Concerning the ten lepers whom the Lord cleansed
when He said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests," it can be asked
why He sent them to the priests, that, as they went, they might be made clean.
For none of them upon whom He had conferred corporal blessings did He send to
the priests except the lepers, For it was from leprosy also that He had
cleansed him to whom He said: "Go, show thyself to the priests, and offer
for thyself ag a testimony to them the sacrifice which Moses commanded."
It is to be sought, therefore, what leprosy signifies, for those who are cured of it are not said to be heated but to be cleansed. It is indeed a sickness which affects the color (of the skin), not of the health or integrity of the senses or members of the body. Not without reason, therefore, may lepers be understood to signify those who, not having the knowledge of the true Faith, profess various erroneous doctrines. They do not hide their ignorance, but spread it abroad as the highest knowledge, and make it known by the boastfulness of their speech.
Verily there is no false doctrine that does not contain some admixture of truth. Therefore, truths mingled haphazard with falsehoods in a single controversy or discussion of a man, as though appearing in the color of one body, signify leprosy, which discolors and soils human bodies by true and false spots of color.
These men must be so shunned by the Church that, being removed far away, they may, if it be possible, cry out to Christ with a loud voice, just as the ten lepers stood. afar off and raised their voices, saying: "Jesus, master, have mercy on us." Now even the fact that they styled Him master (by which name know not whether anyone else asked the Lord for a bodily cure), I think is sufficient to show that the leprosy signifies -false doctrine, which a good master rectifies.
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