Questions And Corrections

Stultas autem questiones, et originum enumerationes, et contentiones, et pugnas Legis devita; sunt enim inutiles et vanae. Stultas has questiones appellat, quae salutis effectum non habent, neque aliquam tribuunt scientiae peritiam ad utilitatem. His verbis multorum haereticorum denotat dogmata. Quamvis omnia, quae vera non sunt, stulta dicenta sint; alius tamen est, qui res fabulosas inducit, et alius qui calliditate tergiversationis rem veneno plenam proponit, ut Arius et Photinus. Fabulosa autem non Lex, sed haeresis est, quantum ad tempus pertinet illiud Judaeorum, dum quidam eorum sibi vindicarent praerogativam originum patriarcharum, quae de matrimoniis ortae sunt, cum ex hoc nullum meritum sit apud Deum. Quidam vero urceorum et caeterorum vasorum baptisam, et sanguinem mustelae magna cura expiandum: et quia ideo Moysis sepultura abscondita est, ne a magis excitaretur, quod si verum esset, et caeterorum sanctorum abscondenda fuerat sepultura: et quia Salomon adjutorio daemoniorum templum aedificavit, in quo opere ingens multitudo laboravit, quid tam fabulosum? Haereticum hominem post primam correptionem devita, sciens perversus est hujusmodi, et delinquit a semetipso damnatus. Haeretici hi sunt, qui per verba Legis Legem impugnant; proprium enim sensum verbis astruunt Legis, ut pravitatem mentis suae Legis auctoritate commendent. Sciens enim impietas auctoritatem Legis multum valere, fallaciam sub nomine ejus componiti ut quia res mala per semetipsam acceptabilis esse non potest, bono nominis commendetur. Idcirco hujusmodi homines ut inexcisabiles sint, semel corripi oportere dicit: frequentius enim correpti, exercitatiores fient in malo. Cogere autem illis videtur, qui saepe corripit; ut sollicitiores fiant ad perditionem multorum: ideo dimittendos, ut negligentiores effecti, soli forte depereant. Ambrosiaster, In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Titum, Caput III Source: Migne PL 17.503b-504b

Avoid foolish questions and enumerations of origins and contentions and rows over the Law; they are useless and vain.  1  He calls foolish questions those which have no bearing on the salvation of men, nor bring any understanding useful for knowledge. And with these words the teachings of many heretics are meant. Although indeed everything which is not true is spoken foolishly, another thing is he who introduces fantastical things, and another he who with treacherous cunning proposes something full of poison, as Arius and Photinus did. Fantastical things are not of the Law but heresy is, and this has much bearing on the time of the Jews, when certain ones of them would prove their superiority by their origins from the Patriarchs, and from what marriages they arose, none of which has any merit before God. And concerning the washing of the water pot and other vessels, and the great care to expiate the blood of the weasel, 2 and that the tomb of Moses is unknown, lest by the greater being known, if it were true, the tombs of other holy men would be forsaken, and that Solomon with the help of demons built the temple, in which work a great multitude labored, what is so fantastical? After the first correction avoid the heretical man, knowing that he is perverse and that by his own errors he is condemned. 3 These heretics are they who impugn the Law by the words of the Law, for with words they add to the proper sense, that with the authority of the Law they might promote the depravity of their own minds. For impiety knowing that the authority of the Law is too much to overcome, beneath its name  fashions its lies, that since they are not able to make acceptable their evils by themselves, with its good name they might be commended.Therefore men like this being inexcusable, he says they should be corrected once, for frequent correction will make them more practiced in evil. For he seems to drive them on who frequently corrects, that more anxious they become for the ruin of many, therefore dismissal making them more negligent, perhaps they will ruin themselves alone Ambrosiaster, from the Commentary On The Epistle of Saint Paul To Titus, Chap 3 1 Titus 3.9 2 Lev 11.29 3 Titus 3.10