Food And Scripture

Qui ergo relinquunt praeconium Ecclesiae, imperitiam sanctorum presbyterorum arguunt, non contemplantes, quanto pluris sit idiota religiosus a blasphemo et impudente sophista. Tales sunt omnes haeretici, et qui se plus aliquid praeter veritatem invenire putant; sequentes ea quae praedicta sunt, varie, et multiformiter, et imbecille facientes iter, de iisdem non semper easdem sententias habentes, velut caeci a caecis circumducuntur: juste cadent in sublatentem ignorantiae foveam, semper quaerentes, et numquam verum invenientes. Fugere igitur oportet sententias ipsorum, et intentius observare, necubi vexemur ab ipsis: confugere autem ad Ecclesiam, et in jus sinu educari, et Dominicis Scripturis enutriri. Plantata est enim Ecclesia paradisus in hoc mundo. Ab omni, ergo, ligno Paradisi escas manducabitis, ait Spiritus Dei; id est ab omni Scriptura Dominica manducate: suprelato autem sensu ne manducaveritis, neque tetigeritis universam haeriticam dissensionem. Ipsi enim confitentur semetipsos agnitionem habere boni et mali: et super Deum, qui fecit eos, jaculantur sensus suos impios. Supra igitur sentiunt, quam est mensura sensationis. Quapropter et Apostolus ait: Non plus sapere, quam oportet sapere, sed sapere ad prudentiam; ut non illorum manducantes agnitionem, eam quae plus quam oportet, sapit, projiciamur de paradiso vitae: in quem Dominus inducit eos, qui obaudiunt praeceptionem ejus, recapitulans in se omnia quae in coelis, spiritualia sunt; quae autem in terris, secundum hominem est dispositio. Haec igitur in semetipsum recapitulatus est, adunans hominem spiritui, et spiritum collocans in homine, ipse caput spiritus factus est, et spiritum dans esse hominis caput: per illum enim vidimus et audivimus et loquimur. Sanctus Ireneaus Lugdunensis, Adversus Haereses, Liber V, Caput XX Source: Migne PG 7.1777c-1778c

Therefore, those who desert the preaching of the Church, dispute the knowledge of the holy elders, not considering how much of greater consequence is the one who is religious, even in private life, than a blasphemous and impudent sophist. Such are all heretics, and those who think that they have found something beyond the truth, so that by following those things aforementioned, proceeding on their way variously, in many sects, and foolishly, and not keeping always to the same opinions with regard to the same things, they are as blind men being led about by the blind, who shall rightly fall into the pit of ignorance before them, ever seeking and never finding the truth. 1 Therefore one must flee their teaching and take the utmost care lest we suffer any injury from them, but flee to the Church, and be raised in her bosom, and be nourished on the Lord's Scriptures. For the Church has been planted as a garden in this world, therefore the Spirit of God says: 'You may eat from every tree of the garden,' 2 that is: eat from every Scripture of the Lord, but you shall not eat with a proud mind, nor touch any heretical dissension. For these declare that they themselves have the knowledge of good and evil, and over God who made them they raise up their impious minds. 3 Therefore they snatch at things beyond the measure of their understanding. Whence the Apostle says: 'Be not wise beyond what is needful to be wise, but be wise prudently,' 4 that we are not, by the eating of the knowledge of these men, which is more wise than is needed, cast out from the paradise of life, into which the Lord has brought those who obey His commandment, 'summing up in Himself all things which are in heaven, and which are on earth,' 5 but the things in heaven are spiritual, while those on earth are according to the state of man. These things, therefore, He recapitulated in Himself by uniting man to the Spirit, and making the Spirit dwell in man, He who is made the head of the Spirit, and gives the Spirit to be the head of man, for through Him we see, and hear, and speak. Saint Ireneaus of Lyons, Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapter 20 1 Mt 15.14 2 Gen 2.16 3 Gen 3.4-7 4 Rom 12.3 4 Ephes 1.10