Übersetzung ausblenden
On the Apparel of Women

Chapter III.--Concerning the Genuineness of "The Prophecy of Enoch." ¹

I am aware that the Scripture of Enoch, ² which has assigned this order (of action) to angels, is not received by some, because it is not admitted into the Jewish canon either. I suppose they did not think that, having been published before the deluge, it could have safely survived that world-wide calamity, the abolisher of all things. If that is the reason (for rejecting it), let them recall to their memory that Noah, the survivor of the deluge, was the great-grandson of Enoch himself; ³ and he, of course, had heard and remembered, from domestic renown ⁴ and hereditary tradition, concerning his own great-grandfather's "grace in the sight of God," ⁵ and concerning all his preachings; ⁶ since Enoch had given no other charge to Methuselah than that he should hand on the knowledge of them to his posterity. Noah therefore, no doubt, might have succeeded in the trusteeship of (his) preaching; or, had the case been otherwise, he would not have been silent alike concerning the disposition (of things) made by God, his Preserver, and concerning the particular glory of his own house.

If (Noah) had not had this (conservative power) by so short a route, there would (still) be this (consideration) to warrant ⁷ our assertion of (the genuineness of) this Scripture: he could equally have renewed it, under the Spirit's inspiration, ⁸ after it had been destroyed by the violence of the deluge, as, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian storming of it, every document ⁹ of the Jewish literature is generally agreed to have been restored through Ezra.

But since Enoch in the same Scripture has preached likewise concerning the Lord, nothing at all must be rejected by us which pertains to us; and we read that "every Scripture suitable for edification is divinely inspired." ¹⁰ By the Jews it may now seem to have been rejected for that (very) reason, just like all the other (portions) nearly which tell of Christ. Nor, of course, is this fact wonderful, that they did not receive some Scriptures which spake of Him whom even in person, speaking in their presence, they were not to receive. To these considerations is added the fact that Enoch possesses a testimony in the Apostle Jude. ¹¹

Edition ausblenden
De Cultu Feminarum

III.

[1] Scio scripturam Enoch, quae hunc ordinem angelis dedit, non recipi a quibusdam quia nec in armarium Iudaicum admittitur. Opinor, non putauerant illam, ante cataclysmum editam, post eum casum orbis omnium rerum abolitorem saluam esse potuisse. Si ista ratio est, recordentur pronepotem ipsius Enoch fuisse superstitem cataclysmi, Noë, qui utique domestico nomine et hereditaria traditione audierat et meminerat de proaui sui penes Deum gratia et de omnibus praedieatis eius, cum Enoch filio suo Mathusalae nihil aliud mandauerit quam ut notitiam eorum posteris suis traderet. Igitur sine dubio potuit Noe in praedicationis delegatione successisse, uel quia et alias non tacuisset tam de Dei conseruatoris sui dispositione quam de ipsa domus suae gloria.

[2] Hoc si non tam expedite haberet, illud quoque assertionem scripturae illius tueretur: proinde potuit abolefactam eam uiolentia cataclysmi in spiritu rursus reformare, quemadmodum et Hierosolymis Babylonia expugnatione deletis omne instrumentum Iudaicae litteraturae per Esdram constat restauratum. [3] Sed cum Enoch eadem scriptura etiam de domino praedicarit, a nobis quidem nihil omnino reiciendum est quod pertineat ad nos. Et legimus omnem scripturam aedificationi habilem diuinitus inspirari. A Iudaeis postea iam uideri propterea reiectam sicut et cetera fere quae Christum sonant. Nec utique mirum hoc, si scripturas aliquas non receperunt de eo locutas quem et ipsum coram loquentem non erant recepturi. Eo accedit quod Enoch apud Iudam apostolum testimonium possidet.