To Pammachius against John of Jerusalem 2
2 PL 23, 353
2. So away withNovatus, who would not hold out a hand to the erring! perishMontanus and his mad women! Montanus, who would hurl the fallen into the abyss that they may never rise again. Every day we all sin and make some slip or other. Being then merciful to ourselves, we are not rigorous towards others; nay, rather, we pray and beseechhim either to simply tell us our own faults, or to openly defend those of other men. I dislike ambiguities; I dislike to be told what is capable of two meanings. Let us contemplate withunveiled face the glory of the Lord. Once upon a time the people of Israel halted between two opinions. But, said Elias, which is by interpretation the strong one of the Lord,“How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, go after him; but if Baal, follow him.” And the Lord himself says concerning the Jews, “the strange children lied unto me; the strange children became feeble, and limped out of their by-paths.” If there really is no ground for suspecting him of heresy (as I wish and believe), why does he not speak out my opinion in my own words? He calls it simplicity; I interpret it as artfulness. He wishes to convince me that his belief is sound; let his speech, then, also be sound. And, indeed, if the ambiguity attached to a single word, or a single statement, or two or three, I could be indulgent on the score of ignorance; nor would I judge what is obscure or doubtful by the standard of what is certain and clear. But, as things are, this “simplicity” is nothing but a platform trick, like walking on tiptoe over eggs or standing corn; there is doubt and suspicion everywhere. You might suppose he was not writing an exposition of the faith, but was writing a disputation on some imaginary theme. What he is now so keen upon, we learnt long ago in the schools. He puts on our own armour to fight against us. Even if his faith be correct, and he speaks with circumspection and reserve, his extreme care rouses my suspicions.“He that walketh uprightly, walketh boldly.” It is folly to bear a bad name for nothing. A charge is brought against him of which he is not conscious. Let him confidently deny the charge which hangs upon a single word, and freely turn the tables against his adversary. Let the one exhibit the same boldness in repelling the charge which the other shows in advancing it. And when he has said all that he wishes and purposes to say, and such things as are above suspicion, if his opponent persists in slander, let him try conclusions in open court. I wish no one to sit still under an imputation of heresy, lest, if he say nothing, his want of openness be interpreted, amongst those who are not aware of his innocence, as the consciousness of guilt, although there is no need to demand the presence of a man and to reduce him to silence when you have his letters in your possession.
Tantos animorum motus Archelaus comes compescere statim initio studuit, condictoque pacis ineundae loco, quoniam violatae fidei suspicio discordias peperisset, e singulorum fidei professione inirent concordiam. Joannes vero, semel atque iterum invitanti ad pasciscendum Archelao, modo unam, modo aliam, levissimas excusationes praetendens, minime paruit. Sed ad Theophilum Alexandrinum, ut par est credere, litteras dedit, in quibus illum de ingravescenti discordia certiorem fecit, forte etiam ut adversarios suos reprehenderet, deprecatus est. Theophilus blande pro eo ac debuit ad Hieronymum scripsit, deque his quae abs Joanne acceperat, commonefecit, et ad pacem invitavit. Ad quem noster epistolam 132 in nostra recensione rescribit, in qua pacem ultro se quaerere professus, objecta singillatim diluit, causasque contentionum, et violatae fidei legerit in Joannem. Tum laboranti magis ac magis Ecclesiae succurrere volens Theophilus, Isidorum presbyterum pietatis aliarumque virtutum fama notissimum, sed quem Origeniana labes corripuerat, legatum mittit Hierosolymam cum litteris, quibus componere dissidentes animos studet. Verum malus iste pacis sequester cum advenit Hierosolymam, legationem suam renuntiavit, commissas tamen litteras reddere Hieronymo noluit, cui quaerenti, Si legatus es, redde legationis epistolas, si epistolas non habes, quomodo legatum te probabis? respondit habere se quidem litteras, sed rogatum a Joanne ne redderet: proindeque maluit re infecta discedere, quam favoris in Origenianas partes tolleret suspicionem. Auctor tamen fuit Joanni, ut Apologiam ad Theophilum pro sua causa scriberet, ad eamque scribendam operam suam commodavit, ut, inquit Hieron. idem esset et dictator et bajulus litterarum. Itaque Joannes Epiphanii epistolae respondere dedignatus, Apologiam illam quaquaversus misit, sed potissimum in Occidentem, ut in sui gratiam maxime Romanorum sacerdotum aures praeoccuparet. Revera Pammachius, multorum animos in diversa distractos fuisse scribit ad Hieronymum, aliis Salaminii, aliis Hierosolymitani episcopi causam defendentibus: quibus ipse excitatus, S. Doctorem rogat, ut quid rei sit, exponat. Jam vero hoc libro Hieronymus illi morem gerit, ostenditque, adeo non Pauliniani fratris ordinationem causam esse dissidii, sed Origenismi errores Joanni objectos, ut praeterquam quod in Eleutheropolitano territorio, non in Aeliensi ordinatus est Paulinianus, etiam ante ejus consecrationem, jam Origenis causa Joannem inter atque Epiphanium fuerit illa altercatio. Origenismum vero ad octo revocat capita, e quibus tria tantum Apologia illa sua Joannes purgaverit, 1º nec Filium videre posse Patrem, nec Spiritum, Filium; 2º animas propter peccata e coelo dilapsas in corpus esse veluti in carcerem conjectas; 3º futurum, ut diabolus resipiscat, et convertatur, et cum Sanctis regnet; 4º Adamum et Evam antequam peccarent corpore caruisse, quae corpora tunicis pelliceis post peccatum indicantur; 5º carnem nequaquam suscitatum iri, nosque sexu in resurrectione carituros; 6º paradisum terrestrem allegorice intelligendum; 7º Aquas quae super coelos in Scriptura dicuntur, esse Angelos, quae subter coelos sunt, daemones; 8º hominem per peccatum Dei imaginem amisisse. Hos itaque errores iterum Joanni objicit, ejusque Apologiae strophas exagitat, ipsum continuo alloquens Hierosolymitanum episcopum.