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Since, in the beginning of this work, we promised to give, when
needful, the words of the ancient presbyters and writers of i the
Church, in which they have declared those traditions which came down
to them concerning the canonical books, and since Irenaeus was one h
of them, we will now give his words and, first, what he says of the
sacred Gospels: "Matthew published his Gospel among the Hebrews in
their own language, while Peter and Paul were preaching and founding
the church in Rome. After their departure Mark, the disciple and
interpreter of Peter, also transmitted to us in writing those things
which Peter had preached; and Luke, the attendant of Paul,
recorded in a book the Gospel which Paul had declared. Afterwards
John, the disciple of the Lord, who also reclined on his bosom,
published his Gospel, while staying at Ephesus in Asia." He
states these things in the third book of his above-mentioned work. In
the fifth book he speaks as follows concerning the Apocalypse of
John, and the number of the name of Antichrist:
"As these things are so, and this number is found in all the approved
and ancient copies, and those who saw John face to face confirm it,
and reason teaches us that the number of the name of the beast,
according to the mode of calculation among the Greeks, appears in its
letters .... "
And farther on he says concerning the same:
"We are not bold enough to speak confidently of the name of
Antichrist. For if it were necessary that his name should be declared
clearly at the present time, it would have been announced by him who
saw the revelation. For it was seen, not long ago, but almost in our
generation, toward the end of the reign of Domitian." He states
these things concerning the Apocalypse in the work referred to. He
also mentions the first Epistle of John, taking many proofs from it,
and likewise the first Epistle of Peter. And he not only knows, but
also receives, The Shepherd, writing as follows :
"Well did the Scripture speak, saying, ' First of all believe
that God is one, who has created and completed all things,'" etc.
And he uses almost the precise words of the Wisdom of Solomon,
saying: "The vision of God produces immortality, but immortality
renders us near to God." He men-lions also the memoirs of a certain
apostolic presbyter, whose name he passes by in silence, and gives his
expositions of the sacred Scriptures. And he refers to Justin the
Martyr, and to Ignatius, using testimonies also from their
writings. Moreover, he promises to refute Marcion from his own
writings, in a special work. Concerning the translation of the
inspired Scriptures by the Seventy, hear the very words which he
writes:
"God in truth became man, and the Lord himself saved us, giving the
sign of the virgin but not as some say, who now venture to translate
the Scripture, 'Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bring
forth a son,' as Theodotion of Ephesus and Aquila of Pontus, both
of them Jewish proselytes, interpreted; following whom, the
Ebionites say that he was begotten by Joseph." Shortly after he
adds: "For before the Romans had established their empire, while
the Macedonians were still holding Asia, Ptolemy, the son of
Lagus, being desirous of adorning the library which he had rounded in
Alexandria with the meritorious writings of all men, requested the
people of Jerusalem to have their Scriptures translated into the
Greek language. But, as they were then subject to the Macedonians,
they sent to Ptolemy seventy elders, who were the most skilled among
them in the Scriptures and in both languages. Thus God accomplished
his purpose. But wishing to try them individually, as he feared
lest, by taking counsel together, they might conceal the truth of the
Scriptures by their interpretation, he separated them from one
another, and commanded all of them to write the same translation. He
did this for all the books. But when they came together in the
presence of Ptolemy, and compared their several translations, God
was glorified, and the Scriptures were recognized as truly divine.
For all of them had rendered the same things in the same words and with
the same names from beginning to end, so that the heathen perceived
that the Scriptures had been translated by the inspiration of God.
And this was nothing wonderful for God to do, who, in the captivity
of the people trader Nebuchadnezzar, when the Scriptures had been
destroyed, and the Jews had returned to their own country after
seventy years, afterwards, in the time of Artaxerxes, king of the
Persians, inspired Ezra the priest, of the tribe of Levi, to
relate all the words of the former prophets, and to restore to the
people the legislation of Moses."
Such are the words of Irenaeus.
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