Some Christians, like Wazo of Liège, use the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds/Tares to argue against executing heretics.
Wazo (c. 985-1048) became head of the
cathedral school, provost, and then bishop in Liège (in modern Belgium, near
the border with Germany). Even Wazo’s biographer and admirer, Anselm of Liège (ca.
1050-56), notes that his opponents called Wazo an obstinate troublemaker and
hothead, and Anselm’s biography does portray Wazo as stubborn, contentious, and
confrontational—as “a supremely bold defender of the pure truth.” In addition,
Wazo had a deep distrust of power, not only of others but also for himself. He
repeatedly resisted being appointed to various offices, including numerous
posts as bishop (Jaeger 1994: 205-208).
Wazo opposed capital
punishment for heretics, a position not unique in this era. Anselm reports that
Wazo’s arguments against the execution of heretics was contained in his
response to a letter of Roger II, bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne (renamed
Châlons-en-Champagne). Roger had written to Wazo for advice concerning some
“countryfolk” in his diocese “who eagerly followed the evil teachings of the
Manichaeans and frequented their secret conventicles.” They also, Roger wrote,
had committed the unforgiveable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, by
asserting that the spirit came through the laying on of hands through Mani (see
Matt. 12:31-32). These heretics abhorred marriage, were vegetarians against the
killing of any animal, and, worst of all, were converting others to this
heresy.
Roger asks Wazo whether he
should turn these heretics over to the secular authorities for execution. His
reasoning is similar to that of Aquinas (see the previous posts), but he uses the
parable (similitude) of the leaven (Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20-21): If these
heretics were not “exterminated,” their (evil) leaven would corrupt the whole
loaf. Wazo agrees that these heretics are in error. They mistakenly, for
example, misinterpret the commandment not to kill (the reason why the
“heretics” were vegetarians). That commandment, Wazo says, is about homicide, not
slaughtering animals for food. Ironically, he argues, even a vegetarian diet
depends upon “death.” Seeds even have to die (cf. 1 Cor. 15:36) for plants such
as wheat to grow. So vegetarians were not avoiding causing “death” by their
diets.
Wazo says that Christians
should despise heresy but also should also emulate the example of Jesus, who
was “mild and humble of heart” and who suffered abuse, torture, and even death.
Christians likewise should bear with such things as this heresy, and he uses
the Wheat and Tares parable as an illustration:
Moreover,
to be prepared for doing what the merciful and compassionate Lord, who does not
judge sinners straightway but waits patiently for repentance, desires to be
done about such persons, let us hearken to what he deemed fitting to teach his
disciples—nay, rather us—when in his Gospel he expounded the parable of the
wheat and the cockle. He said, “The man that soweth the good seed in his field
is the Son of Man. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the
field is the world. And the man, the enemy, that sowed the cockle is the devil.
And the cockle are the children of the wicked one. But the harvest is the end
of the world. And the reapers are the angels.” What, moreover, but the role of
preachers is signified by the servants who wish to gather up the cockle when it
first appears? Do not preachers, as they separate good from evil in Holy
Church, attempt as it were to root out the cockle from the good seed of the
field? (Wakefield and Evans 1991: 91-92)
Wazo then notes that Jesus
himself restrained his followers from attempting to gather up the cockle,
because some of the wheat might be uprooted as well:
What
does the Lord reveal by these words but his patience, which he wishes his
preachers to display to their erring fellow men, particularly since it may be
possible for those who today are cockle, tomorrow to be converted and be wheat?
(Wakefield and Evans 1991: 92)
Wazo commends Roger for
his spiritual zeal for those people who are being led astray by these heretics.
That fact alone demonstrates that Roger is a servant of Christ, but Wazo urges
him to demonstrate his piety by obeying what Christ commanded:
Out
of this zeal you strive with the hoe of judicial decision to rid the grainfield
of cockle, that the good not be corrupted by evil. But lest you do this
hastily, lest it be done before its time, the holy text is rather to be obeyed,
so that although we think we are practicing righteousness by punishing
transgressors, whose impiety is veiled under semblance of strict life, we do no
disservice to him, who desires not the death of sinners nor rejoices in the
damnation of the dying, but rather knows how to bring sinners back to
repentance through his patience and long-suffering. Therefore, heeding the
words of the Maker, let the decision of the area wait; let us not seek to
remove from this life by the sword of secular authority those whom God himself,
Creator and Redeemer, wishes to spare, as he has revealed, to the end that they
may turn again to his will from the snares of the devil in which they were
entrapped (Wakefield and Evans 1991: 92).
Wazo hopes that perhaps
some of what appears to be “cockles” will be revealed as “wheat” at the great
harvest at the end of time, just as Paul turned from persecutor to apostle.
Wazo concludes by saying
that bishops of the church do not receive the “sword which belongs to secular
power” when they are ordained. The job of a bishop is to bring people to life
eternal not hasten their earthly deaths. What the bishop should do, however, is
to deprive the heretics and all who associate with them of “Catholic
communion”: “Let it be officially and publicly announced to all others, so
that, heeding the warning of the prophet, they may leave their midst and eschew
their most unclean sect” (Wakefield and Evans 1991: 93).
In Memoriam
Cedric M. Gowler, Sr.
July 31, 1929
- February 7, 2008
The greatest compliments
people have ever given me have all started with the words, "You remind of
your dad . . . ."
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