Chapter 9.—12. Let them see how many things, and what important things, are of no avail, if a certain single thing be wanting, and let them see what that one thing is. And herein let them hear not my words, but those of the apostle: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and
all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."1166
What does it
profit them, therefore, if they have both the voice of
angels in the
sacred mysteries, and the
gift of
prophecy, as had Caiaphas
1167
and
Saul,
1168
that so they may be found prophesying, of whom Holy Scripture testifies that they were worthy of condemnation? If they not only know, but even possess the sacraments, as
Simon Magus did;
1169
if they have
faith, as the
devils confessed
Christ (for we must not suppose that they did not believe when they said, "What have we to do with Thee, O Son of
God? We know Thee who Thou art"
1170
; if they distribute of themselves their own substance to the
poor, as many do, not only in the Catholic
Church, but in the different
heretical bodies; if, under the pressure of any persecution, they give their bodies with us to be
burned for the
faith which they like us confess: yet because they do all these things apart from the
Church, not "forbearing one another in
love," nor "endeavoring to keep the
unity of the spirit in the
bond of
peace,"
1171
insomuch as they have not charity, they cannot attain to eternal salvation, even with all those good things which profit them not.
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