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JOSEPH: Occasions and opportunities for destroying themselves cannot
possibly be wanting to those who are on the road to ruin, or rather who are
anxious to destroy themselves; nor are those passages of Scripture to be
rejected and altogether torn out of the volume, by which the perversity of
heretics is encouraged, or the unbelief of the Jews increased, or the pride
of heathen wisdom offended; but surely they are to be piously believed, and
firmly held, and preached according to the rule of truth. And therefore we
should not, because of another's unbelief, reject the oikonomi'as, i.e.,
the "economy" of the prophets and saints which Scripture relates, lest
while we are thinking that we ought to condescend to their infirmities, we
stain ourselves with the sin not only of lying but of sacrilege. But, as we
said, we ought to admit these according to the letter, and explain how they
were rightly done. But for those who are wrongly disposed, the opening for
lies will not be blocked up by this means, if we are trying either
altogether to deny or to explain away by allegorical interpretations the
truth of those things which we are going to bring forward or have already
brought forward. For how will the authority of these passages injure them
if their corrupt will is alone sufficient to lead them to sin?
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