Book Four: On the Unwritten Word of God
Chapter Eight: The Same is Proved by Four Other Arguments
Besides this common consent of the Fathers, the same thing is proved by the consensus of the heretics in their contempt for traditions. For as we collect from the common consent of the holy Fathers of all ages, who accept traditions, that the traditions are to be accepted, so we collect from the common consent of the heretics all ages, who reject traditions, that traditions are not to be rejected. About the Valentinians, the Marcionists, and the like Irenaeus gives witness bk.3 ch.2, and Tertullian on Prescription that they rejected the unwritten traditions of the Church.
Cyprian too, when he wanted to defend the error of rebaptism, could do no other than appeal from tradition to Scripture, as is plain from his epistle to Pompeius and from another to Iubaianus. Although Cyprian had recognized traditions before, as we showed above; and even his later error he is reckoned by Blessed Augustine, in epist.8 to Vincentius, to have corrected before death.
The Donatists too always urge the Scriptures, and Blessed Augustine, in his book on the Unity of the Church ch.19 and elsewhere, objects to them the traditions and the custom of the Church.
That the Arians in no way allowed anything besides the Scriptures is evidenced by Hilary, who in his book Against Constantius introduces an Arian saying, “I do not wish to read words that are not written.” Maximus the Arian in Augustine Against Maximinus at the beginning speaks thus, “If you bring forward something that is common to all from the Scriptures we must listen, but those words that are outside the Scriptures are in no case received by us. Furthermore, because the Lord himself warns us and says, ‘Without cause they worship me teaching as commands the precepts of men’.” The same is evidenced by Epiphanius Heresy 69 and 73.
That the Arians also rejected traditions is written by Epiphanius Heresy 75.
The same thing about the Eunomians is plain from Basil in his book on the Holy Spirit chs.27 and 29. The same about Nestorius, Eutyches, and Dioscorus is reported by Basil Bishop of Ancyra in his Catholic Confession, which was read in the Seventh Synod, first act; and the same about the Apostolici of his own time by Bernard in Homil.66 on Song of Songs. The same of John Wycliffe by Thomas Waldenses in Doctrine of the Ancient Faith bk2 ch.19. From these as from their hands have the Lutherans taken their own dogma about contemning traditions, just as we have been taught by the holy Fathers about receiving the same with all honor.
To these add the custom of all nations. For the Jews had some traditions outside Scripture as is taught by Origen Homil.5 on Numbers and in his commentary on Romans ch.3, and by Hilary on Psalm 2, and also by Anatolius, a very ancient Christian author, in Eusebius Hist. bk.7 ch.28. And although there are not lacking some Catholics who deny there was any unwritten tradition among the Jews, yet I cannot agree with them; since, as we showed above, the old written law did not sufficiently contain everything, and for a long time that people, even after the birth of Moses, lived without written law.
Next all the profane republics were ruled in large part by unwritten laws.
Pericles in Thucydides divides Athenian law into written and unwritten. Aristotle in Politics bk.3 ch.11 establishes that the city should be ruled in part by the best laws and in part by the judgment of the best man, in Ethics bk.5 ch.4 he calls a judge or arbiter a living law, because, namely, there was some other written law that was as it were not living. Further Lycurgus wanted to give no written law to the Spartans, as Plutarch says, but to live by traditions alone, so that they might be more careful in living than in reading. That the same pleased Cicero is evident from his Laws bk.1, and Caesar, Gallic War bk.6, writes the same about the wise men among the Gauls.
The most noble of the philosophers, Pythagoras and Socrates, although they taught much, yet wrote nothing, as Blessed Augustine teaches on the Harmony of the Gospels bk.1 ch.7, save that Socrates imitated in verse the fables written by Aesop.
Lastly in civil law the same authority is attributed to written law as to unwritten custom. Therefore nature itself in some way seems to exclaim that unwritten traditions are necessary or certainly very useful.
Add the dignity of the Catholic Church. For as once the Jews excelled all nations, because to them were given the words of God, as is said in Romans ch.3, so now the Catholic Church stands above all sects, because it alone, as being the spouse of Christ, knows all the mysteries of the true religion and is conscious of the secrets of the spouse, and therefore is called the pillar and ground of the truth, I Timothy ch.3. But if everything was written and very openly, as the heretics wish, the Church would have no privilege. For the heretics, pagans, and Jews would know nothing less about the mysteries of our faith than we ourselves and our priests know; nor would what Irenaeus says, bk.3 ch.4, be true that into the Church alone, as into a rich treasure house, the knowledge of divine things has been deposited by the Apostles.
Add finally the dignity of many mysteries which require silence, nor is it fitting that they be explained in the Scriptures, which are read in the whole world. For if it is not licit to admit anyone not baptized to see the tremendous mysteries of the mass, how will it be licit to hand on the same writings to them? Hence the Lord explained separately to the disciples the parables that he spoke to the people, Luke ch.8, and the Apostle says I Corinthians ch.2, “we speak wisdom among the perfect.” And the ancients, when they speak about the sacrament of the Eucharist, are everywhere accustomed to say, “the faithful know, the initiates know.” This reason is touched on by Dionysius Ecclesiastical Hierarchy ch.1, by Origen Homil.5 on Numbers, by Basil on the Holy Spirit ch.27, and by Innocent I in epist.1.
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