t so great a licentious desire of error, that they be not content
with the rule of faith once delivered us, and received from our
ancestors, but do every day search and seek for new doctrine, ever
desirous to add to, to change, and to take away something from,
religion; as though that were not the doctrine of God, which it is
enough to have once revealed, but rather man's institution, which
cannot but by continual amendment (or rather correction) be
perfected."--_Ch._ 25, 26.

7.

Then he takes a text, and handles it as a modern preacher might do. His
text is this:--

"O Timothy, keep the _depositum_, avoiding the profane novelties of
words, and oppositions of falsely-called knowledge, which certain
professing have erred about the faith."

He dwells successively upon _Timothy_, on the _deposit_, on _avoiding_,
on _profane_, and on _novelties_.

First, _Timothy_ and the "_deposit_:"--

"Who at this day is Timothy, but either generally the whole Church,
or especially the whole body of prelates, who ought either
themselves to have a sound knowledge of divine religion, or who
ought to infuse it into others? What is meant by _keep the
deposit_? Keep it (quoth he) for fear of thieves, for danger of
enemies, lest when men be asleep, they oversow cockle among that
good seed of wheat, which the Son of man hath sowed in His field.
'Keep (quoth he) the deposit.' What is meant by this deposit? that
is, that which is committed to thee, not that which is invented of
thee; that which thou hast received, not that which thou hast
devised; a thing not of wit, but of learning; not of private
assumption, but of public tradition; a thing brought to thee, not
brought forth of thee; wherein thou must not be an author, but a
keeper; not a beginner, but a follower; not a leader, but an
observer. Keep the deposit. Preserve the talent of the Catholic
faith safe and undiminished; that which is committed to thee, let
that remain with thee, and that deliver. Thou hast received gold,
render then gold; I will not have one thing for another; do not for
gold render either impudently lead, or craftily brass; I will, not
the show, but the very nature of gold itself. O Timothy, O priest,
O teacher, O doctor, if God's gift hath made thee meet and
sufficient by thy wit, exercise, and learning