St. Augustine refuting heretics
Since the Middle Ages, it is quite common to assume that if one is a heretic, then one cannot be saved. This is not surprising, since it seems that one of the favorite words of the Roman Church was “anathema” (or accursed) in those days. Meantime, the Reformers did their own bit of burning and cleansing. [Mind you, the Orthodox threw a couple of pogroms of their own. No group comes out of the Middle Ages with anything but shame.]  But, was that the actual attitude of the pre-Middle Ages Church? I think not. In fact, the attitude of the Early Church was actually quite a nuanced attitude, which is caught rather well in the canons of the Council in Trullo, a council not commonly known in the West.
The Council in Trullo was held in 692 A.D. One of the things with which they had to deal was what to do with heretics who sought re-admittance into the Church. And, more importantly, what of those who had never been part of the Church but had been baptized by a heretical group? Their solution was both considered and instructive. Canon 95 says:
THOSE who from the heretics come over to orthodoxy, and to the number of those who should be saved, we receive according to the following order and custom. Arians, Macedonians, Novatians, who call themselves Cathari, Aristeri, and Testareskaidecatitae, or Tetraditae, and Apollinarians, we receive on their presentation of certificates and on their anathematizing every heresy which does not hold as does the holy Apostolic Church of God: then first of all we anoint them with the holy chrism on their foreheads, eyes, nostrils, mouth and ears; and as we seal them we say–“The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
But concerning the Paulianists it has been determined by the Catholic Church that they shall by all means be rebaptized. The Eunomeans also, who baptize with one immersion; and the Montanists, who here are called Phrygians; and the Sabellians, who consider the Son to be the same as the Father, and are guilty in certain other grave matters, and all the other heresies–for there are many heretics here, especially those who come from the region of the Galatians–all of their number who are desirous of coming to the Orthodox faith, we receive as Gentiles. And on the first day we make them Christians, on the second Catechumens, then on the third day we exorcise them, at the same time also breathing thrice upon their faces and cars; and thus we initiate them, and we make them spend time in church and hear the Scriptures; and then we baptize them. And the Manichaeans, and Valentinians and Marcionites and all of similar heresies must give certificates and anathematize each his own heresy, and also Nestorius, Eutyches, Dioscorus, Severus, and the other chiefs of such heresies, and those who think with them, and all the aforesaid heresies; and so they become partakers of the holy Communion.
Re-read again what happens with various heretics. The first group renounces their heresy and is simply anointed with the oil of chrism. The second group is received, “as Gentiles,” and has to be baptized. They even have to undergo the full catechumenate time. But, the third group only renounces their heresy and then they are immediately received into the full privileges of church membership.
You see, the Early Fathers believed that Holy Baptism could be validly administered by heretics and schismatics. Thus, someone baptized by a heretic or schismatic would not need re-baptism unless the heresy espoused so damaged the doctrine of God or salvation that is was doubtful whether they were part of the Christian faith at all. But, if baptism was valid for some most heretics and schismatics, why were they then chrismated?
Look back at Acts 19. There it says, “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'” Notice that they are called disciples and are said to have believed, but they are lacking the fullness of the Holy Spirit. From the wording of the passage, I doubt that St. Paul would have said that they were not bound for the Kingdom. But, what is true is that they clearly lacked the fullness of the Holy Spirit. For the Orthodox, we chrismate an incoming convert so that the Holy Spirit may be fully present in them.
In effect, by only chrismating most converts, we are, like St. Paul, recognizing them as disciples who have believed. Nevertheless, we are also saying that there is something lacking. In effect, the Roman Catholic Church, at Vatican Council II, returned to the type of viewpoint espoused at the Council of Trullo when the Roman Church spoke of “separated brethren.” Like St. Paul, salvation cannot be found outside the Church. But, does that not mean there are none saved outside the Church? Well, no, the Early Church Fathers did not understood it that way. Read the quote below:
The Latin phrase Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus means: “Outside the Church there is no Salvation.” This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a bishop of the third century. The axiom is often used as short-hand for the doctrine, upheld by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, that the Church is absolutely necessary for salvation. The theological basis for this doctrine is founded on the beliefs that (1) Jesus Christ personally established the one Church; and (2) the Church serves as the means by which the graces won by Christ are communicated to believers.
An Eastern Orthodox Church Bishop has expressed this doctrine as follows: “‘Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. All the categorical strength and point of this aphorism lies in its tautology. Outside the Church there is no salvation, because salvation is the Church’ (G. Florovsky, Sobornost: the Catholicity of the Church, in The Church of God, p. 53). Does it therefore follow that anyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned? Of course not; still less does it follow that everyone who is visibly within the Church is necessarily saved. As Augustine wisely remarked: ‘How many sheep there are without, how many wolves within!’ (Homilies on John, 45, 12) While there is no division between a ‘visible’ and an ‘invisible Church’, yet there may be members of the Church who are not visibly such, but whose membership is known to God alone. If anyone is saved, he must in some sense be a member of the Church; in what sense, we cannot always say.”
So, can one be a heretic and saved? Yes, but with some caveats. As St. Augustine clearly states, there are sheep of good will outside the Church as much as there are demons inside the Church. That does not either give security to those inside the Church nor do situations inside the Church give those outside the Church an absolute right to remain separate from the Church. What is true is that during the Middle Ages there was an incredible misuse of power and a terrible misuse of the concept that there is no salvation outside the Church. Among the most guilty of this are the Popes Boniface VIII, Eugene IV, etc. What St. Cyprian, St Augustine, and the Council of Trullo meant to express was the certainty that the Church is the locus of salvation, even for those who are not visibly within her. They also meant to express that there is one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, and one Bride of Christ. That is, it was meant to express an Acts 19 type of certainty, not a medieval inquisition-like attitude. At the same time, it was meant to express that those who willfully and steadfastly disobey, a la 1 John, put their salvation in danger. This is why the other quote from St. Augustine is, “If any man be outside the Church he will be excluded from the number of sons, and will not have God for Father since he has not the Church for mother.” Between the two quotes from St. Augustine is found a balanced view of the place of the Church.
Finally, to continue with the ongoing discussion, this conception of the Church is one of the bricks in the idea that the Church is both infallible and imperfect. Sadly, the subtleties of Acts 19, of St. Cyprian, of St. Augustine, and of the Council of Trullo have been lost.
Leave a Reply