lomon, and the other in the Gospel. For if any one unskilful in, and a reviler of the divine
Scriptures, were to say, “See where the two Testaments contradict each other. The Lord
saith, ‘Rebuke him between him and thee alone.’ Solomon saith, ‘He that reproveth openly
maketh peace.’” Doth not the Lord then know what He hath commanded? Solomon would
have the sinners’ hard forehead bruised: Christ spareth his shame who blushes for his sins.
For in the one place it is written, “He that reproveth openly maketh peace;” but in the other,
“Rebuke him between him and thee alone;” not “openly,” but apart and secretly. But
wouldest thou know, whosoever thou art that thinkest such things, that the two Testaments
are not opposed to each other, because the first of these passages is found in the book of
Solomon, and the other in the Gospel? Hear the Apostle. And surely the Apostle is a Minister
of the New Testament. Hear the Apostle Paul then, charging Timothy, and saying, “Them
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that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”2745 So then not the book of Solomon,
but an Epistle of Paul the Apostle seems to be at issue with the Gospel. Let us then without
any2746 prejudice to his honour lay aside Solomon for a while; let us hear the Lord Christ
and His servant Paul. What sayest Thou, O Lord? “If thy brother sin against thee, rebuke
him between him and thee alone.” What sayest thou, O Apostle? “Them that sin rebuke
before all, that others also may fear.” What are we about? Are we listening to this controversy
as judges? That be far from us. Yea, rather as those whose place is under the Judge, let us
knock, that we may obtain, that it be opened to us; let us fly beneath the wings of our Lord
God. For He did not speak in contradiction to His Apostle, seeing that He Himself spoke
“in” him also, as he says, “Would ye receive a proof of Christ, who speaketh in me?”2747
Christ in the Gospel, Christ in the Apostle: Christ therefore spake both; one by His own
Mouth, the other by the mouth of His herald. For when the herald pronounces anything
from the tribunal, it is not written in the records, “the herald said it;” but he is written as
having said it, who commanded the herald what to say.
9. Let us then so give ear to these two precepts, Brethren, as that we may understand
them, and let us settle ourselves in peace between them both. Let us but be in agreement
with our own heart, and Holy Scripture will in no part disagree with itself. It is entirely true,
both precepts are true; but we must make a distinction, that sometimes the one, sometimes
the other must be done; that sometimes a brother must be “reproved between him and thee
alone,” sometimes a brother “must be reproved before all, that others also may fear.” If we
do sometimes the one, and sometimes the other, we shall hold fast the harmony of the
Scriptures, and shall not err in fulfilling and obeying them. But a man will say to me, “When
2745 1 Tim. v. 20.
2746 Injuria.
2747 2 Cor. xiii. 3.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xviii. 15, ‘If thy brother sin against…