεῖγμα κάλλιστον ἐγένοντο ἐν ἡμῖν. Ad Cor. 6.