Heretic. A heretic , in the proper sense of the word, is a man who chooses an opinion, a sect, good or bad. In the common sense of the word, this term refers to anyone who believes or stubbornly supports an erroneous view regarding one or more dogmas of the Christian religion. See Heresy.

We do not intend to show here how detestable the principle is that allows us to lack faith in heretics ; those who would adopt this hateful maxim, if any may be found in this world, would be incapable of all light and all instruction.

Nor will we pause to demonstrate the injustice of the hatred that some people carry toward heretics ; we think it better to try to correct their way of thinking using that of enlightened and respectable people from within the Church; and we will only name for them as guides Salvien [1] and Saint Augustine. Here is how the worthy and famous priest from Marseille, [2] who was called the master of bishops , who so painfully deplored the disturbances of his time that he was called the Jeremiah of the fifth century , expresses himself regarding the sectarians of one of the first heresies, I mean the Arians themselves:

Now let us hear Saint Augustine regarding the Manichean heretics ; his discourse is no less beautiful.

“We do not care (he tells them) to treat you harshly; we leave that conduct to those who do not know how difficult it is to find the truth and how difficult it is to guard against errors. We leave that conduct to those who do not know how rare and painful it is to rise above the phantoms of a crude imagination through the calm of a pious mind. We leave that conduct to those who do not know what difficulty there is in healing the eye of the inner man, to put him in condition to see his sun.... We leave that conduct to those who do not know what sighs and groans are required to acquire even a little knowledge of the divine nature.... For my part, I must support you as I was supported before, and grant you the same tolerance that was granted me when I was wandering lost.”

The Latin is of great purity. Illi in vos saeviant, qui nesciunt, cum quo labore verum inveniatur, & quàm difficilè cavenatur errores.... Illi in vos saeviant, qui nesciunt.... Illi in vos saeviant.... This is in the letter “Against the Epistle of the Manichaei,” chapters 2 and 3, pages 78-79, volume 6, édition Basil. [3] If Saint Augustine has sometimes departed from his morality, that is not what I see here; it is enough that I show his feelings according to himself.

Finally, I refer all those who would hate or approve of violence against heretics to the school of Greek philosophy, which thanked the gods for having been born at the time of Socrates. Plato said “that the only penalty due a man who errs is to be educated.”

Indeed, what irrefutably shows how one ought to support those who err in matters of religion is that their error may be motivated by a laudable desire to be enlightened, which, unfortunately, is not supported by all the requisite strength, attention, and breadth of mind.

It is therefore shameful to decry the style and the virtues of heretics . This odious ruse has been employed out of fear that the esteem of their persons be extended to their works, and that of their writing style to their opinions. But are there not better ways to teach men to separate good from evil? Arius, it used to be said, had an incredible amount of pride that gnawed at him underneath his outward appearance of great modesty: eh! How do we know he had so much pride if he showed so little?

The defense of truth derives no glory from these kinds of means. Truth is none the happier seeing the abusive names “ heretic ” and “ heterodox, ” thrown back and forth; moreover, often the worldly man who is most in error zealously fills the head of he who thinks correctly and who has worked hardest to enlighten himself.

I will not decide on the question of whether we should allow the reading of heretical books; I will only ask, in case one defends this reading, if one will include in this defense the books of the orthodox who refute them. For if the orthodox, in their refutations, recount, as they should, the arguments of heretics in all their force, it seems that this would be the same as allowing the works of heretics to be read. [4] If the orthodox are unjust and fail in their duty in the matter of criticism, they dishonor themselves through their lack of sincerity, and they betray the good cause through their distrust.

1. Salvian (or Salvianus, called “Salvien” here) was a fifth century Christian French author whose most famous book, De gubernatione Dei, was also referred to as De praesenti judicio .

2. That is, Salvian or Salvianus.

3. “Let those rage against you who know not with what labor the truth is to be found and with what difficulty error is to be avoided.... Let those rage against you who know not.... Let those who rage against you...” The English translation of the text in quotes comes from https://www.ewtn.com/library/PATRISTC/PNI4-4.TXT (The Global Catholic Network). The passage from Augustine comes from a chapter titled “Why the Manichaeans Should Be More Gently Dealt With.”

4. Alan Charles Kors, Atheism in France 1650-1729 , sustains the argument at length that French orthodox authors presented atheistic arguments in great detail in an effort to refute them, even though these same writers claimed that there could be no such thing as a true atheist.