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42. One Tichonius, who, although a Donatist himself, has
written most triumphantly against the Donatists (and herein showed
himself of a most inconsistent disposition, that he was unwilling to
give them up altogether), wrote a book which he called the Book of
Rules, because in it he laid down seven rules, which are, as it
were, keys to open the secrets of Scripture. And of these rules,
the first relates to the Lord and His body, the second to the twofold
division of the Lord's body, the third to the promises and the law,
the fourth to species and genus, the fifth to times, the sixth to
recapitulation, the seventh to the devil and his body. Now these
rules, as expounded by their author, do indeed, when carefully
considered, afford considerable assistance in penetrating the secrets
of the sacred writings; but still they do not explain all the difficult
passages, for there are several other methods required, which are so
far from being embraced in this number of seven, that the author
himself explains many obscure passages without using any of his rules;
finding, indeed, that there was no need for them, as there was no
difficulty in the passage of the kind to which his rules apply. As,
for example, he inquires what we are to understand in the Apocalypse
by the seven angels of the churches to whom John is commanded to
write; and after much and various reasoning, arrives at the conclusion
that the angels are the churches themselves. And throughout this long
and full discussion, although the matter inquired into is certainly
very obscure, no use whatever is made of the rules. This is enough
for an example, for it would be too tedious and troublesome to collect
all the passages in the canonical Scriptures which present obscurities
of such a kind as require none of these seven rules for their
elucidation.
43. The author himself, however, when commending these rules,
attributes so much value to them that it would appear as if, when they
were thoroughly known and duly applied, we should be able to interpret
all the obscure passages in the law that is, in the sacred books. For
he thus commences this very book: "Of all the things that occur to
me, I consider none so necessary as to write a little book of rules,
and, as it were, to make keys for, and put windows in, the secret
places of the law. For there are certain mystical rules which hold the
key to the secret recesses of the whole law, and render visible the
treasures of truth that are to many invisible. And if this system of
rules be received as I communicate it, without jealousy, what is shut
shall be laid open, and what is obscure shall be elucidated, so that a
man travelling through the vast forest of prophecy shall, if he follow
these rules as pathways of light, be preserved from going astray."
Now, if he had said, "There are certain mystical rules which hold
the key to some of the secrets of the law," or even "which hold the
key to the great secrets of the law," and not what he does say, "the
secret recesses of the whole law;" and if he had not said" What is
shut shall be laid open," but, "Many things that are shut shall be
laid open," he would have said what was true, and he would not, by
attributing more than is warranted by the facts to his very elaborate
and useful work, have led the reader into false expectations. And I
have thought it right to say thus much, in order both that the book may
be read by the studious (for it is of very great assistance in
understanding Scripture), and that no more may be expected from it
than it really contains. Certainly it must be read with caution, not
only on account of the errors into which the author falls as a man, but
chiefly on account of the heresies which he advances as a Donatist.
And now I shall briefly indicate what these seven rules teach or
advise.
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