Chapter V.—By the Rule of Antiquity, the Catholic Gospels are Found to Be True, Including the Real St. Luke’s. Marcion’s Only a Mutilated Edition. The Heretic’s Weakness and Inconsistency in Ignoring the Other Gospels.^35853585    [On this whole chapter and subject, consult Kaye, pp. 278–289.]

On the whole, then, if that is evidently more true which is earlier, if that is earlier which is from the very beginning, if that is from the beginning which has the apostles for its authors, then it will certainly be quite as evident, that that comes down from the apos350tles, which has been kept as a sacred deposit^35863586    Sacrosanctum. Inviolate.  Westcott, On the Canon, p. 384. Compare De Præscript. Hæret. c. 36, supra. in the churches of the apostles. Let us see what milk the Corinthians drank from Paul; to what rule of faith the Galatians were brought for correction; what the Philippians, the Thessalonians, the Ephesians read by it; what utterance also the Romans give, so very near^35873587    De proximo. Westcott renders this, “who are nearest to us.” See in loco. (to the apostles), to whom Peter and Paul conjointly^35883588    et…et. [N.B. Not Peter’s See, then.] bequeathed the gospel even sealed with their own blood. We have also St. John’s foster churches.^35893589    Alumnas ecclesias. He seems to allude to the seven churches of the Apocalypse. For although Marcion rejects his Apocalypse, the order^35903590    [Not the Order of bishops (as we now speak) but of their succession from St. John. Kaye, p. 219.] of the bishops (thereof), when traced up to their origin, will yet rest on John as their author. In the same manner is recognised the excellent source^35913591    Generositas. of the other churches. I say, therefore, that in them (and not simply such of them as were founded by apostles, but in all those which are united with them in the fellowship of the mystery of the gospel of Christ^35923592    De societate sacramenti. [i.e. Catholic Unity.]) that Gospel of Luke which we are defending with all our might has stood its ground from its very first publication; whereas Marcion’s Gospel is not known to most people, and to none whatever is it known without being at the same time^35933593    Eadem. condemned. It too, of course,^35943594    Plane. has its churches, but specially its own—as late as they are spurious; and should you want to know their original,^35953595    Censum. you will more easily discover apostasy in it than apostolicity, with Marcion forsooth as their founder, or some one of Marcion’s swarm.^35963596    Examine. Even wasps make combs;^35973597    Favos. See Pliny, Nat. Hist. xi. 21. so also these Marcionites make churches.  The same authority of the apostolic churches will afford evidence^35983598    Patrocinabitur. [Jones on the Canon, Vol. I. p. 66.] to the other Gospels also, which we possess equally through their means,^35993599    Proinde per illas. and according to their usage—I mean the Gospels of John and Matthew—whilst that which Mark published may be affirmed to be Peter’s^36003600    See Hieronymus, Catal. Scriptt. Eccles. c. 8. whose interpreter Mark was. For even Luke’s form^36013601    Digestum. of the Gospel men usually ascribe to Paul.^36023602    See above, chap. 2, p. 347. And it may well seem^36033603    Capit videri. that the works which disciples publish belong to their masters. Well, then, Marcion ought to be called to a strict account^36043604    Flagitandus. concerning these (other Gospels) also, for having omitted them, and insisted in preference^36053605    Potius institerit. on Luke; as if they, too, had not had free course in the churches, as well as Luke’s Gospel, from the beginning. Nay, it is even more credible that they^36063606    The Gospels of the apostles John and Matthew, and perhaps Mark’s also, as being St. Peter’s. existed from the very beginning; for, being the work of apostles, they were prior, and coeval in origin with^36073607    Dedicata cum. the churches themselves. But how comes it to pass, if the apostles published nothing, that their disciples were more forward in such a work; for they could not have been disciples, without any instruction from their masters? If, then, it be evident that these (Gospels) also were current in the churches, why did not Marcion touch them—either to amend them if they were adulterated, or to acknowledge them if they were uncorrupt?  For it is but natural^36083608    Competit. that they who were perverting the gospel, should be more solicitous about the perversion of those things whose authority they knew to be more generally received. Even the false apostles (were so called) on this very account, because they imitated the apostles by means of their falsification. In as far, then, as he might have amended what there was to amend, if found corrupt, in so far did he firmly imply^36093609    Confirmavit. that all was free from corruption which he did not think required amendment. In short,^36103610    Denique. he simply amended what he thought was corrupt; though, indeed, not even this justly, because it was not really corrupt.  For if the (Gospels) of the apostles^36113611    Apostolica, i.e., evangelia. have come down to us in their integrity, whilst Luke’s, which is received amongst us,^36123612    That is, the canonical Gospel of St. Luke, as distinct from Marcion’s corruption of it. [N.B. “Us” = Catholics.] so far accords with their rule as to be on a par with them in permanency of reception in the churches, it clearly follows that Luke’s Gospel also has come down to us in like integrity until the sacrilegious treatment of Marcion. In short, when Marcion laid hands on it, it then became diverse and hostile to the Gospels of the apostles. I will therefore advise his followers, that they either change these Gospels, however late to do so, into a conformity with their own, whereby they may seem to be in agreement with the apostolic writings (for they are daily retouching their work, as daily they are convicted by us); or else that they blush for their master, who stands self-condemned^36133613    Traducto. either way—when once^36143614    Nunc—nunc. he hands on the truth of the gospel conscience smitten, or again^36153615    Nunc—nunc. subverts it by shameless tampering. 351Such are the summary arguments which we use, when we take up arms^36163616    Expedimur. against heretics for the faith^36173617    Fide, integrity. of the gospel, maintaining both that order of periods, which rules that a late date is the mark of forgers,^36183618    Posteritati falsariorum præscribentem. and that authority of churches^36193619    [Mark the authority of churches. He uses the plural—quod ab omnibus.] which lends support to the tradition of the apostles; because truth must needs precede the forgery, and proceed straight from those by whom it has been handed on.