Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE SECOND AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.271through o the whole world. For to her is intrustedthe light of God; and hence the wisdom of God,by which He saves all men, ' is sung at her enance,acts with confidence in h ,laimed on her walls, and speaks ever in the gatthe cywhere the Church prolaith truth: she is the seven-branched candlestickbearing Christ's light."32It has been necessary to give at considerablelength the very words of S. Irenasus, because theyare stronger and more perspicuous than any summaryof them can be, and because they exhibit acomplete answer not to this particular heresy only,but to all heresy for ever. Such an answer, comingfrom one who stood at the second generation ofrom S. John, Mis of the highest value. Thus hemeets the gnostic principle that divine truth isacquired by the individual through some processof his own mind, which in this particular case istermed gnosis, but which may bear many othernames, by appealing to an external standard, theRule of Faith in the Church from the beginning,which by its unity points to its origin and lineagefrom the apostles and Christ. And this serves tobring out the central idea which rules his wholemind, that " where the Church is, there also is theSpirit of God ; and where the Spirit of God is, thereis the Church and all grace : but the Spirit isTruth." The deposit of which " he spoke is not a32 Lib. v. c. 20.