CHAP. V. ---- What is "much speaking," and what are the "many books"? The whole inspired Scripture is one book. From the Introduction to Volume V. of the Commentaries on John.

I. Since you are not content to have taken up your present work as God's task-master over me,148 and expect me even when away to devote myself mainly to you and to my duty towards you, I in turn, if I decline the labour, and shun the danger to which they are exposed at God's hands who give themselves up to writing on Divine subjects, might find support in Scripture for refusing to "make many books." For Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, "My son, beware of making many books: there is no end: and much study is a weariness of the flesh." 149 If the words before us had not a hidden meaning which we do not even yet clearly understand, we should have expressly broken the commandment through not being on our guard against "making many books."

Then, after saying that he had written four full volumes on a few passages of the Gospel, he proceeds thus:----

2. As far as the words go there are two possible meanings of the precept, "My son, beware of making many books"; firstly, that one ought not to have many books: secondly, that one ought not to compose many books; and if the first is not permissible, the second is certainly not; though if the second is permissible, the first is not certainly so; 150 either way the lesson appears to be that we ought not to make too many books. And, keeping to what has now occurred to me, I might send you the passage which I have quoted, as my apology: I might make the most of the fact that the saints have never had leisure for composing many books, and, accordingly, cease to compose any more to be sent to you, as we agreed. You would perhaps be so struck by what I said that you would let me have my way. But since a man should investigate Scripture with a good conscience, and not hastily claim to understand the meaning because he grasps the literal sense, I cannot bear to offer an unreal apology, which you might turn against me if I were to break our agreement. First, then, seeing that history seems to support what Solomon says, inasmuch as no saint has published numerous volumes and expressed his thoughts in many books, something must be said about this. And he who chides me for going on composing more books will tell me that the famous Moses left only five.

Then, after enumerating Prophets and Apostles, and showing how each of them wrote but a little, or not even that, he continues:----

3. Again, though I have said all this, my head swims, and I turn dizzy at the thought that in obeying you I may have disobeyed God and not imitated the saints. I trust I shall not do wrong, if in my heartfelt affection for you, and earnest desire in nothing to give you pain, I plead my own cause and base my defence on these grounds. First of all, we adduced the words of Ecclesiastes, "My son, beware of making many books." 151 Side by side with this I place the saying of the same Solomon in the Proverbs, "In the multitude of words thou shalt not escape sin, but if thou refrain thy lips thou wilt be discreet," 152 and I ask if the mere speaking many words is much speaking, even if a man speak many holy and saving words. If this be so, and he who discusses many profitable things indulges in a "multitude of words," Solomon himself did not escape the sin, for "he spake three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes." 153 How can teaching be effective without many words of the simpler kind? Wisdom herself tells the perishing, "I prolonged my words unto you, and ye did not regard." 154 And Paul appears to have continued preaching from morn until midnight, until Eutychus borne down with deep sleep fell down and alarmed the audience, who thought he was dead.155

4. Well, then, if it be true that "in a multitude of words thou wilt not escape sin"; and if it be also true that neither Solomon sinned though he spake many words about the above-mentioned subjects, nor Paul, though he continued teaching until midnight, we must inquire what "a multitude of words" is, and then pass on to consider the meaning of "the many books." The whole Word of God, I say, the Word which was in the beginning with God,156 is not "a multitude of words," for it is not "words "; there is one Word 157 which may be regarded from many points of view, and each of these meanings is a part of the whole Word. But as for words other than this Word, which profess to describe or relate anything whatsoever, though we may believe them to be words respecting truth,----what I am going to say will sound still more paradoxical, ----not one of them is a word, but each of them words. For the unit can nowhere be found, nor can harmony and unity, but because they are torn with mutual conflict their unity has perished; and they are split into many parts, perhaps infinitely numerous; so that, according to this, we may say that he who utters anything whatsoever contrary to godliness speaks much, while he who speaks the things of the truth, even though he speak so exhaustively as to omit nothing, even speaks one word, and the saints, making the one Word their constant aim, do not fall into the vice of much speaking. If, then, whether there be or be not "much speaking" depends on the doctrines and not on the number of the words, see whether we cannot say the whole range of sacred teaching is one book, and all other teaching many books?

5. But since I must have proof from the Divine Scripture, consider whether my most striking way of presenting it is not to show that the account of Christ in relation to us is not contained in one book, if we take the "books" in the ordinary sense. It is described even in the Pentateuch; but also in each of the Prophets, and in the Psalms, and, generally, as the Saviour Himself says, in all the Scriptures, to which He refers us, bidding us "Search the Scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have eternal life: and these are they which bear witness of me." 158 If, then, He refers us to the Scriptures as bearing witness of Him, He does not send us to this or that particular portion, but to all the Scriptures that tell of Him, such as those which in the Psalms He called "the roll of the book," saying, "In the roll of the book it is written of me." 159 If any one takes the phrase "in the roll of the book" to mean some one of the books containing the things concerning Him, I should like him to tell me why he prefers that book to any other. To justify any one in supposing that the word refers to the Book of the Psalms itself, he must point out that the words should have been "In this book it is written concerning me." But the fact is that He says that everything is one roll, because the account of Himself which has reached us is summed up in one (statement, "I came to do Thy will"). And what, again, is the meaning of the book being seen by John written in front and on the back, close sealed:160 which no one could read or loose the seals thereof, except the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, He that hath the key of David,161 He that openeth and no man shall shut, and no man shall open? It surely is the whole of Scripture which is indicated by the "book"; written "in front" by reason of the easy, obvious interpretation: "on the back " because of the more remote and spiritual sense.

6. Besides this, we must closely observe whether it is any proof of holy truths being one book, and the opposite of these many, that for the living there is one book from which they who have become unworthy of it are blotted out, as it is written, "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living," 162 while for those subject to judgment looks are brought; for Daniel says, "The judgment was set and the books were opened." 163 To the unity of the Divine book even Moses testifies when he says, "If thou wilt forgive this people their sin, forgive them; and if not, blot me out of thy book which thou hast written."164 I take the passage in Isaiah the same way; for it is not a peculiarity of his prophecy that the words of the book were sealed, and were not read by him that was not learned because he was not learned, nor by him that was learned because the book was sealed; but even this is true of all Scripture, which needs the Word that shut and will open; for "He shall shut and none shall open," 165 and once He opens no one can any longer associate darkness with His clear light; and this is why it is said that He shall open and none shut. And the very similar passage in Ezekiel about the book there spoken of, wherein was written "lamentations and music and woe." For every book contains the "woe" of the perishing,166 and "music" for those who are being saved, and lamentations for those between these extremes. John, too, when he says that he ate one roll of the book,167 wherein were written things past and things to come, must have regarded the whole of Scripture as one book, very sweet as a man understands it at first and feeds upon it, but bitter when it is revealed to the self-consciousness of every one who has come to know it. To demonstrate this I will add an apostolic saying not understood by the followers of Marcion, who therefore reject the Gospels; for whereas the Apostle says, "According to my gospel in Christ Jesus," 168 and does not speak of gospels, they oppose us, and maintain that if there were several gospels the Apostle would not have used the word in the singular. They do not understand that as He is one, so the Gospel written by its many authors is one in effect, and the Gospel truly delivered by four evangelists is one Gospel.

7. Wherefore, if this has brought us conviction as to what the one book means, and what the many, I am now not so much concerned for the quantity of the copy as for the quality of the same, lest I fall into the transgression of the commandment, if I put forth anything as truth which is contrary to the truth even in a single detail of what is written; for I shall then prove myself to be a writer of many books. And just now, when, with a show of knowledge, men who hold false opinions are rising up against the holy Church of Christ, and publishing book after book which professes to expound the Gospels and apostolic writings, if we hold our peace, and do not meet them with the true and sound doctrines, they will prevail over gluttonous souls which, for want of wholesome food, rush to things forbidden, to utterly unclean and abominable meats. It therefore seems to me to be necessary, that he who can genuinely plead for the doctrine of the Church and refute the handlers of knowledge falsely so-called, should withstand the inventions of the heretics, opposing to them the elevation of the preaching of the Gospel, inasmuch as he is satisfied with the harmony of doctrines common to the Old Testament and to the New, as they are respectively called. At all events, you yourself, when advocates of the good cause were scarce, because you could not endure an irrational and commonplace faith, in your love for Jesus embraced opinions which you afterwards, when you had fully exercised the understanding given to you, condemned and forsook. This I say, according to my light, by way of excuse for men who can speak and write, and also by way of apology for myself, lest, perhaps, not being equipped as a man should be who is enabled by God to be a minister of the New Testament,169 not of the letter, but of the spirit, I too boldly apply myself to composition.170

[1] Τίς ἡ πολυλογία, καὶ τίνα τὰ πολλὰ βιβλία: καὶ ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ θεόπνευστος γραφὴ ἓν βιβλίον ἐστίν. ἐκ τοῦ εʹ τόμου τῶν εἰς τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην, εἰς τὸ προοίμιον. Ἐπεὶ μὴ ἀρκούμενος τὸ παρὸν ἀνειληφέναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔργον τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐργοδιωκτῶν, καὶ ἀπόντας τὰ πολλά σοι σχολάζειν καὶ τῷ πρὸς σὲ καθήκοντι ἀξιοῖς, ἐγὼ ἐκκλίνων τὸν κάματον, καὶ περιϊστάμενος τὸν παρὰ θεοῦ τῶν ἐπὶ τὸ γράφειν εἰς τὰ θεῖα ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδεδωκότων κίνδυνον, συναγορεύσαιμι ἂν ἐμαυτῷ ἀπὸ τῆς γραφῆς παραιτούμενος τὸ πολλὰ ποιεῖν βιβλία. φησὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἐκκλησιαστῇ Σολομῶν: Υἱέ μου, φύλαξαι τοῦ ποιῆσαι βιβλία πολλά: οὐκ ἔστι περασμὸς, καὶ μελέτη πολλὴ κόπωσις σαρκός. ἡμεῖς γὰρ, εἰ μὴ ἔχοι νοῦν τινα κεκρυμμένον καὶ ἔτι ἡμῖν ἀσαφῆ ἡ προκειμένη λέξις, ἄντικρυς παραβεβήκαμεν τὴν ἐντολὴν μὴ φυλαξάμενοι ποιῆσαι βιβλία πολλά.
[2] Εἶτα εἰπὼν ὡς εἰς ὀλίγα τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ῥητὰ τέσσαρες αὐτῷ διηνύσθησαν τόμοι ἐπιφέρει: Ὅσον γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ λέξει δύο σημαίνεται ἐκ τοῦ: Υἱέ μου, φύλαξαι τοῦ ποιῆσαι βιβλία πολλά: ἓν μὲν ὅτι οὐ δεῖ κεκτῆσθαι βιβλία πολλὰ, ἕτερον δὲ ὅτι οὐ δεῖ συντάξαι βιβλία πολλά: καὶ εἰ μὴ τὸ πρῶτον, πάντως τὸ δεύτερον: εἰ δὲ τὸ δεύτερον, οὐ πάντως τὸ πρότερον. πλὴν ἑκατέρωθεν δόξομεν μανθάνειν, μὴ δεῖν ποιεῖν βιβλία πλείονα. ἠδυνάμην δὲ πρὸς τὸ νῦν ἡμῖν ὑποπεπτωκὸς ἱστάμενος ἐπιστεῖλαί σοι ὡς ἀπολογίαν τὸ ῥητὸν, καὶ, κατασκευάσας τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲ τοὺς ἁγίους πολλῶν βιβλίων συντάξεσιν ἐσχολακέναι, παύσασθαι πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς τοῦ κατὰ τὰς συνθήκας, ἃς ἐποιησάμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ὑπαγορεύειν τὰ διαπεμφθησόμενά σοι: καὶ τάχα σὺ πληγεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς λέξεως πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς ἂν ἡμῖν συνεχώρησας. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τὴν γραφὴν εὐσυνειδήτως ἐξετάζειν δεῖ, μὴ προπετῶς ἑαυτῷ καταχαριζόμενον τὸ νενοηκέναι ἐκ τοῦ ψιλὴν τὴν λέξιν ἐξειληφέναι, οὐχ ὑπομένω μὴ τὴν φαινομένην μοι ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπολογίαν, ᾗ χρήσαιο ἂν κατ' ἐμοῦ εἰ παρὰ τὰς συνθήκας ποιήσαιμι, παρατιθείς. καὶ πρῶτόν γε, ἐπεὶ δοκεῖ τῇ λέξει συναγορεύειν ἡ ἱστορία, οὐδενὸς τῶν ἁγίων ἐκδεδωκότος συντάξεις πλείονας καὶ ἐν πολλαῖς βίβλοις τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ ἐκτιθεμένου, περὶ τούτου λεκτέον. ὁ δὲ ἐγκαλῶν μοι εἰς σύνταξιν πλειόνων ἐρχομένῳ τὸν τηλικοῦτον Μωσέα φήσει μόνας πέντε βίβλους καταλελοιπέναι.
[3] Εἶτα ἀπαριθμησάμενος προφήτας καὶ ἀποστόλους, ὀλίγα ἑκάστου ἢ οὐδὲ ὀλίγα γράψαντος, ἐπάγει: Πάλιν δὴ μετὰ ταῦτα ἰλιγγιᾷν μοι ἐπέρχεται σκοτοδινιῶντι, μὴ ἄρα πειθαρχῶν σοι οὐκ ἐπειθάρχησα θεῷ οὐδὲ τοὺς ἁγίους ἐμιμησάμην. εἰ μὴ σφάλλομαι τοίνυν ἐμαυτῷ συναγορεύων, διὰ τὸ πάνυ σε φιλεῖν καὶ ἐν μηδενὶ ἐθέλειν λυπεῖν, τοιαύτας εὑρίσκω εἰς ταῦτα ἀπολογίας. πρὸ πάντων παρεθέμεθα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ λέγοντος: Υἱέ μου, φύλαξαι τοῦ ποιῆσαι βιβλία πολλά. τούτῳ ἀντιπαραβάλλω ἐκ τῶν Παροιμιῶν τοῦ αὐτοῦ Σολομῶντος ῥητὸν, ὅς φησιν: Ἐκ πολυλογίας οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ ἁμαρτίαν, φειδόμενος δὲ χειλέων νοήμων ἔσῃ. καὶ ζητῶ εἰ τὸ ὁποῖά ποτ' οὖν λέγειν πολλὰ πολυλογεῖν ἐστὶν, κἂν ἅγιά τις καὶ σωτήρια λέγῃ πολλά. εἰ γὰρ τοῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει καὶ πολυλογεῖ ὁ πολλὰ διεξιὼν ὠφέλιμα, αὐτὸς ὁ Σολομῶν οὐκ ἐκπέφευγε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, λαλήσας τρεῖς χιλιάδας παραβολῶν, καὶ ᾠδὰς πεντακισχιλίας, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ξύλων ἀπὸ τῆς κέδρου τῆς ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ καὶ ἕως τῆς ὑσσώπου τῆς ἐκπορευομένης διὰ τοῦ τοίχου: ἔτι δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ περὶ τῶν πετεινῶν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἑρπετῶν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἰχθύων. πῶς γὰρ δύναται διδασκαλία ἀνύειν τι χωρὶς τῆς ἁπλούστερον νοουμένης πολυλογίας, καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς σοφίας φασκούσης τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις: Ἐξέτεινον λόγους, καὶ οὐ προσείχετε; ὁ δὲ Παῦλος φαίνεται διατελῶν ἕωθεν μέχρι μεσονυκτίου ἐν τῷ διδάσκειν, ὅτε καὶ Εὔτυχος καταφερόμενος ὕπνῳ βαθεῖ καταπεσὼν ἐτάραξε τοὺς ἀκούοντας ὡς τεθνηκώς.
[4] Εἰ τοίνυν ἀληθὲς τό: Ἐκ πολυλογίας οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ ἁμαρτίαν: ἀληθὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ μὴ ἡμαρτηκέναι πολλὰ περὶ τῶν προειρημένων τὸν Σολομῶντα ἀπαγγείλαντα, μηδὲ τὸν Παῦλον παρατείναντα μέχρι μεσονυκτίου, ζητητέον τίς ἡ πολυλογία, κἀκεῖθεν μεταβατέον ἐπὶ τὸ ἰδεῖν τίνα τὰ πολλὰ βιβλία. ὁ πᾶς δὴ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, λόγος ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν, οὐ πολυλογία ἐστὶν, οὐ γὰρ λόγοι: λόγος γὰρ εἷς συνεστὼς ἐκ πλειόνων θεωρημάτων, ὧν ἕκαστον θεώρημα μέρος ἐστὶ τοῦ ὅλου λόγου. οἱ δὲ ἔξω τούτου ἐπαγγελλόμενοι περιέχειν διέξοδον καὶ ἀπαγγελίαν ὁποίαν δήποτε, εἰ καὶ ὡς περὶ ἀληθείας εἰσὶ λόγοι, καὶ παραδοξότερόν γε ἐρῶ, οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν λόγος, ἀλλ' ἕκαστοι λόγοι. οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἡ μονὰς, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τὸ σύμφωνον καὶ ἓν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ διεσπᾶσθαι καὶ μάχεσθαι τὸ ἓν ἀπ' ἐκείνων ἀπώλετο, καὶ γεγόνασιν ἀριθμοὶ, καὶ τάχα ἀριθμοὶ ἄπειροι: ὥστε κατὰ τοῦτ' ἂν ἡμᾶς εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὁ φθεγγόμενος ὃ δήποτε τῆς θεοσεβείας ἀλλότριον πολυλογεῖ, ὁ δὲ λέγων τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, κἂν εἴπῃ τὰ πάντα ὡς μηδὲν παραλιπεῖν, ἕνα ἀεὶ λέγει λόγον, καὶ οὐ πολυλογοῦσιν οἱ ἅγιοι τοῦ σκοποῦ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἕνα ἐχόμενοι λόγον. εἰ τοίνυν ἡ πολυλογία ἐκ τῶν δογμάτων κρίνεται καὶ οὐκ ἐκ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν λέξεων ἀπαγγελίας, ὅρα εἰ οὕτω δυνάμεθα ἓν βιβλίον τὰ πάντα ἅγια εἰπεῖν, πολλὰ δὲ τὰ ἔξω τούτων.
[5] Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ μαρτυρίου μοι δεῖ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς θείας γραφῆς, ἐπίσκεψαι εἰ πληκτικώτατα δύναμαι τοῦτο παραστῆσαι, κατασκευάσας ὅτι περὶ Χριστοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἐν ἑνὶ γέγραπται βιβλίῳ, κοινότερον ἡμῶν τὰ βιβλία νοούντων. γέγραπται γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῇ πεντατεύχῳ: εἴρηται δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τοῖς ψαλμοῖς, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς, ὥς φησιν αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ, ἐν πάσαις ταῖς γραφαῖς, ἐφ' ἃς ἀναπέμπων ἡμᾶς φησίν: Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς γραφὰς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν: καὶ ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ. εἰ τοίνυν ἀναπέμπει ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὰς γραφὰς ὡς μαρτυρούσας περὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἐπὶ τήνδε μὲν πέμπει ἐπὶ τήνδε δὲ οὔ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς ἀπαγγελλούσας περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἅστινας ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς κεφαλίδα ὀνομάζει βιβλίου, λέγων: Ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ. ὁ γὰρ ἁπλῶς θέλων ἐκλαβεῖν τὸ ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου ἐπὶ οἵου δήποτε ἑνὸς τῶν περιεχόντων τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἀπαγγελλέτω τίνι λόγῳ τήνδε τὴν βίβλον ἑτέρας προκρίνει. ἵνα γὰρ καὶ ὑπολαμβάνῃ τις ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὴν τῶν ψαλμῶν βίβλον ἀναφέρειν ἡμᾶς τὸν λόγον, λεκτέον πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι ἐχρῆν εἰρῆσθαι: ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ βίβλῳ γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ. νῦν δέ φησι πάντα μίαν κεφαλίδα, τῷ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦσθαι τὸν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐληλυθότα λόγον εἰς ἕν. τί δὲ καὶ τὸ βιβλίον ἑωρᾶσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰωάννου γεγραμμένον ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν, καὶ κατεσφραγισμένον, ὅπερ οὐδεὶς ἠδύνατο ἀναγνῶναι καὶ λῦσαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, εἰ μὴ ὁ λέων ὁ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα, ἡ ῥίζα Δαυεὶδ, ὁ ἔχων τὴν κλεῖν τοῦ Δαυεὶδ, καὶ ἀνοίγων καὶ οὐδεὶς κλείσει, καὶ κλείων καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνοίξει; ἡ γὰρ πᾶσα γραφή ἐστιν ἡ δηλουμένη διὰ τῆς βίβλου, ἔμπροσθεν μὲν γεγραμμένη διὰ τὴν πρόχειρον αὐτῆς ἐκδοχὴν, ὄπισθεν δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀνακεχωρηκυῖαν καὶ πνευματικήν.
[6] Παρατηρητέον πρὸς τούτοις εἰ δύναται ἀποδεικτικὸν τοῦ τὰ ἅγια μίαν τυγχάνειν βίβλον, τὰ δὲ ἐναντίως ἔχοντα πολλὰς, τὸ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ζώντων μίαν εἶναι τὴν βίβλον, ἀφ' ἧς ἀπαλείφονται οἱ ἀνάξιοι αὐτῆς γεγενημένοι, ὡς γέγραπται: Ἐξαλειφθήτωσαν ἐκ βίβλου ζώντων: ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν κρίσει ὑποκειμένων βίβλους φέρεσθαι: φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Δανιήλ: Κριτήριον ἐκάθισε, καὶ βίβλοι ἠνεῴχθησαν. τῷ δὲ ἑνικῷ τῆς θείας βίβλου καὶ Μωσῆς μαρτυρεῖ, λέγων: Εἰ μὲν ἀφῇς τῷ λαῷ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἄφες: εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου σου ἧς ἔγραψας. ἐγὼ καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ οὕτως ἐκλαμβάνω: οὐ γὰρ ἴδιον τῆς τούτου προφητείας τὸ εἶναι τοὺς λόγους τοῦ βιβλίου ἐσφραγισμένους, μήτε ὑπὸ τοῦ μὴ ἐπισταμένου γράμματα ἀναγινωσκομένους διὰ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι αὐτὸν γράμματα, μήτε ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπισταμένου διὰ τὸ ἐσφραγίσθαι τὴν βίβλον. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ πάσης γραφῆς ἀληθεύεται, δεομένης τοῦ κλείσαντος λόγου καὶ ἀνοίξοντος: Οὗτος γὰρ κλείσει καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνοίξει: καὶ ἐπὰν ἀνοίξῃ οὐκέτι οὐδεὶς ἀπορίαν δύναται τῇ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ σαφηνείᾳ προσενεγκεῖν: διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται ὅτι ἀνοίξει καὶ οὐδεὶς κλείσει. τὸ παραπλήσιον δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς εἰρημένης βίβλου παρὰ τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐκλαμβάνω, ἐν ᾗ ἐγέγραπτο θρῆνος καὶ μέλος καὶ οὐαί. πᾶσα γὰρ βίβλος περιέχει τὸ τῶν ἀπολλυμένων οὐαὶ, καὶ τὸ περὶ τῶν σωζομένων μέλος, καὶ τὸν περὶ τῶν μεταξὺ θρῆνον. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἐσθίων Ἰωάννης μίαν κεφαλίδα, ἐν ᾗ γέγραπται τὰ ὄπισθεν καὶ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν, τὴν πᾶσαν νενόηκε γραφὴν ὡς βίβλον μίαν, ἡδίστην κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς νοουμένην ὅτε τις αὐτὴν μασᾶται, πικρὰν δὲ τῇ ἑκάστου τῶν ἐγνωκότων συναισθήσει τῇ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἀναφαινομένην. ἔτι προσθήσω εἰς τὴν τούτου ἀπόδειξιν ῥητὸν ἀποστολικὸν μὴ νενοημένον ὑπὸ τῶν Μαρκίωνος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀθετούντων τὰ εὐαγγέλια: τὸ γὰρ τὸν ἀπόστολον λέγειν: Κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ μὴ φάσκειν εὐαγγέλια, ἐκεῖνοι ἐφιστάντες φασὶν οὐκ ἂν πλειόνων ὄντων εὐαγγελίων τὸν ἀπόστολον ἑνικῶς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰρηκέναι, οὐ συνιέντες ὅτι, ὡς εἷς ἐστὶν ὃν εὐαγγελίζονται πλείονες, οὕτως ἕν ἐστι τῇ δυνάμει τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν εὐαγγέλιον ἀναγεγραμμένον, καὶ τὸ ἀληθῶς διὰ τεσσάρων ἕν ἐστιν εὐαγγέλιον.
[7] Εἰ τοίνυν ταῦτα ἡμᾶς πεῖσαι δύναται τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ ἓν βιβλίον καὶ τί τὰ πολλὰ, νῦν μᾶλλον φροντίζω οὐ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν γραφομένων ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν δύναμιν τῶν νοουμένων, μήποτε περιπέσω τῷ παραβαίνειν τὴν ἐντολὴν, ἐάν τι παρὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὡς ἀλήθειαν ἐκθῶμαι, κἂν ἐν ἑνὶ τῶν γραφομένων: ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἔσομαι γράψας βιβλία πολλά. καὶ νῦν δὲ προφάσει γνώσεως ἐπανισταμένων τῶν ἑτεροδόξων τῇ ἁγίᾳ τοῦ χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ πολυβίβλους συντάξεις φερόντων ἐπαγγελλομένας διήγησιν τῶν τε εὐαγγελικῶν καὶ ἀποστολικῶν λέξεων, ἐὰν σιωπήσωμεν μὴ ἀντιπαρατιθέντες αὐτοῖς τὰ ἀληθῆ καὶ ὑγιῆ δόγματα, ἐπικρατήσουσι τῶν λίχνων ψυχῶν, ἀπορίᾳ τροφῆς σωτηρίου ἐπὶ τὰ ἀπηγορευμένα σπευδουσῶν καὶ ἀληθῶς ἀκάθαρτα καὶ βδελυκτὰ βρώματα. διόπερ ἀναγκαῖόν μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι, τὸν δυνάμενον πρεσβεύειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ λόγου ἀπαραχαράκτως καὶ ἐλέγχειν τοὺς τὴν ψευδώνυμον γνῶσιν μεταχειριζομένους, ἵστασθαι κατὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἀναπλασμάτων, ἀντιπαραβάλλοντα τὸ ὕψος τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ κηρύγματος, πεπληρωμένον συμφωνίας δογμάτων κοινῶν τῇ καλουμένῃ παλαιᾷ πρὸς τὴν ὀνομαζομένην καινὴν διαθήκην. αὐτὸς γοῦν ἀπορίᾳ τῶν πρεσβευόντων τὰ κρείττονα, μὴ φέρων τὴν ἄλογον καὶ ἰδιωτικὴν πίστιν, διὰ τὴν πρὸς Ἰησοῦν ἀγάπην ἐπιδεδώκεις ποτὲ σαυτὸν λόγοις, ὧν ὕστερον τῇ δεδομένῃ σοι συνέσει καταχρησάμενος εἰς δέον καταγνοὺς ἀπέστης. ταῦτα δέ φημι κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενόν μοι ἀπολογούμενος περὶ τῶν δυναμένων λέγειν καὶ γράφειν, περὶ δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπολογούμενος, μὴ ἄρα οὐ τοιαύτης ὢν ἕξεως ὁποίαν ἐχρῆν τὸν παρὰ θεοῦ ἱκανούμενον διάκονον τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος ἀλλὰ πνεύματος, τολμηρότερον ἐμαυτὸν τῷ ὑπαγορεύειν ἐπιδίδωμι.