Chapter 55.—125. Petilianus said: "Even though you do very virtuous actions, and perform miraculous works, yet on account of your wickedness the Lord does not know you; even so, according to the words of the Lord Himself, ‘Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’"2144
126. Augustin answered: We acknowledge the word of the Lord. Hence also the apostle says, "Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."2145
Here therefore we must inquire who it is that has
charity: you will find that it is no one else but those who are
lovers of
unity. For as to the driving out of
devils, and as to the working of
miracles, seeing that very many do not do such things who yet
belong to the
kingdom of
God, and very many do them who do not
belong to it, neither our party nor your party have any cause for boasting, if any of them chance to have this
power, since the
Lord did not think it right
that even the
apostles, who could truly do such things both to
profit and
salvation, should
boast in things like this, when He says to them, "In this
rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather
rejoice, because your names are written in
heaven."
2146
Wherefore all those things which you have advanced from the writings of the
gospel I also might repeat to you, if I saw you working the
powerful acts of
signs and
miracles; and so might you repeat them to me, if you saw me doing things of a like sort. Let us not, therefore, say one to another what may equally be said on the other side as well; and, putting aside all quibbles, since we are inquiring where the
Church of
Christ is to be found, let us listen to the words of
Christ Himself, who
redeemed it with His own
blood: "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in
Samaria, and even in the whole
earth."
2147
You see then who it is with whom a man refuses to communicate who will not communicate with this
Church, which is spread throughout all the
world, if at least you hear whose words these are. For what is a greater
proof of madness than to hold
communion with the sacraments of the
Lord, and to refuse to hold
communion with the words of the
Lord? Such men at any rate are likely to say, In Thy name have we eaten and
drunken, and to hear the words, "I never knew you,"
2148
seeing that they eat His body and drink His
blood in the sacrament, and do not recognize in the gospel His members which are spread abroad throughout the earth, and therefore are not themselves counted among them in the judgment.
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