約伯倫理 第 956 章

15. All heretics are younger than the Church. — All heretics, compared to the age of the Universal Church, are fittingly called younger in time, because they went out from her, but she did not go out from them. Hence it is rightly said also through John: 'They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would surely have remained with us' (1 John 2:19). Younger in time, therefore, they deride Holy Church, when those who have gone out from her despise the words of her doctrine. Concerning these it is further added: What is the flock of Holy Church, but the multitude of the faithful? Or who else are called the dogs of this flock, but the holy teachers, who have stood as guardians of these same faithful?

These, while for their Lord they cried out intent upon their daily and nightly watches, gave, so to speak, great barkings of preaching. Concerning whom it is said to that same Church through the Psalmist: 'The tongue of your dogs is from the enemies, from him' (Ps. 68:23). For some, called back from the worship of idols, became preachers of God. The tongue of the Church's dogs, therefore, comes forth from the enemies, because the Lord makes even converted Gentiles into preachers. Hence the slowness of the Jews, who would not speak for God, is rebuked by the reproaching prophet, who says: 'Dumb dogs, not able to bark' (Isa. 56:10). 16. Their leaders, even in the things which seem well done, are reprobate.

— But we call the fathers of the heretics those, namely, whom we name heresiarchs; by whose perverse preaching—that is, by the seed of their utterance—the peoples that follow have been begotten in error. Holy Church, therefore, disdains to place the fathers of the heretics among the dogs of her flock, because, judging the inventors of errors, she rejects them, and scorns to number them among the true fathers. Even if they were seen to have called some back from the error of heathenism, and to have taught some to do honorable deeds, yet because they held not right views concerning God, she does not place them with the dogs of her flock, because she does not enroll them with the right preachers.

For it is clear that Arius, Photinus, Macedonius, Nestorius, Eutyches, Dioscorus, Severus, and many like them, by teaching and persuading strove to seem fathers; but the Holy Universal Church, judging their errors with strict severity, does not number among the guardians of her flock those whom she condemns as scattering the unity of that same flock. Concerning whom it is said by the voice of Paul to the Ephesians: 'I know that after my departure grievous wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock' (Acts 20:29).

And because sometimes the heretics, the more they slide into the error of unbelief, so much the more guard themselves in their outward working, so that they seem to do great things beyond the rest, the Holy Universal Church despises all their works, which she perceives do not proceed from the authority of faith. Hence rightly also there is added by the voice of blessed Job: