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A Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian by an Anonymous Bishop

Anonymous

Section 5

About this work

Author: Anonymous

5. That ark bore the figure of the

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

Church

,

as

we

have

said

above

,

which

was

stricken

hither

and

thither

to

such

a

degree

by

the

tumultuous

waters

.

Therefore

that

deluge

which

happened

under

Noah

showed

forth

the

figure

of

the

persecution

which

now

lately

was

poured

forth

over

the

whole

world

.

Moreover

,

by

the

waters

,

the

cataracts

broken

forth

meeting

together

on

all

sides

,

and

growing

,

were

signified

the

peoples

which

grew

up

for

the

desolation

of

the

Church

;

as

the

Apocalypse

teaches

,

saying

,

“

The

waters

which

thou

sawest

are

peoples

,

and

nations

,

and

kingdoms

.

”

Moreover

,

the

dove

which

could

not

find

rest

for

its

feet

,

bore

the

likeness

of

the

lapsed

,

who

fell

forgetful

of

the

divine

announcements

,

either

ignorant

in

simplicity

,

or

feigning

in

audacity

.

Of

whom

the

Lord

had

intimated

the

future

destruction

in

the

Gospel

in

these

words

,

saying

,

“

He

who

heareth

my

words

and

doeth

them

not

,

I

will

liken

him

to

a

foolish

man

,

who

built

his

house

upon

the

sand

:

the

tempests

came

and

beat

upon

that

house

,

and

it

fell

;

and

great

was

its

destruction

.

”

And

lest

we

should

seem

to

have

made

the

comparison

inconsiderately

of

that

dove

bearing

the

image

of

the

lapsed

,

the

prophet

rebukes

the

city

as

a

dove

,

that

is

,

the

character

of

the

lapsed

,

saying

,

“

The

dove

hearkens

not

to

the

voice

;

that

is

,

the

illustrious

and

redeemed

city

receives

not

teaching

,

and

trusted

not

in

the

Lord

.

”

Notes

16
Rev. xvii. 15.
17
Matt. vii. 26, 27.
18
Zeph. iii. 1, 2, 3, LXX.