"Do not go beyond what is written" (1 Corinthians 4:6, NIV).
We know that the Scriptures are perfect, as being spoken by the Word of God and
His Spirit.
(St. Irenaeus c. A.D. 120-c. 203, Lib. II c. 47)
We have received the disposition of our salvation by no others, but those by
whom the Gospel came to us; which they then preached, and afterwards by God's
will delivered to us in the Scriptures, to be the pillar and ground of our
faith.
(St. Irenaeus, Lib. III. c. 1)
Let the shop of Hermogenes prove that what it advances is written; or if it be
not written, let it fear the malediction uttered against those who dare to add
or to retrench.
(Tertullian c. 160-240, adv. Hermog.)
There is one God, whom we do not otherwise acknowledge, brethren, but out of the
Sacred Scriptures. For as he, who would profess the wisdom of this world cannot
otherwise attain it, unless he read the doctrines of the philosophers; so
whosoever will exercise piety towards God, can learn it no where but from the
Holy Scriptures.
(St. Hippolytus c. 170-c.235, adv. Noetum, c. IX)
They have not hesitated to corrupt the word of God; they have treated the
standard of the primitive faith with contempt; they have not known Christ.
Instead of asking what Holy Scripture says, they strain every nerve to find a
syllogistic figure to bolster up their godlessness. If anyone challenges them
with a text from Divine Scripture, they examine it to see whether it can be
turned into a conjunctive or disjunctive syllogistic figure. They put aside the
sacred word of God, and devote themselves to geometry—earth measurement—because they are from the earth and speak from the earth, and do not know the One who comes from above. Some of them give all their energies to the study of Euclidean geometry, and treat Aristotle and Theophrastus with reverent awe; to some of them Galen is almost an object of worship. When people avail themselves of the arts of unbelievers to lend colour to their heretical views, and with godless
rascality corrupt the simple Faith of Holy Writ, it is obvious that they are
nowhere near the Faith.
(Eusebius c. 260-c.340, in The History of the Church, Book 5, quoting an anonymous “orthodox churchman” who wrote during the time of Zephyrinus, bishop of Rome A.D. 201-217)
We have stated in the preceding pages, to the best of our ability, so far as the authority of holy Scripture enabled us, what we deem sufficient for the purposes of instruction. (Origen c. 185-c. 254, De Principiis, III.vi.1)
In the two testaments every word that pertaineth unto God may be sought and
discussed, and out of them all knowledge of things may be understood. And if
anything remains which Holy Scripture does not determine, no other third
scripture ought to be received to authorize any knowledge, but we must “commit
to the fire” what remains, that is, reserve it unto God.
(Origen, Hom. in Lev.)
When I arrived in the district of Arsinoe, when as you know this notion had long
been widely held, so that schisms and secessions of entire churches had taken
place, I called a meeting of the presbyters and teachers of the village
congregations, with any laymen who wished to attend, and urged them to thrash
out the question in public. So they brought me this book as positive and
irrefutable proof, and I sat with them for three days on end from dawn to dusk,
criticizing its contents point by point. In the process I was immensely
impressed by the essential soundness, complete sincerity, logical grasp, and
mental clarity shown by these good people, as we methodically and
good-temperedly dealt with questions, objections, and points of agreement. We
refused to cling with pig-headed determination to opinions once held even if
proved wrong. There was no shirking of difficulties, but to the limit of our
powers we tried to grapple with the problems and master them; nor were we too
proud, if worsted in argument, to abandon our position and admit defeat;
conscientiously, honestly, and with simple-minded trust in God, we accepted the
conclusions to be drawn from the proofs and teachings of Holy Writ.
(Eusebius, in The History of the Church, quoting Dionysius c. 200-c. 265, bishop
of Alexandria)
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