Authority of Scripture

 ATHANASIUS considers Scripture sufficient for the proof of such fundamental doctrines as came into controversy during the Arian troubles; but, while in consequence he ever appeals to Scripture, (and indeed has scarcely any other authoritative document to quote,) he ever speaks against interpreting it by a private rule instead of adhering to ecclesiastical tradition. Tradition is with him of supreme authority, including therein catechetical instruction, the teaching of the schola, ecumenical belief, the [ phronema ] of Catholics, the ecclesiastical scope, the analogy of faith, etc.

 "The holy and inspired Scriptures are sufficient of themselves for the preaching of the truth; yet there are also many treatises of our blessed teachers composed for this purpose." contr. Gent. init. "For studying and mastering the Scriptures, there is need of a good life and a pure soul, and virtue according to Christ," Incarn. 57. "Since divine Scripture is sufficient more than anything else, I recommend persons who wish to know fully concerning these things," (the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity,) "to read the divine oracles," ad Ep. Æg. 4. "The Scriptures are sufficient for teaching; but it is good for us to exhort each other in the faith, and to refresh each other with discourses." Vit. S. Ant. 16. "We must seek before all things whether He is Son, and on this point specially search the Scriptures, for this it was, when the Apostles were questioned, that Peter answered," etc. Orat. ii. § 73. And passim in Athan. Vid. Serap. i. 32 init. iv. fin. contr. Apoll. i. 6, 8, 9, 11, 22. ii. 8, 9, 13, 14, 17-19.

 "The doctrine of the Church should be proved, not announced, [ apodeiktikos ouk apophantikos ];) therefore show that Scripture thus teaches." Theod. Eran. p. 199. "We have learned the rule of doctrine ([ kanona ]) out of divine Scripture." ibid. p. 213. "Do not believe me, let Scripture be recited. I do not say of myself, 'In the beginning was the Word,' but I hear it; I do not invent, but I read; what we all read, but not all understand." Ambros. de Incarn. 14. "Non recipio quod extra Scripturam de tuo infers." Tertull. Carn. Christ. 7. vid. also 6. "You departed from inspired Scripture, and therefore did fall from grace." Max. de Trin. Dial. v. 29. "The Children of the Church have received from their holy Fathers, that is, the holy Apostles, to guard the faith; and withal to deliver and preach it to their own children ... Cease not, faithful and orthodox men, thus to speak, and to teach the like from the divine Scriptures, and to walk, and to catechise, to the confirmation of yourselves and those who hear you; namely, that holy faith of the Catholic Church, as the holy and only Virgin of God received its custody from the holy Apostles of the Lord; and thus, in the case of each of those who are under catechising, who are to approach the Holy Bath, ye ought not only to preach faith to your children in the Lord, but also to teach them expressly, as your common mother teaches, to say: 'We believe in One God,'" etc. Epiph. Ancor. 119, fin. who thereupon proceeds to give at length the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. And so Athan. speaks of the orthodox faith, as "issuing from Apostolical teaching and the Fathers' tradition, and confirmed by New and Old Testament." ad Adelph. 6, init. Cyril Hier. too, as "declared by the Church and established from all Scripture." Cat. v. 12. "Let us guard with vigilance what we have received ... What then have we received from the Scriptures but altogether this? that God made the world by the Word," etc. etc. Procl. ad Armen. Ep. 2, p. 612. "That God the Word, after the union, remained such as He was, etc., so clearly hath divine Scripture, and moreover the doctors of the Churches, and the lights of the world taught us." Theodor. Eran. p. 175, init. "That it is the tradition of the Fathers is not the whole of our case; for they too followed the meaning of Scripture, starting from the testimonies, which just now we laid before you from Scripture." Basil de Sp. S. n. 16. vid. also a remarkable passage in Athan. Synod. § 6, fin.

 S. Gregory says in a well-known passage, "Why art thou such a slave to the letter, and takest up with Jewish wisdom, and pursuest syllables to the loss of things? For if thou wert to say, 'twice five,' or 'twice seven,' and I concluded 'ten' or 'fourteen' from your words, or from 'a reasonable mortal animal' I concluded 'man,' should I seem to you absurd? how so, if I did but give your meaning? for words belong as much to him who demands them as to him who utters." Orat. 31. 24. vid. also Hil. contr. Constant. 16. August. Ep. 238, n. 4-6. Cyril. Dial. i. p. 391. Petavius refers to other passages, de Trin. iv. 5, § 6.

 In interpreting Scripture, Athan. always assumes that the Catholic teaching is true, and the Scripture must be explained by it, vid. art. Rule of Faith . Thus he says, Orat. ii. 3, "If He be Son, as indeed He is, let them not question about the terms which the sacred writers use of Him ... For terms do not disparage His Nature, but rather that Nature draws to itself those terms and changes them." And presently, "Nature and truth draw the meaning to themselves; this being so, why ask, is He a work? it is proper to ask of them first, is He a Son?" ii. 5.

 The great and essential difference between Catholics and non-Catholics was that Catholics interpreted Scripture by Tradition, and non-Catholics by their own private judgment.

 That not only Arians, but heretics generally, professed to be guided by Scripture, we know from many witnesses.

 Heretics in particular professed to be guided by Scripture. Tertull. Præscr. 8. For Gnostics, vid. Tertullian's grave sarcasm, "Utantur hæretici omnes scripturis ejus, cujus utuntur etiam mundo." Carn. Christ. 6. For Arians, vid. supr. Arian tenets . And so Marcellus, "We consider it unsafe to lay down doctrine concerning things which we have not learned with exactness from the divine Scriptures." (leg. [ peri hon ... para ton ].) Euseb. Eccl. Theol. p. 177. And Macedonians, vid. Leont. de Sect. iv. init. And Monophysites, "I have not learned this from Scripture; and I have a great fear of saying what it is silent about." Theod. Eran. p. 215. S. Hilary brings a number of these instances together with their respective texts, Marcellus, Photinus, Sabellius, Montanus, Manes; then he continues, "Omnes Scripturas sine Scripturæ sensu loquuntur, et fidem sine fide prætendunt. Scripturæ enim non in legendo sunt, sed in intelligendo, neque in prævaricatione sunt sed in caritate." ad Const. ii. 9. vid. also Hieron. c. Lucif. 27. August. Ep. 120, 13.