Chapter XXXVI.—The Apostolic Churches the Voice of the Apostles. Let the Heretics Examine Their Apostolic Claims, in Each Case, Indisputable. The Church of Rome Doubly Apostolic; Its Early Eminence and Excellence. Heresy, as Perverting the Truth, is Connected Therewith.

Come now, you who would indulge a better curiosity, if you would apply it to the business of your salvation, run over the apostolic churches, in which the very thrones380    Cathedræ. of the apostles are still pre-eminent in their places,381    Suis locis præsident. in which their own authentic writings382    Authenticæ. This much disputed phrase may refer to the autographs or the Greek originals (rather than the Latin translations), or full unmutilated copies as opposed to the garbled ones of the heretics. The second sense is probably the correct one. are read, uttering the voice and representing the face of each of them severally. Achaia is very near you, (in which) you find Corinth. Since you are not far from Macedonia, you have Philippi; (and there too) you have the Thessalonians. Since you are able to cross to Asia, you get Ephesus. Since, moreover, you are close upon Italy,383    [Note, those near by may resort to this ancient and glorious church; not as any better than Corinth, or Philippi, or having any higher Apostolic throne. See Irenæus, Vol. I. p. 415, (note) and Elucid. p. 460.] you have Rome, from which there comes even into our own hands the very authority (of apostles themselves).384    Compare our Anti-Marcion, iv. 5, p. 186. How happy is its church, on which apostles poured forth all their doctrine along with their blood! where Peter endures a passion like his Lord’s! where Paul wins his crown in a death like John’s385    The Baptist’s. where the Apostle John was first plunged, unhurt, into boiling oil, and thence remitted to his island-exile! See what she has learned, what taught, what fellowship has had with even (our) churches in Africa!386    [Observe—“even with us in Africa.” If this implies noteworthy love, it proves that there was no organic relation requiring such particular fellowship, even in the West.] One Lord God does she acknowledge, the Creator of the universe, and Christ Jesus (born) of the Virgin Mary, the Son of God the Creator; and the Resurrection of the flesh; the law and the prophets she unites387    Miscet. in one volume with the writings of evangelists and apostles, from which she drinks in her faith. This she seals with the water (of baptism), arrays with the Holy Ghost, feeds with the Eucharist, cheers with martyrdom,388    We have taken Oehler’s hint in favour of “martyrio.” The usual reading “martyrium” (meaning “she exhorts to martyrdom”) is stiff, and unsuited to the context. and against such a discipline thus (maintained) she admits no gainsayer. This is the discipline which I no longer say foretold that heresies should come, but from389    De. which they proceeded. However, they were not of her, because they were opposed to her.390    Or, “they were not of it, because they were opposed to it,” i.e., the discipline or teaching. Even the rough wild-olive arises from the germ391    Nucleo. of the fruitful, rich, and genuine392    Necessariæ. olive; also from the seed393    Papavere. “Ego cum aliis papaver ficus interpretor de seminalibus ficus, non de ipso fructu” (Oehler). of the mellowest and sweetest fig there springs the empty and useless wild-fig. In the same way heresies, too, come from our plant,394    Frutice. although not of our kind; (they come) from the grain of truth,395    We again follow Oehler’s hint, who would like to read “de grano veritatis.” The texts are obscure, and vary much here. but, owing to their falsehood, they have only wild leaves to show.396    Silvestres.

CAPUT XXXVI.

Percurrenti enim Ecclesias apostolicas, apud quas adhuc ipsae cathedrae apostolorum suis locis praesidentur, 0048Cet inter eas Romanam, unde nobis quoque auctoritas praesto est (ubi Petrus et Paulus coronati) constabit eamdem ab Apostolis suam potasse fidem, 0049Aper quam aqua signat, Spiritus Sanctus vestit, Eucharistia pascit.

Age jam, qui voles curiositatem melius exercere in negotio salutis tuae, percurre Ecclesias apostolicas, apud quas ipsae adhuc cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesident ; apud quas ipsae authenticae litterae eorum recitantur, sonantes vocem et repraesentantes faciem uniuscujusque . Proxima est tibi Achaia? habes Corinthum. Si non longe es a Macedonia, habes Philippos, habes Thessalonicenses . Si potes in Asiam tendere, habes Ephesum. Si autem Italiae adjaces , habes Romam , unde nobis quoque auctoritas praesto est . Ista quam felix Ecclesia! cui 0049B totam doctrinam Apostoli cum sanguine suo profuderunt; ubi Petrus passioni Dominicae adaequatur; ubi Paulus Joannis exitu coronatur; ubi Apostolus Joannes, posteaquam, in oleum igneum demersus, nihil passus est, in insulam relegatur; videamus quid didicerit, quid docuerit, cum Africanis quoque Ecclesiis contesserarit . Unum Deum novit, creatorem universitatis, et Christum Jesum ex virgine Maria Filium Dei creatoris, et carnis resurrectionem; Legem et Prophetas cum evangelicis et apostolicis litteris 0050A miscet, et inde potat fidem; eam aqua signat, Sancto Spiritu vestit, eucharistia pascit, ad martyrium exhortatur, et ita adversus hanc institutionem neminem recipit. Haec est institutio, non dico jam quae futuras haereses praenuntiabat, sed de qua haereses prodierunt. Sed non fuerunt ex illa , ex quo factae sunt adversus illam. Etiam de olivae nucleo mitis et optimae et necessariae asper oleaster oritur; etiam de papavere ficus gratissimae et suavissimae ventosa et vana caprificus exsurgit . Ita et haereses de nostro frutice, non nostro genere; veritatis grano, sed mendacio sylvestres .