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A Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian by an Anonymous Bishop

Anonymous

Section 6

About this work

Author: Anonymous

6. Moreover, that that dove could not

‹ Section 5 Section 7 ›

find

rest

for

her

feet

,

as

we

have

said

above

,

this

signified

the

footsteps

of

those

who

deny

;

that

is

,

those

,

wounded

by

the

poison

of

the

shining

serpent

,

who

sacrifice

,

turned

towards

their

fall

;

which

could

not

any

further

step

upon

the

asp

and

the

basilisk

,

and

tread

upon

the

dragon

and

the

lion

.

For

this

power

the

Lord

gave

to

His

disciples

,

as

He

says

in

the

Gospel

:

“

Lo

,

I

give

unto

you

power

to

tread

on

all

the

power

of

the

enemy

,

and

upon

serpents

and

scorpions

;

and

they

shall

not

harm

you

.

”

When

,

therefore

,

these

so

many

and

such

malignant

spirits

are

attacking

and

bestirring

themselves

for

the

destruction

of

the

lapsed

,

a

way

of

salvation

is

provided

for

the

wounded

,

that

with

whatever

strength

they

have

they

may

drag

themselves

with

their

whole

body

,

and

betake

themselves

to

their

camp

,

wherein

being

received

,

they

may

heal

their

wounds

with

spiritual

medicaments

.

Thus

the

dove

received

,

after

the

intervention

of

a

few

days

,

is

again

sent

forth

from

the

ark

;

and

returning

,

not

only

shows

its

firm

footsteps

,

but

moreover

the

signs

of

its

peace

and

victory

,

in

those

olive

leaves

which

it

bore

in

its

mouth

.

Therefore

that

twofold

sending

forth

shows

to

us

a

twofold

trial

of

persecution

:

the

first

,

in

which

they

who

have

lapsed

have

fallen

conquered

;

the

second

,

in

which

they

who

have

fallen

have

come

out

conquerors

.

For

to

none

of

us

is

it

doubtful

or

uncertain

,

beloved

brethren

,

that

they

who

in

the

first

struggle

—

that

is

,

in

the

Decian

persecution

—

were

wounded

;

afterwards

,

that

is

in

the

second

encounter

,

persevered

so

bravely

,

that

,

despising

the

edicts

of

the

princes

of

the

world

,

they

maintained

that

unconquered

;

in

that

they

did

not

fear

,

after

the

example

of

the

good

Shepherd

,

to

give

up

their

life

,

and

to

shed

their

blood

,

and

not

to

shrink

from

any

barbarity

of

the

raging

tyrant

.

Notes

19
Luke x. 19.
20
Scil. Gallus and Volusianus (Pamel.).