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Quotes On Sacred Scripture

“[It has been decided] that nothing except the canonical scriptures should be read in the Church under the name of the divine scriptures. But the canonical scriptures are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, four books of Kings, Paralipomenon, two books, Job, the Psalter of David, five books of Solomon, twelve books of the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Tobit, Judith, Esther, two books of Esdras, two books of the Maccabees . Of the New Testament: four books of the Gospels, one book of the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul, one epistle of the same [writer] to the Hebrews, two Epistles of the Apostle Peter, three of John, one of James, one of Jude, one book of the Apocalypse of John. Let this be made known also to our brother and fellow-priest Boniface, or to other bishops of those parts, for the purpose of confirming that Canon. because we have received from our fathers that those books must be read in the Church. Let it also be allowed that the Passions of Martyrs be read when their festivals are kept. ” -Third Council of Carthage, Canon 47, 397 A.D.

“It is manifest that those things are not to be inquired into, which Scripture has passed over into silence. For the Holy Spirit has dispensed and administered to us all things which conduce to our profit.” -Anastasius of Antioch, Anagog. Contemp. in Hexem. lib 8 init.

“…from the tokens of truth are more exact as drawn from Scripture,than from other sources…” -Saint Athanasius, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Decretis, 31

“The Holy and Inspired Scriptures are sufficient of themselves for the preaching of the truth.” -Saint Athanasius, Father and Doctor of the Church, Contra Gentiles, 1:1

“These [canonical] books are the fountains of salvation, so that he who thirsts may be satisfied with the oracles contained in them: in these alone the school of piety preaches the Gospel; let no man add to or take away from them.” -Saint Athanasius, Father and Doctor of the Church, Festal Letters 39

“For they [the Scriptures] were spoken and written by God.” -Saint Athanasius, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Incarnatione 56

“…the Scriptures…will learn from them more completely and clearly the exact detail of what we said” -Saint Athanasius, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Incarnatione 56

“Scripture is of all things most sufficient for us.” -Saint Athanasius, Father and Doctor of the Church, Ad Epis Aeg 4

“Divine Scripture is sufficient above all things.” -Saint Athanasius, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Synodis 6

‘The Scriptures are enough for instruction.” -Anthony of Egypt, Vita S. Antoni 16

“What more shall I teach you than what we read in the Apostle? For Holy Scripture fixes the rule for our doctrine, lest we dare to be wiser than we ought.” -Saint Augustine, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Bono Viduitatis 2

“Let us therefore give in … to the authority of the Holy Scriptures.” -Saint Augustine, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Peccatorum 33

“Let us search for the church in the sacred Scriptures” -Saint Augustine, Father and Doctor of the Church, Epis 105

“He will find there in much greater abundance things that are to be found nowhere else, but can be learnt only in the wonderful sublimity and wonderful simplicity of the Scriptures.” -Saint Augustine, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Doctr. Christ. 2,42,63

“It believes also the Holy Scriptures, old and new, which we call canonical, and which are the source of the faith by which the just lives…” -Saint Augustine, Father and Doctor of the Church, De Civ. Dei 19,18

‘The hearers taught in the Scriptures ought to test what is said by teachers and accept that which agrees with the Scriptures but reject what is foreign.” -Saint Basil the Great, Father and Doctor of the Church, Moralia 72:1

“Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth.” -Saint Basil the Great, Father and Doctor of the Church, Ep. Ad Eustathius

“How can we prove and certify as true something which Sacred Scripture does not attest?” -Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church, Glaphyra on Genesis, PG 69,53c

“In regard to the divine and holy mysteries of the faith, not the least part may be handed on without the Holy Scriptures. Do not be led astray by winning words and clever arguments. Even to me, who tell you these things, do not give ready belief, unless you receive from the Holy Scriptures the proof of the things which I announce. The salvation in which we believe is not proved from clever reasoning, but from the Holy Scriptures.” -Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Father and Doctor of the Church, Catechetical Lectures 4,17.

“Nothing must be taught without the Sacred Scriptures.” -Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Father and Doctor of the Church, PG 33,476-7

‘Therefore I beg you all that you give up what appeals to this one or that one and that you address all these questions concerning these things to the Scriptures.’ -Saint John Chrysostom, Father and Doctor of the Church, Homily 13 on 2 Corinthians

“If anything is said without Scripture, the thinking of the hearers limps. But where the testimony proceeds from the divinely given Scripture, it confirms both the speech of the preacher and the soul of the hearer.” -Saint John Chrysostom, Father and Doctor of the Church, Commenting on Psalm 95

“But when Scripture wants to teach us something like that, it interprets itself and does not permit the hearer to err. I therefore beg and entreat that we close our ears to all these things and follow the canon of the Holy Scripture exactly.” -Saint John Chrysostom, Father and Doctor of the Church, Homily 13 on Genesis

“As a trusty door, Scripture shuts out heretics, securing us from error…” -Saint John Chrysostom, Father and Doctor of the Church, Joann. 58

“Everything in the divine Scriptures is clear and straightforward; they inform us about all that is necessary.” -Saint John Chrysostom, Father and Doctor of the Church, Epis 2 ad Thess 3,4

“Being most properly assured that the Scriptures are indeed perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God.” -Saint Irenaeus, Father of the Church, Against Heresies 2,28,2

“The apostles at that time first preached the Gospel but later by the will of God, they delivered it to us in the Scriptures, that it might be the foundation and pillar of our faith.” -Saint Irenaeus, Father of the Church, Against Heresies 3,1

“Since, therefore, the tradition from the apostles does thus exist in the Church, and is permanent among us, let us revert to the Scriptural proof furnished by those apostles who did also write the Gospel, in which they recorded the doctrine regarding God, pointing out that our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and that no lie is in Him.” -Saint Irenaeus, Father of the Church, AH 3,5,1

“Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ.” -Saint Jerome, Father and Doctor of the Church, In Is. Prologue

“It is necessary to take the Holy Scriptures as witnesses; for our comments and statements without these witnesses are not trustworthy.”
-Origen, In Jerem 1,7

“For he knows that Scripture, as a whole, is God’s one perfect and complete instrument, giving forth, to those who wish to learn its one
saving music…” -Origen, In Matt. tom 2

“It is right that His conduct be investigated according to the rule of Scripture.” -Tertullian, Ad Marcion 3,17

“I would give up my life a thousand times, not only for each of the truths of Sacred Scripture, but even more for the least of the ceremonies of the Catholic Church.” -Saint Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church, Life – Thirty-three, 3.

“Saint Paul tells us, “The letter kills, but the spirit gives life” [2 Cor 3:6]. A man has been killed by the letter of the Sacred Scripture when he wants to quote it only so that people will think him to be very learned, . . . when he has no desire to follow the spirit of Sacred Scripture, but wants to know what it says only so he can explain it to others.” -Saint Francis of Assisi

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