Among the
multitudinous words of the Holy Fathers some sayings seem not only to differ from one
another but even to contradict one another. Hence it is not presumptuous to judge
concerning those by whom the world itself will be judged, as it is written, "They
shall judge nations" (Wisdom 3:8) and, again, "You shall sit and judge"
(Luke 22:30). We do not presume to rebuke as untruthful or to denounce as erroneous those
to whom the Lord said, "He who hears you hears me; he who despises you despises
me" (Luke 10:26). Bearing in mind our foolishness we believe that our understanding
is defective rather than the writing of those to whom the Truth Himself said, "It is
not you who speak but the spirit of your Father who speaks in you" (Matthew 10:20).
Why should it seem surprising if we, lacking the guidance of the Holy Spirit through whom
those things were written and spoken, the Spirit impressing them on the writers, fail to
understand them? Our achievement of full understanding is impeded especially by unusual
modes of expression and by the different significances that can be attached to one and the
same word, as a word is used now in one sense, now in another. Just as there are many
meanings so there are many words. Tully says that sameness is the mother of satiety in all
things, that is to say it gives rise to fastidious distaste, and so it is appropriate to
use a variety of words in discussing the same thing and not to express everything in
common and vulgar words....
We must also take special care that we are not deceived by
corruptions of the text or by false attributions when sayings of the Fathers are quoted
that seem to differ from the truth or to be contrary to it; for many apocryphal writings
are set down under names of saints to enhance their authority, and even the texts of
divine Scripture are corrupted by the errors of scribes. That most faithful writer and
true interpreter, Jerome, accordingly warned us, "Beware of apocryphal
writings...." Again, on the title of Psalm 77 which is "An Instruction of
Asaph," he commented, "It is written according to Matthew that when the Lord had
spoken in parables and they did not understand, he said, 'These things are done that it
might be fulfilled which was written by the prophet Isaias, I will open my mouth in
parables.' The Gospels still have it so. Yet it is not Isaias who says this but
Asaph." Again, let us explain simply why in Matthew and John it is written that the
Lord was crucified at the third hour but in Mark at the sixth hour. There was a scribal
error, and in Mark too the sixth hour was mentioned, but many read the Greek epismo as
gamma. So too there was a scribal error where "Isaias" was set down for
"Asaph." We know that many churches were gathered together from among ignorant
gentiles. When they read in the Gospel, "That it might be fulfilled which was written
by the prophet Asaph," the one who first wrote down the Gospel began to say,
"Who is this prophet Asaph?" for he was not known among the people. And what did
he do? In seeking to amend an error he made an error. We would say the same of another
text in Matthew. "He took," it says, "the thirty pieces of silver, the
price of him that was prized, as was written by the prophet Jeremias." But we do not
find this in Jeremias at all. Rather it is in Zacharias. You see then that here, as
before, there was an error. If in the Gospels themselves some things are corrupted by the
ignorance of scribes, we should not be surprised that the same thing has sometimes
happened in the writings of later Fathers who are of much less authority....
It is no less important in my opinion to ascertain whether
texts quoted from the Fathers may be ones that they themselves have retracted and
corrected after they came to a better understanding of the truth as the blessed Augustine
did on many occasions; or whether they are giving the opinion of another rather than their
own opinion . . . or whether, in inquiring into certain matters, they left them open to
question rather than settled them with a definitive solution....
In order that the way be not blocked and posterity deprived
of the healthy labor of treating and debating difficult questions of language and style, a
distinction must be drawn between the work of later authors and the supreme canonical
authority of the Old and New Testaments. If, in Scripture, anything seems absurd you are
not permitted to say, "The author of this book did not hold to the truth"--but
rather that the codex is defective or that the interpreter erred or that you do not
understand. But if anything seems contrary to truth in the works of later authors, which
are contained in innumerable books, the reader or auditor is free to judge, so that he may
approve what is pleasing and reject what gives offense, unless the matter is established
by certain reason or by canonical authority (of the Scriptures ) ....
In view of these considerations we have undertaken to
collect various sayings of the Fathers that give rise to questioning because of their
apparent contradictions as they occur to our memory. This questioning excites young
readers to the maximum of effort in inquiring into the truth, and such inquiry sharpens
their minds. Assiduous and frequent questioning is indeed the first key to wisdom.
Aristotle, that most perspicacious of all philosophers, exhorted the studious to .
practice it eagerly, saying, "Perhaps it is difficult to express oneself with
confidence on such matters if they have not been much discussed. To entertain doubts on
particular points will not be unprofitable." For by doubting we come to inquiry;
through inquiring we perceive the truth, according to the Truth Himself. "Seek and
you shall find," He says, "Knock and it shall be opened to you." In order
to teach us by His example He chose to be found when He was about twelve years old sitting
in the midst of the doctors and questioning them, presenting the appearance of a disciple
by questioning rather than of a master by teaching, although there was in Him the complete
and perfect wisdom of God. Where we have quoted texts of Scripture, the greater the
authority attributed to Scripture, the more they should stimulate the reader and attract
him to the search for truth. Hence I have prefixed to this my book, compiled in one volume
from the saying of the saints, the decree of Pope Gelasius concerning authentic books,
from which it may be known that I have cited nothing from apocryphal books. I have also
added excerpts from the Retractions of St. Augustine, from which it will be clear that
nothing is included which he later retracted and corrected.
[Source: Brian Tierney, ed., Great Issues in Western
Civilization, vol 1 (New York, Random House, 1972), pp. 412-414. Readers interested in
another version of the above text are referred to Roland Bainton, ed., The
Medieval Church (Princeton: D. Van Nostrand, 1962), pp. 129-130.]
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