V. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, (Lardner, Cred. vol. vi. p. 840.) whose age lies close to that of Origen, earnestly exhorts Christian teachers, in all doubtful cases, “to go back to the fountain; and, if the truth has in any case been shaken, to recur to the Gospels and apostolic writings.”—­“The precepts of the Gospel,” says he in another place, “are nothing less than authoritative divine lessons, the foundations of our hope, the supports of our faith, the guides of our way, the safeguards of our course to heaven.”

VI.  Novatus, (Lardner, Cred. vol. v. p. 102.) a Roman contemporary with Cyprian, appeals to the Scriptures, as the authority by which all errors were to be repelled, and disputes decided.  “That Christ is not only man, but God also, is proved by the sacred authority of the Divine Writings.”—­“The Divine Scripture easily detects and confutes the frauds of heretics.”—­“It is not by the fault of the heavenly Scriptures, which never deceive.”  Stronger assertions than these could not be used.

VII.  At the distance of twenty years from the writer last cited, Anatolius (Lardner, Cred. vol. v. p. 146.), a learned Alexandrian, and bishop of Laedicea, speaking of the rule for keeping Easter, a question at that day agitated with much earnestness, says of those whom he opposed, “They can by no means prove their point by the authority of the Divine Scripture.”

VIII.  The Arians, who sprung up about fifty years after this, argued strenuously against the use of the words consubstantial, and essence, and like phrases; “because they were not in Scripture.” (Lardner, Cred. vol. vii. pp. 283-284.) And in the same strain one of their advocates opens a conference with Augustine, after the following manner:  “If you say what is reasonable, I must submit.  If you allege anything from the Divine Scriptures which are common to both, I must hear.  But unscriptural expressions (quae extra Scripturam sunt) deserve no regard.”

Athanasius, the great antagonist of Arianism, after having enumerated the books of the Old and New Testament, adds, “These are the fountain of salvation, that he who thirsts may be satisfied with the oracles contained in them.  In these alone the doctrine of salvation is proclaimed.  Let no man add to them, or take anything from them.”  (Lardner, Cred. vol. xii. p. 182.)

Ix.  Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem (Lardner, Cred. vol. viii. p. 276.), who wrote about twenty years after the appearance of Arianism, uses these remarkable words:  “Concerning the divine and holy mysteries of faith, not the least article ought to be delivered without the Divine Scriptures.”  We are assured that Cyril’s Scriptures were the same as ours, for he has left us a catalogue of the books included under that name.

X. Epiphanius, (Lardner, Cred. vol. viii. p. 314.) twenty years after Cyril, challenges the Arians, and the followers of Origen, “to produce any passage of the Old and New Testament favouring their sentiments.”