12. And now blush if thou canst, Novatian; cease to deceive the unwary with thy impious arguments; cease to frighten them with the subtlety of one particular. We read, and adore, and do not pass over the heavenly judgment of the Lord, where he says that He will deny him who denies Him. But does this mean the penitent? And why should I be taking pains so long to prove individual cases of mercies? since the mercy of God is not indeed denied to the Ninevites, although strangers, and placed apart from the law of the Lord, when they beseech it on account of the overthrow announced to their city. Nor to Pharaoh himself, resisting with sacrilegious boldness, when formerly he was stricken with plagues from heaven, and, turning to Moses and to his brother, said, “Pray to the Lord for me, for I have sinned.”38    Ex. ix. 28. At once the anger of God was suspended from him. And yet thou, O Novatian, judgest and declarest that the lapsed have no hope of peace and mercy, nor inclinest thine ear to the rebuke of the apostle, when he says, “Who art thou, who judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall stand.  God is mighty to establish him.”39    Rom. xiv. 4. Whence pertinently and needfully the Holy Spirit, in the person of those same lapsed people, rebukes you when He says, “Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy: because if I have fallen, I shall also rise again; and if I shall walk in darkness, the Lord is my light. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He justify my cause, and execute judgment and justice, and bring me forth to the light. I shall behold His righteousness; and she that is mine enemy shall see me, and shall cover herself with confusion.”40    Mic. vii. 8–10.

XII. Erubesce jam nunc, si fieri potest, Novatiane: desine argumentis tuis impiis incautos decipere: desine unius capituli praescriptione terrere. Legimus et adoramus, nec praetermittimus coelestem Domini sententiam, qua ait negaturum se negantem; numquid et poenitentem? Et quid ego tamdiu de miserationibus probare singula gestiam? Quando quidem Ninivitis Allophylis, et longe a lege Domini constitutis, propter civitatis suae annuntiatam eversionem deprecantibus, misericordia Dei non denegatur (Jon. III)? Ipsi illi 1213C Pharaoni sacrilega temeritate repugnanti, cum quondam coelestibus plagis verberaretur, et conversus Moysi et fratri ejus dixisset: Orate pro me ad Dominum, quia peccavi (Exod. IX, 28), incontinenti ab eo suspendebatur ira Dei. Et tu jam, Novatiane, judicas, et nullam spem pacis ac misericordiae habere lapsos praedicas; nec increpanti Apostolo aurem accommodas dicenti: Tu qui es, qui judicas servum alienum? Domino suo stat, aut cadit. Stabit autem: potens est Deus stabilire eum (Rom. XIV, 4). Unde pertinenter et necessarie ex persona eorumdem lapsorum increpat vos Spiritus sanctus, dum dicit: Noli gratulari inimica mea mihi, quoniam si cecidi, et exsurgam; et si in tenebris ambulavero, Dominus lumen est mihi. Iram Domini tolerabo, quoniam peccavi 1213D illi, usque dum justificet causam meam, et faciat judicium et justitiam, et producat me ad lucem. Videbo justitiam illius: et videbit me inimica mea, et cooperiet se confusione (Mich. VIII, 8, 10).