Sermon 65 on the Song of Songs — Bernard of Clairvaux
On the Clandestine Heretics, Whose Perverse Religion and Zeal for Hiding Their Mysteries, as Well as Their Scandalous Cohabitation with Women, He Rebukes.
1. I have discussed two sermons for you on one chapter: I prepare a third [or, I prepare to publish], if you are not weary of hearing. And I think it necessary. For as regards our own domestic vineyard, which you are, I consider that in two sermons I have done enough to fortify it against the wiles of the threefold kind of foxes, who are flatterers, detractors, and certain seductive spirits, skilled and accustomed to introduce evils under the appearance of good. But not so for the Lord's vineyard. I speak of that one which has filled the earth, of which we too are a portion: a vineyard exceedingly great, planted by the hand of the Lord, redeemed by his blood, watered by his word, propagated by grace, made fruitful by the Spirit. Therefore, caring more for my own, I have profited less for the common good. But I am moved on behalf of it by the multitude of those who demolish it, the fewness of those who defend it, and the difficulty of the defense. The concealment creates the difficulty. For although the Church has always had foxes from its beginning, all were quickly discovered and caught. The heretic contended openly (for he was chiefly a heretic because he desired to conquer openly), and he was overcome. Thus those foxes were easily caught. For what did it matter if, when the truth was set in the light, the heretic, remaining in the darkness of his obstinacy, alone withered outside, bound fast? No less was the fox considered caught, when the impiety was condemned and the impious one was cast out, thenceforth to live for display, not for fruit. From this, according to the prophet, his were "breasts that are dry, and a barren womb" (Hos 9:14); because an error publicly refuted does not sprout again, and an exposed falsehood does not germinate.
2. What shall we do with these most malignant foxes, that they may be caught, who prefer to harm rather than to conquer, and do not even wish to appear, but to creep? All heretics have always had one single intention: to seize glory from the singularity of their knowledge. This one alone, more malignant and more cunning than the other heresies, feeds on the losses of others, neglectful of its own glory. Taught, I believe, by the examples of the ancients, which, once betrayed, were unable to escape but were immediately caught, it is careful to work the mystery of iniquity by a new kind of malice, all the more freely as it is more hidden. Finally, as it is said, they have appointed hiding places for themselves, they have strengthened for themselves an evil speech. Swear, forswear; do not betray the secret. Yet on other occasions they do not consent to swear even slightly at all, on account of that saying from the Gospel: "Do not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth" (Mt 5:34-35), etc. O foolish and slow of heart, plainly filled with the Pharisaic spirit, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! (Mt 23:24). It is not lawful to swear, and it is lawful to perjure? Or is it only in this one matter that both are lawful? From what passage of the Gospels do you produce for me this exception, you who, as you falsely boast, do not pass over even an iota? It is clear that you both superstitiously observe the rule about swearing, and shamefully presume upon perjury. O perversity! That which was counseled as a precaution, namely, not to swear, this they observe so contentiously as though it were a commandment: and that which was established by immovable law, namely, that one must not perjure, this they dispense as though indifferent, according to their own will. No, they say, but lest we make public the mystery. As if it were not the glory of God to reveal a word. Or do they begrudge God his glory? But I rather believe that they blush to disclose it, knowing it to be inglorious. For they are said to do unspeakable and obscene things in secret, since indeed the hind parts of foxes also stink.
3. But I pass over what they would deny: let them answer to what is manifest. Do they, according to the Gospel, take care not to give what is holy to dogs, and pearls to swine (Mt 7:6)? But to confess this openly is to admit that they are not of the Church, since they consider all who are of the Church to be dogs and swine. For without exception they hold that their thing, whatever it is, must be withheld from all who are not of their sect. However, even if they think this, they will not answer so, lest they become manifest, which is certainly what they flee by every means, but they will not escape. Answer me, O man, who are wiser than you ought to be, and more foolish than can be said. Is it, or is it not, a mystery of God that you conceal? If it is, why do you not make it known for his glory? For the glory of God is to reveal a word. If it is not, why do you have faith in that which is not of God, unless because you are a heretic? Either, therefore, let them disclose the secret of God for the glory of God; or let them deny that it is a mystery of God, and let them by no means deny that they are heretics; or certainly let them confess themselves to be nonetheless manifest enemies of the glory of God, they who do not wish that to be made manifest which they know will be to his glory. For the truth of Scripture stands firm: "It is the glory of kings to conceal a word, the glory of God to reveal a word" (Prov 25:2). You do not wish to reveal? Therefore you do not wish to glorify God. But perhaps you do not receive this Scripture. So it is: they profess themselves to be zealots of the Gospel alone, and the only ones. Let them answer, therefore, to the Gospel. "What I say to you in darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach upon the housetops" (Mt 10:27). Now silence is no longer permitted. How long is that kept concealed which God commands to be made public? How long is your Gospel covered? I suspect; yours is not Paul's: for he confesses that his own is not covered. "Even if," he says, "my Gospel is covered, it is covered in those who perish" (2 Cor 4:3). See whether he was not speaking of you, among whom the Gospel is found to be covered. What is more evident than that you are perishing? Or perhaps you do not even receive Paul? Concerning some I have heard it is so. For not all among you agree on all things, even though you all dissent from us.
4. But truly the words, and writings, and traditions of those who were bodily with the Savior, all of you, unless I am mistaken, receive without distinction, with equal authority of the Gospel. Did they keep their Gospel covered? Did they keep silent about the weakness of the flesh, the horrors of death, the ignominy of the cross—all in God? Indeed, "their sound has gone out into all the earth" (Ps 18:5). Where is the apostolic form and life that you boast of? They cry out, you whisper; they in public, you in a corner; they "fly as clouds" (Is 60:8), you lurk in darkness and underground houses. What likeness to them do you show in yourselves? Is it that you do not exactly lead women about with you, but rather shut them in? The suspicion attaches not equally to companionship as to cohabitation. But who would suspect anything sinister about those who raised the dead? Do you likewise, and I will consider the woman reclining there to be a man. Otherwise you rashly usurp for yourself the dispensation of those whose sanctity you do not have. To be always with a woman and not to know a woman, is that not more than raising the dead? What is less you cannot do; and what is greater you wish me to believe of you? Daily your side is at the side of a young woman at table; your bed is next to her bed in the chamber; your eyes are upon her eyes in conversation; your hands are upon her hands in work: and you wish to be thought continent? Granted that you are: but I am not free from suspicion. You are a scandal to me: remove the cause of scandal, so that you may prove yourself a true zealot of the Gospel, as you boast. Does not the Gospel condemn the one who scandalizes even one of the Church? You scandalize the Church. You are a fox demolishing the vineyard. Help me, companions, that she may be caught; or rather, catch her for us, O holy angels. She is very cunning, covered with her wickedness and impiety. Plainly she is so small and subtle that she easily frustrates human eyes. Surely not yours as well? Therefore that voice is addressed to you, as friends of the Bridegroom: "Catch us the little foxes" (Song 2:15). Therefore do what you are commanded; catch for us this so crafty little fox, whom behold we have long pursued in vain. Teach and suggest how the fraud may be detected. For this is to have caught the fox; because a false catholic does far more harm than if a true heretic were to appear. But it is not for a man to know what is in a man, unless one has been either illumined by the Spirit of God for this very purpose, or informed by angelic effort. What sign will you give, so that this most wicked heresy may become manifest, which has learned to lie not only with the tongue, but with its life?
5. And indeed the recent devastation of the vineyard indicates that a fox has been present: but by I know not what art of pretense, this most cunning animal so confuses its tracks that by what way it either enters or exits can hardly be detected by a man. And while the work is evident, the author does not appear; so through those things which are on the surface, it disguises everything. Finally, if you inquire about its faith, nothing is more Christian; if about its conduct, nothing is more irreproachable: and what it speaks, it proves by deeds. You see a man, in testimony of his faith, frequenting the church, honoring the presbyters, offering his gift, making confession, sharing in the sacraments. What is more faithful? Now as regards his life and manners, he defrauds no one, overreaches no one, extorts from no one. Their faces moreover are pale with fasting, they do not eat bread in idleness, they work with their hands to sustain their life. Where now is the fox? We had hold of her: how has she slipped from our hands? How has she so suddenly disappeared? Let us press on, let us search: by her fruits we shall know her. And certainly the demolition of vineyards bears witness to a fox. Women, leaving their husbands, and likewise men, dismissing their wives, betake themselves to these people. Clerics and priests, having abandoned their people and their churches, are frequently found among them, unshaven and bearded, among weavers, both men and women. Is this not a grave demolition? Are not these the works of foxes?
6. But perhaps these things are not discovered so manifestly among all of them: and if they exist, there is no way to prove them. How shall we catch them? Let us return to their association and cohabitation with women, for there is no one among them who lacks this. I question some one of them. Ho there, good man! Who is this woman, and how is she yours? Is she your wife? No, he says, for that does not agree with my vow. Your daughter then? No. What then? Not a sister, not a niece, not anyone connected to you by any degree at least of kinship or affinity? None at all. And how is your continence safe with her? Indeed this is not even lawful for you. The Church forbids the cohabitation of men and women among those who have vowed continence, if you did not know. If you do not wish to scandalize the Church, cast out the woman. Otherwise, from this one thing the other things, which are not so manifest, without doubt become credible.
7. But from what passage of the Gospel, he says, do you show me that this is forbidden? You have appealed to the Gospel; to the Gospel you shall go. If you obey the Gospel, you will not cause scandal: for the Gospel plainly forbids scandal to be made. But you cause it, by not removing her according to the decree of the Church. You were suspect, but now you will be manifestly judged both a despiser of the Gospel and an adversary of the Church. What do you judge, brothers? If he is obstinate so that he neither obeys the Gospel nor acquiesces to the Church, what further evasion is possible? Does not the fraud seem to you to be openly detected and the fox caught? If he does not remove the woman, he does not remove the scandal; if he does not remove the scandal when he is able to remove it, he is held to be a transgressor of the Gospel. What is the Church to do, except remove him who does not wish to remove the scandal, lest she be like him, disobedient? For she has a commandment from the Gospel about this: not to spare the eye that scandalizes her, nor the hand, nor the foot; but to pluck it out, to cut them off, and to cast them from her. "If," it says, "he will not hear the Church, let him be to you as a heathen and a publican" (Mt 18:6-9, 17).
8. Have we accomplished anything? I think we have. We have caught the fox, because we have perceived the fraud. Manifest are those who lay hidden as false Catholics, true plunderers of the Catholic faith. For while with me you were taking sweet food (I mean the body and blood of Christ), while in the house of God we walked in agreement, there was a place for persuasion, indeed an opportunity for seduction, according to that saying of Wisdom: "The dissembler deceives his friend with his mouth" (Prov 11:9). But now easily, according to the wisdom of Paul, after a first and second admonition I will avoid a heretical man, knowing that such a one is subverted (Tit 3:10-11); and therefore cautious to take care lest he now become also a subverter. And so it is something, according to the word of the Wise Man, that "the wicked are caught in their own snares" (Prov 11:6), those wicked especially who are careful to use snares in place of arms. For open conflict and defense have utterly perished from among them. For this is a base and rustic sort, without letters, and altogether unwarlike. Finally, they are foxes, and small ones; but neither are those things in which they are said to think wrongly defensible; nor so subtle as they are persuasive, and that only to rustic and ignorant women, such as indeed all of them are, as many as I have yet found to be of this sect. Nor in all their assertions, for they are many, do I recall having heard anything new or unheard of, but what is well-worn and long debated among the ancient heretics, yet crushed and thoroughly winnowed by our own. Nevertheless it must be said, and I will say, what those absurdities are; partly what they themselves have confessed, answering less cautiously when Catholics questioned them; partly what, divided from one another and quarreling, they have revealed about each other; partly also what some of them, returning to the Church, have disclosed: not that I may respond to all of them, for that is not necessary, but only that they may become known. But that will be the work of another sermon, to the praise and glory of the name of the Bridegroom of the Church, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is over all things God blessed forever. Amen.
Translated from the Latin by AI. Source: Migne, Patrologia Latina 183.