Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger (15 page)

Costello observes:

St. Augustine not only states that these early Fathers
regarded the book of Wisdom one of the divine Scriptures, but also testifies,
and gives proof that they used its authority in support of Catholic teaching.
He singles out St. Cyprian as one of the Fathers before him, who had used the
Book of Wisdom in support of Catholic doctrine.
[390]
And an examination of St. Cyprian’s writings
reveals that he used it frequently in support of Catholic teaching.
[391]
…Had St. Augustine
desired, he could have mentioned by name other early Fathers who had used the
Book of Wisdom as a divine testimony in confirmation of their teachings.
[392]

Augustine calls Sirach “Holy Scripture”
[393]
and states plainly that the book contains
the words of a prophet.
[394]
He also refers to Baruch as “the Prophet,”
[395]
and describes the story of Susanna as coming
from Scripture.
[396]
Augustine speaks of Tobit in the same manner,
[397]
  and elsewhere refers to it as “Holy
Tobit”.
[398]
In
regards to the books of the Maccabees, Augustine wrote:

But since we are speaking here of bearing pain and bodily
sufferings, I pass from this man, great as he was, indomitable as he was: this
is the case of a man.
But these Scriptures
present to me a woman
of amazing fortitude, and I must at once go on to her case. This woman, along
with seven children, allowed the tyrant and executioner to extract her vitals
from her body rather than a profane word from her mouth, encouraging her sons
by her exhortations, though she suffered in the tortures of their bodies, and
was herself to undergo what she called on them to bear. [2 Mc 7] What patience
could be greater than this? And yet why should we be astonished that the love
of God, implanted in her inmost heart, bore up against tyrant, and executioner,
and pain, and sex, and natural affection? Had she not heard, “Precious in the
sight of the Lord is the death of His saints?” [Ps 116:15] Had she not heard,
“A patient man is better than the mightiest? “[Prv 16:32] Had she not heard,
“All that is appointed thee receive; and in pain bear it; and in abasement keep
thy patience: for in fire are gold and silver tried?” [Sir 2:4-5] Had she not
heard, “The fire tries the vessels of the potter, and for just men is the trial
of tribulation?” [Sir 27:6]
These she knew, and many other precepts of
fortitude written in these books, which alone existed at that time, by the same
divine Spirit who writes those in the New Testament.
[399]

Second Maccabees is used twice as a proof-text in
Augustine’s work,
On the Soul and its Origin
.
[400]
Elsewhere, he quotes Maccabees as coming
from the Holy Scriptures.
[401]

Throughout Augustine’s works, the disputed books are used as
nothing less than inspired canonical Scripture indistinguishable from the other
books of the Bible, save only that they are not accepted by the Jews.
Augustine’s positive viewpoint was later enshrined in the decrees of the
councils of Hippo (AD 393) and Carthage I (AD 397) in which he participated.
[402]

In an effort to weaken Augustine’s unambiguous and
forthright affirmation of the Deuterocanon, some Protestant apologists, often
cite the following passage from
The City of God:

These are held to be canonical, not by the Jews, but
by the Church, on account of the extreme and wonderful sufferings of certain
martyrs.
[403]

These apologists claim that Augustine accepted Maccabees
only because they were a wonderful martyrology and not because it is an
inspired book. Was this, however, the yardstick Augustine himself used in
determining the canon? Based on the evidence already given, it clearly was not.

Augustine did not believe that the canon was a purely human
construct; he considered it a gift handed on to the Church. To posit that
Augustine thought the canon was
selected
by the Church simply because
some of the books contained wonderful accounts of martyrdom, is to entirely
miss his well thought out and developed explanation of how one knows which
books are Scripture. This short, off-the-cuff remark cannot overturn the whole
tenor of Augustine’s work. Instead, it ought to be interpreted in line with his
thoughts as expressed in all of his writings. The Apostles handed the canon to
the Church. Augustine’s remarks, therefore, must be directed primarily towards
the apostolic Church.
[404]
Speculating as to why the apostolic Church accepted Maccabees, Augustine
reasons that Maccabees may have been accepted because of their account of the
Maccabean martyrs. After all, the “roll call of faith” from Hebrews 11 mentions
the Maccabean martyrs in its martyrology of the Old Testament saints.
Augustine’s remarks should not be taken as in any way impugning the authority
of Maccabees as a sacred text. He did not use the books of Maccabees as a mere
martyrology any more than he used the Book of Acts as a mere history.

The Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage I (397)

There was little conciliar interest in defining the canon of
Scripture prior to the time of Jerome, just as there was little need to define
the precise meaning of word “Son” in regards to Christ until the time of the
Arians. Once Jerome’s novelties began to circulate, however, a string of
councils was convened in North Africa to reaffirm the traditional canon. The
first council known with certainty to have done so is the
Council of Hippo
.
The same canon was reaffirmed four years later in the
First Council of
Carthage
, which stated:
[405]

The Synod defines that besides the canonical Scripture
nothing be read in the Church under the name of divine Scripture. The Canonical
Scriptures are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Josue,
Judges, Ruth, four books of Kings (Regnorum), Paralipomena two books, Job, the
Davidic Psalter, the five books of Solomon, the twelve Prophets, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Tobias, Judith, Esther, Ezra two books, Maccabees
two books.
[406]

The Protestant theologian F.F. Bruce and others admit that
the canons of Hippo and Carthage did not impose a new or innovative canon on
the Church but simply endorsed what had been the general consensus among
Christians up until this time.
[407]
It was Jerome’s insistence that Christians abandon the
Deuterocanon which represented an innovation.

Although these North African councils were local, their
locale in no way detracts from their witness as to the inspiration of the
Deuterocanon. Their decisions reflected the common usage of the Christian
Church and were later reaffirmed by Popes and other local councils.
[408]
We find no decrees
on the canon from the major ecumenical Councils (such as Chalcedon and Ephesus)
because none was needed; no large-scale assault on the traditional canon
occurred at this time and the decrees of these local councils went unchallenged
for the most part.
[409]
(Centuries later, Ecumenical Councils (e.g. Florence and Council of Trent) did
officially adopt the decrees of Hippo and Carthage on behalf of the whole
Church).

The Council of Carthage III (397)

[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…five books of
Solomon…Tobias, Judith, Esther, two books of Esdras, two books of Maccabees.
Moreover, of the New Testament [lists the twenty-seven books]. Thus [it has
been decided] that the Church beyond the sea may be consulted regarding the
confirmation of that canon; also that it be permitted to read the sufferings of
the martyrs when their anniversary days are celebrated.
[410]

Jerome’s prestige as the translator of the
Latin Vulgate,
along with his other contributions to biblical scholarship, gave his invectives
against the Deuterocanonical books (spread by means of the prefaces) much
weight. To combat this new opposition to the traditional Christian canon and to
safeguard against the growth of spurious writings, the councils of Hippo and
Carthage drew up a decree, as did subsequent councils who reaffirmed their
decision. While the decrees of these councils circulated throughout the Church,
so did Jerome’s
Latin Vulgate
and his prefaces.

Codex Claromontanus (Dp, 06, A 1026) (ca. 400)

The Codex Claromontanus is a Greek/Latin manuscript dated to
the early fifth century. Claromontanus contains a list of the books of
Scripture that includes Wisdom, Judith, Tobit, First, Second, and Fourth
Maccabees.

Pope Innocent I (d. 417)

Innocent’s pontificate was marked by conflicts within the
Church in which he nobly fought for orthodoxy. The only extant writings come to
us in the form of correspondences, one of which concerns the canon.

Exuperius, the bishop of Toulouse and a personal friend of
Jerome’s, wrote to Innocent I inquiring as to which books comprised the Old
Testament.
[411]
Perhaps Exuperius, having heard Jerome’s persuasive opinions, had become
confused on the subject and sought a better answer from a more authoritative
voice.
[412]
Here is
how the Pope answered:

The subjoined briefly will show what books should be received
into the Canon of Holy Scripture. These are therefore (the books) concerning
which you have wished the admonition of a longed for voice. These five books of
Moses… five books of Solomon…[Jeremiah which included Baruch]…Esther, Judith,
two of Maccabees.
[413]

Innocent’s canonical list mirrors the so-called Decree of
Damasus (Council of Rome) as well as the decrees of the councils of Hippo and
Carthage. Innocent I’s letter corrects Jerome’s mistaken theories and re-affirms
the traditional Christian canon in contradistinction to his novel opinions.

The Council of Carthage IV (419)

Having Faustinus, bishop of Pontentia, present on the Pope’s
behalf, this council held in Carthage issued what is perhaps the most solemn affirmation
of the larger canon. Here is the wording the Council used:

It is decreed that nothing
but the
canonical Scripture may be read under the name of divine Scriptures.
The
canonical Scriptures are the following: of the Old Testament, Genesis…Job, the
Psalter, five books of Solomon, the Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel (omit
Ezekiel) the Twelve Prophets, Tobias, Judith, Esther, two books of Ezra, two
books of Maccabees…. This decree shall be made known to our brother and fellow
priest Boniface, the Bishop of Rome, or even to the other bishops for its
confirmation
; for we have received from the Fathers,
that thus should be
read in the Church.
[414]

Ethiopian Version of Scripture

The canon of the church in Ethiopia appears to be one of the
most unique collections of the ancient Church. In addition to the Deuterocanon,
the Ethiopian canon included books, such as Enoch, Jubilees, 3 and 4 Ezra, and
Psalm 151, which were not part of anyone’s canon.
[415]

Armenian Version of Scripture

Without going into specifics, it is generally agreed that
the Christian churches in Armenia accepted the larger canon for its canonical
Scriptures.
[416]

John Cassian (ca. 360–426)

A native of France, Cassian traveled east and entered a
monastery in Bethlehem and for some time visited the desert Fathers in Egypt.
John Chrysostom ordained him a deacon in Constantinople. He traveled to Rome
and was ordained a priest, and then finally to Marseilles, France where he
founded two monasteries.

John Cassian accepted the Deuterocanon. He quotes Sirach as
Scripture: “Wherefore, as Scripture says, ‘when you go forth to serve the Lord
stand in the fear of the Lord, and prepare your mind’”
[417]
Cassian also references Wisdom as Scripture:
“[A]s Scripture itself testifies: ‘For God made not death, neither does he
rejoiceth in the destruction of the living.’”
[418]

Theodoret of Cyrus (393–466)

Theodoret was born in Antioch near the end of the fourth
century. At an early age, he became bishop of Cyrus. He is known for his role
in combating Monophysitism and Nestorianism. Theodoret accepted the
Deuterocanon as inspired Scriptures.
[419]

Vincent of Lerins (d. ca. 434)

Vincent was a semi-Pelagian monk at Lerins’ island
monastery, who opposed Augustine and Prosper’s definitions of grace. Vincent’s
most famous work is his
Commonitoria,
in which he gives his famous
“canon of Vincent of Lerins,” which gives the marks of authentic teaching.
[420]
  Vincent’s
only use of Deuterocanonical books appears in these words,
“[T]he divine
Oracles cry aloud
, ‘Remove not the landmarks, which thy fathers have set,’
[Prv 22:28] and ‘Go not to law with a Judge,’ [Sir 8:14] and ‘Whoso breaketh
through a fence a serpent shall bite him,’[Ecc 10:8]”
[421]

Vincent makes no distinction among the quotes from Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, and Sirach. All three are included among the divine oracles.

Synopsis of Sacred Scripture (ca. 490)

Although often attributed to him, the
Synopsis
is not
a genuine work of Athanasius.
[422]
It appears instead to be the work of an unknown author
borrrowing from the thoughts of Athanasius. It reads, in part:

All divinely inspired Scripture belongs to us
Christians. The books are not undefined but defined, and have canonical status.
The books of the Old Testament are…[lists the shorter canon with Esther
omitted].