Sermons on the Song of Songs

However, unless I mistake, you all unanimously admit, as of equal authority with the Gospel itself, the words and writings and traditions of those who lived with the Saviour on earth. Now, I ask: did they keep their gospel hidden? Did they conceal in silence the infirmities of God in the flesh, the horrors of His death, the ignominy of His cross? “Verily, their sound hath gone forth unto all the earth.” Where is that imitation of the apostolic mode of life which you make your boast? The apostles proclaimed aloud their message; whilst you speak in whispers. They preached in public; you teach “in a corner.” They “fly as clouds”; you conceal yourselves in dark and subterranean caverns. What do you exhibit in yourselves which gives you any kind of resemblance to the apostles? They indeed led women about with them, but they did not, as you do, keep women within enclosures. There is a great difference between these two things. And your practice is open to grave suspicion. As for the apostolic custom, who could suspect any evil of men capable by their sanctity of raising the dead? Do thou likewise, and I shall believe thee as safe as if thy companions were men. Otherwise thou actest imprudently in taking apostolic liberties without the safeguard of apostolic holiness. To be always in the occasion of sin and never to fall, is not that a greater miracle than to raise the dead? And if thou canst not do that which is less, who shall believe thee to be capable of the greater? Thou art placed daily and hourly in dangerous occasions, at meals, at rest, at work, in conversation. And are we to suppose that thou continuest always faithful? However, let us grant it to be really so. Still I cannot get rid of my suspicions; so that thou art a scandal to me. Remove from me the cause of the scandal, and thereby thou shalt prove thyself to be sincerely zealous for the Gospel. Does not the Gospel condemn him who scandalises any member of the Church? But thou art scandalising the Church herself. Thou art the fox that destroys the vineyard. Help me, my brethren, to catch him. Or rather do you, ye blessed angels, catch him for us. He is extremely cunning. He is “covered with his iniquity and his impiety.” He is so little and so subtle that human eyes are baffled in watching him. But shall he be able to escape your eyes? Therefore it is to you, as being His friends and companions, that the Bridegroom addresses the words, “Catch us the little foxes.” Do, then, what is commanded you. Catch for us this many-faced little fox which we have been so long pursuing in vain. Teach us and admonish us how to detect his frauds. For thus we shall have caught him: as a false Catholic he can do us far more mischief than when he stands revealed as a true heretic. But it is not in the power of one man to read the heart of another unless he is assisted by the light of the Holy Ghost or interiorly instructed by angelic inspirations. What sign will you give us, O benevolent spirits, whereby this most impious of heresies, well-skilled to lie both by word and by deed, may be made manifest to the whole world?

The recent destruction of the vines tells us unmistakably that the fox has been busy there. But the wily beast has so cleverly covered his footprints by I know not what artful device, that human intelligence cannot easily discover at what point he entered or where he made his way out. The mischief done is manifest enough, but the author thereof cannot be detected, so cunningly does he conceal himself and his wickedness under an exterior of affected innocence. Examine one of these heretics concerning his faith and you will find him perfectly orthodox. Listen to his conversation and you will never hear anything in the least worthy of censure. Yea, he even proves by his actions the sincerity of his words. You may see him bearing testimony to his faith by frequenting the churches, showing honour to the priests, offering his gifts, making his confession, and approaching the holy table. What greater proof of fidelity can you require? Then, as regards his life and morals, he overreaches no man, he circumvents no man, he does violence to no man. His face is pale and wan from rigorous fasting, and far from eating his bread idle, he earns his livelihood by the labour of his hands. Where now is the fox? We had him secured just a moment since, and lo! he has slipped from our grasp. How has he disappeared so suddenly? But let us give instant chase. Let us follow his footprints. By his fruits we shall know him. Certainly, the destruction of the vines proves him to be a real fox. For what do we behold? Wives forsaking their husbands and husbands abandoning their wives in order to join themselves to these sectaries! Clerics and priests, old and young, having deserted their churches and people, are often to be seen amongst them side by side with weavers, male and female! Is not this a dreadful destruction of the vines! Have we not here the work of the foxes?

But perhaps not all these people reveal their true character thus plainly by such disorders. And even where they do, it is almost impossible to convict them. How, then, are we to catch them? Let us return to their custom of living with females, because this is a practice which is common to them all. I say therefore to one of them—A word with thee, my good friend. Who is this lady and wherefore does she live with thee? Is she thy wife? “No,” he answers, “my vow hinders me from marrying.” Is she thy daughter? “She is not.” Who then is she, thy sister, perhaps? or thy niece? or at least some one related to thee by ties of consanguinity or affinity? “No, there is no relationship at all between us.” But if that be the case, art thou not exposing thyself to danger? Besides, thou art certainly acting against obedience. Let me tell thee, if thou knowest it not, that the Church forbids the cohabitation of men and women who have bound themselves by vow to continency. Therefore send away thy companion, unless thou wishest to scandalise the Church. Otherwise, thy manifest guilt herein shall unquestionably render the other charges against thee, even though they cannot be proved, at least very credible.

But perchance he will reply, “Show me the place where the Gospel prohibits such cohabitation?” Hast thou appealed to the Gospel? To the Gospel thou shalt go. If thou wert obedient to the Gospel, thou certainly wouldst not give scandal. For the Gospel plainly forbids scandal-giving. But thou art giving scandal by not dismissing this female as the Church requires of thee. Hitherto thou wert only under suspicion. Henceforth thou shalt be considered an open despiser of the Gospel, and an enemy of the Church. What is your verdict, my brethren? If he is shown to be so obstinate that he will neither obey the Gospel nor submit to the authority of the Church, what further subterfuge remains to him? Does it not appear manifest to you that the fraud has been exposed and the fox caught? If he refuses to put away his associate, he refuses to remove the scandal. If he refuses to remove the scandal which he has it in his power to remove, he stands convicted of offending against the Gospel. And what is left for the Church but to cut him off who refuses to cut off the cause of scandal? Otherwise she would become a participant in his disobedience. For she has been commanded by Christ in the Gospel not to spare her own eyes, her hands or her feet, if ever they should become a source of scandal to her, but to pluck them out or cut them off and cast them from her. “If he will not hear the Church,” says the Lord, speaking of the scandal-giver, “let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican.”