but men try to divide that which was bought with the price of the Blood of Christ. “For the
Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart
from iniquity.” 2345 For if he depart not from iniquity, he belongeth not to the kingdom of
Christ, even though he name the Name of Christ. To give then some illustrations for ex-
ample’s sake, the spirit of covetousness, and the spirit of luxuriousness, because the one
heaps together, and the other lavishes, are divided against themselves; yet they belong both
to the kingdom of the devil. Among idolaters the spirit of Juno and the spirit of Hercules,
are divided against themselves; and both belong to the kingdom of the devil. The heathen
Christ’s enemy, and the Jew Christ’s enemy, are divided against themselves; and both belong
to the kingdom of the devil. Arianus and Photinianus both are heretics, and both are divided
against themselves. The Donatist and Maximianist2346 both are heretics, and both divided
against themselves. All men’s vices and errors that are contrary to each other are divided
against themselves, and all belong to the kingdom of the devil; therefore his kingdom shall
not stand. But the righteous and the ungodly, the believer and the unbeliever, the Catholic
and the heretic, are indeed divided against themselves, but they do not belong all to the
kingdom of Christ. “The Lord knoweth them that are His.” Let no one flatter himself upon
a mere name. If he would that the Name of the Lord should profit him, let “him that calleth
upon the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
5. But these words of the Gospel, though they had some obscurity, which I think by the
Lord’s assistance I have explained, were yet not so difficult, as that which follows would
seem to be. “Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven
unto men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whoso-
ever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever
speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither
in the world to come.”2347 What then will become of those whom the Church desires to
2345 2 Tim. ii. 19.
2346 Maximianus, Deacon of the Church of Carthage, of the faction of Donatus, took offence at Primianus
Bishop of Carthage, who had excommunicated him, and induced certain of the Donatist bishops to call Primianus
to account; and when he would not acknowledge their authority, he was, as Cæcilianus had been, condemned
in his absence. Primianus was restored by others of the Donatist bishops to communion, and Maximianus, to-
gether with twelve bishops who had assisted at his ordination as bishop, was condemned (Augustin, De Gest.
Emerit. Donat. 9, etc., Lib. ad. Bonif.; Ep. 185 (al. 56) 17). The rest were restored to communion on their sub-
mission. The Maximianists were afterwards condemned by a Council of three hundred and ten bishops at the
Council of Vagaia, A.D. 394 (Ep. 108 (255) 6, and 141 (al. 152) 6). St. Augustin frequently urges the separation
of the Maximianists from the Donatists as condemnatory on their own principles of their own schism against
the Catholic Church.
2347 Matt. xii. 31, 32.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xii. 32, ‘Whosoever shall speak a word…