8. For this reason, from the
books of the New Testament, except the figurative
pre-significations used by our Lord, if thou consider the life and
manners of the Saints, their actions and sayings, nothing of the
kind can be produced which should provoke to imitation of lying.
For the simulation of Peter and Barnabas is not only recorded, but
also reproved and corrected.2311
For it was not, as some suppose,
2312
| 2312 S. Jerome Ep. inter
Augustinianas, 75, n. 9–11. |
out of the
same simulation that even
Paul the
Apostle either circumcised
Timothy, or himself celebrated certain ceremonies
2313
according
to the
Jewish rite; but he did so, out of that
liberty of his
mind
whereby he
preached that neither are the Gentiles the better for
circumcision, nor the
Jews the worse. Wherefore he judged that
neither the former should be tied to the
custom of the
Jews, nor
the
Jews deterred from the
custom of their fathers. Whence are
those words of his: “Is any man called being circumcised let him
not become
uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him
not be circumcised.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is
nothing, but the keeping of the
commandments of
God. Let every man
abide in the same calling wherein he was called.”
2314
How can a
man become
uncircumcised after
circumcision? but let him not do so,
saith he: let him not so
live as if he had become
uncircumcised,
that is, as if he had covered again with
flesh the part that was
bared, and ceased to be a
Jew; as in another place he saith, “Thy
circumcision is become uncircumcision.”
2315
And this the
Apostle said, not as
though he would compel either those to remain in uncircumcision, or
the
Jews in the
custom of their fathers: but that neither these nor
those should be forced to the other
custom; and, each should have
power of
abiding in his own
custom, not necessity of so doing. For
neither if the
Jew should wish, where it would disturb no man, to
recede from
Jewish observances, would he be prohibited by the
Apostle, since the object of his counselling to
abide therein was
that
Jews might not by being
troubled about superfluous things be
hindered from coming to those things which are necessary to
salvation. Neither would it be prohibited by him, if any of the
Gentiles should wish to be circumcised for the purpose of showing
that he does not
detest the same as noxious, but holds it
indifferently, as a seal,
2316
the usefulness of which had
already passed away with time; for it did not follow that, if there
were now no
salvation to be had from it, there was
destruction to
be dreaded therefrom. And for this reason, Timothy, having been
called in uncircumcision, yet because his mother was a Jewess and
he was bound, in order to
gain his
kindred, to show them that he
had not learnt in the
Christian discipline to abominate the
sacraments of the old
Law, was circumcised by the
Apostle;
2317
that in
this way they might
prove to the
Jews, that the reason why the
Gentiles do not receive them, is not that they are
evil and were
perniciously observed by the Fathers, but because they are no
longer necessary to
salvation after the
advent of that so great
Sacrament, which through so long times the whole of that ancient
Scripture in its prophetical prefigurations did
travail in
birth
withal. For he would circumcise Titus also, when the
Jews urged
this,
2318
but that
false
brethren, privily brought in, wished it to be done to the
intent they might have it to disseminate concerning
Paul himself as
a token that he had given place to the
truth of their
preaching,
who said that the
hope of
Gospel salvation is in
circumcision of
the
flesh and observances of that
kind, and that without these
Christ profiteth no man: whereas on the contrary
Christ would
nothing
profit them, who should be circumcised because they thought
that in it was
salvation; whence that saying, “Behold, I
Paul say
unto you, that if ye be circumcised,
Christ shall
profit you
nothing.”
2319
Out of
this
liberty, therefore, did
Paul keep the observances of his
fathers, but with this one precaution and express declaration, that
people should not suppose that without these was no
Christian
salvation. Peter, however, by his making as though
salvation
consisted in Judaism, was compelling the Gentiles to judaize; as is
shown by
Paul’s words, where he says, “Why compellest thou the
Gentiles to
live as do the
Jews?”
2320
For they would be under no
compulsion unless they saw that he observed them in such manner as
if beside them could be no
salvation. Peter’s simulation
therefore is not to be compared to
Paul’s
liberty. And while we
ought to
love Peter for that he willingly received correction, we
must not bolster up
lying even by the
authority of
Paul, who
both
recalled Peter to the right path in the presence of them all, lest
the Gentiles through him should be compelled to judaize; and bare
witness to his own
preaching, that whereas he was accounted hostile
to the
traditions of the fathers in that he would not impose them
on the Gentiles, he did not
despise to celebrate them himself
according to the
custom of his fathers, and therein sufficiently
showed that this has remained in them at the Coming of
Christ; that
neither to the Jews they are pernicious, nor to the Gentiles
necessary, nor henceforth to any of mankind means of salvation.
2321
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