Lepers And Errors

Locutus est Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, dicens : Homo in cujus carne et cute ortus fuerit diversus color, sive pustula, aut quasi lucens quidpiam, id est, plaga leprae, adducetur ad Aaron sacerdotem, vel ad ununquemlibet filiorum ejus. Qui cum viderit lepram in cute, et pilos in album mutates colorem, plaga lepra est, et ad arbitrium ejus separabitur. Lepra doctrina est falsa. Proinde leprosi non absurde intelliguntur haeretici, qui, unitatem verae fidei non habentes, varias doctinas profitentur erroris, veraque falsis admiscent, sicut et lepra veris falsisque locis humana corpora variando commaculat. Hujus scilicet leprae invenimus legislatorem sex species in homine posuisse : primam capitis et barbae,secundam calvitii et recalvationis, tertiam carnis et cutis, quartam cutis el corporis, et cicatricis albae cum rubore, quintam ulceris et cicatricis, sextam ustionis. In capite lepram portat, qui in divinitatem Patris, vel in ipso capite, quod Christus est, peccat. Caput enim viri Christus est. Hanc lepram habent Judaei, Valentiniani, Marconistae, Photinian, Manichaei, Ariani, Sabelliani, Macedoniani, Anthropomorphitae, Priscillianistae, Donatistae, Nestoriani, Eutychiani, qui omnes in calvaria lepram gerunt, quia erroris sui perfidam aperta pravitate defendunt. In barba lepram gerunt, qui de apostolis et sanctis Christi perverse aliquid sentiunt, atque eos falsum quidlibet praedicasse confingunt. Sicuti enim barba ornamentum est viri, ita sancti apostoli et doctores ornamentum praestant corpori Christi. In calvitio lepram habent, qui Ecclesiae detrahunt, sicut Caprocratiani, qui negant carnis resurrectionem, sicut Novatiani, qui nuptias damnant, et peccantibus poenitentiam negant; sicut Hierachitae, qui inter alios errores regnum coelorum pravulos habere non credant; sicut Aeriani, qui vetant pro defunctis offerri sacrificium. In carne et cute gerunt lepram, qui carnalia vel exteriora suadere conantur, ut Cerinthiani, qui resurrectionem futura, in carnis voluptate existimant; sic Actiani, qui dicunt in fide manentibus, quamvis carnaliter vivant, non posse computari peccata. In cicatrice sanati ulceris lepram portat, qui post cognitionem Dei, et medicinam, et manifestationem fidei, quam a Christo suscepit, rursum in ipsa cicatrice ascendit aliquod indicium erroris prioris, aut perfidia veteris dogmatis. In carne viva lepram gestat, qui de anima, quae vita est carnis, aliquod falsum existimat, sicut Luciferiam, qui dicunt animam de carnis substantia propagatem; sicut Arabici, qui animam simul cum corpore mori putant. In cicatrice ustionis lepram habent Manichaei qui inani abstinentiae cruciatu corpora sua exurunt, et per infidelitatem non munditiem inde, sed lepram gignunt. De talibus praedicabat Apostolus: Discedent, inquit, quidam a fide, attendentes spiritibus erroris, et doctrinis daemaniorum in hyprocrisi loqeuntium mendacium, et cauteriatem habentium suam conscientiam, prohibentium nubere, et abstinere a cibis, quos Deus creavit ad percipiendum. Sed adhuc adjecit colores leprarum, id est, pallidam, rubentem, albam, lividam, nigram, florescentem. Itaque dum pallidam lepram dicit, imbecillem et fragilem fidem animae denotat, quae, perdito colore integrae sanitatis, erroris, infirmitate languescit. Cum autem rubicundam lepram ostendit, homicidii cruore mentem infectam denotat, et innuit. Cum vero albam, illos haereticos qui se mundos appellant, sive reliquos, qui de falso merito gloriantur, sicut Pelagius et Novatus. Cum autem macram vel lividam lepram commemorat, invidiae et livoris notas exsecratur. Cum vero nigram insinuat, sacrificiorum fumo et busto idololatriae denigratam conscientiam detestatur. Cum autem florescentem toto corpore, et cooperientem omnem pelliculam corporis a capite usque ad pedes dicit, avaritiae crimen ostendit, quia nec floridum et jucundum putatur hominem felicem ecce in hoc mundo et divitem videri in saeculo. Haec enim pestis avaritiae omne hominum genus, quasi totum corpus, crebo erroris contagio commaculat. Cum autem lepram quae habet ruborem cum pallore permistum, eum hominem denotat qui, cum sit imbellicis animo, et mendax, facile in furorem prorumpit, et levitate morum cito perjurat; pallor enim mentientem linguam significat. Rubor autem iracundiam manifestat. Est itaque lepra peccati, quae sacrificiorum oblationibus emundatur, id est, contrio corde et humiliato: Sacrificium enim Deo spiritus contribulatus. Est et idololatriae, quae aqua diluitur baptismi. Est et haereticorum, quae septem dierum purgatione extra castra habeatur, id est, per septiformis Spiritus agnitionem purificetur. Est quae visu sacerdotis aufertur per doctrinam. Genus autem leprae, quo mundari omnino non potest, eorum est qui in Spiritum sanctum peccant, nec dicunt poenitentes posse consequi veniam. De his ait Veritas: Qui peccaverit in Spiritum sanctum, non remittetur ei, nec in hoc saeculo, nec in futuro. Quod vero jubetur leprosis ut exeant de castris, et sedeant foris, donec mundetur lepra eorum, intelligitur haereticos projici debere ab Eccleisa, donec a proprio errore purgentur, et sic revertantur ad Dominum. Ejusmodi vero dissutis tunicis, capite deoperto, et ore obvoluto, sedere jubentur, leprae mundationem exspectantes; dissutis tunicis, id est, omnibus secretis manifestis. Capite deoperto, ut a cunctis ejus denudatio videatur. Ore clauso, ne ulterius impia doceat, vel loquatur. Sed adhuc adjecit Scriptura lepram esse in vasis, in parietibus domus, in vestimento, in trama, in stamine. Lepra in parietibus domus haereticorum congregatio denotatur, quae per sacerdotem purgari jubetur. Lepra in vasculis, unicuique homini proprii corporis delicta. Lepra in stamine, vel in vestimento, peccata quae extra corpus commituuntur, vel quae in ipso corpore perpetrantur. Stamen enim anima hominis intelligitur, et trama mollissimi corporis sensus. Quod vero leprosi in lege ad sacerdotem mittuntur, indicat pro emundatione haereticorum ante sacrificium Ecclesiam Domino offerre debere, et sic reconciliari unitati Ecclesiae. Sanctus Isidorus Hispalensis,Mysticorum Expositiones Sacramentorum Seu Quaestiones In Vetus Testamentum, In Leviticum Caput XI Source: Migne PL 83.294d-295b

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 'A man who has on his flesh and skin a different colour, or a spot, or a certain brightness, that is, the disease of leprosy, let him be brought to Aaron the priest, or one of his sons. When he has observed the leprosy on the skin, and the hair changing to white, it is the disease of leprosy and by his judgement he shall be separated. 1 Leprosy is false teaching. Whence leprosy is rightly understood as heretics, who, not having the unity of the true faith, proclaim erroneous teachings and mix true things with false things, as even leprosy variously stains the human body with true and false marks. And we find that the legislator posited six types of this in men. First in the head and beard, second the scalp and the forehead, third in the flesh and skin, fourth skin and body in the white scab with redness, and fifth in the boil and the scab, and sixth the burn. In the head he bears leprosy who sins against the divinity of the Father, or his own head, that is Christ. For the head of the man is Christ. 2 This leprosy afflicts the Jews, Valentineans, Marconites, Photinians, Manichees, Arians, Sabellians, Macedonians, Anthropomorphites, Priscillians, Donatists, Nestorians, Eutychians. They all bear leprosy in the head, because they openly and shamelessly defend the treachery of their own error. In the beard they carry the leprosy who think something perverse regarding the Apostles and saints and in some way preach falsely about them. For as the beard is the ornament of a man, so the holy Apostles and teachers are the highest ornament of the body of Christ. On the scalp they bear leprosy who detract from the Church, like the Caprocratians, who deny the resurrection of the flesh, and the Novatians, who scorn marriage and deny the repentance of sins. And like the Hierachitae who among other errors, do not believe that children shall possess the kingdom of heaven, and the Aerians who refuse to offer sacrifice for the dead. In the flesh and skin they bear leprosy who try to incline to carnal or exterior things, as the Cerinthians, who think that the future resurrection will be in the pleaures of the flesh, and like the Actians, who say that those who remain in the faith, though they live according to the flesh, can not be accounted sinners. In the scab that covers the healed boil he bears leprosy who after the knowledge of God and healing and manifestation of faith, which faith he received from Christ, again in the scab arises some mark of previous error, or a treachery of old teaching. In the living flesh he bears leprosy, who thinks something false concerning the soul which is the life of the flesh, as the Lucifereans who say that the soul is propogated via the substance of the flesh, and the Arabicians, who say that the soul perishes at the same time as the body. In the scab of the burn the Manichees bear leprosy, who, exerting themselves in mindless abstinence, torment the body, and who bear by faithlessness not cleanliness but leprosy. Concerning which things the Apostle proclaims: 'They shall be cut off from the faith who attendant to the spirit of error and the teachings of demons speak lies in hypocrisy, and who having cauterised their conscience, prohibit marriage, and abstain from foods which God created for eating.' 3 Then it yet adds colors to leprosy, that is, pale, red, white, bruised, black, shining. And when it says leprosy is pale, it denotes a weak and fragile soul, by which fault, with the color of wholesome health ruined, in infirmity it languishes. When the leprosy shows red, it denotes a mind infected with the blood of murder. When, however, it is white, they are those heretics who call themselves 'the pure', or 'the remnant', who glory in false merit, like Pelagius and Novatus. When the leprosy is dull or bruised it is the mark of envy and malice. But when it is dark it declares that the smoke and pyre of sacrifices or a benighted conscience is hated. Then when the whole body shines with it, and every hair of the body from the head to the foot, it shows the evil of avarice, which will not have a man flourishing and joyful but in this world, and appearing rich in the things of it; this plague of avarice frequently stains with its disease every race of man, just like the whole body. When the leprosy is red with a misty pallor, it indicates that man who with a weak and deceitful soul easily bursts forth into fury, and lighty betrays good morals, for the pallor signifies a lying tongue, the redness wrath. Thus is the leprosy of sin which by the offerings of sacrifice is cleansed, that is, with contrition of heart and humility: 'A sacrifice to God is a sorrowful spirit.' 4 It is idolatry which the water of baptism cleanses. It is for the heretic to have seven days of purgatation outside the camp, that is, he should be purified by the seven-fold Spirit. It is why he is brought by teaching before the eye of the priest. For there is a type of leprosy he is not able to cleanse, the one of those who sin against the Holy Spirit, where it is not possible that forgiveness follow on repentance. Concerning which the Truth says: 'He who sins against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, not in this age, nor in the future.' 5 However by the command that the lepers go out from the camp and sit outside until their leprosy is cured, is understood that heretics should be cast out from the Church until they are purged of their error, and so they may return to the Lord. And then they who hope for cleansing from leprosy are commanded to sit with torn vestments, and have the head uncovered, and the mouth bound. The vestment is torn, that is, all hidden things are made manifest. The head is uncovered that his nakedness be seen by all. The mouth is closed, lest he teach further impiety, or speak it. But yet Scripture adds that leprosy can be in vessels, and in the walls of the house, and in clothing, and in beds, and in threads. Leprosy in the walls of the house indicates the gathering of heretics, which it commands to be purged by the priest. The leprosy in vessels is the sins of every man in his own body. The leprosy in the thread, or clothing, is sins commited outside the body, or which in the same body are perpetrated. The thread is understood as the soul of a man. The bed is the sense of the delicate body. That, however, lepers are sent by the Law to the priest, indicates that the cleansing of heretics should be offered before the ecclesial sacrifice, so they are reconcilied to the unity of the Church. Saint Isidore of Seville, Expositions of Sacred Mysteries or Questions on the Old Testament, On Leviticus, Chapter 11 1 Levit 13.1-3 2 1 Cor 11.3 3 1 Tim 4.1-3 4 Ps 50.19 5 Mt 12.31-32