greater than the Master); nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expres- sion inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can say but little diminish it. 3. It does not follow because men are endowed with greater and less degrees of intelli- gence, that they should therefore change the subject-matter [of the faith] itself, and should conceive of some other God besides Him who is the Framer, Maker, and Preserver of this universe, (as if He were not sufficient143 for them), or of another Christ, or another Only- begotten. But the fact referred to simply implies this, that one may [more accurately than another] bring out the meaning of those things which have been spoken in parables, and accommodate them to the general scheme of the faith; and explain [with special clearness] the operation and dispensation of God connected with human salvation; and show that God manifested longsuffering in regard to the apostasy of the angels who transgressed, as also with respect to the disobedience of men; and set forth why it is that one and the same God has made some things temporal and some eternal, some heavenly and others earthly; and understand for what reason God, though invisible, manifested Himself to the prophets not under one form, but differently to different individuals; and show why it was that more covenants than one were given to mankind; and teach what was the special character of each of these covenants; and search out for what reason “God144 hath concluded every man145 in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon all;” and gratefully146 describe on what account the Word of God became flesh and suffered; and relate why the advent of the Son of God took place in these last times, that is, in the end, rather than in the beginning [of the world]; and unfold what is contained in the Scriptures concerning the end [itself], and things to come; and not be silent as to how it is that God has made the Gentiles, whose salvation was despaired of, fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers with the saints; and discourse how it is that “this mortal body shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption;”147 and proclaim in what sense [God] says, “That is a people who was not a people; and she is beloved who was not beloved;”148 and in what sense He says that “more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her who possessed a husband.”149 143 The text here is ἀρκουμένους τούτους, which is manifestly corrupt. Various emendations have been proposed: we prefer reading ἀρκούμενος τούτοις, and have translated accordingly. 144 Rom. xi. 32. 145 Irenæus here reads πάντα instead of πάντας, as in Text. Rec. of New Testament. 146 εὐχαριστεῖν— this word has been deemed corrupt, as it certainly appears out of keeping with the other verbs; but it may be rendered as above. 147 1 Cor. xv. 54. 148 Hos. ii. 23; Rom. ix. 25. 149 Isa. liv. 1; Gal. iv. 27. 877 Chapter X.—Unity of the faith of the Church throughout the whole world.