st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

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CONCLUSION.
213
Greek Father of the eighth century. But one such*
has recorded that, setting aside his maintenance of
images, he was in
many other things an adversary
to the present doctrine of Rome." As evidence, he
cites such passages as the following against the
authority of tradition "
All that : is given unto us
by the Law and Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists,
we embrace, acknowledge, and reverence, seeking no
further" (
De Fide Orthodoxa," i, c.
as against the admission of the apocryphal books :
i).
Or again,
After he hath at length recommended the reading
of the Scriptures, he reckoneth the books of the Old
Testament according to the Hebrew; and then he
saith, The Wisdom of Solomon, and of Jesus the
Son of Sirach, are pleasant and good ;
but numbered are not
among the prophetical books, nor were
put into the ark (lb., iv., c. 17). Or once more:
"In
cap. 25 he commendeth virginity, and then he
addeth, This we say, not derogating from marriage,
God forbid ! for we know that God blessed marriage
by his presence ;
and it is said, marriage is honour
ably amongst all men: It will be remembered how
plain and outspoken were his words on the culpable
neglect of those even soldiers and husbandmen
who did not read the Scriptures, and, for lack of
the sound knowledge they would thus have gained,
fell into such foolish superstitions as those he
censures about dragons and evil fairies.
1
Alexander Petrie : "A
compendious History of the Catholick
Church," fol. 1662, part i., p. 88. The passage relating to
transubstantiation has been quoted before, p. 128.