THEOSISCyprian of Carthage
Those who believe they can gain entry into the Church through intimidation rather than through prayer, or think they can access it not by repentance and atonement but by force, should understand clearly that the Church of the Lord is not for them. The unwavering and formidable stronghold of Christ, under divine safeguarding, is impervious to threats. It is indeed possible to take a life, yet it is unattainable to conquer a servant of God who steadfastly adheres to the Gospel and the teachings of Christ. The example of Zacharias, the high priest, stands as a testament to courage and faithfulness: despite being unable to intimidate him with threats or stoning, he was slain in the house of God.
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Before his death, he boldly proclaimed what we also declare in defiance of heretics: "This is what the Lord says: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord?" If certain foolish and evil individuals abandon the celestial and salvific path laid out by God, and if the unholy fall from the grace of the Holy Spirit, we must not abandon Divine tradition, nor assign greater importance to the misdeeds of the wicked than to the judgment of the faithful. Likewise, we must not assume that human actions hold greater power in their assaults than the protection bestowed by the Divine in defense.