united, they should be suspected, either as heretics, or as schismatics, proudly extolling, and pleasing themselves, or as hypocrites actuated by vain glory or the love of lucre.But they who impugn the truth, and excite others to oppose the Church of God, their fate is with Dathan and Abiron; while schismatics, who violate the Church's unity, experience the punishment which fell on King Jeroboam.” Ibid. L. iv.c. xxvi. p. 262. See another quotation under the head, The Church always visible.
S. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA,[1] of the Greek Church. - “ Those who seek may find the truth—and clearly learn from the scriptures themselves, in what manner heresies have gone astray; and on the contrary, in what manner accurate knowledge, and the right doctrine is to be found only in the truth (or the true) and ancient Church.'P)—He ceases to be faithful to the Lord, who revolts against the received doctrines of the Church to embrace the opinions of heretics.They (the heretics) make use indeed, of the Scriptures; but then they use not all the sacred books; those they use are corrupted, or they chiefly urge ambiguous passages.—They corrupt those truths which agree with the inspired word, and were delivered by the holy Apostles and teachers, opposing the divine tradition by human doctrines, that they may establish heresy.—But it is clear, from what has been said, that there is only one true Church, that Church which is in reality, the old one;(9) as there is but one God and one Lord.” Strom. I. vii. p. 888, 890, 891, 896, 899. Edit. Oxonii, 1715.
- ↑ He was a disciple of the learned Pantænus, and, after his death, master of the school of Alexandria, at that time highly celebrated for its philosophical and other studies. He was also Catechist, or instructor of the Catechumens belonging to the church of that city. He flourished towards the close of the second, and died early in the third century, and has left various treatises.
