“In the holy scriptures you can make no progress unless you have a guide to show you the way ... The art of interpreting the scriptures is the only one of which all men everywhere claim to be masters ... The babbling old woman, the doting old man, and the wordy sophist, one and all take in hand the Scriptures, rend them in pieces and teach them before they have learned them. Some with brows knit and bombastic words, contrary to one another, philosophize concerning the sacred writings among weak women. Others (I blush to say it) learn from women what they are to teach men; and as if even this were not enough, they boldly explain to others what they themselves by no means understand. I say nothing of persons who, like myself have been familiar with secular literature before they have come to the study of the holy scriptures. Such men when they charm the popular ear by the finish of their style suppose every word they say to be a law of God. They do not deign to notice what Prophets and apostles have intended but they adapt the most incongruous passages to fit their own interpretation, as if it were a grand way of teaching—and not rather the faultiest of all—to misrepresent a writer’s views and to force the reluctant scriptures to do their will.” Jerome A.D. 394
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 17:11:36 +0000
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