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der whose fire, or by whose writings and preachings, the faithful found support against the wiles of heresy and the attacks of heretics. But why, we ask, as we did in the case of St. Ignatius, (see our Review, p. 39) of St. Polycarp (Ibid. 45), St. Justin the martyr (p. 47), St. Irenæus (p. 66.), and Tertullian (p. 83.); WHY, did not John Fox inform his readers WHAT DOCTRINES this pillar of truth, Eusebius, and his fellow-prelates Basil and Gregory the younger, taught? Why did he leave them in a state of darkness as to the sum and substance of their belief, contenting himself with the bare statement that Eusebius "was one of the most eminent champions of Christ against the Arian here66 sy," and that Gregory the younger calls him, the pillar of truth,” &c.? Such a statement conveys no light to the reader, who may form to himself any thing or nothing. And this, as we have before observed, was the intention of John Fox, as it is also that of his modern editors. Neither of them desire that the truth should be told; but as we have pledged ourself that our intention is to give the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, we will here fill up the chasm made by John Fox, in his account of the persecution of the Christians by the Arians.

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Eusebius was, as Fox records, an eminent champion of Christ against the Arians, and spent the greater part of his episcopal life in travelling through Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine, to strengthen the Catholics in their faith by his preachings, until he fell a victim to Arian malice, at Dolicha, a small city forty-one miles from Samosata, in 380. His death was occasioned by a tile thrown from the top of a house by an Arian woman, as he was passing in the street. It does not appear that he left any writings behind him, but the two prelates named with him as his associates, have left us their sentiments in writing, which have been preserved to this day. St. Basil, we are rightly told by Fox, was promoted to the archiepiscopal see of Cæsarea, by the aid of Eusebius, and he was praised for this act by "Gregory the younger," that is St. Gregory Nazianzum, who was bishop of Constantinople, which see he afterwards vacated, and retired to Nazianzum, near which city he was born, and from which he took the name, to distinguish himself from a younger brother called Gregory of Cesarius. It is allowed by Fox that these great lights of the church opposed the heresy of the Arians, which was a denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ. St. Gregory, in his orations, and St. Basil in his book against Eunomius, maintains the divine essence of the Son of God, as did all the fathers that preceded them. They also maintained all the doctrines now held by Catholics and condemned by Protestants as idolatrous and superstitious, as will be seen by the following quotations, which, on comparison with those referred to above, will be found to be perfectly uniform and consistent; a convincing proof that the never-failing promises of Christ, that the Spirit of Truth should abide with his church, and teach her all truth to the end of the world, was given to the Catholic church, and to that church alone.

We will begin with St. Basil, as he died in 379, ten years before St. Gregory Nazianzum. On the Authority and Marks of the Church, St. Basil writes: "The order and government of the church, is it not ma"nifestly, and beyond contradiction, the work of the Holy Ghost? "For he gave to his church (1 Cor. xii. 28.) first apostles; secondly pro

"phets; thirdly teachers, &c." L. de Spiritu. S. c. 16. t. iii. p. 34. Edit. PP. S. Mauri, Paris. 1721, 1722, 1730.—“ We indeed ourselves are of "little value; but, by the grace of God, we remain ever the same, "unaffected by the common changes of things. Our belief is not one "at Seleucia, and another at Constantinople; one at Lampsacus, and "another at Rome; and so different from what it was in former times, "but always one and the same." Ep. 251. ad. Evæsinos. t. iii. p. 386. Edit. Bened. Parisiis, 1721.-" As many as hope in Christ, are one people, "and they, who are of Christ, form one church, though it be named in many places." Ep. 161. ad Amphil. t. iii. p. 252.- It is more just to judge of our concerns, not from this or that man, who walk not "in truth; but from the number of bishops, who, in all regions, are "united to us. Let the cities of Asia, the sound part of Egypt and of "Syria, be interrogated. These by letter communicate with us, and we with them. From these you may learn, that we are all unanimous; all think the same thing. Wherefore, he, who declines our communion, may be considered by you, as separated from the uni"versal church. It is better we should lose our lives, and that the "churches should remain unanimous, than that, on account of our "childish feuds, the faithful should be so much injured." Ep. 204. ad Neocas, t. iii, p. 307.- -St. Gregory Nazianzum says, "To one, indeed, is given the sword of wisdom; to another the sword of knowledge, 1 Cor. xii. 8. My brethren, let us respect, and guard, and main"tain this order.. Let some hear, others speak, and others act." Orat. xxvi. t. 1. p. 450. Edit. Coloniæ, 1690.

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On the Succession of the Pastors of the Church, from the apostles, St. Basil writes, "If we depart from the life-living root, the faith in "Christ; like withered branches, we are cast out and committed to "the flames. For if we do not rest on the foundation of the apostles, "being unsupported, we are lost." Com. in Esaiam. t. 1. p. 391.the name of Catholic, St. Gregory signs himself in the document called his Will, "Gregory, bishop of the Catholic church of Constantino"ple."

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On the disputed point of Private Interpretation, now so warmly and. pertinaciously contested by Protestants, St. Basil thus addresses a heretic::-"What is it yous ay? Shall we not allow more to antiquity? "Does not the multitude of Christians claim respect, who now are, as well as those who went before us? These abounded in every grâce, " and must we disregard them against whom you have lately brought "out your impious discoveries? Must we shut our eyes, and, suppressing all recollection of every holy man, submit our understandings to your deceits, and idle sophistries? Truly, your influence "must be great, if, what the devil could not effect by his wiles, we "should concede to your dictations; that is, persuaded by you,

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we should prefer your inventions to that tradition of belief, which, “in all former times, prevailed under the direction of so many holy "men." L. 1. Adv. Eunom. t. 1. p. 210.—St. Gregory Nazianzum says, "To one indeed, is given the word of wisdom: to another the word of "knowledge: (1 Cor. xii. 8.) My brethren, let us respect, and guard, " and maintain this order. Let some hear, others speak, and others "act. We must not all exercise the office of the tongue, which is

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"the most prompt and ready member; for all are not apostles, nOT "prophets; mor expounders.is To teach is great and eminent; but to learn is void of danger. You that are a sheep, why do you arrogate "the function of the shepherd? Being the foot, why will you be the "head Why do you pursue the great, but uncertain and perilous, "gains of the ocean; when you may till the earth in safety" Orat. xxvi. bd. p. 450. Truly, there should have been a law among us, whereby mas among the Jews young men were not allowed to read certain books of scripture not all men, hand at all times, but certain persons only, and on certain occasions should be permitted to discuss the points of faith" Ibid. p. 462. If these heretics 66 may freely teach and promulgate their opinions, who does not see that the doctrine of the church will be condemned, as if truth were on "their side? But two opposite doctrines, on the same point,- can> "not possibly be true." Orat, xlvi. p. 722. Rufinus, a priest of Aquileia, who flourished from the years 372 to about 410, relates of these two saints, that during the thirteen years they spent at Athens, daying aside all profane words, they applied solely to the sacred writ "ings, explaining them, not from their own presumption, but by the authority of those ancient fathers, who, it was plain, had received "the rule of interpretation, from apostolical succession." Hist, Eccles. L 11 G 9. p. 256. Edit. Basil, 1562. adla rotentno) (32769 ? y On apostolical Tradition, which Protestants reject, St. Basil writes, tibiedt 220

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In our first number, p. 4, we spoke of the utter impossibility that error should be introduced into the doctrines of the church of Christ without detection from some one, and we gave two instances, from the writings of Sozomen and the works of St. Augustin, as proofs of the care observed by the guardians of faith in the Catholic church, lest a word should be in properly applied in defining her doctrines. (Ibid.) We have now the opportunity of furnishing a third instance in our own case, and as we lay no bility, and have no other desire than that of stating to our readers the truth, and nothing but the truth, feel more pleasure than reluctance in acknowledging a mistake we bave inadvertently committed. In giving the sentiments of St. Irenæus on the doctrine of TRADITION, p. 70, we observed, that this is neither more nor less than PUBLIC OPI"NION, received and delivered down from age to age. This observation has drawn

from a very learned and most excellent divine the following remarks. What D

which is the word of God, unwritten indeed, but delivered by Christ to his the “unerring word of God, revealed by God to man-Tradition, which has been made known to us and decided upon by the inspired councils, assisted by the Holy Ghost, the pro

of

"mised Paraclete-Tradition, which conveys to us the authenth ce

the inspired writings, and which, in

equal Jef4fect to the sacred books themselves Tradition is here said to be up more (say nothing "of less), non the opinion of Men! Opinion! nothing more than opinion of which some one opinion varies, because it is opinion; is ever unchange"lable, because it is faith and cometh from God.' Faith, and what is divinely taught, is the • object of tradition, and therefore is not matter of opinion, which may change according to circumstances; and therefore the voice of Tradition is not to be efforts such as you have recommended; it is the voice of God and worked on by human of man; the express "testimony of the God of truth, and not the mere opinion of men. By calling it public opinion you do not clear up the difficulty, for as long at it is opinion, it is subject to er"ror. You talk of appealing to opinion, it is Tradition that is to govern and direct "opinion and belief. I have said enough I think to make you see the immense difference between this opinion, which is the result of human reasoning, and Tradition, which is revealed Truth, the unwritten word; and I might say that this is no more opinion, or de"pendent upon opinion, than is the written word of God in the scriptures the result of hu"man study, or to be explained by human opinion, wit, or fancy." We thank our inestimable friend for his clear and luminous definition of this doctrine, in which we perfectly agree with him. In making our objectionable statement, we did not allude to the doctrines and ceremonies taught and practised by the apostles and their successors, we only intended, by the expression, to convey to the Protestant reader, that when any new or novel doctrine was attempted to be foisted on the people, by pretenders to inspiration, ion, that Catho

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St. Basil writes," Peter, from being a fisherman, was called to the apostleship; and from the eminence of his faith, received on him"self the building of the church." Adv. Eunom. l. 11. t. 1. p. 240. St. Gregory Nazianzum says,-" You see, how Peter, among the disci"ples of Christ, all great and all worthy of choice, is called a rock, "and receives on the profession of his faith the foundations of the "church; while John is particularly beloved, and rests on the breast "of Christ; and the other disciples bear this preference without reદ pining." Orat. xxvi. t. 1. p 453. In his seventh oration he stiles Peter, the pillar of the church." Ibid. p. 142.

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On the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the holy Eucharist, or Lord's Supper, which Protestants deny, and those of the church of England as by law established, make the denial of it on oath a qualification for civil and ecelesiastical office, St. Basil writes," About the "things, that God has spoken, there should be no hesitation, nor "doubt, but a firm persuasion, that all is true and possible, though "nature be against it. Herein lies the struggle of faith. The Jews

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therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall "not have life in you." (Jo. vi. 53, 54.) Regula vii. Moral. t. ii. p. 240. "With what fear, with what conviction, with what affection of mind, "should we partake of the body and blood of Christ? The apostle "teaches us to fear, when he says: He that eateth and drinketh unwor"thily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself (1 Cor. xi. 29.); while "the words of the Lord: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you (ibid. 24), create a firm conviction." Ibid. in Reg. brev. quæst. clxxii. p. 472. "The Christian must be without spot or stain-and "thus prepared to eat the body of Christ, and drink his blood." Ibid. in Moral. reg. lxxx. 22. p. 313.- St. Gregory Nazianzum says, speaking of his sister, who laboured under a grievous disorder, "Despairing of all other help, she has recourse to the universal physician— "she falls down in faith before the altar, and calls upon him who is "there adored." Orat. 11. t. 1. p. 186. "Without doubting, eat the “body and drink the blood, if thou desirest to live." Ibid. Orat. xlii. p. 690.

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On the sacrifice of the Mass, which Luther abolished in his system of pretended reform, at the instigation of the devil, if we may believe his own words, and Protestants of the church of England as by law established swear to be idolatrous, St. Gregory Nazianzum writes, “And where, and by whom could God be worshipped in those mystic "and elevating sacred rites, than which nothing among us is greater nor more excellent, if there were no priesthood, or sacrifice? Knowing this, and knowing besides that no one was worthy of this great God, this sacrifice, and this priesthood, who had not first of"fered himself a victim to the Lord-how should I dare to offer to "him that external sacrifice, that antitype of great mysteries, or to "take up the name and habit of a priest?" Orat. 1. t. 1. p..3, 38. Julian, in impure and wicked blood, washes away his baptismal rite, opposing initiation to initiation-he defiles his hands, in order to purify them from that unbloody sacrifice, through which we commu

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