Fruits And Knowledge

Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos. Fructus enim hominis est confessio fidei ejus, et opera conversationis ipsius. Si ergo videris hominem Christianuim, statim considera, si confessio ejus conveniat cum Scripturis, verus est Christianus: si autem non est quemadmodum Christus mandavit, falsus est, Sic enim et Joannes, cum de haereticis scripsisset epistolam, non dixit, Si quis venerit ad vos non habens nomen Christi, nec ave ei dixeritis: sed Si quis non attulerit istam doctrinam. Indicium Christianitatis non ad nomen Christi retulit, sed ad confessionem: quia non nomen solum Christi Christianum facit, sed etiam veritas Christi: quia in nomine Christi multi ambulant, in veritate autem ejus pauci. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XIX Source: Migne PG 56.739

From their fruits you will know them. 1 For the fruit of a man is his confession of the faith and the deeds of his way of living. If, therefore, you see a Christian man, immediately consider that if his confession of the faith harmonises with the Scriptures, he is a true Christian, but if he is not as Christ commanded, he is a lie. For so John, writing about heretics in a letter of his, did not say, 'If there come to you one not having the name of Christ do not give him welcome, but 'If someone comes not bearing this teaching.' 2The sign of a Christian is not the bearing of the name of Christ but the confession, because the name of Christ alone does not make a Christian, but the truth of Christ. Many walk in the name of Christ, but few in His truth. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 19 1 Mt 7.16 2 2 Jn 10