440 A TREATISE AGAINST NOVATIAN.
sit-withthe mighty ones of the people? " 1 Hast thou not
read,that" the Lord resisteththe proud,and givethgraceto
the humhle ? " 2 Hast thou not read," Whoso exaltethhim
selfshallbe humbled ? " 3 Hast thou not read,that " God
destroysthe remembrance of the proud,and doesnot forsake
the memory of the lowly?" Hast thou not read,that " with
what judgment a man shalljudge he must be judged?"4
Hast thou not read,that "he who hateth his brotheris in
darkness,and walketh in darkness,and knoweth not whither
he goeth,because the darkness hath blinded his eyesT " *
Whence, then,thisNovatian has become bothsowicked and so
lost,so mad with the rage of discord,'Icannot discover,since
he always in one household— thatis,the church of Christ—
would have bewailedthe sinsof hisneighboursas his own ;4
would have bornethe burthensof hisbrethren,as the apostle
exhorts; would have strengthenedthe falteringin the faith
with heavenlycounsel. But now, from the time when he
began to practisethatheresyof Cain which only delightsin
slaying,he doesnot even of latesparehimself. But if he
had read,that" the righteousnessof the righteousshallnot
deliverhim in the day on which he shallhave erred,and
thewickednessof thewicked shallnot harm him from the day
in which he shallhave been converted,"7 he would long ago
have repentedin ashes,who isalways opposed to penitents;
who laboursmore readilyin the destructionof those things
which are builtand standing,than in the building up of
thosewhich are prostrate; who has once more made heathens
of many most wretched brethren of ours,terrifiedby his
falseoppositions,by sayingthatthe repentanceof the lapsed
is vain,and cannot availthem for salvation,although the
Scripturecriesaloud and says,"Remember whence thou
hast fallen,and repent,or elseI willcome to thee except
thou repent."8 And indeed,writingto the seven churches,
rebuking each one of them with itsown crimes and sins,it
1 1 Sam.ii.3-8. 2Jas.iv.6. *Matt.xxiii.12.
4 Matt.vii.2. 1 1 Johnii.11.
* ThisreferstoNovatian'sletterinthename oftheRoman people.
7 Ezek.xxxiii.12. 8 Rev.ii.5.