Catholicism Not a Good Predictor of Convictions

This article, put out by the secular press, highlights a point I have made repeatedly on this blog: there is a great lack of unity of conviction among Roman Catholics (link). Key quotation:

But scholars of religion and the Supreme Court also say that the court's Catholics have spanned the ideological spectrum, from William J. Brennan Jr. on the left to Antonin Scalia on the right, suggesting that a justice's Catholic faith does not predict how he or she will rule even on issues such as abortion and gay rights, where the Catholic Church has staked out clear positions.

-TurretinFan

Evidence for Recent Fossilization

That's how I'd characterize the linked article, that describes alleged findings of dinosaur proteins, an unlikely event if the sample were really 65 Million years old (link).

Caveat: Scientists dispute findings all the time. I wouldn't be surprised to see folks try to challenge these findings as well.

-TurretinFan

Epistemology Debate Proposal

As folks have noticed, at least some of the members of Triablogue is not pleased with my take on apologetics/epistemology. Unfortunately, the unstructured format of comment box discussions has lead to a disintegration of discussions there. Accordingly, I'd like to offer a debate proposal to Mr. Manata or if he refuses to Mr. Hays. Here's the proposal:

1. Written debate (we can work out the precise details of how long the papers would be) including a significant cross-examination section (again, we can work out the details by email).

2. Topic of the debate is Epistemology/Apologetics.

3. Resolution is the first resolution with which he/they disagree(s):

i. There is no god but God, and Scriptures are the Word of God.

ii. God communicates himself to man through general revelation.

iii. God communicates himself to man through Scripture.

iv. There is no better reason to believe Scripture than that God said it.

v. Although there are reasons to believe that God authored Scripture, those reasons do not amount to deductive proof.

vi. Although negative approaches in apologetics (e.g. showing the self-contradiction of empiricism) have their place, no Scriptural apologetic is purely negative.

vii. There is no possibility that God can lie.

viii. There is no possibility that Christ did not rise from the dead.

ix. It is reasonable to say that we have a stronger testimony for anything that God says in Scripture than we have for things declared to us by other men and even by our own senses.

I would take the affirmative position on any of those resolutions. If Mr. Manata and/or Mr. Hays do not take the negative position with respect to any of items i to ix (and I am sure they agree with many of them), it is my strong intuition that the bulk of the disagreement between us is a matter of relatively small concern and probably not something worth arguing about. If they want to call my refusal to fight them on those things that I find unimportant "intellectual laziness" I will be snoozing on the porch.

They may not disagree with any of i-ix but may still think there is some important point on which we differ. If so, I exhort them to identify (preferably by email) what they think that is, so that I can either revise my own thoughts on the subject or defend the important point on which we differ.

Sure, we do differ on a number of relatively (in my opinion) unimportant points - such as what Gordon Clark actually says about "knowledge" and how epistemic certainty should be defined. I'm interested to discover whether we have any serious disagreement on things that I think are important, and I hope that this debate proposal will bring out the difference between us or confirm substantial harmony (really, I hope for the latter more than the former).

-TurretinFan

Knowledge of God

How do we know God? The answer to this is two-fold: through the external ministry of the word and the internal ministry of the Spirit. The external ministry of the word is the preached gospel. It is a proclamation of that which has been handed down to us from the prophets, evangelists, and apostles - those men who were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Paul tells Titus:

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

(Titus 1:1-3). This passage, among many others that could be provided, demonstrates that God, and especially Jesus Christ, is made manifest through the preaching of the Word of God. We are not Paul, but we too preach the gospel and bear witness to the truth.

Paul has another explanation of the way by which this knowledge of God is conveyed in Romans 10:

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

(Romans 10:11-21).

One of the points that Paul is making is that the knowledge of God is by faith, faith in the preached word of God. There is sadly today a school of apologetics that seems bent on undermining or downplaying the necessity of faith for the knowledge of God. I don't think the motivation of those men is to undermine the necessity of faith, instead I think they have the commendable motivation of trying to provide a more persuasive defense (apologetic) of the faith.

"You're asking them to just believe that the Bible is God's word?" they ask incredulously, but that is mostly right. I'm not asking folks to believe it on blind faith. There are certainly reasons to recognize the Bible as God's word. These reasons, though, don't amount to "proof." If one could prove the faith, it would not be faith.

Recall, for example, when the Corinthians wanted proof that Christ was speaking in Paul. What did he tell them?

This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare: Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

(2 Corinthians 13:1-6).

His proof is their faith! Paul doesn't appeal to the authority of men (as the Romanists do) or to an attempted logical proof (as some of our misguided brethren seem to do) but to the testimony of the Spirit in the life of the believers. They know it is the word of God by faith, by the testimony of the Spirit and the experience of the power of the Spirit in their life.

That brings us to the second aspect of how we know God: the testimony and work of the Holy Spirit. The Prophet Jeremiah put it thus:

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

(Jeremiah 31:33 - quoted as well in Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16).

Paul explains that some portion of this is, by general revelation to all mankind, written in the hearts of all men:

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

(Romans 2:15).

We see again this internal testimony of the Spirit in Paul's epistle to the Romans: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" (Romans 8:16).

And John tells us the same thing: "This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth." (1 John 5:6)

Scripture explains as well that that this is the heart-opening work of the Spirit:

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

(Acts 16:14).

This is the work of regeneration, as Paul teaches:

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

(Romans 8:5-9).

And the fruit of the Spirit's work includes, among other things, faith:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

(Galatians 5:22-23)

As indeed, all goodness, righteousness and truth comes from him: "(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)" (Ephesians 5:9).

So then, what is the proof of the faith? What is it that makes the knowledge of God certain? It is faith. Scripture declares: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1).

Through the power of the spirit, men receive (by faith) the word of God as such, and not merely as men's words: "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

And as a result of this faith, we can have full confidence and complete assurance of what is said, because the words of Scripture are the words of God:

Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

(2 Peter 1:15-21)

It is the Spirit of God that permits us to hear, to know, and to remember the Word of God. It is by faith in him that we can know anything with absolute confidence, for it is written: "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Romans 3:4) and again "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." (1 John 3:20). God's testimony on something is more to be trusted than that of any man, even the consensus of mankind, and even than our own heart. We must strive to have the faith of Job, who declared: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 13:15). For God has delivered, is delivering, and will deliver us from the second death (2 Corinthians 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; ) of which we may have confidence through the work of Christ (Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. & Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.)

Will men claim this is "fideism" and "anti-intellectual"? I cannot say, and while derogatory words can sting, I will press on and faithfully declare the gospel delivered by the apostles, evangelists, and prophets of old.

-TurretinFan

Thus Saith the LORD - The Scriptural Apologetic of Dogmatism

The man was surprisingly spry, considering his age. Some of the locals attributed this to the fact that he had a young wife and two young sons - he has stay young to take care of them, they said. Others considered it to be due to his oddly Egyptian manner of diet and exercise. Still others simply attributed it to his constant watchfulness as a shepherd, roaming far and wide over the Sinai peninsula.

Whatever the source of his youth, the man was on his way to Egypt. "Home to Egypt," he was no doubt thinking. It had been forty years since he was last there, and he was now twice the age he had been when he left.

Why had he been away so long? Why had he left the glories of Egypt for the backwaters, shepherd lifestyle in Midian? He was a murderer. He had killed a man and hidden the body, but the murder was not hidden and the Pharaoh had sought to bring justice upon his head.

Now that Pharaoh and all those who had sought justice were passed away. The man, Moses by name, had received news of this. He was even now traveling back to Egypt, walking along side his wife and children, whom he had placed on a donkey.

He hadn't made much of his life over the last forty years. Yes, he had managed to obtain a wife, but he not great possessions of his own and his primary job was the management of his father-in-law's sheep: sheep that he had perhaps given as dowry to his father-in-law for his wife, Zipporah.

Now, though he would have liked to be arriving in Egypt with a retinue of camels, Moses was arriving on foot, with his family on a single donkey. Poor Moses! When he left, he was a prince, having been raised in the royal household by Pharaoh's daughter. All that was behind him now.

Outwardly, Moses had little going for him. He remembered the Egyptian tongue, and he was an able-bodied shepherd, but he had no wealth, and no significant ties. His natural family were slaves: they might take him in, but they could only offer him a share in the bondage of Egypt.

There was something more, however. Moses was not simply going back to Egypt because the coast was clear, but because God himself had sent him. God had sent Moses on a mission to free his people from the slavery in which they were.

How was Moses to do this? Moses was to declare: "Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."

But was this going to work? Where is the rigorous proof that the LORD (who could not even be seen) could carry out this threat against the king of the most powerful nation around? Moses could do a few miracles that would persuade his countrymen that he was God's spokesman, but Pharaoh had magicians who would simulate those miracles. Pharaoh was not going to refuse to obey the word of the LORD even after it cost him all the crops and cattle in the land.

No, it was not going to "work." Pharaoh was going to reject Moses' word and suffer the consequence. God was going to bring judgment on the Egyptians and kill their firstborn children.

***

But on the way to Egypt, after nearly dying because he had neglected to circumcise his own children, and after a tearful reunion withe his bother Aaron, Moses encountered a wandering man named Apatna who claimed the mula, or guardian, of knowledge. Mula Apatna listened with rapt attention to Moses' explanation of the plan and then scoffed.

"You expect him just to believe you because you say this is God's word?" Apatna asked, a look of disbelief patent on his weather-beaten face.

Moses was a little taken aback. "But it is the truth," he replied, "God himself revealed it to me." Moses had anticipated this sort of reaction from the Egyptians but not from someone like Apatna, who claimed to believe in God even before Moses had explained the situation. "Don't you believe that it is God's word?" he inquired.

"Oh, certainly - I believe that," said the mula, "but these Egyptians are not simply going to take your word for it. A proper defense (apologetic) has to be more than insisting that this is the word of the LORD." "That's just anti-intellectual fideism," Apatna added, when he saw that Moses was unconvinced.

Upon that, Moses quietly responded, "This is the approach God has given me, and I will follow it. I will declare the word of the LORD as boldly as I can before the Pharaoh, and I will even appeal to the miracles that I can do, but I will not be able to rigorously prove that this is the LORD's word. I can offer the truth, and I can offer evidence of this truth, but proof of the unseen is by faith."

With that Moses and Mula Apatna parted ways. Moses went to Egypt, and after 9 failures, eventually succeeded in securing the release of the people of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. He then led them through the desert for the next forty years of his life, leaving virtually all of those who originally believed his miracles (but not the LORD who empowered them) buried in the desert.

***

But Mula Apatna lived on, or perhaps it was simply a descendant by the same name, for we again find him along the banks of the river Chebar. He's talking with these folks who are prisoners of war and in particular to a priest named Ezekiel, the son of Buzi.

There he was making the same demands of Ezekiel that he (or his grandfather) had made of Moses, but Ezekiel just shook his head. God has told me, Ezekiel explained, "God said to me: Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them."

Ezekiel, like Moses, before him, rejected Mula Apatna's insistence that he needed something more than to declare the word of the LORD to be the word of the most high God. "No," insisted Ezekiel, "I will not concede to the skepticism of the Israelites. If they will not hear me, and if they will not believe, then that will be on their own head. But I will not depart from the way in which I have been told to present the word of God, simply because you label it in a pejorative way."

With that, Ezekiel continued on the path that lead him to be tortured with briers and thorns and to dwell among scorpions. By many standards he was not a big success, but what he spoke was true, and was believed by those who are the children of God, those who are the called according to his purpose.

***

Mula Apatna (or his line) disappeared before Jesus' coming, but had he been around, he would no doubt have been as disappointed with Simon Peter, a preacher who insisted that the gospel he preached was "the word of the Lord," but did not offer rigorous proof of this. Paul as well employed the same technique.

When he convinced the Jews, it was by the Scriptures (Acts 18:28).

When he exhorted Titus, he exhorted him to hold fast "the faithful word" that he had been taught, so that he could convince the gainsayers. (Titus 1:9).

Indeed, as Jude tells, when Michael the Archangel disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, the clinching argument was: "The Lord rebuke thee." Those skeptics who refuse to hear the word of the Lord "speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them!"

Yes, we cannot persuade everyone, and we cannot offer proof to the satisfaction of every hard-hearted and stiff-necked person. We cannot always please the Mula Apatna's that criticize the approach that we take when we follow those who preceded us in the faith. But there is no more sure foundation upon which to build one's house than that Rock which is Christ and on the revelation through the prophets, evangelists, and apostles of Christ, the Son of God,

To Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory and honor both now and ever, even for ages of ages.

Epistemic Certainty - Competing Warrants

I really don't Mr. Manata's fascination with Sudduth.

Sudduth's fundamental problem in his attempt to bolster his thesis that "theistic belief (and belief in other theological propositions) is not epistemically certain" is his essential relativism. This is seen in his frequent appeals to consensus authority at critical junctures ("Most accounts of epistemic certainty are tied ..." "A baseline requirement is typically that ..." "It is generally held that these sorts of beliefs have ...").

I understand, of course, that Sudduth is writing to the academic crowd: a crowd in which such consensus appeals will be well received (and are even standard fare). Such an approach, however, is at odds with a Christian (i.e. Biblical) view of truth. The truth (including the truth about how we know and are certain of the truth) is not determined by what most people accept, what is typically thought to be necessary, or what is generally held in the world.

No, truth is an objective reality and it is communicable reality. Scripture informs us plainly that God conveys truth to us in Scripture (John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

We can know the truth. (see, for example, 1 Timothy 4:13 "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.") Of course, knowledge is not bare coincidence of our mental state and the objective reality of the truth.

Instead, knowledge is belief that rests on a proper foundation. This is not really disputed. What is disputed, evidently, is what constitutes certainty.

Certainty is connected with the foundation for the belief. People assign their own rankings for what constitutes a good foundation for belief, and this is reflected in the Sudduth article that Manata posted. It is also observed in popular culture. Thus, it is a joke when one of the Marx brothers asks, "Who are you going to believe, your own eyes or me?" It is a joke, because (of course) the person is going to believe his own eyes rather than the man.

This popular ranking, however, is flawed. Our Grandmother Eve is a perfect example: she ranked the word of the serpent over the word of God as a foundation for belief. As her children, we have often made similar mistakes.

As a matter of objective fact, however, God's word is the most sure foundation upon which belief can be based. Can this be shown to the satisfaction of every atheist, gnostic, Romanist, or Mormon? Not necessarily. If Eve before the fall could be deceived, even more so men who are fallen can (and frequently are) deceived - and furthermore their minds are darkened.

But this inability of proof to the satisfaction of the skeptic does not negate the objective reality of the solidity of revelation. As a matter of fact, not opinion, God's word is truth and God cannot lie. Furthermore, God conveys truth to men. Thus, when God conveys truth to men (whether it be in propositions provided innately to man or propositions provided in Scripture) such truth has better warrant for belief than the testimony of our own eyes, even while it informs us of the general reliability of our senses.

Sudduth's article fails because it fails to recognize (at least explicitly) that the issue is a battle of warrants, and that in the battle of warrants, there is (and can be) no stronger warrant than divine revelation. As such, it is divine revelation (even though it is widely rejected) that brings epistemic certainty.

-TurretinFan

Augustine and the Immaculate Conception

In a recent video, Mr. William Albrecht discusses the issue of Augustine and the modern Roman Catholic teaching of the Immaculate Conception (link to video). While Mr. Albrecht makes an interesting admission, his comments don't go far enough. Thus, while I congratulate him on not following in the footsteps of a number of Rome's apologists, I would encourage him to go a bit further in his research. This discussion is being in presented in text form here, and in video form below, for those who prefer more audible presentation.

Mr. Albrecht correctly recognizes that the following quotation does not teach the immaculate conception of Mary:

He [Pelagius] then enumerates those “who not only lived without sin, but are described as having led holy lives,—Abel, Enoch, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua the son of Nun, Phinehas, Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Joseph, Elisha, Micaiah, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, Mordecai, Simeon, Joseph to whom the Virgin Mary was espoused, John.” And he adds the names of some women,—“Deborah, Anna the mother of Samuel, Judith, Esther, the other Anna, daughter of Phanuel, Elisabeth, and also the mother of our Lord and Saviour, for of her,” he says, “we must needs allow that her piety had no sin in it.” We must except the holy Virgin Mary, concerning whom I wish to raise no question when it touches the subject of sins, out of honour to the Lord; for from Him we know what abundance of grace for overcoming sin in every particular was conferred upon her who had the merit to conceive and bear Him who undoubtedly had no sin.

Augustine, On Nature and Grace, Chapter 42.

Mr. Albrecht, however, insists that it does teach that Augustine believed that Mary was free from personal sin. This is not the case, as we discover from other things that Augustine taught. For example, Augustine clearly stated:

For to speak more briefly, Mary who was of Adam died for sin, Adam died for sin, and the Flesh of the Lord which was of Mary died to put away sin.

Augustine, Sermon 2 on Psalm 35, Section 3.

How then shall we interpret the issue of the first quotation? Augustine simply does not want to criticize Mary the Mother of our Lord (Augustine never, to my knowledge, refers to her by the name "Mother of God") for her sin. He does not want to take up the question out of respect for Jesus.

Does that mean he concedes the matter to the Pelagians who proposed that Mary was sinless? Of course not. Just because a person does not take up a question is not a concession, particularly when the reason they give is unrelated to the issue, unless one imagines that the reason is an excuse.

Thus, we can see that actually while Mr. Albrecht is wise not suggest that the passage establishes the view of the immaculate conception of Mary, it does not even establish that Augustine believed in the personal sinlessness of Mary.

Mr. Albrecht seems to think that there is plenty of patristic evidence of early teachings of the immaculate conception. However, it does not appear that there is any clear teaching in that regard prior to the Pelagians, and there does not appear to have been widespread acceptance of that error when the Pelagians first tried to introduce it. Perhaps, in an upcoming video, Mr. Albrecht will set forth the evidence he believes exists in the church fathers for the doctrine of the immaculate conception. If so, I - for one - will be very interested to review what he says.

I completed the above, but there was still a nagging thought in my head asking my why Mr. Albrecht had come to the conclusion he did about it being about personal sin versus original sin. Well, it turns out that Aquinas quotes (with approval) from Augustine, and particularly from this work. Aquinas' interpolated copy, however, has an interesting addition after "... her who had the merit to conceive and bear Him who undoubtedly had no sin," Aquinas' quotation adds: "Christ excelled the Blessed Virgin in this, that he was conceived and born without original sin. The Blessed Virgin was conceived in original sin, but not born in it." (Aquinas, On the Angelic Greeting) However, this addition is not original to Augustine is not included in Migne's edition of Augustine's works. It should be noted that some editors have simply attributed these sentences directly to Aquinas as his quotation on the text, and it may not be entirely clear since quotation marks were not used, whether Aquinas was intending to quote Augustine or was simply adding his own commentary. In other words, my own comments above about Aquinas' bad copy of Augustine may better (or alternatively) ascribed to the editors of Aquinas' work. Either way, the main point that Aquinas - like the Reformed churches - regarded Mary as having been conceived with original sin, remains.

-TurretinFan

Patristics Resouces

I realize that there are some of my readers who follow the blog via Google Reader (or other feed readers). Those who do so may not specifically have noticed that I have two sidebars on the blog: one is a list of links to indices of notable patrologies (collections of writings of the church fathers) and another is a link list of the five most recent entries at Ancient Voices, a non-interactive blog that reports quotations that I find interesting from various of the church fathers - one per day at the moment, although I'd like to increase the frequency at some point.

The current list of indices for patrologies is as follows:

• Library of Fathers Series
• Ancient Christian Writers Series
• Augustine: A New Translation Series
• Fathers of the Church Series
• Ante-Nicean Christian Library Series
• Ante-Nicean Fathers Series
• Aquinas - Catena Aurea
• Eastern and Syrian Patrologies (Various)
• Migne - Complete Latin Patrology (Latin)
• Migne - Complete Greek Patrology (Greek)

Likewise, the current list of the five most recent entries at Ancient Voices is as follows:

• Theodoret of Cyrus: Devil as Means to Changed Attitude
• Theodoret of Cyrus: God's Overall Providence
• Theodoret of Cyrus: Faith and Love Attributable to Grace
• Theodoret of Cyrus: New Covenant is Last Covenant
• Theodoret of Cyrus: Marriage Enjoined by God

Hopefully these resources will help those who are interested in hearing what our predecessors in the faith (as well as some heretics who falsely claimed our faith) already had to say about Scripture. It is also useful for those interested in investigating the historical claims that are sometimes bandied about, and to clear away many myths that prevail regarding the church fathers and their beliefs.

-TurretinFan

Eastern Patrology (Patrologia Orientalis) & Syriac Patrology (Patrologia Syriaca) - Index Page

This is an index of the freely available on-line versions of Patrologia Orientalis (Eastern Patrology) and its immediate predecessor, the Patrologia Syriaca (Syriac Patrology). Both are edited by the Institut Pontifical Oriental de Rome. I am thankful to the following helpful website for providing information as to the content of the volumes (link). The primary link (where available) is to archive main's collection. Additionally, Archive includes some volumes via the "Open Source Books" collection, and I have provided those links as secondary where available. Finally, I have identified links to Google Books where I could find them.

Patrologia Syriaca

Volume 1 (Google)(Copy 2)

- Aphraatis Demonstationes I-XXII - textum Syriacum vocalium signis instruxit, Latine vertit, notis illustrauit D. Ioannes Parisot.

Volume 2 (Google)(Copy 2)(Copy 3)(Copy 4)

- Aphraatis Demonstratio XXIII - - textum Syriacum vocalium signis instruxit, Latine vertit, notis illustrauit D. Ioannes Parisot cum lexicone Demonstrationis Aphraatis Syriace;

- Bardesanes, Liber legum Regionum - textum Syriacum vocalium signis instruxit, Latine vertit, notis illustrauit F. Nau;

- S. Simeon Bar Sabbae - Martyrium et Narratio - textum Syriacum vocalium signis instruxit, Latine vertit, notis illustrauit M. Kmosko;

- Liber Apocalypseos Baruch Filii Neriae Translatus de Graeco in Syriacum - Praefatus est, textum Syriacum vocalium signis instruxit, Latine vertit notis illustrauit, M. Kmosko;

- Testamentum Patris Nostri Adam - textum Syriacum vocalium signis instruxit, Latine vertit, notis illustrauit M. Kmosko; and

- Apotelesmata Apollonii Tyanensis - edidit, Latine vertit F. Nau.

Patrologia Orientalis

Volume 1 (Open Source Books)(Google pts 1-2)(Google pt 3)(Google pt 4)(Google pt 5)

- I. Le livre de mystères du ciel et de la terre / texte éthiopien publié et traduit par J. Perruchon;

- II. History of the patriarchs of the Coptic church of Alexandria (S. Mark to Benjamin I) / Arabic text edited, translated and annotated by B. Evetts. Sawirus ibn al-Muqaffa` (Bishop of el-Ashmunein);

- III. Le synaxaire arabe jacobite (rédaction copte) / texte Arabe publié, traduit et annoté par René Basset; and

- IV. Le synaxaire éthiopien: les mois de sanê, hamlê et nahasê / par Ignazio Guidi. I, Mois de Sanê.

Volume 2 (Open Source Books)

- I - Vie de Sévère d'Antioch, par Zacharie le scholastique;

- II - Les apocryphes coptes: Les évangiles des douze apotres et de saint Barthélemy / E. Revillout;

- III - Vie de Sévère, par Jean, supérieur du monastère de Beith Apithonia / M.A. Kugener;

- IV - Les versions grecques des actes des martyrs persans sous Sapor II / H. Delehaye S.J.; and

- V - Le livre de Job: version éthiopienne - Francisco Maria Esteves Pereira.

Volume 3 (Open Source Books)

- I - Histoire d'Ahoudemmeh et de Marouta, métropolitains Jacobites de Tagrit et de l'Orient; traité d'Ahoudemmeh / F. Nau;

- II - Réfutations d'Eutychius, par Sévère, évêque d'Aschmounaïn / P. Chébli;

- III - Le synaxaire arabe Jacobite / René Basset; and

- IV - Sargis d'Aberga, controverse Judéo-Chrétienne / S. Grébaut et I. Guidi.

Volume 4 (Open Source Books)(Google)

- I - Les "Homilies Cathedrales" de Sévère d'Antioch. traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse; publiée et traduite. Homélies LII-LVII / Rubens Duval;

- II - Les plus anciens monuments du Christianisme écrits sur papyrus / C. Wessely;

- III - Histoire nestorienne inédite: (chronique de Séert). Première partie. (I) / Addaï Scher et J. Périer;

- IV - La cause de la fondation des écoles, par Mar Barhadbsabba `Arbaya; texte syriaque publié et traduit / Addaï Scher;

- V - Histoire de S. Pacome (une rédaction inédite des Ascetica): texte grec des manuscrits Paris 881 et Chartres 1754 / avec une traduction de la version syriaque et une analyse du manuscrit de Paris suppl. grec 480 / J. Bousquet et F. Nau;

- VI. Histoire de Saint Jean-Baptiste attribuée à Saint Marc l'évangéliste; texte grec publié avec traduction française [par F. Nau];

- VII. Le miracle de S. Michel à Colosses: (récit de Saint Archippos), texte grec publié avec l'ancienne traduction Latine, composée au Mont Athos par le moine Léon (XIe-XIIe siècle), par F. Nau; and

- VIII. The conflict of Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, by Athanasius; Ethiopic text edited and translated by Edgar J. Goodspeed; with the remains of the Coptic versions by W.E. Crum.

Volume 5 (Open Source Books)

- I - History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic church of Alexandria. III, Agathon to Michael I (766) Arabic text edited, translated and annotated by B. Evetts;

- II - Histoire nestorienne: (chronique de Séert). Première partie. (II), publiée par Addaï Scher; traduite par Pierre Dib;

- III - Le synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan; avec le concours de Max de Saxe. I, Mois de navasard;

- IV - Kitab al-`unvan = Histoire universelle, écrite par Agapius (Mahboub) de Menbidj; éditée et traduite en français par Alexandre Vasiliev. Première partie (I); and

- V - Les légendes syriaques d'Aaron de Saroug, de Maxime et Domèce, d'Abraham, maître de Barsoma et de l'empereur Maurice / texte syriaque édité et traduit par F. Nau. Les miracles de Saint Ptolémée / texte arabe édité et traduit par L. Leroy.

Volume 6

- I - The hymns of Severus and others in the Syriac version of Paul of Edessa as revised by James of Edessa / E.W. Brooks;

- II - Le synaxaire Arménien de Ter Israël. II, Mois de hori / G. Bayan;

- III - Les trois derniers traités du livre des mystères du ciel et de la terre. texte éthiopien publié et traduit / S. Grébaut;

- IV - L'histoire des conciles de Sévère ibn al Moqaffa (second livre) / L. Leroy et S. Grébaut; and

- V - Vie d'Alexandre l'Acémète. texte grec et traduction latine / E. de Stoop.

Volume 7

- I - Traités d'Isaï le docteur et de Hnana d'Abiabène sur les martyrs, le vendredi d'or et les rogations, et de foi a réciter par les évéques nestoriens avant l'ordination / Addaï Scher;

- II - Histoire nestorienne (Chronique de Séert). Seconde partie (I) / Addaï Scher;

- III - Le synaxaire Éthiopien: les mois de sanê, hamlê et nahasê / I. Guidi;

- IV - Kitab al-'Unvan = Histoire universelle / écrite par Agapius (Mahboub) de Menbidj; editée et traduite en français. Seconde partie. (I)/ A.A. Vasiliev; and

- V - The hymns of Severus and others in the Syriac version of Paul of Edessa as revised by James of Edessa (II) / E.W. Brooks.

Volume 8

- I - Jean Rufus, Évëque de Maïouma - Plérophories, c'est-a-dire témoignages et révélations (contre le concile de Chalcédoine) version syriaque et traduction française / F. Nau;

- II - Les homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche, version syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse. Homélies LVIII à LXIX, éditées et traduites en français / M. Briere;

- III - Kitab al'Unvan. Histoire universelle, écrite par Agapius de Menbidj. Seconde partie. (II) / A.A. Vasiliev;

- IV - La version arabe des 127 canons des apotres, texte arabe, en partie inédit, publié et traduit en français d'après les manuscrits de Paris, de Rome et de Londres / J. Périer et A. Périer; and

- V - La didascalie de Jacob, première assemblée: texte grec, original du Sargis d'Aberga (P. O., III, 4) / F. Nau.

Volume 9

- I - Le livre d'Esther, version éthiopienne / Francisco Maria Esteves Pereira;

- II - Les Apocryphes coptes: II, Acta Pilati / Dr E. Revillout;

- III - Le testament en Galilée de notre-seigner Jésus-Christ / L. Guerrier et S. Grébaut;

- IV - Le syntax Éthiopien: les mois de sanê, hamlê, nahasê et pâguemên / I. Guidi et S. Grébaut; and

- V - La seconde partie de l'histoire ecclésiastique de Barhadbesaba 'Arbaïa et une controverse de Théodore de Mopsueste avec les Macédoniens: texte syriaque édité et traduit / F. Nau.

Volume 10

- I - Un martyrologie et douze Ménologes syriaques / F. Nau;

- II - Les Ménologes des Évangéliaires coptes-arabes / F. Nau;

- III - Le calendrier d'Aboul-Barakat: texte arabe, édité et traduit / Eug. Tisserant;

- IV - Les fêtes des melchites, par Al-Bîrounî; Les fêtes des coptes par Al-Maqrizi; Calendrier maronite par Ibn al-Qola'i. textes arabes édités et traduits / R. Griveau;

- V - History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic church of Alexandria. IV, Mennas I to Joseph (849) / B. Evetts;

- VI - Ammonii Eremitae epistolae / syriace edidit et praefatus est Michael Kmoskó; and

- Index for tomes 1-10.

Volume 11

- I - Kitab al-'Unvan. Histoire universalle écrite par Agapius (Mahboub) de Menbidj. Première partie. (II) / Al. Vasiliev;

- II - La vie de saint Luc le Stylite (879-979), texte grec édité et traduit / Fr. Vanderstuyf;

- III - Histoire d'Isaac, patriarche Jacobite d'Alexandrie de 686 à 689, écrite par Mina, évêque de Pchati; texte copte édité et traduit en français / E. Porcher;

- IV - Ammonas, successeur de saint Antoine, textes grecs et syriaques édités et traduits / Fr. Nau; and

- V - Le synaxaire arabe Jacobite: (rédaction copte). III, Les mois de toubeh et d'amchir. texte arabe publié, traduit et annoté / René Basset.

Volume 12

- I - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche: traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies LXX à LXXVI, éditées et traduites en français par Maurice Brière;

- II - A collection of letters of Severus of Antioch: from numerous Syriac manuscripts. edited and translated by E.W. Brooks;

- III - Histoire des sultans mamlouks, par Moufazzal ibn Abil-Fazaïl; texte arabe publié et traduit en français par E. Blochet;

- IV - Les miracles de Jésus. texte éthiopien publié et traduit par Sylvain Grébaut; and

- V - Eis epideixin tou apostolikou kerygmatos = The proof of the apostolic preaching: with seven fragments: Armenian version par S. Irenaeus; edited and translated by Karapet ter Mekerttschian and S.G. Wilson; with the co-operation of Prince Maxe of Saxony.

Volume 13

- I - Sargis d'Aberga, controverse Judéo chrétienne (fin). texte éthiopien publié et traduit / S. Grébaut;

- II - Documents pour servir a l'histoire de l'église Nestorienne: I. Quatre homélies de Saint Jean Chrysostome, II. Textes monophysites - Homélies d'Érechthios, Fragments divers, Extraits de Timothée Ælure, de Philoxène, de Bar Hébraeus, III. Histoire de Nestorius ..., Conjuration de Nestorius contre les migraines / textes syriaques édités et traduits / F. Nau;

- III - Logia et agrapha domini Jesu: apud Moslemicos scriptores, asceticos praesertim, usitata / collegit, vertit, notis instruxit Michaël Asin et Palacios. Fasciculus prior;

- IV - Histoire nestorienne inédite: (Chronique de Séert). Seconde partie. (II) / Addai Scher et Robert Griveau; and

- V - Le troisième livre d'Ezrâ (Esdras et Néhémie cononiques): version éthiopienne, editée et traduite en français / E. Pereira.

Volume 14

- I - A collection of letters of Severus of Antioch, from numerous Syriac manuscripts / E.W. Brooks;

- II - The life of Abba John Kamé, Coptic text edited and translated from the Cod. Vat. Copt. LX. / M.H. Davis;

- III - Mufazzal Ibn Abil - Fazaïl. Histoire des sultans Mamlouks, texte arabe publié et traduit en français;

- IV - Sei scritti antitreistici in langua siriaca / G. Furlani;

- V - Les miracles de Jésus, texte Éthiopien publié et traduit en français / S. Grébaut; and

- "Index to the Letters of Severus and appendix (t. xii, fasc. 2 and t. xiv, fasc. 1)": p. [845]-855 (also numbered p. [481]-491).

Volume 15

- I - Documents relatifs au concile de Florence. I, La question du Purgatoire à Ferrare. Documents I-VI / Louis Petit;

- II - Les trophées de Damas: controverse judéo-chrétienne du VIIe siècle / texte grec édité et traduit / G. Bardy;

- III - Le synaxaire Arménien de Ter Israêl: III, Mois de sahmi/ G. Bayan;

- IV - Sancti Philoxeni Episcopi Mabbugensis Dissertationes decem de uno e sancta Trinitate incorporato et passo / textum syriacum edidit latineque vertit Mauritius Brière. Dissertatio Ia et IIa; and

- V - Le synaxaire Éthiopien: les mois de mois de tahschasch, ter et yakatit. IV, Le mois de tahschasch / S. Grébaut.

Volume 16

- I - Le synaxaire arménien de Ter Israel: IV, Mois de tré / G. Bayan;

- II - Le synaxaire arabe Jacobite: (rédaction copte). IV, Les mois de barmahat, barmoudah et bachons / René Basset;

- III - Homélies mariales Byzantines: textes grecs / édités et traduits en latin / M. Jugie;

- IV - La perle précieuse: traitant des sciences ecclésiastiques (chapitres I-LVI), par Jean, fils d'Abou-Zakariyâ, surnommé Ibn Sabâ`; texte arabe publié et traduit / J. Périer; and

- V - Les homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche (suite). Homélie LXXVII, texte grec édité et traduit en français, versions syriaques publiées pour la première fois / M.-A. Kugener & Edg. Triffaux.

Volume 17

- I - John of Ephesus. Lives of the eastern saints. I. / E.W. Brooks;

- II - Documents relatifs au concile de Florence. II, Oeuvres anticonciliares de Marc d'Éphèse: documents VII-XXIV / Mgr L. Petit;

- III - Le synaxaire arabe Jacobite: (rédaction copte). V, Les mois de baounah, abib, mesoré et jours complémentaires / René Basset; and

- IV - Les miracles de Jésus: texte éthiopien publié et traduit. III. / S. Grébaut.

Volume 18

- I - Le synaxaire arménien de ter Israël: V, Mois de kalotz / G. Bayan;

- II - Le livre de Job: version copte bohaïrique / E. Porcher;

- III - Les plus anciens monuments du christianisme écrits sur papyrus: textes grecs édités, traduits et annotés. II. / C. Wessely;

- IV - John of Ephesus. Lives of eastern saints. II. / E.W. Brooks; and

- V - Histoire de Yahya-ibn-Sa'ïd d'Antioche continuateur de Sa'ïd-ibn-Bitriq / J. Kratchkovsky et A. Vasiliev.

Volume 19

- I - Le synaxaire arménien de ter Israël. VI, Mois de aratz / G. Bayan;

- II - John of Ephesus. Lives of the eastern saints. III. / E.W. Brooks;

- III - Homélies mariales byzantines. II / M. Jugei;

- IV - Logia et agrapha Domini Jesu: apud Moslemicos scriptores, asceticos praesertim, usitata / collegit, vertit, notis instruxit Michaël Asin et Palacios. Fasciculus alter; and

- V - Le synaxaire Géorgien: rédaction ancienne de l'union arméno-géorgienne; publié et traduit d'après le manuscrit du Couvent Iviron du Mont Athos / N. Marr.

Volume 20

- I - Moufazzal Ibn Abil-Fazaïl. Histoire des sultans Mamlouks. texte arabe publié et traduit en français / E. Blouchet;

- II - Les homeliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche: traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse. Homélies LXXVIII à LXXXIII / M. Brière;

- III - The old Georgian version of the gospel of Mark: from the Adysh Gospels with the variants of the Opiza and Tbet' Gospels; edited with a Latin translation / Robert P. Blake;

- IV - Livre de la lampe des ténèbres et de l'exposition (lumineuse) du service (de l'église), par Abû`l-Barakât connu sous le nom d'Ibn Kabar; texte arabe édité et traduit / L. Villecourt, Mgr Tisserant, G. Wiet;

- V - Le synaxaire arabe Jacobite: (rédaction copte). VI, Additions et corrections; Tables / F. Nau; and

- "Table des matières des tomes XI à XX": p. 796-826 (also numbered 6-38).

Volume 21

- I-VI - Le Synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan;

- VII - Mois de méhéki -- Le Synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan;

- VIII - Mois de areg -- Le Synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan;

- IX - Mois de ahékan -- Le Synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan;

- X - Mois de maréri -- Le Synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan;

- XI - Mois de margats -- Le Synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan; and

- XII - Mois de hrotits -- Le Synaxaire arménien de Ter Israël / publié et traduit par G. Bayan. Jours avéleats.

Volume 22

- I - Voyage du Patriarche Macaire d'Antioche: texte arabe et traduction française / Basile Radu;

- II - Les homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioch: traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies XCIX à CIII; éditées et traduites en français / Ignazio Guidi;

- III - The Arabic life of S. Pisentius: according to the text of the two manuscripts Paris Bib. Nat. Arabe 4785, and Arabe 4794 / edited with English translation / De lacy O'Leary;

- IV - Le candélabre des sanctuaires de Grégoire Aboulfaradj dit Barhebraeus, édité et traduit en français / Jean Bakos; and

- V - Le "De autexusio" de Méthode d'Olympe; version slave et texte grec édités et traduit en français / A. Vaillant.

Volume 23

- I - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche; traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies LXXXIV à XC; editées et traduites en français par Maurice Brière;

- II - La première partie de l'Histoire de Barhadbesabba `Arbaïa; texte syriaque édité et traduit par F. Nau;

- III - Histoire de Yahya-ibn-Sa`ïd d'Antioche, continuateur de Sa`ïd-ibn-Bitriq; éditée et traduite en français par I. Kratchkovsky et A. Vasiliev. Fascicule II; and

- IV - Les Paralipomènes, livres I et II: version éthiopienne; éditée et traduite par Sylvain Grébaut, d'après les manuscrits 94 de la Bibliothèque nationale et 35 de la collection d'Abbadie.

Volume 24

- I - the old Georgian version of the gospel of Matthew: edited with a Latin translation / Robert P. Blake;

- II - Le lectionnaire de la semaine sainte: texte copte édité avec traduction française d'après le manuscrit Add. 5997 du British Museum / O.H.E. Burmester;

- III - Le candélabre des sanctuaires de Grégoire Aboulfaradj dit Barhebraeus. II. / Ján Bakos;

- IV - Voyage du patriarche macaire d'Antioche. II. / Basile Radu; and

- V - Euchologium Sinaiticum: texte slave avec sources grecques et traduction française / Jean Frek.

Volume 25

- I - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioch. Homélies XCI à XCVIII / Maurice Brière;

- II - Le lectionnaire de la semaine sainte. II. / O.H.E. Burmester;

- III - Euchologium sinaiticum. / Jean Frcek; and

- IV - Les homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche. Homélies CIV à CXII / Maurice Brière.

Volume 26

- I - Le synaxaire Éthiopien / Sylvian Grébaut;

- II - La liturgie de Saint Jacques / Dom B.-Ch. Mercier;

- III - Les homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche / Maurice Brière;

- IV - The old Georgian version of the gospel of John / Robert P. Blake, Maurice Brière; and

- V - Voyage du patriarche macaire d'Antioche / Basile Radu.

Volume 27

- I-II - Hippolyte de Rome / Maurice Brière, Louis Mariès et B.-Ch. Mercier;

- III - La version Géorgienne ancienne de l'évangile de Luc / Maurice Brière; and

- IV - Le candélabre du sanctuaire de Grégoire Aboul' Faradj dit Barhebraeus / François Graffini.

Volume 28

- I - Les six centuries des "Kaphalaia Gnostica" d'Évagre le pontique / édition critique de la version syriaque commune et édition d'une nouvelle version syriaque, intégrale, avec une double traduction française par Antoine Guillaumont;

- II - Les homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioch / Ignaziole Pontique / Antoine Guillaumont;

- II (III?) - Le grand euchologe du Monastère Blanc / Emmanuel Lanne;

- III (IV?) - Eznik de Kolb, de deo, édition critique du texte arménien / Louis Mariès et Charles Mercier; and

- IV (V?) - Eznik de Kolb, de deo, traduction française, notes et tables / Louis Mariès et Charles Mercier.

Volume 29

- I - Les homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioch.Introduction générale à toutes les homélies. Homélies CXX à CXXV éditées et traduites en français / Maurice Brière;

- II - the old Georgian version of the Prophets. Petits prophètes. Critical ed. with a Latin translation / Robert Pierpoint Blake & Canon Maurice Brière;

- III - Id. Isaïe;

- IV - Id. Jérémie; and

- V - Id. Ézéchiel et Daniel.

Volume 30

- I - Hymnes de saint Éphrem conservées en version arménienne. Texte arménien, traduction latine et notes explicatives / Louis Mariès et Charles Mercier;

- II - Le candélabre du sanctuaire de Grégoire Aboulfaradj dit Bar Hebraeus. Septième base, Des démons / texte syriaque édité pour la première fois avec traduction française. / Micheline Albert;

- III - The old Georgian version of the Prophets [5], Apparatus criticus / Robert P. Blake et Maurice Brière;

- IV - Le candélabre du sanctuaire de Grégoire Aboulfaradj dit Bar Hebraeus. Cinquième base, Des anges / texte syriaque édité pour la première fois et traduction française / Antoine Torbey;

- V - La lettre à Patricius d'Édesse de Philoxène de Mabboug. édition critique du texte syriaque et traduction française / René Lavenant; and

- Table des matières des tomes XXI à XXX.

Volume 31

- I - Le candélabre du sanctuaire de Grégoire Abou'lfaradj dit Barhebraeus. Quatrième base, De l'incarnation / texte syriaque édité pour la première fois avec traduction française par Joseph Khoury;

- II - Les Canons d'Hippolyte / édition critique de la version arabe, introduction et traduction française par René-Georges Coquin; and

- III - Barsanuphius and John, questions and answer / critical edition of the Greek text with English translation by Derwas James Chitty.

Volume 32

- I-II - Soma Deggua: antiphonaire du Carême, quatre premières semaines;

- III-IV - Texte éthiopien avec variantes; and

- V - Introduction, traduction française, transcriptions musicales / Velat, Bernard.

Volume 33

- I - Études sur le Me`eraf, commun de l'office divin éthiopien / Velat, Bernard

Volume 34

- I - Me`eraf: commun de l'office divin éthiopien pour toute l'année / texte éthiopien avec variantes par Bernard Velat; and

- II - Homélies de Narsaï sur la création / édition critique du texte syriaque, introduction et traduction française par Philippe Gignoux.

Volume 35

- I - Le codex arménien Jérusalem 121. I, Introduction aux origines de la liturgie hiérosolymitaine, lumières nouvelles / par Athanase Renoux;

- II - Le candélabre du sanctuaire de Grégoire Abou'lfaradj dit Barhebraeus. Dixième base, De la résurrection / texte syriaque édité pour la première fois avec traduction française par Élise Zigmund-Cerbü;

- III - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche / traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies XLVI à LI / éditées et traduites en français par M. Brière et F. Graffin; and

- IV - Textes coptes relatifs à saint Claude d'Antioche. Four Coptic texts, with French translations, from the Coptic manuscript no. 587 in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. French tr. / par Gérard Godron.

Volume 36

- I - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche / traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies XL à XLV / éditées et traduites en français par M. Brière et F. Graffin;

- II - Le codex arménien Jérusalem 121. II, Édition comparée du texte et de deux autres manuscrits / introduction, textes, traduction et notes par Athanase Renoux;

- III - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche / traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies XXXII à XXXIX / éditées et traduites en français par M. Brière, F. Graffin et C.J.A. Lash; and

- IV - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche / traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies XXVI à XXXI / éditées et traduites en français par M. Brière et F. Graffin.

Volume 37

- I - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche / traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (suite). Homélies XVIII à XXV / éditées et traduites en français par M. Brière et F. Graffin; and

- II - Memre sur Nicomédie / Éphrem de Nisibe; édition des fragments de l'original syriaque et de la version arménienne, traduction française, introduction et notes par Charles Renoux.

Volume 38

- I - Homélies contre les Juifs / Jacques de Saroug; édition critique du texte syriaque inédit, traduction française, introduction et notes par Micheline Albert;

- II - Les Homiliae cathedrales de Sévère d'Antioche / traduction syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse. Homélies I à XVII / éditées et traduites en français par M. Brière et F. Graffin; avec la collaboration de C.J.A. Lash et J.-M. Sauget;

- III - Sancti Philoxeni Episcopi Mabbugensis Dissertationes decem de uno e sancta Trinitate incorporato et passo. II, Dissertationes 3a, 4a, 5a / textum syriacum ediderunt latineque verterunt M. Brière et F. Graffin; and

- IV - Trois homélies syriaques anonymes et inédites sur L'Épiphanie / introduction, texte syriaque et traduction française par Alain Desreumaux.

Volume 39

- I - Nouveaux fragments arméniens de l'Adversus haereses et de l'Epideixis / Irénée de Lyon; introduction, traduction latine et notes par Charles Renoux;

- II - Lettre de Sophrone de Jérusalem à Arcadius de Chypre: version syriaque inédite du texte grec perdu / introduction et traduction française par Micheline Albert; avec la collaboration de Christoph von Schönborn;

- III - La collection des lettres de Jean de Dalyatha / édition critique du texte syriaque inédit, traduction française, introduction et notes par Robert Beulay; and

- IV - Sancti Philoxeni Episcopi Mabbugensis Dissertationes decem de uno e sancta Trinitate incorporato et passo (Memre contre Habib). III, Dissertationes 6a, 7a, 8a / édition critique du texte syriaque inédit et traduction française par M. Brière et F. Graffin.

Volume 40

- I - Narsai's metrical homilies on the Nativity, Epiphany, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension: critical edition of Syriac text / English translation by Frederick G. McLeod;

- II - Sancti Philoxeni Episcopi Mabbugensis Dissertationes decem de uno e sancta Trinitate incorporato et passo. IV, Dissertationes 9a, 10a / édition critique du texte syriaque inédit et traduction française par M. Brière et F. Graffin; and

- III - Le candélabre du sanctuaire de Grégoire Abou'lfaradj dit Barhebraeus. Douzième base, Du paradis: suivie du Livre des rayons, traité X / texte syriaque édité pour la première fois avec traduction française par Nicolas Séd.

Volume 41

- I - Sancti Philoxeni Episcopi Mabbugensis Dissertationes decem de uno e sancta Trinitate incorporato et passo (Memre contre Habib). V, Appendices: Tractatus, Refutatio, Epistula dogmatica, Florigelium / édition critique du texte syriaque inédit et traduction française par M. Brière et F. Graffin;

- II - Barsabée de Jérusalem sur le Christ et les églises / Michel van Esbroeck;

- III - Le candélabre du sanctuaire de Grégoire Abou'lfaradj dit Barhebraeus. Onzième base, Du jugement dernier / texte syriaque édité pour la première fois avec traduction française par Nicolas Séd; and

- IV - Homélies anonymes du VIe siècle: dissertation sur le Grand-Prêtre, homélies sur la pécheresse I, II, III / édition du texte syriaque inédit, introduction et traduction française par François Graffin.

Volume 42

- Homélies sur Job: version arménienne. I-XXIV / Hésychius de Jéruslaem; édition, introduction et notes par Charles Renoux -- Brefs chapîtres sur la Trinité et l'Incarnation / Al-Safi ibn al-'Assal; introduction, texte arabe et traduction, avec un index-lexique exhaustif par Khalil Samir.

Volume 43

- La chaîne arménienne sur les Épîtres catholiques. I, La chaîne sur l'Épître de Jacques / Charles Renoux -- Le candélabre de Grégoire Abou'lfaradj dit Barhebraeus. Neuvième base, Du libre arbitre / texte syriaque édité pour la première fois avec traduction française par Paul-Hubert Poirier -- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de maskaram / édition critique du texte éthiopien et traduction par Gérard Colin -- Six homélies festales en prose / Jacques de Saroug; édition critique du texte syriaque, introduction et traduction française par Frédéric Rilliet.

Volume 44

- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de teqemt / édition critique du texte éthiopien et traduction par Gérard Colin -- La chaîne arménienne sur les Épîtres catholiques. II, La chaîne sur les Épîtres de Pierre / par Charles Renoux -- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de hedar / édition critique du texte éthiopien et traduction par Gérard Colin -- Le lectionnaire de Jérusalem en Arménie: le Casoc`. I, Introduction et liste des manuscrits / par Charles Renoux.

Volume 45

- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de terr / édition critique du texte éthiopien et traduction par Gérard Colin -- Lettre sur les trois étapes de la vie monastique / Joseph Hazzaya; édition critique du texte syriaque et introduction par Paul Harb, François Graffin; avec la collaboration de Micheline Albert -- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de Yakkatit / édition critique du texte éthiopien et traduction par Gérard Colin -- Martyre de Pilate / édition critique de la version éthiopienne et traduction française par Robert Beylot.

Volume 46

- La chaîne arménienne sur les Épîtres catholiques. III, La chaîne sur la première épitre de Jean / par Charles Renoux -- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de maggabit / édition critique du texte éthiopien et traduction française par Gérard Colin -- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de miyazya / édition critique du texte éthiopien et traduction française par Gérard Colin.

Volume 47

- A metrical homily on holy Mar Ephrem / by Mar Jacob of Sarug; critical edition of the Syriac text, translation and introduction by Joseph P. Amar -- La chaîne arménienne sur les épîtres catholiques. IV. La chaîne sur 2-3 Jean et Jude / par Charles Renoux -- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Mois de genbot / édition critique dy texte éthiopien et traduction française par Gérard Colin -- Histoire de Yahya ibn Sa`id d'Antioche / édition critique du texte arabe préparée par Ignace Kratchkovsky; et traduction française annotée par Françoise Micheau et Gérard Troupeau.

Volume 48

- Atti di Banadlewos (1303-1400) / edizione del testo etiopico e traduzione italiana di Osvaldo Raineri -- Le lectionnaire de Jérusalem en Arménie: le Casoc`. II, Édition synoptique des plus anciens témoins / par Charles Renoux -- Le synaxaire éthiopien. Index généraux; Annexes / par Gérard Colin -- The life of Timothy Kakhusht / two Arabic texts edited and translated by John C. Lamoreaux and Cyril Cairala.

Volume 49

- L'homélie sur l'église du Rocher / attribuée à Timothée Ælure (2 v.).

***

That is all the volumes of which I'm aware, although there may stil be additional volumes.

Enjoy!

-TurretinFan

Please Register Your Bible Study with the Government

I was saddened to see that there is religious persecution taking place in San Diego, CA (link to article). The local authorities are threatening to force regular home Bible studies to get government permits or shut down. I wouldn't be surprised if we see copycat persecution in other jurisdictions within the next few years as radical anti-theists attempt to attack the freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly in every way they can.

-TurretinFan

H.T. to The Pilgrim for pointing this out to me (link).

Reformed Worship - Resources

One important aspect of the Reformation was the reformation of worship, a recognition that God wishes to be worshiped according to the patten that he himself has laid out in Scripture rather than according to the imaginations of men. I was pleased to find a web site that is promoting this worship of God and providing a range of resources for metrical Psalm-singing. Already there are number of mp3s that can be listened to, and apparently there is much more to come. (link)

One of my favorites.

To the glory of our Great God and King!

-TurretinFan

Limited Atonement - Respone to Albrecht

Mr. Albrecht has posted a video titled: "the CHURCH FATHERS and LIMITED ATONEMENT-refuting a Reformed View" (formatting is original) (link). This video is a response from Mr. Albrecht to an earlier video I had made responding to the Youtuber "OneTrueChurch". My video response is below, if one simply scrolls down.

Mr. Albrecht criticizes my video for not providing citations and for being "cut and paste" apologetics. Of course, the text of my discussion was not cut and paste, and I surely hope Mr. Albrecht isn't suggesting that when I quote the early church fathers I have to avoid using their exact words, cut and paste from their writings.

Mr. Albrecht's criticism (and consequently my response) is divisible into sections by father:

1. Theodoret

In this discussion, Mr. Albrecht quotes from Jimmy Akin's "Tiptoe through TULIP" (although he doesn't cite it). But Albrecht just doesn't get Akin's point in the article, "There are other ways to construct a Thomist version of TULIP, of course, but the fact there is even one way demonstrates that a Calvinist would not have to repudiate his understanding of predestination and grace to become Catholic. He simply would have to do greater justice to the teaching of Scripture and would have to refine his understanding of perseverance." Mr. Albrecht also doesn't get the Reformed view. Please note that I'm not endorsing or recommending Mr. Akin's article. I think his attempt to suggest that Calvinism and Roman Catholicism are largely compatible is wrong and is potentially misleading (whether that's due to deceptive intent or simple ignorance on Mr. Akin's part, I don't pretend to know).

Mr. Albrecht fails to realizes that the "sufficient for all, efficient for the elect" position is fully consistent with the Limited Atonement position. It's even how John Calvin himself interpreted 1 John 2:2, one of the key passages in the limited atonement debate.

Mr. Albrecht also provides a fragmentary quotation from another (essentially unrelated) writing of Theodoret to try to suggest that Theodoret didn't believe in Limited atonement. It's such a short work, that I've reproduced the whole thing below.

True friendship is strengthened by intercourse, but separation cannot sunder it, for its bonds are strong. This truth might easily be shown by many other examples, but it is enough for us to verify what I say by our own case. Between me and you are indeed many things, mountains, cities, and the sea, yet nothing has destroyed my recollection of your excellency. No sooner do we behold any one arriving from those towns which lie on the coast, than the conversation is turned on Cyprus and on its right worthy governor, and we are delighted to have tidings of your high repute. And lately we have been gratified to an unusual degree at learning the most delightful news of all: for what, most excellent sir, can be more pleasing to us than to see your noble soul illuminated by the light of knowledge? For we think it right that he who is adorned with many kinds of virtue should add to them also its colophon, and we believe that we shall behold what we desire. For your nobility will doubtless eagerly seize the God-given boon, moved thereto by true friends who clearly understand its value, and guided to the bountiful God "Who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," netting men by men's means to salvation, and bringing them that He captures to the ageless life. The fisherman indeed deprives his prey of life, but our Fisher frees all that He takes alive from death's painful bonds, and therefore "did he show himself upon earth, and conversed with men," bringing men His life, conveying teaching by means of the visible manhood, and giving to reasonable beings the law of a suitable life and conversation. This law He has confirmed by miracles, and by the death of the flesh has destroyed death. By raising the flesh He has given the promise of resurrection to us all, after giving the resurrection of His own precious body as a worthy pledge of ours. So loved He men even when they hated Him that the mystery of the œconomy fails to obtain credence with some on account of the very bitterness of His sufferings, and it is enough to show the depths of His loving kindness that He is even yet day by day calling to men who do not believe. And He does so not as though He were in need of the service of men,— for of what is the Creator of the universe in want?— but because He thirsts for the salvation of every man. Grasp then, my excellent friend, His gift; sing praises to the Giver, and procure for us a very great and right goodly feast.

Theodoret, Letter 76, To Uranius, Governor of Cyprus

As I explain in the video, the comment "He thirsts for the salvation of every man" - while certainly not phrased in the most precise way, especially given the preceding clarification "He does so not as though He were in need of the service of men,— for of what is the Creator of the universe in want?" but nevertheless, when read in context (something Albrecht fails to do) we see that Theodoret is speaking of the universal command to repent and believe proclaimed by God to all, through the instrumentality (the means) of men, as Theodoret expresses it: "For your nobility will doubtless eagerly seize the God-given boon, moved thereto by true friends who clearly understand its value, and guided to the bountiful God "Who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," netting men by men's means to salvation, and bringing them that He captures to the ageless life."

2. Jerome

Jerome sometimes uses the expression "whole world" with reference to Jesus' death so Albrecht assumes this means universal atonement. Unfortunately, Albrecht fails to realize that this can be simply an expansive term, as Prosper of Aquitaine clearly explained about the same time in church history.

Albrecht claims he doesn't understand how Christ redeeming only some and not all men supports limited atonement. The reason he doesn't understand, of course, is that he's not familiar with limited atonement.

3. Augustine

For Augustine, Albrecht just says "same thing." Talk about cut-and-paste! Only this time he just cuts, and doesn't paste the same arguments he has taken from the apologetic work of Jimmy Akin in the first section.

4. Chrysostom

Albrecht does not seem to understand what "not bearing" the sins of all has to do with the doctrine of limited atonement. This is, unfortunately, because Mr. Albrecht doesn't seem fully to understand limited atonement.

5. Bede

Just waves his hands and says he doesn't even understand how I could "twist" what the Bede says to support limited atonement. Well, at least he's honest about not understanding on this one.

Albrecht, in conclusion, claims that there are numerous other examples he could bring up. Perhaps, though, he would have done better to first understand the doctrine that he's attacking and the relation of that doctrine to what the fathers are teaching. There may indeed be some issue (and I will address this at a later time - since the issues involved have little to do with Albrecht's comments) with the Chrysostom quotation, but the rest are certainly fine.

Albrecht claims: "The early church didn't believe in the limited atonement in the Calvinist sense or in any sense - if you will - and a clear reading of them in their context will bring that out." On this as well, Mr. Albrecht missed the point: the point is not that the early church had a single unified voice on the issue of limited atonement. No, the point is that a significant number of important fathers held to limited atonement. Therefore, calling it "heresy" is an irrational claim for folks like "OneTrueChurch" to make, unless he is willing to condemn those of the church fathers who taught it, together with the Calvinists.

-TurretinFan

Free Audio: Foxes' Book of Martyrs

Get more information here.

Misunderstanding Calvin's Legacy

I was disappointed to discover the linked article (link) in which the "Reformed leader" (so called in the article) identified wheat he saw as three important aspects of Calvin's legacy:

1. Ecumenism

2. Social Justice

3. The Environment

Now, I should point out that the "Reformed leader" did recognize that (for example), John Calvin could not really qualify as "green." Additionally, it may be that the speaker further qualified his lecture than appears in the article.

Nevertheless, these are hardly the most important or relevant teachings of John Calvin today. The title of the post is accurate: "Reformed Leader Urges Church to Mine Calvin's Legacy." That's what the person is doing who tries to find modern trends in Calvin's theology - it's what our Amyraldian friends do when they try to find Universal Atonement in Calvin - and it's what we must not do if we want to treat Calvin fairly.

What, to Calvin, was most important? We can see it, at least in part, from the outline of the Institutes of Christian Religion, which may be summarized, thus:

a) God is Creator;

b) God is Redeemer;

c) Salvation is by Grace; and

d) The Church Preaches the Gospel.

Those are what Calvin views as the main points. Certainly, for Calvin many things are important. Under the fourth heading, Calvin does address that in fact the Church is Catholic (not Roman Catholic). Thus writes Calvin:

Hence the Church is called Catholic or Universal, (August. Ep. 48,) for two or three cannot be invented without dividing Christ; and this is impossible. All the elect of God are so joined together in Christ, that as they depend on one head, so they are as it were compacted into one body, being knit together like its different members; made truly one by living together under the same Spirit of God in one faith, hope, and charity, called not only to the same inheritance of eternal life, but to participation in one God and Christ. For although the sad devastation which everywhere meets our view may proclaim that no Church remains, let us know that the death of Christ produces fruit, and that God wondrously preserves his Church, while placing it as it were in concealment. Thus it was said to Elijah, "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel," (1 Kings 19: 18.)

Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Chapter 1, Section 2.

As a result of the true Catholicity of the faith, we should seek harmony with fellow believers, even when there are things that divide us. That must not, however, involve compromising the gospel. While Calvin was in some sense "ecumenical" he properly acknowledged that the church of Rome is not a part of the Catholic church of Christ:

Since this is the state of matters under the Papacy, we can understand how much of the Church there survives. There, instead of the ministry of the word, prevails a perverted government, compounded of lies, a government which partly extinguishes, partly suppresses, the pure light. In place of the Lord's Supper, the foulest sacrilege has entered, the worship of God is deformed by a varied mass of intolerable superstitions; doctrine (without which Christianity exists not) is wholly buried and exploded, the public assemblies are schools of idolatry and impiety. Wherefore, in declining fatal participation in such wickedness, we run no risk of being dissevered from the Church of Christ. The communion of the Church was not instituted to be a chain to bind us in idolatry, impiety, ignorance of God, and other kinds of evil, but rather to retain us in the fear of God and obedience of the truth.

Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Chapter 2, Section 2.

Likewise, Calvin does certainly suggest that provision should be made constantly for the poor:

That such was the practice of the Apostolic Church, we are informed by Luke in the Acts, when he says that "they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," (Acts 2: 42.) Thus we ought always to provide that no meeting of the Church is held without the word, prayer, the dispensation of the Supper, and alms. We may gather from Paul that this was the order observed by the Corinthians, and it is certain that this was the practice many ages after.

Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Chapter 17, Section 44.

Nevertheless, it is not the focal point of the work of pastors and teachers, but instead:

Next come Pastors and Teachers, with whom the Church never can dispense, and between whom, I think, there is this difference, that teachers preside not over discipline, or the administration of the sacraments, or admonitions, or exhortations, but the interpretation of Scripture only, in order that pure and sound doctrine may be maintained among believers. But all these are embraced in the pastoral office.

, Book 4, Chapter 3, Section 4.

Finally, Calvin certainly recognized that we must not be wasteful:

And the Lord God took the man. Moses now adds, that the earth was given to man, with this condition, that he should occupy himself in its cultivation. Whence it follows that men were created to employ themselves in some work, and not to lie down in inactivity and idleness. This labor, truly, was pleasant, and full of delight, entirely exempt from all trouble and weariness; since however God ordained that man should be exercised in the culture of the ground, he condemned in his person, all indolent repose. Wherefore, nothing is more contrary to the order of nature, than to consume life in eating, drinking, and sleeping, while in the meantime we propose nothing to ourselves to do. Moses adds, that the custody of the garden was given in charge to Adam, to show that we possess the things which God has committed to our hands, on the condition, that being content with a frugal and moderate use of them, we should take care of what shall remain. Let him who possesses a field, so partake of its yearly fruits, that he may not suffer the ground to be injured by his negligence; but let him endeavor to hand it down to posterity as he received it, or even better cultivated. Let him so feed on its fruits that he neither dissipates it by luxury, nor permits to be marred or ruined by neglect. Moreover, that this economy, and this diligence, with respect to those good things which God has given us to enjoy, may flourish among us; let every one regard himself as the steward of God in all things which he possesses. Then he will neither conduct himself dissolutely, nor corrupt by abuse those things which God requires to be preserved.

Calvin's Commentary on Genesis 2:15.

Nevertheless, Calvin also clearly stated that the creation was made for man and that man has been given dominion over the creation:

And let them have dominion. Here he commemorates that part of dignity with which he decreed to honor man, namely, that he should have authority over all living creatures. He appointed man, it is true, lord of the world; but he expressly subjects the animals to him, because they having an inclination or instinct of their own, seem to be less under authority from without. The use of the plural number intimates that this authority was not given to Adam only, but to all his posterity as well as to him. And hence we infer what was the end for which all things were created; namely, that none of the conveniences and necessaries of life might be wanting to men. In the very order of the creation the paternal solicitude of God for man is conspicuous, because he furnished the world with all things needful, and even with an immense profusion of wealth, before he formed man. Thus man was rich before he was born. But if God had such care for us before we existed, he will by no means leave us destitute of food and of other necessaries of life, now that we are placed in the world. Yet, that he often keeps his hand as if closed is to be imputed to our sins.

Calvin's Commentary on Genesis 1:26.

So, Calvin may indeed touch (to some extent) on topics that are the center of ministries like those of Rick Warren, but Calvin's focus was elsewhere. Calvin's focus was on preaching salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, who is the only Creator and Redeemer of mankind.

-TurretinFan

H.T. to C.T. of the "Plain Path Puritan" and to Matthew Lankford for bringing this article to my attention.