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| The Parable of the Drag-Net.
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11.
The Parable of the Drag-Net.
“Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net
that was cast into the sea.”5205
As in the case of images and statues,
the likenesses are not likenesses in every respect of those things in
relation to which they are made; but, for example, the image painted
with wax on the plane surface of wood has the likeness of the surface
along with the colour, but does not further preserve the hollows and
prominences, but only their outward appearance; and in the moulding of
statues an endeavour is made to preserve the likeness in respect of the
hollows and the prominences, but not in respect of the colour; and, if
the cast be formed of wax, it endeavours to preserve both, I mean both
the colour and also the hollows and the prominences, but is not indeed
an image of the things in the respect of depth; so conceive with me
also that, in the case of the similitudes in the Gospel, when the
kingdom of heaven is likened unto anything, the comparison does not
extend to all the features of that to which the kingdom is compared,
but only to those features which are required by the argument in
hand. And here, accordingly, the kingdom of heaven is “like
unto a net that was cast into the sea,” not (as supposed by
some,5206
| 5206 Valentinus and his
followers. | who represent that by this word the
different natures of those who have come into the net, to-wit, the evil
and the righteous, are treated of), as if it is to be thought that,
because of the phrase “which gathered of every kind,” there
are many different natures of the righteous and likewise also of the
evil; for to such an interpretation all the Scriptures are opposed,
which emphasise the freedom of the will, and censure those who sin and
approve those who do right; or otherwise blame could not rightly attach
to those of the kinds that were such by nature, nor praise to those of
a better kind. For the reason why fishes are good or bad lies not
in the souls of the fishes, but is based on that which the Word said
with knowledge, “Let the waters bring forth creeping things with
living souls,”5207
when, also,
“God made great sea-monsters and every soul of creeping creatures
which the waters brought forth according to their
kinds.”5208
There,
accordingly, “The waters brought forth every soul of creeping
animals according to their kinds,” the cause not being in it; but
here we are responsible for our being good kinds and worthy of what are
called “vessels,” or bad and worthy of being cast
outside. For it is not the nature in us which is the cause of the
evil, but it is the voluntary choice which worketh evil; and so our
nature is not the cause of righteousness, as if it were incapable of
admitting unrighteousness, but it is the principle which we have
admitted that makes men righteous; for also you never see the kinds of
things in the water changing from the bad kinds of fishes into the
good, or from the better kind to the worse; but you can always behold
the righteous or evil among men either coming from wickedness to
virtue, or returning from progress towards virtue to the flood of
wickedness. Wherefore also in Ezekiel, concerning the man who
turns away from unrighteousness to the keeping of the divine
commandments, it is thus written: “But if the wicked man
turn away from all his wickednesses which he hath done,” etc.,
down to the words, “that he turn from his wicked way and
live;”5209
but concerning the
man who returns from the advance towards virtue unto the flood of
wickedness it is said, “But in the case of the righteous man
turning away from his righteousness and committing iniquity,”
etc., down to the words, “in his sins which he hath sinned in
them shall he die.”5210
Let those
who, from the parable of the drag-net, introduce the doctrine of
different natures, tell us in regard to the wicked man who afterwards
turned aside from all the wickednesses which he committed and keeps all
the commandments of God, and does that which is righteous and merciful,
of what nature was he when he was wicked? Clearly not of a nature
to be praised. If verily of a nature to be censured, of what kind
of nature can he reasonably be described, when he turns away from all
his sins which he did? For if he were of the bad class of
natures, because of his former deeds, how did he change to that which
was better? Or if because of his subsequent deeds you would say
that he was of the good class, how being good by nature did he become
wicked? And you will also meet with a like dilemma in regard to
the righteous man turning away from his righteousness and committing
unrighteousness in all manner of
sins. For before he turned away from righteousness, being
occupied with righteous deeds he was not of a bad nature, for a bad
nature could not be in righteousness, since a bad tree—that is
wickedness—cannot produce good fruits,—the fruits that
spring from virtue. Again, on the other hand, if he had been of a
good and unchangeable nature he would not have turned away from the
good after being called righteous, so as to commit unrighteousness in
all his sins which he committed.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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