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The Prescription Against Heretics

Chapter III.--Weak People Fall an Easy Prey to Heresy, Which Derives Strength from the General Frailty of Mankind. Eminent Men Have Fallen from Faith; Saul, David, Solomon. The Constancy of Christ.

It is usual, indeed, with persons of a weaker character, to be so built up (in confidence) by certain individuals who are caught by heresy, as to topple over into ruin themselves. How comes it to pass, (they ask), that this woman or that man, who were the most faithful, the most prudent, and the most approved ¹ in the church, have gone over to the other side? Who that asks such a question does not in fact reply to it himself, to the effect that men whom heresies have been able to pervert ² ought never to have been esteemed prudent, or faithful, or approved? This again is, I suppose, an extraordinary thing, that one who has been approved should afterwards fall back? Saul, who was good beyond all others, is afterwards subverted by envy. ³ David, a good man "after the Lord's own heart," ⁴ is guilty afterwards of murder and adultery. ⁵ Solomon, endowed by the Lord with all grace and wisdom, is led into idolatry, by women. ⁶ For to the Son of God alone was it reserved to persevere to the last without sin. ⁷ But what if a bishop, if a deacon, if a widow, if a virgin, if a doctor, if even a martyr, ⁸ have fallen from the rule (of faith), will heresies on that account appear to possess ⁹ the truth? Do we prove the faith ¹⁰ by the persons, or the persons by the faith? No one is wise, no one is faithful, no one excels in dignity, ¹¹ but the Christian; and no one is a Christian but he who perseveres even to the end. ¹² You, as a man, know any other man from the outside appearance. You think as you see. And you see as far only as you have eyes. But says (the Scripture), "the eyes of the Lord are lofty." ¹³ "Man looketh at the outward appearance, but God looketh at the heart." ¹⁴ "The Lord (beholdeth and) knoweth them that are His;" ¹⁵ and "the plant which (my heavenly Father) hath not planted, He rooteth up;" ¹⁶ and "the first shall," as He shows, "be last;" ¹⁷ and He carries "His fan in His hand to purge His threshing-floor." ¹⁸ Let the chaff of a fickle faith fly off as much as it will at every blast of temptation, all the purer will be that heap of corn which shall be laid up in the garner of the Lord. Did not certain of the disciples turn back from the Lord Himself, ¹⁹ when they were offended? Yet the rest did not therefore think that they must turn away from following Him, ²⁰ but because they knew that He was the Word of Life, and was come from God, ²¹ they continued in His company to the very last, after He had gently inquired of them whether they also would go away. ²² It is a comparatively small thing, ²³ that certain men, like Phygellus, and Hermogenes, and Philetus, and Hymenaeus, deserted His apostle: ²⁴ the betrayer of Christ was himself one of the apostles. We are surprised at seeing His churches forsaken by some men, although the things which we suffer after the example of Christ Himself, show us to be Christians. "They went out from us," says (St. John,) "but they were not of us. If they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us." ²⁵

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De Praescriptione Haereticorum

III.

[1] Solent quidem isti miriones etiam de quibusdam personis ab haeresi captis aedificari in ruinam, [2] quare illa uel ille fidelissimi prudentissimi et usitatissimi in ecclesia in illam partem transierunt? [3] Quis hoc dicens non ipse sibi respondet neque prudentes neque fideles neque usitatos aestimandos quos haereses potuerint demutare? Et hoc mirum, opinor, ut probatus aliqui retro postea excidat? [4] Saul, bonus prae caeteris, liuore postea euertitur. Dauid uir bonus secundum cor Domini, postea caedis et stupri reus est. Solomon omni gratia et sapientia donatus a Domino, ad idololatriam a mulieribus inducitur. [5] Soli enim Dei filio seruabatur sine delicto permanere. Quid ergo si episcopus, si diaconus, si uidua, si uirgo, si doctor, si etiam martyr lapsus a regula fuerit? Ideo haereses ueritatem uidebuntur obtinere? [6] Ex personis probamus fidem, an ex fide personas? Nemo est sapiens nisi fidelis, nemo maior nisi christianus, nemo autem christianus nisi qui ad finem usque perseuerauerit. [7] Tu, ut homo, extrinsecus unumquemque nosti, putas quod uides, uides autem quousque oculos habes. Sed oculi, inquit, Domini alti. Homo in faciem, Deus in praecordia contemplatur. [8] Et ideo cognoscit Dominus qui sunt eius, et plantam quam non plantauit eradicat, et de primis nouissimos ostendit et uentilabrum in manu portat ad purgandam aream suam. [9] Auolent quantum uolent paleae leuis fidei quocumque afflatu temptationum, eo purior massa frumenti in horrea Domini reponetur. [10] Nonne ab ipso Domino quidam discentium scandalizati deuerterunt? Nec tamen propterea ceteri quoque discedendum a uestigiis eius putauerunt, sed qui scierunt illum uitae esse uerbum et a Deo uenisse, perseuerauerunt in comitatu eius usque ad finem, cum illis, si uellent et ipsi discedere placide obtulisset. [11] Minus est et si apostolum eius aliqui, Phygellus et Hermogenes et Philetus, et Hymenaeus reliquerunt; ipse traditor Christi de Apostolis fuit. [12] Miramur de ecclesiis eius si a quibusdam deseruntur cum ea nos ostendunt christianos quae patimur ad exemplum ipsius Christi? [13] Ex nobis, inquit, prodierunt sed non fuerunt ex nobis; si fuissent ex nobis, permansissent utique nobiscum.