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De Virginitate B. Mariae

17.

Sed quoniam jam e cautibus et confragosis locis enavigavit oratio, pandenda sunt vela, et in epilogos illius irruendum, in quibus sciolus sibi visus, Tertullianum in testimonium vocat, et Victorini Petabionensis episcopi verba proponit. Et de Tertulliano quidem nihil amplius dico, quam Ecclesiae hominem non fuisse. De Victorino vero id assero, quod et de Evangelistis, fratres eum dixisse Domini, non filios Mariae. Fratres autem eo sensu, quem superius exposuimus, propinquitate, non natura. Verum nugas terimus, et fonte veritatis omisso, opinionum rivulos consectamur. Numquid non possum tibi totam veterum Scriptorum seriem commovere: Ignatium, Polycarpum, Irenaeum, Justinum Martyrem, multosque alios apostolicos et eloquentes viros, qui adversus Ebionem, et Theodotum, Byzantium, Valentinum, haec eadem sentientes, plena sapientiae volumina conscripserunt? Quae si legisses aliquando, plus saperes. Sed melius puto breviter ad singula respondere, quam diutius immorando, volumen extendere.

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The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary

19.

Now that I have cleared the rocks and shoals I must spread sail and make all speed to reach his epilogue. Feeling himself to be a smatterer, he there produces Tertullian as a witness and quotes the words of Victorinus bishop of ¹ Petavium. Of Tertullian I say no more than that he did not belong to the Church. But as regards Victorinus, I assert what has already been proved from the Gospel—that he spoke of the brethren of the Lord not as being sons of Mary, but brethren in the sense I have explained, that is to say, brethren in point of kinship not by nature. We are, however, spending our strength on trifles, and, leaving the fountain of truth, are following the tiny streams of opinion. Might I not array against you the whole series of ancient writers? Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenæus, Justin Martyr, and many other apostolic and eloquent men, who against Ebion, Theodotus of Byzantium, and Valentinus, held these same views, and wrote volumes replete with wisdom. If you had ever read what they wrote, you would be a wiser man. But I think it better to reply P. 344 briefly to each point than to linger any longer and extend my book to an undue length.