Sermons on the Song of Songs

“Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines, for our vineyard hath flourished.”

I have already preached two sermons to you, my brethren, on this one verse, and I am now about to begin the third, that is, if you do not think it will weary you too much to listen. For it seems to me that there is need of another discourse on the same text. As regards our own domestic vineyard, which you are, I have, I think, said enough in the preceding discussions to protect it against the cunning wiles of the three species of foxes, by which I mean flatterers, detractors, and certain seducing spirits, well skilled and well practised in the art of counterfeiting good with evil. But I have not been equally zealous for the wider vineyard of the Lord. I refer to that vineyard which has covered the whole earth, and of which we ourselves are a portion, an exceedingly great vineyard, planted by the Hand of Christ, redeemed with His Blood, watered with His teaching, propagated by His grace, fertilised by His Spirit. Being more concerned for my private vineyard, I have been wanting to that which is universal. But I now feel impelled to espouse its cause on account of the multitude of its despoilers, the paucity of its protectors, and the difficulty of its defence. What makes the difficulty is the fact that the despoilers are concealed from us. The Church has had her foxes from the very beginning, but until now they have always been speedily exposed and caught. The heretic of former times waged war against her openly—indeed it was this especially that made him a heretic, his desire to achieve a public triumph—the heretic, I say, formerly attacked the Church in the open and was vanquished. Thus this species of fox was easily taken. What matter if, when the truth had been vindicated, the heretic continued obstinate in the darkness of his proud conceits, and, fettered to powerlessness, was cast out to wither alone? Even so, the fox was judged to be caught, by the fact that the impious doctrine had been condemned and its impious author driven forth to live thenceforward as an example for others, since he could no longer bear any fruit for himself. For to such are given, to use the expression of the Prophet Osee, “a womb without children and dry breasts.” That is to say, error cannot bud forth anew once it has been publicly confounded, nor can falsity continue to propagate itself after it has been exposed.

But what means shall we employ in order to catch those most malevolent foxes which are better pleased to injure us by secret fraud than to conquer us by open violence, and which will not even show themselves but prefer to creep upon us unawares? Heretofore the common aim of all heretics has been to win human glory by the display of superior knowledge. But the heretic with us now, more malicious and more cunning than any that went before him, is also singular in this, that he can prosper on the ruin of others, without seeking any further advantage for himself. The modern error, warned, as I believe, by the fate of its predecessors (which could not escape when exposed, but were caught immediately), is careful to work out the “mystery of iniquity” with a new kind of craft, and does it all the more freely the less it is suspected. Its propagators are said to have appointed secret meeting-places. “They have confirmed for themselves an evil word,” as is written in the psalm. “Never betray the secret,” they tell their followers, “even though it be necessary to swear and to perjure yourselves in order to preserve it.” But otherwise they will refuse to take any oath under any circumstances, on account of what they read in the Gospel, “I say to you not to swear at all neither by heaven nor by the earth.” “O foolish and slow of heart,” filled plainly with the Pharisaical spirit, thus to “strain at a gnat and swallow a camel”! Are we then allowed to commit perjury, though forbidden to take oaths? Or will you say that the necessity of guarding your secrets and that alone makes it lawful both to swear and to swear falsely? Then show me the passage of Scripture which authorises such an exception, you who vainly make it your boast that you pass over not even one jot or tittle of the law. But it is manifest that whilst you superstitiously abstain from taking lawful oaths you have no scruple at all about the heinous crime of perjury.

O unspeakable perversity! What was intended simply as a caution, viz., “I say to you not to swear at all,” these heretics observe pertinaciously and consider a command; and at the same time, according to their whim and as if it were something quite indifferent, they dispense themselves in that which has the sanction of immutable law, namely the prohibition against perjury. “No,” they will say to me, “it is not so; we only permit perjury when there is no other way to preserve our secret.” As if, forsooth, it were not “the glory of God to reveal the word.” Is it that they envy God His glory? I am more inclined to believe that is shame which seals their lips, shame for a secret which they know to be shameful. For they are accused of privately indulging in unmentionable crimes against morals. So it is said that the tails of foxes emit an evil smell.

However, I will say nothing concerning the practices which they refuse to acknowledge. But let them answer to those charges which they cannot deny. Do they justify their secrecy by the Gospel which warns us in truth not to “give that which is holy to dogs” or “to cast pearls before swine”? But if they admit this, they must consequently esteem as dogs and swine all (except themselves) who claim to belong to the Church, and this would be equivalent to avowing openly that they themselves are not Christians at all. For they think it a duty to withhold that secret of theirs, whatever it is, from everyone without exception who does not adhere to their own sect. Yet although they really entertain such convictions, they will refuse to answer, lest they should be found out. This is what they endeavour to avoid by every possible means, but they shall not succeed. Come, tell me, my good man, who art “more wise than it behoveth to be wise, and art at the same time a greater fool than words can express: Is the mystery which thou guardest of God or is it not? If it is of God, why dost thou not reveal it for His greater glory? For “it is the glory of God to reveal the word.” If the mystery is not of God, why dost thou put thy trust in that which has no relation to God, unless because thou art a heretic? Therefore either let them reveal their secret unto the glory of God; or let them acknowledge that it is no mystery of God and thereby acknowledge themselves to be heretics; or finally let them confess that they are the declared enemies of God’s glory, inasmuch as they are unwilling to publish what they know would be likely to advance its interests. For the oracle of Scripture stands firm, “It is the glory of kings to conceal the speech, and the glory of God to reveal the word.” Wilt thou not “reveal the word”? Then thou refusest to glorify God. But perchance thou dost not recognise the authority of this inspired Book? So indeed it is. These sectarians who claim that they alone have zeal for Scripture, receive no more of it than the Gospel. Let them, therefore, explain how they fulfil what the Gospel enjoins, where it is written, “That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light; and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the house tops.” Now you may no longer take refuge in silence. How long will you keep concealed that which God commands you to publish? How long will your gospel remain hidden? I am beginning to grow suspicious of it. It cannot certainly be the same as St. Paul’s, for he declares that his gospel was not hidden. “And if our gospel is also hid,” he adds, “it is hid in them that are lost.” Take care lest in these words the Apostle is alluding to yourselves with whom the Gospel is found to be hid. If this be the case, you are evidently lost. But perhaps you do not receive even St. Paul? I have indeed been told this of some amongst you. For you do not agree amongst yourselves on every point, although you are all at one in dissenting from us.