Steven Avery
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And one scholar, Antoine Eugène Genoud (1792-1849) forcefully called the non-authenticity arguments "frivolous", even before the discovery that Codex Fuldensis contains the Prologue. And from my studies, "frivolous" is a far more accurate representation of the "serious doubts".
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that at the beginning of the world he was carried on the waters, to insinuate his participation in the creation of things. This dogma is contained in these words of the Gospel: "Go, and teach the nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. (Matt xxvi 11, 1 g.)" The Savior says elsewhere (Jcan xv. 26) in promising the Holy Ghost to his disciples: When the Comforter is come, the one whom I must send to you by my Father; this spirit of truth which proceeds from my Father will bear witness of me..." Finally we notice in the baptism of Jesus Christ the three divine persons: the voice of the Father is heard; it is the Son whom Saint John baptizes, and the Holy Ghost descends upon him in the form of a dove. We cannot deny to God, says Saint Bonaventure, the power to communicate his essence, without denying that he is all-powerful nor deny that he has the will to do so; doing an insult to his infinite goodness, since he is good; for the nature of good is to communicate itself to others: since therefore we recognize in God an infinite goodness, we must similarly suppose in him an infinity of communication. the angels, to man, to all creatures; but these are finite and limited beings, who being only nothings before the Divinity, cannot perfectly respond to his infinite goodness: God should expect a proportionate return only in the communication of his own essence. Saint Augustine compares the eternal Father to the flame which is never without brilliance. God cannot be without fecundity, nor the Father without a Son. And in the same way, remarks St. Bernardine, that light is as ancient as the sun; and that if this star of the day were eternal, light would likewise be eternal, God, who can never be idle, produces a term by contemplating himself in his eternity; and the Word, who is the image of his essence, is eternal like the Father. "Yes," says the prophet Micah, "his birth is from the beginning; it dates from the days of eternity. (Micah ch. v ¥ 2.)" Newton did not give proofs of his good sense when he denied the Trinity, because he could not reconcile this mystery with his algebraic calculations. How many things in nature did this philosopher ignore? Was he right in all his researches? Perhaps he took simple appearances in the stars for true movements? If we were to grant him indefectibility in natural knowledge, his partisans would remain in agreement that the divine nature was beyond his reach; and if they persisted in maintaining the contrary, we would produce for them a cloud of unsuspected witnesses, such as Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Seneca, who have confessed that the essence of God is inconceivable. It is reported that Bossuet, in each lesson of the catechism, made at.to stain on the wall a large image where the subject of the lesson was represented; but when the holy trinity was explained, no figure was shown to the children to make them understand that this great mystery cannot be perceived by the senses, but by the spirit alone which faith enlightens. Et hi tres unum sunt, and these three are one and the same thing. As this verse proves invincibly both the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the trinity of persons in the perfect unity of nature, the enemies of these two great mysteries have separated nothing to make it suspect, or to prove the supposition. They say, that it is not found in several manuscripts. This is not disputed; but it is no less true that it is found in several others, which are in greater number and more ancient and more correct. s. Jerome, in his prologue to the canonical epistles, notes that in his time it was read in all Greek copies, and he complains that unfaithful interpreters had omitted it from their versions.
We know well that some critics have wanted to cast doubt on whether this prologue was written by Saint Jerome; but let us not ignore either that their reasons are so frivolous that they do not deserve to be refuted.
Tertullian and St. Cyprien quote this passage against the enemies of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Idace, Victor of Utica, St. Fulgentius and all the bishops of Africa assembled in a council used it against heretics.
END OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF SAINT JOHN,
Finally, this verse is so incontestable that all the Roman pro-Latins put it in their Bible, as well as the Catholics. Erasmus had suppressed it in his first editions, but he felt obliged to restore it in the later ones. Luther had omitted it in his German translation and his scholars felt obliged to restore it.
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that at the beginning of the world he was carried on the waters, to insinuate his competition in the creation of things. This dogma is contained in these words of the Gospel: "Go, and teach the nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matt xxvi 11, 1g.) "The Savior says elsewhere ( Jk. this spirit of truth which proceeds from my Father will bear witness of me ... "Finally we notice in the baptism of Jesus Christ the three divine persons: the voice of the Father is heard; it is the Son whom St. John baptizes, and the Holy Spirit descends upon him in the form of a dove. We cannot relive God, says St. Bonaventure, the power of communicating his essence, without denying that he is almighty to deny him that he has the will, without insulting; his infinite goodness. He is infinitely communicative, since he is good; for the nature of good is to be communicated to others; himself to angels, to man, to all creatures; but these are finite and limited æ, which being nothing but nothingness before the Divinity, can not perfectly respond to his infinite goodness: God should wait for a proportionate return only in the communication of his own essence. St. Augustine likes the eternal Father to the flame that is never without brilliance. God cannot be without fecundity, and the Father without a Son. And so, says Bernardin, the light is as old as the sun; and that if this star of the day were eternal, the light would be so eternal, God, who can never be idle, produces a term contemplating himself in his eternity; and the Word, which is the image of its essence, is eternal as the Father. "Yes," says the prophet Micah, "his birth is from the beginning; it dates from days of eternity. (Micah v. V. 2.) "Newton gave no proof of his common sense when he denied the Trinity, because he could not reconcile this mystery with his algebraic calculations. How many things in nature that this philosopher has ignored? Did he meet just in all his research? Did Pent-being take mere appearances in the stars for true movements? When we would grant him indefectibility in natural knowledge, his partisans would still agree that the divine nature was beyond his reach; and if they obstinately insisted on the contrary; we would produce a cloud of unsuspecting witnesses, such as Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Seneca, who confessed that the essence of God is inconceivable. It is reported that Bossuet, at each lesson of the catechism, did at. to stain on the wall a large image in which the subject of the lesson was represented; but when the Holy Trinity was explained, no figure was shown to the children to make them understand that this great mystery can not be perceived by the senses, but by the only mind which faith enlightens. And hi very unum sunt, and these three are the same thing. As this verse proves invincibly, and the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the trinity of persons in the perfect unity of nature, the enemies of these two great mysteries have separated nothing to make it suspect, or to prove its supposition. They say that it is not found in several manuscripts. This is not disputed; but it is not less true that it is found in several others, which are in greater numbers, older, and more correct. s.
Jerome in his prologue on the canonical epistles, marks that of his time it was read in all the Greek copies, and he complains that unfaithful interpreters had omitted it in their versions. We know very well that some critics wished to revoke doubt that this prologue was of St. Jerome; but we should not forget that their reasons are so frivolous that they do not deserve to be refuted.
Tertullian and Saint Cypriem quote this passage against the enemies of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Idace, Victor of Utica, St. Fulgence, and all the bishops of Africa united in a council, employed him against the heretics.
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