The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

568 Credibility of the Gospel History.
having cited various texts, lie adds, ' Agreeably'' to these
speaks the most eloquent Paul, saying-, " Wliomy he has
appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds." ' In another place^ he has words of Heb. i. 3.
4. He quotes the second epistle of St. John, ver. 10.
' For" it becometh us as christians, " not to say to such :
God speed, lest we be partakers of their sins," as the
blessed John directs.'
5. I shall add some things, showing his respect for the
scriptures, and the general divisions then in use.
(1.) He calls them*^ divine scriptures. He ever asserts
his own opinion upon*^ the ground of their authority, and'^
chargeth his adversaries with opposing and contradicting the
same divine scriptures. The doctrines which he maintains
to be true, he says, are apostolical, which*= we teach and
preach, and for which we are ready to die.
(2.) Other passages to the like purpose are such as these:
' We' believe in one only unbegotten Father, giver of the
law, and the prophets, and the gospels, Lord of the patriarchs,
and apostles, and all holy men.' Afterwards, ' We^
also confess, as the divine scriptures teach, one Holy Spirit,
who renewed both the holy men of the Old Testament, and
the divine teachers of that which is called the New.' He
thinks that'' the hypostasis of the Son, may be above the
comprehension of evangelists, and even of angels. Having
cited some texts of the Old Testament, and St. Paul's epis-
tles, he proceeds, ' And' in the gospel it is written.'
(3.) I have not observed in Alexander quotations of any
books, beside (hose of the Old and the New Testament. But
representing in strong terms the perverseness of his adver-
"
"SiViKpiova ynv ruToig j3oa (cat 6 jityaXocpMVoraTog IlavXog, (pacTKWv irepi
avm' ov t9r]Kf K\i]povo^ov iravTwy. a. \. ap. Theod. p. 13. B.
y Hebr. i. 2. " — airavyaana yap iti rriq So^rig, Kai xcipi^i'''''>}p
TTjc iraTpiKijQ viroTaasMQ. ap. Th. p. 17. D. vid. et Socr. p. 12. D.
^ — Kai fii\ Se Kq.v %rttp£tv roig TOiHTOig Xiyiiv, tva fir) ttote kuc raig afiaprtaig
avTMV Koivojvoi ytvujfitdat w'c TrapriyytiXtp 6 jiaKapiog loiavvrjg. ap. Socr.
p. 13. C. '' BvToXtjg re ^aijg tv raig Sreiaig ypafaig. ap. Socr.
p. 10. A. et passim. '^ Kai ravra Xtyovng, Kai avuTrrvffffovTtg
rar Srtiag ypa(pag, TToXXaKig averpeipanev uvrng. ap. Socr. p. 12. C.
^ Uota Se TTapa Tag ypa(pag ((ptvpovrsg XaXscriv, tTi ravra. Ap. Soc. p. 10.
D. rag ^tiag—avvavaipsvrtg ypaipag. ap. i^h. p. 10. D. Kai raig ypa(paig (ynra-
poivHvrtg. ib. p. 11. B. ^ Tavra SiSarrKOntv, ravra Ktjpva-
aofiiv, ravra rrig tKKXrjaiag ra UTroToXiKa ^oyfiaray VTvtp lov Kai aTro9vt]r]Tuiv Kai ivayytXiov Sor7]pa,
Trarpiapxi^v Kai arroToXiov Kai dnavrwv ayiwv Kvpiov. Ap. Th. p. 1 7. A. B.
* KaOti)g I'lfiag ai Btiai ypa(pai SiSaaKnmv, iv Trvevfia ayiov' ofioXoysniv, to
Kaivirrav rag rt rrjg iraXaiag SiaOtjKrigayiHg avOpdiTThg, Kai rsg ri}g i^f);jjita7"i?«iTr/c
Kaivrjg rraiSivrag SretHg. Ib. p. 18. C. D.
*"
lb. p. 12. B. Conf. p. 17. C. ' Evdt ry ivayytXiifi. ib. p. 14. B.