8. We will answer them as to that utterance of the Lord, which they ill understand, and ill explain to themselves. For that He says, “Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven,” its meaning is assuredly with respect to future time—to the time at which the Lord shall begin to judge the secrets of men—to the time at which we must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ—to the time at which many shall begin to say, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?”24    Matt. vii. 22, 23. And yet they shall hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Depart from me, all ye that have worked iniquity: I know you not.”25    Matt. vii. 22, 23. Then shall it be fulfilled that He says, “I also will deny them.” But whom will the Lord Christ chiefly deny, if not all of you heretics, and schismatics, and strangers to His name?  For ye who were some time Christians, but now are Novatians, no longer Christians, have changed your first faith by a subsequent perfidy in the calling of your name. I should wish you to reply to your own proposition. Read and teach: whom of those who had failed or denied Him, while He was still with them, did our Lord deny?  Yet also to the others of the disciples who had remained with Him He saith, “Will ye also go away?”26    John vi. 67. Even Peter, whom He had previously foretold as about to deny Him, when he had denied Him, He did not deny, but sustained; and He Himself soothed him when subsequently bitterly bewailing his denial.

VIII. Respondebimus eis ad istam pronuntiationem Domini, quam male intelligant et male sibi interpretentur. Quod enim ait: Qui me negaverit coram hominibus, et ego negabo eum coram Patre meo, qui in coelis est, utique futuri temporis significatio est; quo tempore incipiet Dominus secreta hominum judicare; quo tempore tribunali Christi omnes nos oportet adstare (II Cor. V, 10); quo tempore multi incipient 1211B dicere: Domine, Domine, nonne in tuo nomine prophetavimus, et in nomine tuo daemonia exclusimus, et in tuo nomine virtutes multas fecimus (Matth. VII, 22, 23)? et tamen audient vocem Domini dicentis: Discedite a me omnes qui operati estis iniquitatem: non novi vos (Joan. VI, 68). Ibi adimplebitur quod ait: Negabo ego et illos. Quos autem maxime negabit Dominus Christus, nisi vos omnes haereticos, et schismaticos, et nominis sui alienos? Qui enim aliquando Christiani, nunc Novatiani, jam non Christiani, primam fidem vestram perfidia posteriore per nominis appellationem mutastis; velim propositioni vestrae respondeatis. Legite et docete, quem Dominus de his qui se dereliquerant vel negaverant, cum adhuc ipse esset, negavit. 1211C Atqui et caeteris qui secum remanserant de discipulis ait: Numquid et vos vultis abire (Joan. VI, 68)? Petrum etiam quem negaturum ante praedixerat, cum negasset, ipse non negavit, sed sustinuit; et amare illam suam negationem flentem ipse postmodum lenit.