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A Treatise Against the Heretic Novatian by an Anonymous Bishop

Anonymous

Section 8

About this work

Author: Anonymous

8. We will answer them as to that

‹ Section 7 Section 9 ›

utterance

of

the

Lord

,

which

they

ill

understand

,

and

ill

explain

to

themselves

.

For

that

He

says

,

“

Whosoever

shall

deny

me

before

men

,

him

will

I

also

deny

before

my

Father

which

is

in

heaven

,

”

its

meaning

is

assuredly

with

respect

to

future

time

—

to

the

time

at

which

the

Lord

shall

begin

to

judge

the

secrets

of

men

—

to

the

time

at

which

we

must

all

stand

before

the

judgment

-

seat

of

Christ

—

to

the

time

at

which

many

shall

begin

to

say

,

“

Lord

,

Lord

,

have

we

not

prophesied

in

Thy

name

,

and

in

Thy

name

cast

out

devils

,

and

in

Thy

name

done

many

wonderful

works

?

”

And

yet

they

shall

hear

the

voice

of

the

Lord

saying

,

“

Depart

from

me

,

all

ye

that

have

worked

iniquity

:

I

know

you

not

.

”

Then

shall

it

be

fulfilled

that

He

says

,

“

I

also

will

deny

them

.

”

But

whom

will

the

Lord

Christ

chiefly

deny

,

if

not

all

of

you

heretics

,

and

schismatics

,

and

strangers

to

His

name

?

For

ye

who

were

some

time

Christians

,

but

now

are

Novatians

,

no

longer

Christians

,

have

changed

your

first

faith

by

a

subsequent

perfidy

in

the

calling

of

your

name

.

I

should

wish

you

to

reply

to

your

own

proposition

.

Read

and

teach

:

whom

of

those

who

had

failed

or

denied

Him

,

while

He

was

still

with

them

,

did

our

Lord

deny

?

Yet

also

to

the

others

of

the

disciples

who

had

remained

with

Him

He

saith

,

“

Will

ye

also

go

away

?

”

Even

Peter

,

whom

He

had

previously

foretold

as

about

to

deny

Him

,

when

he

had

denied

Him

,

He

did

not

deny

,

but

sustained

;

and

He

Himself

soothed

him

when

subsequently

bitterly

bewailing

his

denial

.

Notes

24
Matt. vii. 22, 23.
25
Matt. vii. 22, 23.
26
John vi. 67.