432 A TREATISE AGAINST NOVATIAN.
sinto sin."1 What now can those most perversefriendsof
Novatian,even now the most unhappy1 few, replyto these
things,who have broken forthto such a follyof madness
as to have no reverenceeitherfor God or man ? Among
them, shamelessly,and without any law of ordination,the
episcopateissought after;but among us in itsown Sees,and
in thoseof the thronedeliveredto itby God, itisrenounced.
There theTruth says,"They rejectme, thattheymay sacrifice
to me ; nor do theyofferthe holyoblationsof the childrenof
Israel,nor do they approach to offerthe holy of holies,bat
they shallreceivetheirignominy in the errorwherein they
have erred."3 Let it be enough in a few words to have
proved what they are. Hear, therefore,O Novatians,among
whom the heavenly Scripturesare read rather than under
stood; well,if they are not interpolated.For your earsare
closed,and your heartsdarkened,seeingthat ye admitno
lightfrom spiritualand savingwarnings; asIsaiahsays,"The
servantsof God are blinded."4 And deservedlyblinded,
because the desireof schismaticsis not in the law; which
law pointsout to us the one and only church in thatark,to
wit,which was fashioned,by the providenceof God, under
Noah before the deluge,in which— to answer you quickly,
O Novatian— we findthattherewere shut up not onlyclean
animals,but alsounclean; which ark was saved alone,with
thosewho were in it,whereas the other things which were
not found thereinperishedin the deluge. From thatark
therewere loosedtwo birds,a raven and a dove; and thisraven
trulybore the figureor type of impure men, and men who
would be in perpetualdarkness through the world'sbroad
road,and of apostateswho should arise,feedingon unclean
things,and not turning themselveseventuallyto thechurch;
and as we read,we find thatitwas sentforth,and returned
no more. Whoever should be found to resemble thisbird,
then,thatis,the impure spirit,willno more be abletoreturn
1 Isa.xxx.1.
s Infelicissimi.Thi9issupposedto be a playupon thenameof
Felicissinius,referredtoinCyprian'sletter.
8 Ezek.xliv.10-13. * Isa.xlii.19.