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A Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian by an Anonymous Bishop

Anonymous

Section 10

About this work

Author: Anonymous

10. Thus we have heard that the Lord

‹ Section 9 Section 11 ›

is

of

great

compassion

.

Let

us

hear

what

the

Holy

Spirit

testifies

by

David

:

“

If

his

children

forsake

my

law

,

and

walk

not

in

my

commandments

;

if

they

should

profane

my

righteousness

,

and

should

not

keep

my

precepts

;

I

will

visit

their

crimes

with

a

rod

,

and

their

sins

with

stripes

.

But

my

mercy

will

I

not

utterly

disperse

from

them

.

”

Words

like

to

these

we

read

that

the

Lord

said

also

by

Ezekiel

:

“

Son

of

man

,

the

house

of

Israel

has

dwelt

on

its

own

land

,

and

they

have

defiled

it

by

their

crimes

:

their

uncleanness

has

become

like

that

of

a

menstruous

woman

before

my

face

.

I

have

poured

out

my

anger

upon

them

,

and

I

have

scattered

them

among

the

nations

;

and

I

have

judged

them

according

to

their

sins

,

because

they

have

defiled

my

holy

name

;

and

because

it

was

said

of

them

,

“

This

is

the

people

of

the

Lord

,

I

have

spared

them

,

because

of

my

holy

name

,

which

the

house

of

Israel

despised

among

the

nations

.

”

And

in

conjunction

with

this

he

says

,

“

Therefore

say

to

the

people

of

Israel

,

Thus

saith

the

Lord

,

I

spare

you

not

,

O

house

of

Israel

;

but

I

will

spare

you

on

account

of

my

holy

name

,

which

ye

have

defiled

among

they

nations

:

and

ye

shall

know

that

I

am

the

Lord

,

when

I

shall

be

sanctified

in

you

.

”

Also

the

Lord

to

the

same

:

“

Son

of

man

,

say

unto

the

people

of

Israel

,

Wherefore

have

ye

spoken

,

saying

,

We

are

pining

away

in

our

sins

,

and

how

shall

we

be

able

to

be

saved

?

Say

unto

them

,

I

live

,

saith

the

Lord

:

for

I

do

not

desire

the

death

of

the

sinner

;

but

I

desire

that

the

sinner

should

turn

from

his

evil

way

,

and

live

:

therefore

return

ye

from

your

evil

way

:

why

do

ye

give

yourselves

over

to

death

,

O

house

of

Israel

?

”

So

,

too

,

by

Isaiah

the

prophet

:

“

I

will

not

be

angry

with

you

for

ever

,

nor

will

I

abstain

from

defending

you

always

.

”

And

because

Jeremiah

the

prophet

,

in

the

person

of

the

sinful

people

,

prays

to

the

Lord

,

saying

,

“

Amend

us

,

O

Lord

,

but

in

judgment

,

and

not

in

anger

,

lest

Thou

make

us

few

;

”

Isaiah

also

added

,

and

said

,

“

For

his

sin

I

have

slightly

afflicted

him

;

and

I

have

stricken

him

,

and

have

turned

away

my

face

from

him

:

and

he

was

afflicted

,

and

went

away

sadly

in

his

ways

.

”

And

because

he

labours

,

he

added

and

said

,

“

I

have

seen

his

ways

,

and

I

have

healed

him

;

and

I

have

given

him

a

true

exhortation

,

peace

upon

peace

;

”

that

to

those

who

repent

,

and

pray

,

and

labour

,

restoration

is

possible

,

because

they

would

miserably

perish

,

and

because

they

would

decline

from

Christ

.

Notes

29
Ps. lxxxix. 30 et seq.
30
Ezek. xxxvi. 17–23.
31
Ezek. xxxiii. 10, 11.
32
Isa. lvii. 16.
33
Jer. x. 24.
34
Isa. lvii. 17.
35
Isa. lvii. 19.