藥箱（駁八十異端） 第 1 章 第 37/82 段

Concerning the Valesians we have often heard, yet we have nowhere learned who this Valens was, or whence he came, or what he said, or taught, or uttered.

And the name, being Arabic, gives us some ground to suppose that he and his heresy are still current even to this day, since, as I said, there are, by conjecture, certain persons in Bacatha, in the region of Philadelphia beyond the Jordan.

And the local inhabitants wish to call these people Gnostics, but they are not of the Gnostics.

For their opinions are different from those.

But what has come to us concerning them is as follows.

For a time most of them gathered together in the church, until their folly became widely known and they were cast out of the church.

They are all castrated, except for a few, and they too hold such opinions concerning principalities and powers and other things.

And when they take a man in for discipleship, for as long a time as he has not yet had his members cut off, he does not partake of anything with a soul, that is, of meat.

But when they have persuaded such a man, or forcibly cut him themselves, then he partakes of anything whatsoever, as one who has already ceased from the contest and is no longer in danger of being spurred on by foods to come to the pleasure of desire.

And they carry out this practice not only on their own members, but often also treat strangers passing by and lodging with them as guests in the same manner, as much is commonly reported concerning this.

For they seize such persons and drag them inside, and having bound them on benches, forcibly carry out the handiwork of removing the members.

And these are the things that have come to us concerning them.

Knowing in what place they have their abode, and that this name occurs frequently in those parts, and since we have found no other name for the heresy, we have judged this to be it.

Great, indeed, is the derangement of such men.

For if they wish to fulfill what is in the Gospel -- 'If one of your members causes you to stumble, cut it off from you, for it is better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven lame, or blind, or maimed' -- how can one who has been mutilated be present in the kingdom at all? For if the kingdom of heaven brings all things to perfection, it has nothing incomplete within itself.

And when the resurrection of the body takes place, all the members will rise, and not one of them will be left behind.

And if any member at all does not rise, then the whole body will not rise either.

And if the one offending member alone is left behind, then not even any other of the members will rise at all.

For every part of it has caused us to stumble.

But who will tear open his own heart, which causes stumbling in every way? For, it says, 'from within come out fornications, adulteries, acts of licentiousness, and things like these.'

Who, then, will tear open his own heart? But if, according to the folly and impiety of some, the body does not rise, how then will the argument defined by them make any difference? For if all the members altogether do not enter the kingdom of heaven, what further need is there for this to happen with respect to one member alone, since the others do not fulfill it either? But if the body does rise -- and it does rise -- how can there still be mutilation in a body within the kingdom of heaven? Or how will the kingdom of heaven not be unseemly, possessing disfigured bodies, when bodies are meant to be for the glory of those within it? But if the offending member is indeed cut off altogether, then it has been cut off and yet has not sinned.

But having been cut off and yet not having sinned, it, of all things, ought to be the first to rise, precisely because it did not sin.

But those who are so bold as to rush into this ready deed have rejected and estranged themselves from everything.

For they are no longer men, because of what has been removed, nor can they be women, because that would be contrary to nature.

Moreover, the very designation of the crown of this contest and of the prize has already forestalled them.

For these men will be found to belong to none of the three classes of eunuchs spoken of by the Lord.

'For there are,' he says, 'eunuchs who were born so from their mother's womb.'

For those are not responsible for their own eunuch state; they bear neither sin for having been born so, nor again praise, since they are unable to do any such thing -- I mean the acts of Aphrodite -- because the generative organs created by God do not naturally belong to them.

But neither do they have the kingdom of heaven as a reward for their eunuch state, because they have not been initiated into the contest.

And if such men are even initiated into desires, yet, being unable to do what ought not to be done, and not doing it, they have no reward.

For the deed was not left undone by them because they did not wish it, but because they were not able.

And this, then, is the nature of the first eunuch state spoken of by the Lord, that which is born from mothers already in a state of eunuchhood, to which these men cannot belong, because of their handmade act.

'And there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men,' says the Savior; and the aforementioned do not belong to these either.

For these become eunuchs who are made so by men for the sake of service, whether royal or official.

For certain barbarian kings, or even tyrants, wishing to guard against jealousy and suspicion concerning their own wives, take boys while they are still quite young and make them eunuchs.

So that, once grown up, they may be entrusted with the masters' own wives, as I have said.

And thus in the world has arisen the reason for this practice.

Whence, I suppose, has also come about the calling of him a 'eunuch,' from being able to be 'well-disposed' once the members are removed, and from no longer being rubbed against by the mingling of bodies, since their organs have been taken away.

This, then, is another class, taken from childhood and made a eunuch by men, not for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

'And there are,' he says, 'eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.'

Who, then, could these be but the noble apostles, and after them the virgins and those living a monastic life? John and James, the sons of Zebedee, remained in virginity, neither cutting off their members with their own hands nor being joined in marriage, but contending with their own heart, and wondrously carrying off the glory of the crown of this contest.

And after them, all those, numbering in the tens of thousands, who live a monastic life in the world, and who, from monasteries and convents of virgins, have carried off this same glory of the contest -- these did not mingle with the bodies of women, but contended in the most perfect contest.

As Elijah also is found to have done in the Old Testament, and Paul, saying, 'But I say to the unmarried that it is good for them if they remain even as I.'

'But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry.'

How, then, did he himself remain so? For if he had been mutilated, and others remained after him, made like him, in order that they might fulfill the phrase 'as I also'...

How could a man who has been mutilated marry, if he could no longer exercise self-control, according to the saying, 'let them marry, and not burn'? You see that he speaks concerning self-control, and not concerning the removal of members.

But if these men claim that they have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, how will they exempt themselves from the saying that 'there are some who were made eunuchs by men'? For if a man makes himself a eunuch with his own hands, he is still a man, and it is his hands that have performed this unlawful deed.

And if he was not able to do it to himself, but was made a eunuch by others, it will no longer be for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, since he was made a eunuch by men -- whether by himself or by those who did this to him.

He will also fall short of the crown and of the prize, no longer possessing grace on account of abstinence from such use, but rather because he is unable to make use of it at all, the members necessary for such a purpose having been removed.

He will be judged as one and the same thing, both as one who maims his own member and as one who cuts down another's vineyard.

For such a man did not conduct his life according to God, but stood in opposition, by way of a plot, against the Lord God the Creator.

And such a man will be carried away by all the more excessive desire.

For indeed the eunuch is sung of by the Wise Man not as one who abstains from desire, but as one unable to fulfill his desire, as he says: 'the desire of a eunuch is to deflower a young maiden.'

And from every side -- O the great vanity variously devised in the world!

And these are the things that we have come to know concerning these matters.

Wherefore, having spoken briefly concerning them, and, as I said, having conjectured that these are the ones previously described, let us leave them behind and mock them, like a two-stinged scorpion which, with its horns and claws, opposes the ways of the fathers of old, and in its sting resists the very form of the holy church of God -- trampling upon them with a firmly planted sandal and mocking them, that is, by means of the words of the Gospel -- and, proceeding according to custom to what follows, let us here bring to an end our discussion of their folly.

Against the Cathari, that is, the impure: the thirty-ninth heresy, but the fifty-ninth in order.

Next after these there arose certain people called Cathari, taking their name from a certain Novatus, as is widely reported.

This Novatus lived among the Romans, at the time of the persecution that occurred first, before that of Maximian.

Taking occasion from those who had lapsed in the persecution, he was lifted up with pride together with those who followed him, and, unwilling to have communion with those repenting from the persecution, he turned to such a heresy, saying that there was no salvation for them, but only a single repentance, and that after baptism no one who had lapsed could any longer be shown mercy.

We too say that there is one repentance, and that salvation comes about through the bath of regeneration; but we do not do away with the loving-kindness of God, knowing the proclamation of the truth, and the mercy of the Master, and the pardonableness of nature, the fickleness of the soul, the weakness of the flesh, and the ever-flowing propensity of the perception of all men toward transgressions -- because no one is without sin and pure from defilement, even if his life on earth were but a single day. And perfect repentance indeed occurs in the bath.

But if anyone should lapse, the holy church of God does not destroy him.

For she grants both a way of return, and, after repentance, further contrition.

For to Cain God said, 'You have sinned; be still'; and to the paralytic, 'Behold, you have become whole; sin no more'; and the Lord calls Peter back after his denial, and in place of the three denials, calls him three times to confession: 'Do you love me, Peter? Do you love me?'

'Peter, do you love me? Peter?' And he says, 'Feed my sheep.'

But they are misled by the saying of the apostle, which states: 'For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and hold him up to open shame.'

'For the land that drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also cultivated, receives a blessing from God;'

'but if it brings forth thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is to be burned.'

For indeed it is truly impossible to renew again those who have once been renewed and have fallen away.

For Christ will not be born again, that he might be crucified for us, nor can anyone crucify again the Son of God who is no longer crucified, nor can anyone receive a second washing;

for there is one baptism, and one renewal.

But the holy apostle immediately brings the remedy for these things, healing the church and caring for its members, and he says: 'But we are convinced of better things concerning you, beloved, and things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.'

'For God is not unjust, to forget your good work.'

He declared it wholly impossible for there to be a second such renewal, yet he did not cut off from salvation those who continue to repent; rather, he showed that, for the sake of their good work, the Lord — together with the things that pertain to salvation and God as their helper — is the champion of those who repent most completely from their transgressions, and turn back, and change their minds.

For just as one who has lost virginity is unable to recover it in the body, nature not permitting it, so also is one who, after the washing, has fallen into certain great transgressions;

and just as one who has fallen from virginity has continence as a second honor, so also one who, after the washing, has fallen into a greater transgression has repentance as a second healing — not so virtuous as the first, yet he has not lost life, but possesses this second [state] which he has obtained.

The divine word therefore does not annul the reward of those who labor in repentance.

Then again these same men, leaping forward from this point, have invented certain other things as well.

For indeed they themselves say that they hold the very same faith which we also hold;

but these are unwilling to have fellowship with those twice married.

For if anyone, after baptism, should be joined to a second wife, he will no longer be received among them.

For it is as if someone should watch another swimming in the water, and, being ignorant of the experience of swimming, should give himself over to the waters and be submerged, having no skill and no clear knowledge of the art by which those who use their hands and feet procure their own safety, but simply supposing that the water carries a man along apart from his own hands—

or as if someone should hear that the governor punishes those who commit wicked deeds down to the very least offense, and should suppose that he metes out the same penalty against everyone alike, as though it were the same for murder as for one who slanders his neighbor or has had a quarrel;

or as if some quite ordinary person should see one who has received authority from a ruler drawing his sword against criminals, or against sorcerers and blasphemers and the impious, and should suppose that everyone alike has authority to render judgment for such a cause; and having seen men brought to justice, and himself imitating the same acts, should wish to kill certain people, as though forsooth passing sentence on wrongdoers — this man, once caught, will himself be punished, since he had not received authority for such things from the king, and because he supposed that the same sentence proceeds against everyone alike from the judgment of the laws, while through his own inexperience and lack of understanding he delivered himself over to destruction in his wrongdoing — so also these men, having mixed everything together, have fallen away from all [the truth], and, not having understood the precise teaching of God, have gone astray, turning aside onto another path, not knowing that this is not the true tradition and order of the divine Scripture.

For that which was handed down for the priesthood, because of the surpassing excellence of the sacred ministry, they supposed to apply equally to everyone.

For having heard that the bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, and likewise also the deacon and the presbyter, they did not understand the boundary of the ranks.

For indeed, in truth, the holy proclamation of God does not admit into the priesthood, after the coming of Christ, even those who, after the death of their wife from a first marriage, have been joined in a second marriage, because of the surpassing dignity of the priesthood;

and these things the holy church of God carefully observes with precision.

But it does not receive as deacon or presbyter or bishop or subdeacon one who is still living together with his wife and begetting children, though he be the husband of one wife; rather it receives one who has practiced continence from one wife, or has become a widower, especially where the precise canons of the church are observed.

presbyters, and deacons, and subdeacons.

But this does not happen contrary to the canon, but on account of men's negligence arising from time to time, and because, owing to the great number [needed], no [suitable] ministers are found.

For the church, always looking to what is most fitting, having been well ordered by the Holy Spirit, knew that it ought to be zealous that the services to God be carried out without distraction, and that spiritual duties be accomplished with a wholly well-disposed conscience.

And I say that it is fitting, because of sudden liturgical duties and needs, that the presbyter and deacon and bishop be free from distraction for God.

For if the holy apostle enjoins even those of the laity, saying that they should be free for prayer for a season, how much more does he enjoin the same upon the priest? And by 'without distraction' I mean being free to devote oneself, according to God, to the priesthood that is accomplished in spiritual duties.

But among the laity it is permitted, on account of weakness, to bear with this, and for those who could not remain content with their first wife to be joined to a second one after the death of the first.

And the one who has had only one wife stands in greater praise and honor among all who assemble in the church; but as for one who could not be content with the one who died, or, because of some reason — either fornication or adultery or some other cause — a separation having taken place, and who has been joined to a second wife, or a woman to a second husband, the divine word does not accuse him, nor does it proclaim him cast out from the church and from life, but bears with him because of his weakness;

not that he should have two wives at the same time while one still survives, but that, having been separated from one, he might, should it happen, be lawfully joined to a second — this man the holy word and the holy church of God show mercy to, especially if such a one is otherwise devout and conducts his life according to the law of God.

For indeed the apostle would not have said, 'Let the widows marry, bear children, manage the household,' nor again would he have said, of the man who had his father's wife and was delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord — nor again would he have said, 'Confirm your love toward him,' lest such a one be swallowed up with excessive sorrow.

For he also said again, 'Whom you forgive anything, I also forgive;'

for if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sakes that I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ, lest we be taken advantage of by Satan;

for we are not ignorant of his devices.

And see how he grants repentance even after a transgression.

Again the Lord says, 'Forgive one another your trespasses, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you.'

But also in another place he speaks thus: 'And I will mourn for many of those among you who have fallen and have not repented,' showing thereby that if they had fallen and repented, these would be received and would not be cast out, the Lord knowing what he would do with each one.

And that the canon of truth has this very character is clear to everyone.

For after the first repentance which is through the washing of regeneration, in which repentance every man was renewed, there is no second such [repentance].

For there are not two baptisms, but one; nor was Christ crucified twice, but once; nor did he die for us twice and rise again.

And for this reason it is necessary to take precaution, lest, having fallen away, we lose the crown of renewal.

But if anyone should fall and be overtaken in some transgression, as the apostle says, 'you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, watching yourself, lest you also be tempted.'

If then anyone is overtaken in a transgression, whatever it may be, let him repent.

For God receives repentance even after baptism, if anyone should fall.

But how he deals with such a one, he alone knows;

for his judgments are unsearchable and his ways are past finding out.

And before his coming one ought not to judge, until the Lord comes, who will also bring to light the hidden things of the heart;

and then each one's praise will become manifest.

We therefore neither promise complete freedom to those who have fallen after baptism, nor do we forbid their life;

for God is merciful and compassionate, and he has given to those who repent a way of return.

And the first point is clear; and as for the second, we know that God is merciful, if we repent with our whole soul from our transgressions.

For he holds in his hand life and salvation and loving-kindness.

And what he himself does is known to him alone, except that there is no loss from repentance, nor is the one who repents forbidden from all his failings.

How much more, then, one who is lawfully joined to a second wife? For the first wife is appointed by God, but the second arises from the weakness of men; and even if he should be joined to a further one still, the weakness is always borne with.

For it says, 'A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives;'

'but if the husband dies, she is free to be married to whomever she wishes, only in the Lord.'

Having declared, after the death of the husband, freedom from sin without any dispute, by this addition he signifies 'in the Lord';

so that she who, after the death of a husband, is joined to another husband is not alien to the Lord, nor is the man who, after the death of a wife, is joined to a second wife — only in the Lord, as the apostle says.

And he indeed says, 'but she is more blessed if she remains as she is'; and 'in the Lord' means: not in fornication, not in adultery, not in a clandestine marriage, but in lawful order, in openness, in a dignified marriage, continuing in the faith, in the commandments, in good deeds, in reverence, in fastings, in lawful order, in acts of mercy, in earnestness, in good work.

For these things, when present and abiding, render [such persons] neither idle nor unfruitful at the coming of the Lord.

And to the priesthood belong the first rank and strict exactness concerning all things, but to the laity belong what is moderate and what is pardonable, that all may be instructed and shown mercy.

For the Master is merciful and able to save all according to their own lawful order and true faith, while preserving the purity of the proclamation.

For he alone is pure.

But these men, having called themselves 'Pure,' by this very claim render themselves impure;

for everyone who declares himself pure has thereby condemned himself completely as impure.

Great is the folly of such men, who suppose that on account of one thing — even were it true — judgment ought to be rendered thus concerning the whole people.

But they ought to have understood that the charge against every soul does not consist in this matter alone, nor is it only through this that one becomes virtuous, but also in not reviling, not swearing an oath either in truth or in falsehood, but saying simply 'yes, yes' and 'no, no,' in not being deceitful, not slandering, not stealing, not engaging in dishonest trade.

For from all these things the filth of our sins is gathered together for us.

For, as it says, just as a peg set between two stones will be crushed, so sin lodges between buyer and seller.

And that among the whole multitude there are some who are drunkards and merchants and covetous men and usurers, and that they too, without exception, have these things and things like them, and that falsehoods likewise attend each one of them.

How then can they call themselves 'Pure,' as though the whole enterprise according to God were secured against all faults by this single point? These men have not understood the precise sense of the preaching, nor to whom this precise rule concerning second marriage was appointed.

But even those who lapsed under persecution, if they too show complete repentance, sitting in sackcloth and ashes and weeping before the Lord, the Benefactor is able to show mercy to them as well.

For nothing base results from repentance.

...establishing the faith of the Lord, upon which the Church has been built in every respect;

First, because he confessed Christ to be the Son of the living God, and he heard, 'Upon this rock of secure faith I will build my church,' since he had clearly confessed him to be the true Son;

For by saying 'Son of the living God,' with the addition of 'living,' he showed him to be the genuine Son, as I have said concerning this in almost every heresy [treated so far].

But this same man also confirms us concerning the Holy Spirit, saying to those associated with Ananias:

'Why has Satan tempted you to lie to the Holy Spirit? You have not lied to man, but to God' -- because the Spirit is of God and not alien to God.

But here too he became a solid rock of building and a foundation of the house of God, in that, having denied him and turning back again, and being found by the Lord, he was deemed worthy to hear again, 'Feed my lambs' and 'Feed my sheep.'

For Christ, by saying these things, led us to a turning of repentance, so that in him the well-founded faith might again be built up -- a faith that does not forbid life to men, as many as still breathe in this life and repent in truth and correct their own faults in this age.

As also in the Song of Songs the bride herself said to the bridegroom: 'My beloved answers and says to me:'

'Rise up, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove, for the winter is past; the hateful and gloomy darkness of the clouds, and, so to speak, the most terrible things, have passed; the rain is gone, it has gone its own way.'

The flowers have appeared in our land, the time for pruning has arrived, the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

The fig tree has put forth its early figs, our vines are in blossom, they have given forth their fragrance.

...to show that all the former things have passed away: now that spring is just blossoming, the sea has grown calm, the fear of the rain has passed, the old growth of the vine has been pruned, and the grass is no longer merely growing green but also putting forth flowers, and the sound of the proclamation is crying out in the wilderness, that is, in our land, and the fig tree that was once cursed is now putting forth its early figs -- the fruits of repentance already appearing on the branches and trees -- while the vines are already blossoming, the fragrant preaching of the faith of the gospel.

And since he immediately called such a soul and said, 'Rise up, come' -- rise up from the deadness of sins and come in righteousness; rise up from transgression and come in boldness; rise up from sins and come in repentance; rise up from paralysis and come in perfection; rise up from disfigurement and come in health; rise up from unbelief and come in faith; rise up from being lost and come in being found.

And since the divine word knew that, after the first repentance and after the first calling and healing, so to speak, many transgressions befall mankind, it says again, 'Rise up, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove,' and, 'Come, you, my dove.'

He calls her a second time, and not just once.

But the second calling is not equal to the first.

For in the former calling it says thus: 'Rise up, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove.'

The first says only 'Rise up, come,' and did not say 'come, you.'

and the second calling adds the definite article, in order to show that this is not a second calling, different from the first, but that within the first calling itself a skillful, heavenly hand of loving-kindness is again stretched out because of transgressions.

'And come,' he says, 'you, my dove, into the shelter of the rock, close by the outer wall';

'in the shelter of the rock,' that is, in the loving-kindness of Christ and in the mercy of the Lord;

for this is the shelter of the rock: a shelter of hope and faith and truth.

'close by the outer wall' -- but beyond it the gates have been shut, and it is no longer possible to make amends.

For in the age to come, after man's departure from this life, there is no gaining by fasting, no calling to repentance, no giving of alms; but neither are there deeds of wrongdoing, nor war, nor adultery, nor licentiousness; nor, again, righteousness and repentance.

For just as, after the ear of grain has been harvested, it is not possible for the kernel to grow plump, nor to be blighted by wind, so there is no other change of condition possible.

But do not tell me of the spoilage of the storehouse, that is, worms and moths;