His word, and from the hearing of His discourse be glorified to such an extent, that others cannot behold the glory of his countenance, as was said by Daniel: "Those who do understand, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and many of the righteous[1] as the stars for ever and ever."[2] Thus, then, I have shown it to be,[3] if any one read the Scriptures. For thus it was that the Lord discoursed with the disciples after His resurrection from the dead, proving to them from the Scriptures themselves "that Christ must suffer, and enter into His glory, and that remission of sins should be preached in His name throughout all the world."[4] And the disciple will be perfected, and [rendered] like the householder, "who bringeth forth from his treasure things new and old."[5]
2. Wherefore it is incumbent to obey the presbyters who are in the church—those who, as I have shown, possess the succession from the apostles; those who, together with the succession of the episcopate, have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father. But [it is also Incumbent] to hold in suspicion others who depart from the primitive succession, and assemble themselves together in any place whatsoever, [looking upon them] either as heretics of perverse minds, or as schismatics puffed up and self-pleasing, or again as hypocrites, acting thus for the sake of lucre and vainglory. For all these have fallen from the truth. And the heretics, indeed, who bring strange fire to the altar of God—namely, strange doctrines—shall be burned up by the fire from heaven, as were Nadab and Abiud.[6] But such as rise up in opposition to the truth, and exhort others against the church of God, [shall] remain among those in hell (apud inferos), being swallowed up by
- ↑ The Latin is, "a multis justis," corresponding to the Greek version of the Hebrew text. If the translation be supposed as corresponding to the Hebrew comparative, the English equivalent will be, "and above (more than) many righteous."
- ↑ Dan. xii. 3.
- ↑ The text and punctuation are here in great uncertainty, and very different views of both are taken by the editors.
- ↑ Luke xxiv. 26, 47.
- ↑ Matt. xiii. 52.
- ↑ Lev. x. 1, 2.
