Chapter 10.—23. Petilianus said: "Did the apostle persecute any one? or did Christ betray any one?"
24. Augustin answered: I might indeed say that Satan himself was worse than all wicked men; and yet the apostle delivered a man over to him for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.1995
And in the same way he
delivered over others, of whom he says, "Whom I have
delivered unto
Satan, that they may
learn not to
blaspheme."
1996
And the
Lord Christ drove out the impious
merchants from the
temple with
scourges; in which connection we also find advanced the
testimony of Scripture, where it says, "The
zeal of Thine
house hath eaten me up."
1997
So that we do find the
apostle delivering over to condemnation, and
Christ a persecutor. All this I might say, and put you into no
small heat and perturbation, so that you would be compelled to inquire, not into the complaints of those who
suffer, but into the intention of those who cause the suffering. But do not
trouble yourself about this; I do not say this. But I do say that it has nothing to do with the
seed of
Abraham, which is in all
nations, if anything has
been done to you which ought not to have been done, perhaps by the
chaff among the
harvest of the
Lord, which in spite of this is found among all nations. Do you therefore render an account of your separation. But first, consider what kind of men you have among you, with whom you would not wish to be reproached; and see how unjustly you act, when you cast in our teeth the acts of other men, even if you proved what you assert. Therefore it will be found that there is no ground for your
separation.
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