COMPANION EXHIBIT · THE RECORD ITSELF

THE WEIGHT OF WITNESS

Eight centuries of the fathers on the authority of Scripture. Every quotation exact. Every source theirs.

Scroll down through time.

GOLD — a father speaking for the supremacy or sufficiency of Scripture, quoted exactly.

GRAY — the record's honest gaps: fathers who argue otherwise, or fall silent. We name them ourselves.

CRIMSON — the seventeenth century.

100s

handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our faith

AGAINST HERESIES 3.1.1 (ANF)

I met with the sacred Scriptures of the holy prophets, who also by the Spirit of God foretold the things…

TO AUTOLYCUS 1.14 (TR. DODS, ANF 2)

do you also… give reverential attention to the prophetic Scriptures, and they will make your way plainer…

TO AUTOLYCUS 2.30 (TR. DODS, ANF 2)

100s–200s

the voice of the Lord… the only demonstration

STROMATA 7.16

There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures, and from no other source… Whatever things, then, the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us look; and whatsoever things they teach, these let us learn.

AGAINST NOETUS 9 (ANF 5)

TERTULLIAN

c. 155–220

argues the other way. We name him ourselves.

200s

custom without truth is the antiquity of error

EPISTLE 74.9, HARTEL (= ANF EP. 73.9) — LATIN: CONSUETUDO SINE UERITATE UETUSTAS ERRORIS EST

Whence is that tradition? From the Lord's Gospel authority, or from apostolic commands and letters?

EPISTLE 74.2, HARTEL (= ANF EP. 73.2)

300s

sufficient to declare the truth

CONTRA GENTES 1 — OF THE SCRIPTURES

We must learn from God what is to be thought of God, for He is known only on His own authority

ON THE TRINITY 5.21 (CCSL 62; NPNF II/9)

let us question the Scriptures, question the apostles, question the prophets, question Christ

ON THE FAITH 1.6.43 — LATIN: SCRIPTURAS INTERROGEMUS, INTERROGEMUS APOSTOLOS, INTERROGEMUS PROPHETAS, INTERROGEMUS CHRISTUM

no doctrine, however trivial, may be taught without the backing of the divine Scriptures

CATECHETICAL LECTURES 4.17 — AS RENDERED BY J.N.D. KELLY, EARLY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES, P. 43

Let the inspired Scripture, then, be our umpire, and the vote of truth will surely be given to those whose dogmas are found to agree with the Divine words.

ON THE HOLY TRINITY, TO EUSTATHIUS (NPNF II/5, P. 327)

we make the Holy Scriptures the rule and the measure of every tenet

ON THE SOUL AND THE RESURRECTION (NPNF II/5, P. 439)

EPIPHANIUS OF SALAMIS

315–403

argues the other way — on matters of observance and practice. We name him ourselves.

300s–400s

You have the Scriptures in place of me. If you would learn anything, you may learn it from them.

HOMILY 9 ON 2 TIMOTHY (PG 62)

Other things too, which they invent and fabricate of their own accord as though by apostolic tradition, without the authority and testimonies of the Scriptures, the sword of God strikes down

COMMENTARY ON HAGGAI 1:11 (CCSL 76A)

so absolutely in a superior position to all later letters of the bishops that about it we can hold no manner of doubt or disputation whether what is confessedly contained in it is right and true

ON BAPTISM II.3.4 (CSEL 51) — OF SCRIPTURE

in no way to be equalled with that most sacred excellence of the canonical Scriptures

CONTRA FAUSTUM 11.5 — OF ALL LATER WRITINGS

400s

For how is it that we should accept what the divine Scripture has not stated and reckon it as being among those things that are true?

GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, ON GEN 6:2 (TR. LUNN, FOTC 137, CUA PRESS 2018)

You should accept no argument that is not fully supported by scriptural testimony

ERANISTES, DIALOGUE I (ETTLINGER, P. 73; FOTC 106, P. 41)

complete, and sufficient of itself for everything, and more than sufficient

COMMONITORIUM, CH. 2 — OF THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE

not an author but a keeper… never changes anything, never diminishes, never adds

COMMONITORIUM, CH. XXII — OF THE CHURCH

500s–700s

For what is sacred Scripture but a kind of epistle of Almighty God to His creature?… Learn the heart of God in the words of God

REGISTRUM EPISTOLARUM IV.31 (CCSL 140; NPNF II/12)

seeking nothing beyond these

ON THE ORTHODOX FAITH I.1 — OF THE THINGS DELIVERED BY THE LAW, PROPHETS, APOSTLES, AND EVANGELISTS

MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR

580–662

the language goes quiet. We say so ourselves.

THE SCHOLARS' SEAL

THE ACADEMIC VERDICT

ON THE PATRISTIC ERA

for any doctrine to win acceptance, it had first to establish its Scriptural basis

J.N.D. KELLY, EARLY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES, P. 42

THE ACADEMIC VERDICT

ON THE UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS

observance and practice rather than doctrine

J.N.D. KELLY, EARLY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES, P. 47 — WHAT THE UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS CONCERNED

Eight centuries. One voice on the question that matters tonight.

THE QUIET CENTURIES

PHOTIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE

c. 810–893

partial, double-edged. We say so ourselves.

SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN

949–1022

the language goes quiet.

And in all these centuries — no council, no creed, ever declared the opposite.

GREGORY PALAMAS

1296–1359

the language goes quiet.

1600s — THE REVERSAL

And so the witness of the Sacred Scriptures is of higher authority than that of the Church.

CONFESSION OF FAITH, CH. II (1629; TR. ROBERTSON, 1899)

To such a most wicked heretic we say, Anathema!

TR. ROBERTSON, 1899 — PRONOUNCED ON LUCARIS BY NAME, THREE MONTHS AFTER HIS DEATH

the witness also of the Catholic Church is, we believe, not of inferior authority to that of the Divine Scriptures

DECREE II (TR. ROBERTSON, 1899)

[the Church] is not liable to error, but, like the Divine Scriptures, is infallible, and hath perpetual authority

DECREE II (TR. ROBERTSON, 1899)

Ought the Divine Scriptures to be read in the vulgar tongue by all Christians? No.

QUESTION I (TR. ROBERTSON, 1899)

In our own lifetime, his church canonized Lucaris a saint. The church venerates the man. Her councils cursed his doctrine.

THE TALLY

WITNESSES FOR — CENTURIES ONE THROUGH EIGHT

Formal declarations of the opposite before 1672 — 0

The teaching has fathers. The anathema has a birthday.