To Florus 3.39

Does God not appear a fully competent defender of his own judgments, when on this question he has not only passed judgment but also reasoned through so many points? Clearly, foreseeing the errors of our times, he justly and providently accomplished two things through the brightness and abundance of his words. First, no one should be unsettled by any ambiguity in the questions. Second, those who willingly plunged into shipwreck should have no plank of excuse remaining.

He speaks to the Jews, whose crimes had earned captivity. To divert the blame for their own disobedience, they claimed captivity was owed to their parents rather than to their own conduct. He confronts them with a father’s authority: ‘Why do you use this proverb: The parents ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth were set on edge? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no longer be spoken in Israel. All souls are mine: the father’s soul and the son’s soul alike—all souls are mine. The soul that sins shall itself die’ (Ezekiel 18:2–4).