Sermons on the Song of Songs

These heretics further maintain that there is no purgatorial fire to be feared after death, but that every soul, as soon as she has been separated from the body, immediately either ascends to heaven or descends into hell. Let them, therefore, demand of Him Who has declared that there is a certain sin, which “shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come,” let them ask Him, I say, why He spoke thus, since, as they believe, there can be no remission or purgation of sin in the next life. Now it is nothing wonderful that they who refuse to recognise the Church should slander the various orders of the Church, should reject her institutions, should despise her sacraments, should disobey her commands. “The successors of the apostles,” they say, “archbishops, bishops, and priests, are all sinners, and are thus incapable of validly either administering or receiving the sacraments.” They hold indeed that to be a real prelate and to be a sinner are two things absolutely incompatible. But this is evidently false. Caiphas was a true high-priest, and yet how great a sinner! For it was he who pronounced sentence of death against the Lord. If thou deniest that he was a high-priest thou dost contradict the testimony of St. John Evangelist, who informs us that he (Caiphas) actually prophesied in virtue of his office of high-priest. Judas Iscariot was an apostle, having been chosen by Christ Himself, in spite of his avarice and sinfulness. Surely thou canst entertain no doubt of his apostolate, considering that it was the Lord Who elected him. “Have not I chosen you twelve,” said He, “and one of you is a devil?” Here thou art told that one who was a devil has been called to the apostolic office. And dost thou still deny that it is possible for a sinner to be a bishop? “The Scribes and Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses,” and all that refused to hearken to them as to their ecclesiastical superiors were accounted guilty of disobedience, even against the Lord, Who gave a command in the words, “Whatsoever they shall say to you, do and observe.” It is clear, therefore, that although they were Scribes, although they were Pharisees, although they were the worst of sinners, nevertheless, because they had “sitten on the chair of Moses,” to their authority also must be understood as applying these other words of Christ, “He that heareth you heareth Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me.”

Many other wicked doctrines also have been infused into the minds of “this foolish and senseless people” by the spirits of error “who speak lies in hypocrisy.” But it is not possible to examine them all. For, in the first place, who knows them all? Besides, the task would be exceedingly laborious and altogether unnecessary. For, as regards the sectaries themselves, they cannot be convinced by arguments, because they have not the capacity to understand them; they cannot be corrected by authority, because they recognise none; and they cannot be won over by entreaty, because they are entirely corrupted. Experience has proved that they will rather die than abandon their errors. Of such as these “the end is destruction” and their final doom devouring flames. For what we read of Samson, how he set fire to the tails of the unreasoning foxes, prefigured the fate in store for these rational ones. Often the faithful, laying hands on some of them, have dragged them to the presence of the judges. When questioned concerning their beliefs, they denied, according to their custom, all those errors whereof they were suspected. But when subjected to the ordeal of water they were found to be liars. Then, as they could no longer dissemble the truth, being exposed by the water which refused to receive them, they took the bit between their teeth, as the saying is, and with most miserable daring professed rather than confessed their heresy, openly defending as piety their impious doctrines, and were even prepared to suffer death for the same. Nor were those who stood by less ready to inflict death. The multitude rushed upon them and gave the heretics new martyrs of their perfidy. I quite approve of their zeal, but I cannot commend their action. For misbelievers must not be compelled by force to accept the faith, but won to it by arguments. Yet it is no doubt better that they should be forcibly restrained, namely, by the power of him “who beareth not the sword in vain,” than be allowed to imbue the minds of others with their false doctrines. For the prince is “God’s minister,” and “an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil.”

Some of the faithful have been astonished to see these heretics going to their death, not only with patience, but apparently with joy. But their surprise makes it plain that they do not realise sufficiently how great is Satan’s power as well over the minds and hearts as over the bodies of those who have once delivered themselves up to him. Is it not a stranger thing for a man to lay violent hands on himself than that he should willingly submit to the violence of others? And yet the devil can prevail on many men to do this. For we have often heard of persons who drowned or hanged themselves at his suggestion. It was doubtless the devil that persuaded Judas to put an end to his life. Yet to me it seems a greater and more astonishing manifestation of power that he could put it into the heart of the faithless Apostle to betray his Master, than that he was able to induce him afterwards to hang himself. There is consequently no comparison between the constancy of the martyrs and the obstinacy of these heretics. In the case of the former, their contempt of death was an effect of their piety; in the latter, it proceeded from their hardness of heart. Hence it may be that the Psalmist is alluding to this distinction and personating the martyrs when he says, “Their heart is curdled like milk; but I have meditated on Thy law.” For although the suffering was the same for all, there was a wide diversity in the disposition, the heretics hardening their hearts against the Lord, and the martyrs meditating on His love.

Such being the case, there is no necessity, as I have already remarked, to waste many words on these most stupid and most obstinate of men. It is enough to have exposed them in order that they may be avoided. Wherefore, to catch the foxes, we must force them either to put away their female associates, or else to go out of the Church, which they are scandalising by their unbecoming manner of life. Yet it is much to be lamented that not only some civil magistrates, but some of the clergy also, yea, and I am told even some of the bishops, who ought rather to use their power against the heretics, accept their bribes and support them in their superstition for the sake of gain. But they will say to me, “How dost thou expect us to condemn men who can neither be brought to confess themselves heretics nor be convicted of heresy?” This, my brethren, is a frivolous excuse, yet it furnishes them with the occasion they desire. But let me say to them: By this test alone, even though all other means were lacking, you can easily discover the true character of these sectaries. Command the men and women to separate from each other, as I have before recommended. Oblige the latter to enter communities of their own sex and under the same vows as they have themselves taken; and let their companions likewise be compelled to live in monasteries of men, subject to obligations similar to their own. Thus you shall consult as well for the fidelity as for the good fame of all, because in their convents and in their monasteries they shall have trustworthy guardians and witnesses of their virtue. If, however, they refuse to obey these injunctions, they deserve, and deserve richly, to be expelled from the Church, and thus prevented from further scandalising her children by such improper and unlawful cohabitation. Let so much suffice for discovering the wiles of these foxes, and for instructing and admonishing the true children of the beloved and glorious Spouse of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Amen.