(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)

Transliteration of Greek words: All phonetical except: w = omega; h serves
three puposes: 1. = Eta; 2. = rough breathing, when appearing initially
before a vowel; 3. = in the aspirated letters theta = th, phi = ph, chi =
ch. Accents are given immediately after their corresponding vowels: acute =
' , grave = `, circumflex = ^. The character ' doubles as an apostrophe,
when necessary.


ST. AUGUSTINE

LECTURES OR TRACTATES 1-10 ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN

[Translated by Rev. John Gibb, Professor in the Presbyterian Theological
College at London.]


TRACTATE I: CHAPTER I. 1-5.

   1. When I give heed to what we have just read from the apostolic
lesson, that "the natural man perceiveth not the things which are of the
Spirit of God,"[1] and consider that in the present assembly, my beloved,
there must of necessity be among you many natural men, who know only
according to the flesh, and cannot yet raise themselves to spiritual
understanding, I am in great difficulty how, as the Lord shall grant, I may
be able to express, or in my small measure to explain, what has been read
from the Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God;" for this the natural man does not perceive. What
then, brethren? Shall we be silent for this cause? Why then is it read, if
we are to be silent regarding it? Or why is it heard, if it be not
explained? And why is it explained, if it be not understood? And so, on the
other hand, since I do not doubt that there are among your number some who
can not only receive it when explained, but even understand it before it is
explained, I shall not defraud those who are able to receive it, from fear
of my words being wasted on the ears of those who are not able to receive
it. Finally, there will be present with us the compassion of God, so that
perchance there may be enough for all, and each receive what he is able,
while he who speaks says what he is able. For to speak or the matter as it
is, who is able? I venture to say, my brethren, perhaps not John himself
spoke of the matter as it is, but even he only as he was able; for it was
man that spoke of God, inspired indeed by God, but still man. Because he
was inspired he said something; if he had not been inspired, he would have
said 'nothing; but because a man inspired, he spoke not the whole, but what
a man could he spoke.

   2. For this John, dearly beloved brethren, was one of those mountains
concerning which it is written: "Let the mountains receive peace for thy
people, and the hills righteousness."[2] The mountains are lofty souls, the
hills little souls. But for this reason do the mountains receive peace,
that the hills may be able to receive righteousness. What is the
righteousness which the hills receive? Faith, for" the just doth live by
faith."[3] The smaller souls, however, would not receive faith unless the
greater souls, which are called mountains, were illuminated by Wisdom
herself, that they may be able to transmit to the little ones what the
little ones can receive; and the hills live by faith, because the mountains
receive peace. By the mountains themselves it was said to the Church,
"Peace be with you;" and the mountains themselves in proclaiming peace to
the Church did not divide themselves against Him from whom they received
peace,[1] that truly, not feignedly, they might proclaim peace.

   3. For there are other mountains which cause shipwreck, on which, if
any one drive his ship, she is dashed to pieces. For it is easy, when land
is seen by men in peril, to make a venture as it were to reach it; but
sometimes land is seen on a mountain, and rocks lie hid under the mountain;
and when any one makes for the mountain, he falls on the rocks, and finds
there not rest, but wrecking. So there have been certain mountains, and
great have they appeared among men, and they have created heresies and
schisms, and have divided the Church of God; but those who divided the
Church of God were not those mountains concerning which it is said, "Let
the mountains receive peace for thy people." For in what manner have they
received peace who have severed unity ?

   4. But those who received peace to proclaim it to the people have made
Wisdom herself an object of contemplation, so far as human hearts could lay
hold on that which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has ascended
into the heart of man."[2] If it has not ascended into the heart of man,
how has it ascended into the heart of John? Was not John a man? Or perhaps
neither into John's heart did it ascend, but John's heart ascended into it?
For that which ascends into the heart of man is from beneath, to man; but
that to which the heart of man ascends is above, from man. Even so
brethren, can it be said that, if it ascended into the heart of John (if in
any way it can be said), it ascended into his heart in so far as he was not
man What means '' was not man"? In so far as he had begun to be an angel.
For all saints are angels, since they are messengers of God. Therefore to
carnal and natural men, who are not able to perceive the things that are of
God, what says the apostle? "For whereas ye say, I am of Paul, I of
Apollos, are ye not men ?,[3] What did he wish to make them whom, he
upbraided because they were men? Do you wish to know what he wished to make
them? Hear in the Psalms: "I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are
children of the Most High."[4] To this, then, God calls us, that we be not
men. But then will it be for the better that we be not men, if first we
recognize the fact that we are men, that is, to the end that we may rise to
that height from humility; lest, when we think that we are something when
we are nothing, we not only do not receive what we are not, but even lose
what we are.

   5. Accordingly, brethren, of these mountains was John also, who said, "
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God." This mountain had received peace; he was contemplating the divinity
of the Word. Of what sort was this mountain? How lofty? He had risen above
all peaks of the earth, he had risen above all plains of the sky, he had
risen above all heights of the stars, he had risen above all choirs and
legions of the angels. For unless he rose above all those things which were
created, he would not arrive at Him by whom all things were made. You
cannot imagine what he rose above, unless you see at what he arrived. Dost
thou inquire concerning heaven and earth? They were made. Dost thou inquire
concerning the things that are in heaven and earth? Surely much more were
they made. Dost thou inquire concerning spiritual beings, concerning
angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, powers, principalities? These also
were made. For when the Psalm enumerated all these things, it finished
thus: " He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were
created."[5] If "He spoke and they were made," it was by the Word that they
were made; but if it was by the Word they were made, the heart of John
could not reach to that which he says, "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God," unless he had risen above all
things that were made by the Word. What a mountain this! How holy! How high
among those mountains that received peace for the people of God, that the
hills might receive righteousness !

   6. Consider, then, brethren, if perchance John is not one of those
mountains concerning whom we sang a little while ago, "I have lifted up
mine eyes to the mountains, from whence shall come my help." Therefore, my
brethren, if you would understand, lift up your eyes to this mountain, that
is, raise yourselves up to the evangelist, rise to his meaning. But,
because though these mountains receive peace he cannot be in peace who
places his hope in man, do not so raise your eyes to the mountain as to
think that your hope should be placed in man; and so say, "I have lifted up
mine eyes to the mountains, from whence shall come my help," that you
immediately add, "My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."[6]
Therefore let us lift our eyes to the mountains, from whence shall come our
help; and yet it is not in the mountains themselves that our hope should be
placed, for the mountains receive what they may minister to us; therefore,
from whence the mountains also receive there should our hope be placed.
When we lift our eyes to the Scriptures, since it was through men the
Scriptures were ministered, we are lifting our eyes to the mountains, from
whence shall come our help; but still, since they were men who wrote the
Scriptures, they did not shine of themselves, but "He was the true
light,[1] who lighteth every man that cometh into the world." A mountain
also was that John the Baptist, who said, "I am not the Christ,"[2] lest
any one, placing his hope in the mountain, should fall from Him who
illuminates the mountain. He also confessed, saying, "Since of His fullness
have all we received."[3] So thou oughtest to say, "I have lifted up mine
eyes to the mountains, from whence shall come my help," so as not to
ascribe to the mountains the help that comes to thee; but continue and say,
"My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

   7. Therefore, brethren, may this be the result of my admonition, that
you understand that in raising your hearts to the Scriptures (when the
gospel was sounding forth, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God," and the rest that was read), you were
lifting your eyes to the mountains, For unless the mountains said these
things, you would not find out how to think of them at all. Therefore from
the mountains came your help, that you even heard of these things; but you
cannot yet understand what you have heard. Call for help from the Lord, who
made heaven and earth; for the mountains were enabled only so to speak as
not of themselves to illuminate, because they themselves are also
illuminated by hearing. Thence John, who said these things, received them--
he who lay on the Lord's breast, and from the Lord's breast drank in what
he might give us to drink. But he gave us words to drink. Thou oughtest
then to receive understanding from the source from which he drank who gave
thee to drink; so that thou mayest lift up thine eyes to the mountains from
whence shall come thine aid, so that from thence thou mayest receive, as it
were, the cup, that is, the word, given thee to drink; and yet, since thy
help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth, thou mayest fill thy
breast from the source from which he filled his; whence thou saidst, "My
help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth:" let him, then, fill who
can. Brethren, this is what I have said: Let each one lift up his heart in
the manner that seems. fitting, and receive what is spoken. But perhaps you
will say that I am more present to you than God, Far be such a thought from
you! He is much more present to you; for I appear to your eyes, He presides
over your consciences. Give me then your ears, Him your hearts, that you
may fill both. Behold, your eyes, and those your bodily senses, you lift up
to us; and yet not to us, for we are not of those mountains, but to the
gospel itself, to the evangelist himself: your hearts, however, to the Lord
to be filled. Moreover, let each one so lift up as to see what he lifts up,
and whither. What do I mean by saying, "what he lifts up, and whither ?"
Let him see to it what sort of a heart he lifts up, because it is to the
Lord he lifts it up, lest, encumbered by a load of fleshly pleasure, it
fall ere ever it is raised. But does each one see that he bears a burden of
flesh? Let him strive by continence to purify that which he may lift up to
God. For "Blessed are the pure in heart, because they shall see God."[4]

   8. But let us see what advantage it is that these words have sounded,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God." We also uttered words when we spoke. Was it such a word that was with
God? Did not those words which we uttered sound and pass away? Did God's
Word, then, sound and come to an end? If so, how were all things made by
it, and without it was nothing made? how is that which it created ruled by
it, if it sounded and passed away? What sort of a word, then, is that which
is both uttered and passes not away? Give ear, my beloved, it is a great
matter. By everyday talk, words here become despicable to us, because
through their sounding and passing away they are despised, and seem nothing
but words. But there is a word in the man himself which remains within; for
the sound proceeds from the mouth. There is a word which is spoken in a
truly spiritual manner, that which you understand from the sound, not the
sound itself. Mark, I speak a word when I say "God." How short the word
which I have spoken--four letters and two syllables ![5] Is this all that
God is, four letters and two syllables? Or is that which is signified as
costly as the word is paltry? What took place in thy heart when thou
heardest "God "? What took place in my heart when I said "God"? A certain
great and perfect substance was in our thoughts, transcending every
changeable creature of flesh or of soul. And if I say to thee, "Is God
changeable or unchangeable ?" thou wilt answer immediately, "Far be it from
me either to believe or imagine that God is changeable: God is
unchangeable." Thy soul, though small, though perhaps still carnal, could
not answer me otherwise than that God is unchangeable: but every creature
is changeable; how then weft thou able to enter, by a glance of thy spirit,
into that which is above the creature, so as confidently to answer me, "God
is unchangeable"? What, then, is that in thy heart, when thou thinkest of a
certain substance, living, eternal, all-powerful, infinite, everywhere
present, everywhere whole, nowhere shut in? When thou thinkest of these
qualities, this is the word concerning God in thy heart. But is this that
sound which consists of four letters and two syllables? Therefore, whatever
things are spoken and pass away are sounds, are letters, are syllables. His
word which sounds passes away; but that which the sound signified, and was
in the speaker as he thought of it, and in the hearer as he understood it,
that remains while the sounds pass away.

   9. Turn thy attention to that word. Thou canst have a word in thy
heart, as it were a design born in thy mind, so that thy mind brings forth
the design; and the design is, so to speak, the offspring of thy mind, the
child of thy heart. For first thy heart brings forth a design to construct
some fabric, to set up something great on the earth; already the design is
conceived, and the work is not yet finished: thou seest what thou wilt
make; but another does not admire, until thou hast made and constructed the
pile, and brought that. fabric into shape and to completion; then men
regard the admirable fabric, and admire the design of the architect; they
are astonished at what they see, and are pleased with what they do not see:
who is there who can see a design? If, then, on account of some great
building a human design receives praise, do you wish to see what a design
of God is the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the Word of God? Mark this fabric
of the world. View what was made by the Word, and then thou wilt understand
what is the nature of the world. Mark these two bodies of the world, the
heavens and the earth. Who will unfold in words the beauty of the heavens?
Who will unfold in words the fruitfulness of the earth? Who will worthily
extol the changes of the seasons? Who will worthily extol the power of
seeds? You see what things I do not mention, lest in giving a long list I
should perhaps tell of less than you can call up to your own minds. From
this fabric, then, judge the nature of the Word by which it was made: and
not it alone; for all these things are seen, because they have to do with
the bodily sense. By that Word angels also were made; by that Word
archangels were made, powers, thrones, dominions, principalities; by that
Word were made all things. Hence, judge what a Word this is.

   10. Perhaps some one now answers me, "Who so conceives this Word?" Do
not then imagine, as it were, some paltry thing when thou hearest " the
Word," nor suppose it to be words such as thou hearest them every day--"he
spoke such words," "such words he uttered," "such words you tell me;" for
by constant repetition the term word has become, so to speak, worthless.
And when thou hearest, "In the beginning was the Word," lest thou shouldest
imagine something worthless, such as thou hast been accustomed to think of
when thou weft wont to listen to human words, hearken to what thou must
think of: "The Word was God."

   11. Now some unbelieving Arian may come forth and say that "the Word of
God was made." How can it be that the Word of God was made, when God by the
Word made all things? If the Word of God was itself also made, by what
other Word was it made? But if thou sayest that there is a Word of the
Word, I say, that by which it was made is itself the only Son of God. But
if thou dost not say there is a Word of the Word, allow that that was not
made by which all things were made. For that by which all things were made
could not be made by itself. Believe the evangelist then. For he might have
said, "In the beginning God made the Word:" even as Moses said, "In the
beginning God made the heavens and the earth;" and enumerates all things
thus: "God said, Let it be made, and it was made."[1] If "said," who said?
God. And what was made? Some creature. Between the speaking of God and the
making of the creature, what was there by which it was made but the Word?
For God said, "Let it be made, and it was made." This Word is unchangeable;
although changeable things are made by it, the Word itself is unchangeable.

   12. Do not then believe that that was made by which were made all
things, lest thou be not new-made by the Word, which makes all things new.
For already hast thou been made by the Word, but it behoves thee to be new-
made by the Word. If, however, thy belief about the Word be wrong, thou
wilt not be able to be new-made by the Word. And although creation by the
Word has happened to thee, so that thou hast been made by Him, thou art
unmade by thyself: if by thyself thou art unmade, let Him who made thee
make thee new: if by thyself thou hast been made worse, let Him who created
thee re-create thee. But how can He re-create thee by the Word, if thou
boldest a wrong opinion about the Word? The evangelist says, "In the
beginning was the Word;" and thou sayest, '' In the beginning the Word was
made." He says, "All things were made by Him;" and thou sayest that the
Word Himself was made. The evangelist might have said, "In the beginning
the Word was made:" but what does he say? "In the beginning was the Word."
If He was, He was not made; that all things might be made by it, and
without Him nothing be made. If, then, "in the beginning the Word was, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God;" if thou canst not imagine
what it is, wait till thou art grown. That is strong meat: receive thou
milk that thou mayest be nourished, and be able to receive strong meat.

   13. Give good heed to what follows, brethren, "All things were made by
Him, and without Him was nothing made," so as not to imagine that "nothing"
is something. For many, wrongly understanding " without Him was nothing
made," are wont to fancy that "nothing" is something. Sin, indeed, was not
made by Him; and it is plain that sin is nothing, and men become nothing
when they sin. An idol also was not made by the Word ;--it has indeed a
sort of human form, but man himself was made by the Word;--for the form of
man in an idol was not made by the Word, and it is written, "We know that
an idol is nothing."[1] Therefore these things were not made by the Word;
but whatever was made in the natural manner, whatever belongs to the
creature, everything that is fixed in the sky, that shines from above, that
flies under the heavens, and that moves in universal nature, every creature
whatsoever: I will speak more plainly, brethren, that you may understand
me; I will say, from an angel even to a worm. What more excellent than an
angel among created things? what lower than a worm? He who made the angel
made the worm also; but the angel is fit for heaven, the worm for earth. He
who created also arranged. If He had placed the worm in heaven, thou
mightest have found fault; if He had willed that angels should spring from
decaying flesh, thou mightest have found fault: and yet God almost does
this, and He is not to be found fault with. For all men born of flesh, what
are they but worms? and of these worms God makes angels. For if the Lord
Himself says, "But I am a worm and no man,"[2] who will hesitate to say
what is written also in Job, "How much more is man rottenness, and the son
of man a worm ?"[3] First he said, "Man is rottenness;" and afterwards,
"The son of man a worm:" because a worm springs from rottenness, therefore
"man is rottenness," and "the son of man a worm." Behold what for thy sake
He was willing to become, who "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God!" Why did He for thy sake become this?
That thou mightest suck, who wert not able to chew. Wholly in this sense,
then, brethren, understand "All things were made by Him, and without Him
was nothing made." For every creature, great and small, was made by Him: by
Him were made things above and things beneath; spiritual and corporeal, by
Him were they made. For no form, no structure, no agreement of parts, no
substance whatever that can have weight, number, measure, exists but by
that Word, and by that Creator Word, to whom it is said, "Thou hast ordered
all things in measure, and in number, and in weight."[4]

   14. Therefore, let no one deceive you, when perchance you suffer
annoyance from flies. For some have been mocked by the devil, and taken
with flies. As fowlers are accustomed to put flies in their traps to
deceive hungry birds, so these have been deceived with flies by the devil.
Some one or other was suffering annoyance from flies; a Manichaean found
him in his trouble, and when he said that he could not bear flies, and
hated them exceedingly, immediately the Manichaean said, "Who made them ?"
And since he was suffering from annoyance, and hated them, he dared not
say, " God made them," though he was a Catholic. The other immediately
added, "If God did not make them, who made them ?" "Truly," replied the
Catholic, "I believe the devil made them." And the other immediately said,
" If the devil made the fly, as I see you allow, because you understand the
matter well, who made the bee, which is a little larger than the fly ?" The
Catholic dared not say that God made the bee and not the fly, for the case
was much the same. From the bee he led him to the locust; from the locust
to the lizard; from the lizard to the bird; from the bird to the sheep;
from the sheep to the cow; from that to the elephant, and at last to man;
and persuaded a man that man was not made by God. Thus the miserable man,
being troubled with the flies, became himself a fly, and the property of
the devil. In fact, Beelzebub, they say, means "Prince of flies;" and of
these it is written, "Dying flies deprive the ointment of its
sweetness."[1]

   15. What then, brethren? why have I said these things? Shut the ears of
your hearts against the wiles of the enemy. Understand that God made all
things, and arranged them in their orders. Why, then, do we suffer many
evils from a creature that God made? Because we have offended God? Do
angels suffer these things? Perhaps we, too, in that life of theirs, would
have no such thing to fear. For thy punishment, accuse thy sin, not the
Judge. For, on account of our pride, God appointed that tiny and
contemptible creature to torment us; so that, since man has become proud
and has boasted himself against God, and, though mortal, has oppressed
mortals, and, though man, has not acknowledged his fellowman,--since he has
lifted himself up, he may be brought low by gnats. Why art thou inflated
with human pride? Some one has censured thee, and thou art swollen with
rage. Drive off the gnats, that thou mayest sleep: understand who thou art.
For, that you may know, brethren, it was for the taming of our pride these
things were created to be troublesome to us, God could have humbled
Pharaoh's proud people by bears, by lions, by serpents; He sent flies and
frogs upon them,[2] that their pride might be subdued by the meanest
creatures.

   16. "All things," then, brethren, "all things were made by Him, and
without Him was nothing made." But how were all things made by Him? "That,
which was made, in Him is life." It can also be read thus "That, which was
made in Him, is life;" and if we so read it, everything is life. For what
is there that was not made in Him? For He is the Wisdom of God, and it is
said in the Psalm,[3] "In Wisdom hast Thou made all things." If, then,
Christ is the Wisdom of God, and the Psalm says, "In Wisdom hast Thou made
all things:" as all things were made by Him, so all things were made in
Him. If, then, all things were made in Him, dearly beloved brethren, and
that, which was made in Him, is life, both the earth is life and wood is
life. We do indeed say wood is life, but in the sense of the wood of the
cross, whence we have received life. A stone, then, is life. It is not
seemly so to understand the passage, as the same most vile sect of the
Manichaeans creep stealthily on us again, and say that a stone has life,
that a wall has a soul, and a cord has a soul, and wool, and clothing. For
so they are accustomed to talk in their raving; and when they have been
driven back and refuted, they in some sort bring forward Scripture, saying,
"Why is it said, 'That, which was made in Him, is life' ?" For if all
things were made in Him, all things are life. Be not carried away by them;
read thus "That which was made;'" here make a short pause, and then go on,
"in Him is life." What is the meaning of this? The earth was made, but the
very earth that was made is not life; but there exists spiritually in the
Wisdom itself a certain reason by which the earth was made: this is life.

   17. As far as I can, I shall explain my meaning to you, beloved. A
carpenter makes a box. First he has the box in design; for if he had it not
in design, how could he produce it by workmanship? But the box in theory is
not the very box as it appears to the eyes. It exists invisibly in design,
it will be visible in the work. Behold, it is made in the work; has it
ceased to exist in design? The one is made in the work, and the other
remains which exists in design; for that box may rot, and another be
fashioned according to that which exists in design. Give heed, then, to the
box as it is in design, and the box as it is in fact, The actual box is not
life, the box in design is life; because the soul of the artificer, where
all these things are before they are brought forth, is living. So, dearly
beloved brethren, because the Wisdom of God, by which all things have been
made, contains everything according to design before it is made, therefore
those things which are made through this design itself are not forthwith
life, but whatever has been made is life in Him. You see the earth, there
is an earth in design; you see the sky, there is a sky in design; you see
the sun and the moon, these also exist in design: but externally they are
bodies, in design they are life. Understand, if in any way you are able,
for a great matter has been spoken. If I am not great by whom it is spoken,
or through whom it is spoken, still it is from a great authority. For these
things are not spoken by me who am small; He is not small to whom I refer
in saying these things. Let each one take in what he can, and to what
extent he can; and he who is not able to take in any of it, let him nourish
his heart, that he may become able. How is he to nourish it? Let him
nourish it with milk, that he may come to strong meat. Let him not leave
Christ born through the flesh till he arrive at Christ born of the Father
alone, the God-Word with God, through whom all things were made; for that
is life, which in Him is the light of men.

   18. For this follows: "and the life was the light of men;" and from
this very life are men illuminated. Cattle are not illuminated, because
cattle have not rational minds capable of seeing wisdom. But man was made
in the image of God, and has a rational mind, by which he can perceive
wisdom. That life, then, by which all things were made, is itself the
light; yet not the light of every animal, but of men. Wherefore a little
after he says, "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that
cometh into the world." By that light John the Baptist was illuminated; by
the same light also was John the Evangelist himself illuminated. He was
filled with that light who said, "I am not the Christ; but He cometh after
me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose."[1] By that light he
had been illuminated who said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God." Therefore that life is the light of
men.

   19. But perhaps the slow hearts of some of you cannot receive their
sins, so that they cannot see. Let them not on that account  think that the
light is in any way absent,  because they are not able to see it; for they
themselves are darkness on account of their sins. "And the light shineth in
darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." Accordingly, brethren, as
in the case of a blind man placed in the sun, the sun is present to him,
but he is absent from the sun. So every foolish man, every unjust man,
every irreligious man, is blind in heart. Wisdom is present; but it is
present to a blind man, and is absent from his eyes; not because it is
absent from him, but because he is absent from it. What then is he to do?
Let him become pure, that he may be able to see God. Just as if a man could
not see because his eyes were dirty and sore with dust, rheum, or smoke,
the physician would say to him: "Cleanse from your eye whatever bad thing
is in it, so that you may be able to see the light of your eyes." Dust,
rheum, and smoke are sins and iniquities: remove then all these things, and
you will see the wisdom that is present; for God is that wisdom, and it has
been said, "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God."[2]

TRACTATE II: CHAPTER I. 6-14.

   IT is fitting, brethren, that as far as possible we should treat of the
text of Holy Scripture, and especially of the Holy Gospel, without omitting
any portion, that both we ourselves may derive nourishment according to our
capacity, and may minister to you from that source from which we have been
nourished. Last Lord's day, we remember, we treated of the first section;
that is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by Him; and without Him was nothing made. That which was made, in Him is
life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not." So far, I believe, had I advanced in
the treatment of the passage: let all who were present recall what was then
said; and those of you who were not present, believe me and those who chose
to be present. Now therefore,--because we cannot always be repeating
everything, out of justice to those who desire to hear what follows, and
because repetition of the former thought is a burden to them and deprives
them of what succeeds,--let those who were absent on the former occasion
refrain from demanding repetition, but, together with those who were here,
listen to the present exposition.

   2. It goes on, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John."
Truly, brethren beloved, those things which were said before, were said
regarding the ineffable divinity of Christ, and almost ineffably. For who
shall comprehend "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God"? And do not allow the name word to appear mean to you, through the
habit of daily words, for it is added, "and the Word was God." This Word is
He of whom yesterday we spoke much; and I trust that God was present, and
that even from only thus much speaking something reached your hearts. "In
the beginning was the Word." He is the same, and is in the same manner; as
He is, so He is always; He cannot be changed; that is, He is. This His name
He spoke to His servant Moses: "I am that I am; and He that is hath sent
me."[1] Who then shall comprehend this when you see that all mortal things
are variable; when you see that not only do bodies vary as to their
qualities, by being born, by increasing, by becoming less, by dying, but
that even souls themselves through the effect of divers volitions are
distended and divided; when you see that men can obtain wisdom if they
apply themselves to its light and heat, and also lose wisdom if they remove
themselves from it through some evil influence? When, therefore, you see
that all those things are variable, what is that which is, unless that
which transcends all things which are so that they are not? Who then can
receive this? Or who, in what manner soever he may have applied the
strength of his mind to touch that which is, can reach to that which he may
in any way have touched with his mind? It is as if one were to see his
native land at a distance, and the sea intervening; he sees whither he
would go, but he has not the means of going. So we desire to arrive at that
our stability where that which is, is, because this alone always is as it
is: the sea of this world interrupts our course, even although already we
see whither we go; for many do not even see whither they go, That there
might be a way by which we could go, He has come from Him to whom we wished
to go. And what has He done? He has appointed a tree by which we may cross
the sea. For no one is able to cross the sea of this world, unless borne by
the cross of Christ. Even he who is of weak eyesight sometimes embraces
this cross; and he who does not see from afar whither he goes, let him not
depart from it, and it will carry him over.

   3. Therefore, my brethren, I would desire to have impressed this upon
your hearts: if you wish to live in a pious and Christian manner, cling to
Christ according to that which He became for us, that you may arrive at Him
according to that which is, and according to that which was. He approached,
that for us He might become this; because He became that for us, on which
the weak may be borne, and cross the sea of this world and reach their
native country; where there will be no need of a ship, for no sea is
crossed. It is better then not to see with the mind that which is, and yet
not to depart from the cross of Christ, than to see it with the mind, and
despise the cross of Christ. It is good beyond this, and best of all, if it
be possible, that we both see whither we ought to go, and hold fast that
which carries us as we go. This they were able to do, the great minds of
the mountains, who have been called mountains, whom the light of divine
justice pre-eminently illuminates; they were able to do this, and saw that
which is. For John seeing said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God." They saw this, and in order that
they might arrive at that which they saw from afar, they did not depart
from the cross of Christ, and did not despise Christ's lowliness. But
little ones who cannot understand this, who do not depart from the cross
and passion and resurrection of Christ, are conducted in that same ship to
that which they do not see, in which they also arrive who do see.

   4. But truly there have been some philosophers of this world who have
sought for the Creator by means of the creature; for He can be found by
means of the creature, as the apostle plainly says, "For the invisible
things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and glory;
so they are without excuse." And it follows, "Because that, when they knew
God;" he did not say, Because they did not know, but "Because that, when
they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but
became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."
How darkened? It follows, when he says more plainly: "Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools"[2] They saw whither they must come; but
ungrateful to Him who afforded them what they saw, they wished to ascribe
to themselves what they saw; and having become proud, they lost what they
saw, and were turned from it to idols and images, and to the worship of
demons, to adore the creature and to despise the Creator. But these having
been blinded did those things, and became proud, that they might be
blinded: when they were proud they said that they were wise. Those,
therefore, concerning whom he said, "Who, when they had known God," saw
this which John says, that by the Word of God all things were made. For
these things are also found in the books of the philosophers: and that God
has an only-begotten Son, by whom are all things. They were able to see
that which is, but they saw it from afar: they were unwilling to hold the
lowliness of Christ, in which ship they might have arrived in safety at
that which they were able to see from afar and the cross of Christ appeared
vile to them. The sea has to be crossed, and dost thou despise the wood?
Oh, proud wisdom! thou laughest to scorn the crucified Christ; it is He
whom thou dost see from afar: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God." But wherefore was He crucified? Because the wood of His
humiliation was needful to thee. For thou hadst become swollen with pride,
and hadst been cast out far from that fatherland; and by the waves of this
world has the way been intercepted, and there is no means of passing to the
fatherland unless borne by the wood Ungrateful one! thou laughest Him to
scorn who has come to thee that thou mayest return: He has become the way,
and that through the sea:[1] thence He walked in the sea to show that there
is a way in the sea. But thou who art not able in any way thyself to walk
in the sea, be carried in a ship, be carried by the wood: believe in the
crucified One, and thou shalt arrive thither. On account of thee He was
crucified, to teach thee humility; and because if He should come as God, He
would not be recognized. For if He should come as God, He would not come to
those who were not able to see God. For not according to His Godhead does
He either come or depart; since He is everywhere present, and is contained
in no place. But, according to what did He come? He appeared as a man.

   5. Therefore, because He was so man, that the God lay hid in Him, there
was sent before Him a great man, by whose testimony He might be found to be
more than man. And who is this? "He was a main" And how could that man
speak the truth concerning God? "He was sent by God." What was he called?
"Whose name was John." Wherefore did he come? "He came for a witness, that
he might bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through
him." What sort of man was he who was to bear witness concerning the light?
Something great was that John, vast merit, great grace, great loftiness!
Admire, by all means, admire; but as it were a mountain. But a  mountain is
in darkness unless it be clothed  with light. Therefore only admire John
that you may hear what follows, "He was not that light;" lest if, when thou
thinkest the mountain to be the light, thou make shipwreck on the mountain,
and find not consolation. But what oughtest thou to admire? The mountain as
a mountain. But lift thyself up to Him who illuminates the mountain, which
for this end was elevated that it might be the first to receive the rays,
and make them known to your eyes. Therefore, "he was not that light."

   6. Wherefore then did he come? "But that he might bear witness
concerning the light." Why so? "That all might believe through him." And
concerning what light was he to bear witness? "That was the true light."
Wherefore is it added true? Because an enlightened man is also called a
light; but the true light is that which enlightens. For even our eyes are
called lights; and nevertheless, unless either during the night a lamp is
lighted, or during the day the sun  goes forth, these lights are open in
vain. Thus, therefore, John was a light, but not the true light; because,
if not enlightened, he would have been darkness; but, by enlightenment, he
became a light. For unless he had been enlightened he would have been
darkness, as all those once impious men, to whom, as believers, the apostle
said, "Ye were sometimes darkness." But now, because they had believed,
what?--" but now are ye light," he says, "in the Lord."[2] Unless he had
added "in the Lord," we should not have understood. "Light," he says, "in
the Lord:" darkness you were not in the Lord. "For ye were sometimes
darkness,[11] where he did not add in the Lord. Therefore, darkness in you,
light in the Lord. And thus "he was not that light, but was sent to bear
witness of the light."

   7. But where is that light? "He was the true light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world." If every man that cometh, then also
John. The true light, therefore, enlightened him by whom He desired Himself
to be pointed out. Understand, beloved, for He came to infirm minds, to
wounded hearts, to the gaze of dim-eyed souls. For this purpose had He
come. And whence was the soul able to see that which perfectly is? Even as
it commonly happens, that by means of some illuminated body, the sun, which
we cannot see with the eyes, is known to have arisen. Because even those
who have wounded eyes are able to see a wall illuminated and enlightened by
the sun, or a mountain, or a tree, or anything of that sort; and, by means
of another body illuminated, that arising is shown to those who are not as
yet able to gaze on it. Thus, therefore all those to whom Christ came were
not fit to see Him: upon John He shed the beams of His light; and by means
of him confessing himself to have been irradiated and enlightened, not
claiming to be one who irradiates and enlightens, He is known who
enlightens, He is known who illuminates, He is known who fills. And who is
it? "He who lighteth every man," he says, "who cometh into the world." For
if man had not receded from that light, he would not have required to be
illuminated; but for this reason has he to be illuminated here, because he
departed from that light by which man might always have been illuminated.

   8. What then? If He came hither, where was He? " He was in this world."
He was both here and came hither; He was here according to His divinity,
and He came hither according to the flesh; because when He was here
according to His divinity, He could not be seen by the foolish, by the
blind, and the wicked. These wicked men are the darkness concerning which
it was said, "The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended
it not."[1] Behold, both here He is now, and here He was, and here He is
always; and He never departs, departs no-whither. There is need that thou
have some means whereby thou mayest see that which never departs from thee;
there is need that thou depart not from Him who departs no-whither; there
is need that thou desert not, and thou shalt not be deserted. Do not fall,
and His sun will not set to thee. If thou fallest, His sun setteth upon
thee; but if thou standest, He is present with thee. But thou hast not
stood: remember how thou hast fallen, how he who fell before thee cast thee
down. For he cast thee down, not by violence, not by assault, but by thine
own will. For hadst thou not consented unto evil, thou wouldest have stood,
thou wouldest have remained enlightened. But now, because thou hast already
fallen, and hast become wounded in heart,--the organ by which that light
can be seen,--He came to thee such as thou mightest see; and He in such
fashion manifested Himself as man, that He sought testimony from man. From
man God seeks testimony, and God has man as a witness;--God has man as a
witness, but on account of man: so infirm are we. By a lamp we seek the
day; because John himself was called a lamp, the Lord saying," He was a
burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in
his light: but I have greater witness than John."[2]

   9. Therefore He showed that for the sake of men He desired to have
Himself revealed by a lamp to the faith of those who believed, that by
means of the same lamp His enemies might be confounded. There were enemies
who tempted Him, and said, "Tell us by what authority doest thou these
things ?" "I also," saith He, "will ask you one question; answer me. The
baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they were
troubled, and said among themselves, If we shall say, From heaven, he will
say unto us, Why did ye not believe him ?" (Because he had borne testimony
to Christ, and had said, I am not the Christ, but He.[3] "But if we shall
say, Of men, we fear the people, lest they should stone us: for they held
John as a prophet." Afraid of stoning, but fearing more to confess the
truth, they answered a lie to the Truth; and "wickedness imposed a lie upon
itself."[4] For they said, "We know not." And the Lord, because they shut
the door against themselves, by professing ignorance of what they knew, did
not open to them, because they did not knock. For it is said, Knock, and it
shall be opened unto you."[5] Not only did these not knock that it might be
opened to them; but, by denying that they knew, they barred that door
against themselves. And the Lord says to them, Neither tell I you by what
authority I do these things."[6] And they were confounded by means of John;
and in them were the words fulfilled, "I have ordained a lamp for mine
anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame."[7]

   10. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him." Think not
that He was in the world as the earth is in the world, as the sky is in the
world, as the sun is in the world, the moon and the stars, trees, cattle,
and men. He was not thus in the world. But in what manner then? As the
Artificer governing what He had made. For He did not make it as a carpenter
makes a chest. The chest which he makes is outside the carpenter, and so it
is put in another place, while being made; and although the workman is
nigh, he sits in another place, and is external to that which he fashions.
But God, infused into the world, fashions it; being everywhere present He
fashions, and withdraweth not Himself elsewhere, nor doth He, as it were,
handle from without, the matter which He fashions. By the presence of His
majesty He maketh what He maketh; His presence governs what He made.
Therefore was He in the world as the Maker of the world; for, "The world
was made by Him, and the world knew Him not."

   11. What meaneth "the world was made by Him"? The heaven, the earth,
the sea, and all things which are therein, are called the world. Again, in
another signification, those who love the world are called the world "The
world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." Did not the heavens
know their Creator, or did the angels not know their Creator, or did the
stars not know their things from all sides gave testimony. But who did not
know? Those who, for their love of the world, are called the world. By
loving we dwell with the heart; but because of their loving the world they
deserved to be called after the name of that in which they dwelt. In the
same manner as we say, This house is bad, or this house is good, we do not
in calling the one bad or the other good accuse or praise the walls; but by
a bad house we mean a house with bad inhabitants, and by a good house, a
house with good inhabitants. In like manner we call those the world who by
loving it, inhabit the world. Who are they? Those who love the world; for
they dwell with their hearts in the world. For those who do not love the
world in the flesh, indeed, sojourn in the world, but in their hearts they
dwell in heaven, as the apostle says, "Our conversation is in heaven."[1]
Therefore "the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not."

   12. "He came unto His own,"--because all these things were made by
Him,--" and His own received Him not." Who are they? The men whom He made.
The Jews whom He at the first made to be above all nations. Because other
nations worshipped idols and served demons; but that people was born of the
seed of Abraham, and in an eminent sense His own, because kindred through
that flesh which He deigned to assume. "He came unto His own, and His own
received Him not." Did they not receive Him at all? did no one receive Him?
Was there no one saved? For no one shall be saved unless he who shall have
received the coming Christ.

   13. But John adds: "As many as received Him." What did He afford to
them? Great benevolence! Great mercy! He was born the only Son of God, and
was unwilling to remain alone. Many men, when they have not sons, in
advanced age adopt a son, and thus obtain by an exercise of will what
nature has denied to them: this men do. But if any one have an only son, he
rejoices the more in him; because he alone will possess everything, and he
will not have any one to divide with him the inheritance, so that he should
be poorer. Not so God: that same only Son whom He had begotten, and by whom
He created all things, He sent into this world that He might not be alone,
but might have adopted brethren. For we were not born of God in the manner
in which the Only-begotten was born of Him, but were adopted by His grace.
For He, the Only-begotten, came to loose the sins in which we were
entangled, and whose burden hindered our adoption: those whom He wished to
make brethren to Himself, He Himself loosed, and made joint-heirs. For so
saith the apostle, "But if a son, then an heir through God." And again,
"Heirs of God, and join-heirs with Christ." He did not fear to have joint-
heirs, because His heritage does not become narrow if many are possessors.
Those very persons, He being possessor, become His inheritance, and He in
turn becomes their inheritance. Hear in what manner they become His
inheritance: "The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I
begotten Thee. Ask of me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine
inheritance." Hear in what manner He becomes their inheritance. He says in
the Psalms: "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my
cup."[3] Let us possess Him, and let Him possess us: let Him possess us as
Lord; let us possess Him as salvation, let us possess Him as light. What
then did He give to them who received Him? "To them He gave power to become
sons of God, even to them that believe on His name;" that they may ring to
the wood and cross the sea.

   14. And how are they born? Because they become sons of God and brethren
of Christ, they are certainly born. For if they are not born, how can they
be sons? But the sons of men are born of flesh and blood, and of the will
of man, and of the embrace of wedlock. But in what manner are they born?
"Who not of bloods," as if of male and female. Bloods is not Latin; but
because it is plural in Greek, the interpreter preferred so to express it,
and to speak bad Latin according to the grammarian that he might make the
matter plain to the understanding of the weak among his hearers. For if he
had said blood in the singular number, he would not have explained what he
desired; for men are born of the bloods of male and female. Let us say so,
then, and not fear the ferule of grammarians, so long as we reach the solid
and certain truth. He who understands it and blames it, is thankless for
his having understood. "Not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man." The apostle puts flesh for woman; because, when she was
made of his rib, Adam said, "This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my
flesh."[1] And the apostle saith, "He that loveth his wife loveth himself;
for no one ever hated his own flesh."[2] Flesh, then, is put for woman, in
the same manner that spirit is sometimes put for husband. Wherefore?
Because the one rules, the other is ruled; the one ought to command, the
other to serve. For where the flesh commands and the spirit serves, the
house is turned the wrong way. What can be worse than a house where the
woman has the mastery over the man? But that house is rightly ordered where
the man commands and the woman obeys. In like manner that man is rightly
ordered where the spirit commands and the flesh serves.

    15. These, then, "were born not of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God." But that men might be born of God, God was first
born of them. For Christ is God, and Christ was born of men. It was only a
mother, indeed, that He sought upon earth; because He had already a Father
in heaven: He by whom we were to be created was born of God, and He by whom
we were to be re-created was born of a woman. Marvel not, then, O man, that
thou art made a son by grace, that thou art born of God according to His
Word. The Word Himself first chose to be born of man, that thou mightest be
born of God unto salvation, and say to thyself, Not without reason did God
wish to be born of man, but because He counted me of some importance, that
He might make me immortal, and for me be born as a mortal man. When,
therefore, he had said, "born of God," lest we should, as it were, be
filled with amazement and trembling at such grace, at grace so great as to
exceed belief that men are born of God, as if assuring thee, he says, "And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Why, then, dost thou marvel
that men are born of God? Consider God Himself born of men: "And the Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

   16. But because "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," by His
very nativity he made an eye-salve to cleanse the eyes of our heart, and to
enable us to see His majesty by means of His humility. Therefore "the Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us:" He healed our eyes; and what follows?
"And we beheld His glory." His glory can no one see unless healed by the
humility of His flesh. Wherefore were we not able to see? Consider, then,
dearly beloved, and see what I say. There had dashed into man's eye, as it
were, dust, earth; it had wounded the eye, and it could not see the light:
that wounded eye is anointed; by earth it was wounded, and earth is applied
to it for healing. For all eye-salves and medicines are derived from the
earth alone. By dust thou wert blinded, and by dust thou art healed: flesh,
then, had wounded thee, flesh heals thee. The soul had become carnel by
consenting to the affections of the flesh; thus had the eye of the heart
been blinded. "The Word was made flesh:" that Physician made for thee an
eye-salve. And as He thus came by flesh to extinguish the vices of the
flesh, and by death to slay death; therefore did this take place in thee,
that, as "the Word became flesh," thou mayest be able to say, "And we
beheld His glory What sort of glory? Such as He became as Son of man? That
was His humility, not His glory. But to what is the sight of man brought
when cured by means of flesh? "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the
Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." Of grace and truth
we shall speak more fully in another place in this same Gospel, if the Lord
vouchsafe us opportunity. Let these things suffice for the present, and be
ye edified in Christ: be ye comforted in faith, and watch in good works,
and see that ye do not depart from the wood by which ye may cross the sea.

TRACTATE III.

CHAPTER I. 15-18.

   WE undertook, in the name of the Lord, and promised to you, beloved, to
treat of that grace and truth of God, full of which the only-begotten Son,
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, appeared to the saints, and to show how,
as a matter belonging to the New Testament, it is to be distinguished from
the Old Testament. Give, then, your attention that what I receive in my
measure from God you in your measure may receive and hear the same. For it
will only remain if, when the seed is scattered in your hearts, the birds
take it not away, nor thorns choke it, nor heat scorch it, and there
descend upon it the rain of daily exhortations and your own good thoughts,
by which that is done in the heart which in the field is done by means of
harrows, so that the clod is broken, and the seed covered and enabled to
germinate: that you bear fruit at which the husbandman may be glad and
rejoice. But if, in return for good seed and good rain, you bring forth not
fruit but thorns, the seed will not be blamed, nor will the rain be in
fault; but for thorns due fire is prepared.[1]

   2. I do not think that I need spend much time in endeavoring to
persuade you that we  are Christian men; and if Christians, by virtue of
the name, belonging to Christ. Upon the forehead we bear His sign; and we
do not blush because of it, if we also bear it in the heart. His sign is
His humility. By a star the Magi knew Him;[2] and this sign was given by
the Lord, and it was heavenly and beautiful He did not desire that a star
should be His sign on the forehead of the faithful, but His cross. By it
humbled, by it also glorified; by it He raised the humble, even by that to
which He, when humbled, descended. We belong, then, to the gospel, we
belong to the New Testament. "The law was given by Moses, but grace and
truth came by Jesus Christ." We ask the apostle, and he says to us, since
we are not under the law but under grace.[3] "He sent therefore His Son,
made of a woman, made under the law, that He might redeem those who were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."[4] Behold, for
this end Christ came, that He might redeem those who were under the law;
that now we may not be under the law, but under grace. Who, then, gave the
law? He gave the law who gave likewise grace; but the law He sent by a
servant, with grace He Himself came down. And in what manner were men made
under the law? By not fulfilling the law. For he who fulfills the law is
not under the law, but with the law;  but he who is under the law is not
raised up, but pressed down by the law. All men, therefore, being placed
under the law, are by the law made guilty; and for this purpose it is over
their head, that it may show sins, not take them away. The law then
commands, the Giver of the law showeth pity in that which the law commands.
Men, endeavoring by their own strength to fulfill that which the law
commands, fell by their own rash and headstrong presumption; and not with
the law, but under the law, became guilty: and since by their own strength
they were unable to fulfill the law, and were become guilty under the law,
they implored the aid of the Deliverer; and the guilt which the law brought
caused sickness to the proud. The sickness of the proud became the
confession of the humble. Now the sick confess that they are sick; let the
physician come to heal the sick.

   3. Who is the Physician? Our Lord Jesus Christ. Who is our Lord Jesus
Christ? He who was seen even by those by whom He was crucified. He who was
seized, buffeted, scourged, spit upon, crowned with thorns, suspended upon
the cross, died, pierced by the spear, taken down from the cross, laid in
the sepulchre. That same Jesus Christ our Lord, that same Jesus exactly, He
is the complete Physician of our wounds. That crucified One at whom insults
were cast, and while He hung on the cross His persecutors wagging the head,
and saying. "If he be the Son of God, let him come down from the
cross,"[5]--He, and no other, is our complete Physician. Wherefore, then,
did He not show to his deriders that He was the Son of God; so that if He
allowed Himself to be lifted up upon the cross, at least when they said, "
If he be the Son of God, let him come down from the cross," He should then
come down, and show to them that He was the very Son of God whom they had
dared to deride? He would not. Wherefore would He not? Was it because He
could not? Manifestly He could. For which is greater, to descend from the
cross or to rise from the sepulchre? But He bore with His insulters; for
the cross was taken not as a proof of power, but as an example of patience.
There He cured thy wounds, where He long bore His own; there He healed thee
of death eternal, where He vouchsafed to die the temporal death. And did He
die, or in Him did death die? What a death was that, which slew death!

   4. Is it, however, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself--His whole self--who
was seen, and held, and crucified? Is the whole very self that? It is the
same, but not the whole, that which the Jews saw; this is not the whole
Christ. And what is? "In the beginning was the Word." In what beginning?
"And the Word was with God." And what word? "And the Word was God." Was
then perhaps this Word made by God? No. For "the same was in the beginning
with God." What then? Are the other things which God made not like unto the
Word? No: because "all things were made by Him, and without Him was not
anything made." In what manner were all things made by Him? Because "that
which was made in Him was life;" and before it was made there was life.
That which was made is not life; but in the art, that is, in the wisdom of
God, before it was made, it was life. That which was made passes away; that
which is in wisdom cannot pass away. There was life, therefore, in that
which was made. And what sort of life, since the soul also is the life Of
the body? Our body has its own life; and when it has lost it, the death of
the body ensues. Was then the life such as this? No; but "the life was the
light of men." Was it the light of cattle? For this light is the light of
men and of cattle. There is a certain light of men: let us see how far men
differ from the cattle, and then we shall understand what is the light of
men. Thou dost not differ from the cattle except in intellect; do not glory
in anything besides. Dost thou presume upon thy strength? By the wild
beasts thou art surpassed. Upon thy swiftness dost thou presume? By the
flies thou art surpassed. Upon thy beauty dost thou presume? How great
beauty is there in the feathers of a peacock! Wherein then art thou better?
In the image of God. Where is the image of God? In the mind, in the
intellect. If then thou art in this respect better than the cattle, that
thou hast a mind by which thou mayest understand what the cattle cannot
understand; and therein a man, because better than the cattle; the light of
men is the light of minds. The light of minds is above minds and surpasses
all minds. This was that life by which all things were made.

   5. Where was it? Was it here? was it with the Father, and was it not
here? or, what is more true, was it both with the Father and here also? If
then it was here, wherefore was it not seen? Because "the light shineth in
darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." Oh men, be not darkness,
be not unbelieving, unjust, unrighteous, rapacious, avaricious lovers of
this world: for these are the darkness. The light is not absent, but you
are absent from the light. A blind man in the sunshine has the sun present
to him, but is himself absent from the sun. Be ye not then darkness. For
this is perhaps the grace regarding which we are about to speak, that now
we be no more darkness, and that the apostle may say to us, "We were
sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord."[1] Because then the light of
men was not seen, that is, the light of minds, there was a necessity that a
man should give testimony regarding the light, who was not in darkness, but
who was already enlightened; and nevertheless, because enlightened, not the
light itself, "but that He might bear witness of the light." For "he was
not that light." And what was the light? "That was the true light which
enlightened every man that cometh into the world." And where was that
light? "In this world it was." And how was it "in this world?" As the light
of the sun, of the moon, and of lamps, was that light thus in the world?
No. Because "the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not;" that
is to say, "the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it
not." For the world is darkness; because the lovers of the world are the
world. For did not the creature acknowledge its Creator? The heavens gave
testimony by a star;[2] the sea gave testimony, and bore its Lord when He
walked upon it;[3] the winds gave testimony, and were quiet at His
bidding;[4] the earth gave testimony, and trembled when He was
crucified.[5] If all these gave testimony, in what sense did the world not
know Him, unless that the world signifies the lovers of the world, those
who with their hearts dwell in the world? And the world is evil, because
the inhabitants of the world are evil; just as a house is evil, not because
of its walls, but because of its inhabitants.

   6. "He came unto His own;" that is to say, He came to that which
belonged to Himself; "and His own received Him not." What, then, is the
hope, unless that "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become
the sons of God"? If they become sons, they are born; if born, how are they
born? Not of flesh, "nor of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man; but of God are they born." Let them rejoice, therefore, that
they are born of God; let them believe that they are born of God; let them
receive the proof that they are born of God: "And the Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us." If the Word was not ashamed to be born of man, are men
ashamed to be born of God? And because He did this, He cured us; and
because He cured us, we see. For this, "that the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us," became a medicine unto us, so that as by earth we were
made blind, by earth we might be healed; and having been healed, might
behold what? "And we beheld," he says, "His glory, the  glory as of the
Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

   7. "John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying, This was He of
whom I spake, He that cometh after me is made before me." He came after me,
ad He preceded me. What is it, "He is made before me"? He preceded me. Not
was made before I was made, but was preferred before me, this is "He was
made before me." Wherefore was He made before thee, when He came after
thee? "Because He was before me." Before thee, O John! what great thing to
be before thee! It is well that thou dost bear witness to Him; let us,
however, hear Himself saying, "Even before Abraham, I am." But Abraham also
was born in the midst of the human race: there were many before him, many
after him. Listen to the voice of the Father to the Son: "Before Lucifer I
have begotten Thee."[2] He who was begotten before Lucifer Himself
illuminates all. A certain one was named Lucifer, who fell; for he was an
angel and became a devil; and concerning him the Scripture said, "Lucifer,
who did arise in the morning, fell"[3] And why was he Lucifer? Because,
being enlightened, he gave forth light. But for what reason did he become
dark! Because he abode not in the truth? Therefore He was before Lucifer,
before every one that is enlightened; since before every one that is
enlightened, of necessity He must be by whom all are enlightened who can be
enlightened.

   8. Therefore this follows: "And of His fullness have all we received."
What have ye received? "And grace for grace." For so run the words of the
Gospel, as we find by a comparison of the Greek copies. He does not say,
And of His fullness have all we received grace for grace; but thus He says:
"And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace,"--that is,
have we received; so that He would wish us to understand that we have
received from His fullness something unexpressed, and something besides,
grace for grace. For we received of His fullness grace in the first
instance; and again we received grace, grace for grace, What grace did we,
in the first instance, receive? Faith: walking in faith, we walk in grace.
How have we merited this? by what previous merits of ours? Let not each one
flatter himself, but let him return into his own conscience, seek out the
secret places of his own thoughts, recall the series of his deeds; let him
not consider what he is if now he is something, but what he was that he
might be something: he will find that he was not worthy of anything save
punishment. If, then, thou wast worthy of punishment, and He came not to
punish sins, but to forgive sins, grace was given to thee, and not reward
rendered. Wherefore is it called grace? Because it is bestowed
gratuitously. For thou didst not, by previous merits, purchase that which
thou didst receive. This first grace, then, the sinner received, that his
sins were forgiven. What did he deserve? Let him interrogate justice, he
finds punishment; let him interrogate mercy, he finds grace. But God
promised this also through the prophets; therefore, when He came to give
what He had promised, He not only gave grace, but also truth. How was truth
exhibited? Because that was done which had been promised.

   9. What, then, is "grace for grace"? By faith we render God favorable
to us; and inasmuch as we were not worthy to have our sins forgiven, and
because we, who were unworthy, received so great a benefit it is called
grace. What is grace? That which is  freely given. What is "freely given"?
Given, not paid. If it was due, wages were given, not grace bestowed; but
if it was reply due, thou wast good; but if, as is true, thou wast evil,
but didst believe on Him who justifieth the ungodly[5] (What is, Who
justifieth the ungodly? Of the ungodly maketh pious), consider what did by
right hang over thee by the law, and what thou hast obtained by grace. But
having obtained that grace of faith, thou shalt be just by faith (for the
just lives by faith);[6] and thou shalt obtain favor of God by living by
faith. And having obtained favor from God by living by faith, thou shalt
receive immortality as a reward, and life eternal And that is grace. For
because of what merit dost thou receive life eternal? Because of grace. For
if faith is grace, life eternal is, as it were, the wages of faith: God,
indeed, appears to bestow eternal life as if it were due (To whom due? To
the faithful, because he had merited it by faith); but because faith itself
is grace, life eternal also is grace for grace.

   10. Listen to the Apostle Paul acknowledging grace, and afterwards
desiring the payment of a debt. What acknowledgment of grace is there in
Paul? "Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I
obtained," saith he, "mercy." [1] He said that he who obtained it was
unworthy; that he had, however, obtained it, not through his own merits,
but through the mercy of God. Listen to him now demanding the payment of a
debt, who had first received unmerited grace: "For," saith he, "I am now
ready to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."[2] Now he
demands a debt, he exacts what is due. For consider the following words:
"Which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall render unto me in that day."
That he might in the former instance receive grace, he stood in need of a
merciful Father; for the reward of grace, of a just judge, Will He who did
not condemn the ungodly man condemn the faithful man? And yet, if thou dost
rightly consider, it was He who first gave thee faith, whereby thou didst
obtain favor; for not of thine own didst thou so obtain favor that anything
should be due to thee. Wherefore, then, in afterwards bestowing the reward
of immortality, He crowns His own gifts, not thy merits. Therefore,
brethren, "we all of His fullness have received;" of the fullness of His
mercy, of the abundance of His goodness have we received. What? The
remission of sins that we might be justified by faith. And what besides?
"And grace for grace;" that is, for this grace by which we live by faith we
shall receive another grace. What, then, is it except grace? For if I shall
say that this also is due, I attribute something to myself as if to me it
were due. But God crowns in us the gifts of His own mercy; but on condition
that we walk with perseverance in that grace which in the first instance we
received

   11. "For the law was given by Moses;" which law held the guilty. For
what saith the apostle? "The law entered that the offense might abound." It
was a benefit to the proud that the offense abounded, for they gave much to
themselves, and, as it were, attributed much to their own strength; and
they were unable to fulfill righteousness without the aid of Him who had
commanded it. God, desirous to subdue their pride, gave the law, as if
saying: Behold, fulfill, and do not think that there is One wanting to
command. One to command is not wanting, but one to fulfill.

   12. If, then, there is one wanting to fulfill, whence does he not
fulfill? Because born with the heritage of sin and death. Born of Adam, he
drew with him that which was there conceived. The first man felt, and all
who were born of him from him derived the concupiscence of the flesh. It
was needful that another man should be born who derived no concupiscence. A
man and a man: a man to death and a man to life. Thus saith the apostle:
"Since, indeed, by man death, by man also the resurrection of the dead." By
which man death, and by which man the resurrection of the dead? Do not make
haste: he goes on to say, "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall
all be made alive."[3] Who belong to Adam? All who are born of Adam. Who to
Christ? All who were born through Christ. Wherefore all in sin? Because no
one was born except through Adam. But that they were born of Adam was of
necessity, arising from damnation; to be born through Christ is of will and
grace. Men are not compelled to be born through Christ: not because they
wished were they born of Adam. All, however, who are of Adam are sinners
with sin: all who are through Christ are justified, and just not in
themselves, but in Him. For in themselves, if thou shouldest ask, they
being to Adam: in Him, if thou shouldest ask, they belong to Christ.
Wherefore? Because He, the Head, our Lord Jesus Christ, did not come with
the heritage of sin; but He came nevertheless with mortal flesh.

   13. Death was the punishment of sins; in the Lord was the gift of
mercy, not the punishment of sin. For the Lord had nothing on account of
which He should justly die. He Himself says, "Behold, the prince of this
world cometh, and findeth nothing in me." Wherefore then dost Thou die?
"But that all may know that I do the will of my Father, arise, let us go
hence." [4] He had not in Himself any reason why He should die, and He
died: thou hast such a reason, and dost thou refuse to die? Do not refuse
to bear with an equal mind thy desert, when He did not refuse to suffer, to
deliver thee from eternal death. A man and a man but the one nothing but
man, the other God-man. The one a man of sin, the other of righteousness.
Thou didst die in Adam, rise in Christ; for both are due to thee. Now thou
hast believed in Christ, render nevertheless that which thou owest through
Adam. But the chain of sin shall not hold thee eternally; because the
temporal death of thy Lord slew thine eternal death. The same is grace, my
brethren, the same is truth, because promised and manifested.

  14. This grace was not in the Old Testament, because the law threatened,
did not bring aid; commanded, did not heal; made manifest, but did not take
away our feebleness: but it prepared the way for that Physician who was to
come with grace and truth; as a physician who, about to come to any one to
cure him, might first send his servant that he might find the sick man
bound. He was not sound; he did not wish to be made sound and lest he
should be made sound, he boasted that he was so. The law was sent, it bound
him; he finds himself accused, now, he exclaims against the bandage. The
Lord comes, cures with somewhat bitter and sharp medicines: for He says to
the sick, Bear; He says, Endure; He says, Love not the world, have
patience, let the fire of continence cure thee, let thy wounds endure the
sword of persecutions. Weft thou greatly terrified although bound? He, free
and unbound, drank what He gave to thee; He first suffered that He might
console thee, saying, as it were, that which thou fearest to suffer for
thyself, I first suffer for thee. This is grace, and great grace. Who can
praise it in a worthy manner?

   15. I speak, my brethren, regarding the humility of Christ. Who can
speak regarding the majesty of Christ, and the divinity of Christ? In
explaining and speaking of the humility of Christ, to do so in any fashion
we find ourselves not sufficient, indeed wholly insufficient: we commend
Him entire to your thoughts, we do not endeavor to fill Him up to your
hearing. Consider the humility of Christ. But who, thou sayest, may explain
it to us, unless thou declare it? Let Him declare it within. Better does He
declare it who dwelleth within, than he who crieth without. Let Himself
show to you the grace of His humility, who has begun to dwell in your
hearts. But now, if in explaining and setting forth His humility we are
deficient, who can speak of His majesty? If "the Word made flesh" disturbs
us, who shall explain "In the beginning was the Word"? Keep hold then,
brethren, upon the entireness of Christ.

   16. "The law was given by Moses: grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
By a servant was the law given, and made men guilty: by an Emperor was
pardon given, and delivered the guilty. "The law was given by Moses." Let
not the servant attribute to himself more than was done through him. Chosen
to a great ministry as one faithful in his house, but yet a servant, he is
able to act according to the law, but cannot release from the guilt of the
law. "The law," then, "was given by Moses: grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ."

   17. And lest, perhaps, any one should say, And did not grace and truth
come through Moses, who saw God? immediately he adds, "No one hath seen God
at any time." And how did God become known to Moses? Because the Lord
revealed Himself to His servant. What Lord? The same Christ, who sent the
law beforehand by His servant, that He might Himself come with grace and
truth. "For no one hath seen God at any time." And whence did He appear to
that servant as far as he was able to receive Him? But "the Only-begotten,"
he says, "who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." What
signifieth "in the bosom of the Father?" In the secret of the Father. For
God has not a bosom, as we have, in our garments, nor is He to be thought
of sitting, as we do, nor is He girt with a girdle so as to have a bosom;
but because our bosom is within, the secret of the Father is called the
bosom of the Father. And He who knew the Father, being in the secret of the
Father, He declared Him. "For no man hath seen God at any time." He then
came and narrated whatever He saw. What did Moses see? Moses saw a cloud,
he saw an angel, he saw a fire. All that is the creature: it bore the type
of its Lord, but did not manifest the presence of the Lord Himself. For
thou hast it plainly stated in the law: "And Moses spake with the Lord face
to face, as a friend with his friend."(1) Following the same scripture,
thou findest Moses saying: "If I have found grace in Thy sight, show me
Thyself plainly, that I may see Thee." And it is little that he said this:
he received the reply, "Thou canst not see my face." An angel then spake
with Moses, my brethren, bearing the type of the Lord; and all those things
which were done by the angel promised that future grace and truth. Those
who examine the law well know this; and when we have opportunity to speak
somewhat of this matter also, we shall not fail to speak to you, beloved
brethren, as far as the Lord may reveal to us.

   18. But know this, that all those things which were seen in bodily form
were not that substance of God. For we saw those things with the eyes of
the flesh: how is the substance of God seen? Interrogate the Gospel:
"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God."(1) There have been
men who, deceived by the vanity of their hearts, have said, The Father is
invisible, but the Son is visible. How visible? If on account of His flesh,
because He took flesh, the matter is manifest. For of those who saw the
flesh of Christ, some believed, some crucified; and those who believed
doubted when He was crucified; and unless they had touched the flesh after
the resurrection, their faith would not have been recalled. If, then, on
account of His flesh the Son was visible, that we also grant, and it is the
Catholic faith; but if before He took flesh, as they say, that is, before
He became incarnate, they are greatly deluded, and grievously err. For
those visible and bodily appearances took place though the creature, in
which a type might be exhibited: not in any fashion was the substance
itself shown and made manifest. Give heed, beloved brethren, to this easy
proof. The wisdom of God cannot be beheld by the eyes. Brethren, if Christ
is the Wisdom of God and the Power of God;(2)  if Christ is the Word of
God, and if the word of man is not seen with the eyes, can the Word of God
be so seen?

   19. Expel, therefore, from your hearts carnal thoughts, that you may be
really under grace, that you may belong to the New Testament. Therefore is
life eternal promised in the New Testament. Read the Old Testament, and see
that the same things were enjoined upon a people yet carnal as upon us. For
to worship one God is also enjoined upon us. "Thou shall not take the name
of the Lord thy God in vain" is also enjoined upon us, which is the second
commandment. "Observe the Sabbath-day" is enjoined on us more than on them,
because it is commanded to be spiritually observed. For the Jews observe
the Sabbath in a servile manner, using it for luxuriousness and
drunkenness. How much better would their women be employed in spinning wool
than in dancing on that day in the balconies? God forbid, brethren, that we
should call that an observance of the Sabbath. The Christian observes  the
Sabbath spiritually, abstaining from servile work. For what is it to
abstain from servile  work? From sin. And how do we prove it? Ask the Lord.
"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."(3) Therefore is the
spiritual observance of the Sabbath enjoined upon us. Now all those
commandments are more enjoined on us, and are to be observed: "Thou shall
not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall
not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor's goods. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife."(4)
Are not all these things enjoined upon us also? But ask what is the reward,
and thou wilt find it there said: "That thine enemies may be driven forth
before thy face, and that you may receive the land which God promised to
your fathers."(5) Because they were not able to comprehend invisible
things, they were held by the visible. Wherefore held? Lest they should
perish altogether, and slip into idol-worship. For they did this, my
brethren, as we read, forgetful of the great miracles which God performed
before their eyes. The sea was divided; a way was made in the midst of the
waves; their enemies following, were covered by the same waves through
which they passed:(6) and yet when Moses, the man of God, had departed from
their sight, they asked for an idol, and said, "Make us gods to go before
us; for this man has deserted us." Their whole hope was placed in man, not
in God. Behold, the man is dead: was God dead who had rescued them from the
land of Egypt? And when they had made to themselves the image of a calf,
they offered it adoration, and said, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which
delivered thee out of the land of Egypt."(7) How soon forgetful of such
manifest grace! By what means could such a people be held except by carnal
promises?

   20. The same things are commanded in the Decalogue as we are commanded
to observe; but the same promises are not made as to us. What is promised
to us? Life eternal. "And this is life eternal, that they know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."(8) The knowledge of
God is promised: that is, grace for grace. Brethren, we now believe, we do
not see; for faith the reward will be to see what we believe The prophets
knew this, but it was concealed before He came. For a certain lover
sighing, says in the Psalms: "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that
will I seek after." And dost thou ask what he seeks? For perhaps he seeks a
land flowing with milk and honey carnally, although this is to be
spiritually sought and desired; or perhaps the subjection of his enemies,
or the death of foes, or the power and riches of this world. For he glows
with love, and sighs greatly, and burns and pants. Let us see what he
desires: "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after."
What is it that he doth seek after? "That I may well," saith he, "in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life." And suppose that thou dwellest
in the house of the Lord, from what source will thy joy there be derived?
"That I may behold," saith he, "the beauty of the Lord."(1)

   21. My brethren, wherefore do you cry out, wherefore do you exult,
wherefore do you love, unless that a spark of this love is there? What do
you desire? I ask you. Can it be seen with the eyes? Can it be touched? Is
it some fairness which delights the eyes? Are not the martyrs vehemently
beloved; and when we commemorate them do we not burn with love? What is it
that we love in them, brethren? Limbs torn by wild beasts? What is more
revolting if thou askest the eyes of the flesh? what more fair if thou
askest the eyes of the heart? How appears in your eyes a very fair young
man who is a thief? How shocked are your eyes! Are the eyes of the flesh
shocked? If you interrogate them, nothing is more shapely and better formed
than that body; the symmetry of the limbs and the beauty of the color
attract the eyes; and yet, when thou hearest that he is a thief, your mind
recoils from the man. Thou beholdest on the other hand a bent old man,
leaning upon a staff, scarcely moving himself, ploughed all over with
wrinkles. Thou hearest that he is just: thou lovest and embracest him. Such
are the rewards promised to us, my brethren: love such, sigh after such a
kingdom, desire such a country, if you wish to arrive at that with which
our Lord came, that is, at grace and truth. But if you covet bodily rewards
from God, thou art still under the law, and therefore thou shalt not
fulfill the law. For when thou seest those temporal things granted to those
who offend God, thy steps falter, and thou sayest to thyself: Behold, I
worship God, daily I run to church, my knees are worn with prayers, and yet
I am constantly sick: there are men who commit murders, who are guilty of
robberies, and yet they exult and have abundance; it is well with them. Was
it such things that thou soughtest from God? Surely thou didst belong to
grace. If, therefore, God gave to thee grace, because He gave freely, love
freely. Do not for the sake of reward love God; let Him be the reward. Let
thy soul say, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek
after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
that I may behold the beauty of the Lord." Do not fear that thine enjoyment
will fail through satiety: such will be that enjoyment of beauty that it
will ever be present to thee, and thou shalt never be satisfied; indeed
thou shalt be always satisfied, and yet never satisfied. For if I shall say
that thou shalt not be satisfied, it will mean famine; and if I shall say
thou shalt be satisfied, I fear satiety: where neither satiety nor famine
are, I know not what to say; but God has that which He can manifest to
those who know not how to express it, yet believe that they shall receive.

TRACTATE IV: JOHN I. 19-33.

   You have very often heard, holy brethren, and you know well, that John
the Baptist, in proportion as he was greater than those born of women, and
was more humble in his acknowledgment of the Lord, obtained the grace of
being the friend of the Bridegroom; zealous for the Bridegroom, not for
himself; not seeking his own honor, but that of his Judge, whom as a herald
he preceded. Therefore, to the prophets who went before, it was granted to
predict concerning Christ; but to this man, to point Him out with the
finger. For as Christ was unknown by those who did not believe the prophets
before He came, He remained unknown to them even when present. For He had
come humbly and concealed from the first; the more concealed in proportion
as He was more humble: but the people, despising in their pride the
humility of God, crucified their Saviour, and made Him their condemner.

   2. But will not He who at first came concealed, because humble, come
again manifested, because exalted? You have just listened to the Psalm:
"God shall come manifestly, and our God shall not keep silence."(1) He was
silent that He might be judged, He will not be silent when He begins to
judge. It would not have been said, "He will come manifestly," unless at
first He had come concealed; nor would it have been said, "He shall not
keep silence," unless He had first kept silence. How was He silent?
Interrogate Isaiah: "He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a
lamb before his shearer was dumb, so He opened not His mouth.' "But He
shall come manifestly, and shall not keep silence." In what manner
"manifestly"? "A fire shall go before Him, and round about Him a strong
tempest."(3) That tempest has to carry away all the chaff from the floor,
which is now being threshed; and the fire has to burn what the tempest
carries away. But now He is silent; silent in judgment, but not silent in
precept. For if Christ is silent, what is the purpose of these Gospels?
what the purpose of the voices of the apostles, what of the canticles of
the Psalms, what of the declarations of the prophets? In all these Christ
is not silent. But now He is silent in not taking vengeance: He is not
silent in not giving warning. But He will come in glory to take vengeance,
and will manifest Himself even to all who do not believe on Him. But now,
because when present He was concealed, it behoved that He should be
despised. For unless He had been despised, He would not have been
crucified; if He had not been crucified, He would not have shed His blood--
the price by which He redeemed us. But that He might give a price for us,
He was crucified; that He might be crucified, He was despised; that He
might be despised, He appeared in humility.

   3. Yet because He appeared as it were in the night, in a mortal body,
He lighted for Himself a lamp by which He might be seen. That lamp was
John,(4) concerning whom you lately heard many things: and the present
passage of the evangelist contains the words of John; in the first place,
and it is the chief point, his confession that he was not the Christ. But
so great was the excellence of John, that men might have believed him to be
the Christ: and in this he gave a proof of his humility, that he said he
was not when he might have been believed to have been the Christ;
therefore, "This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and
Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?" But they would not
have sent unless they had been moved by the excellence of his authority who
ventured to baptize. "And he confessed, and denied not." What did he
confess? "And he confessed, I am not the Christ."

   4. "And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?" For they knew that
Elias was to precede Christ. For to no Jew was the name of Christ unknown.
They did not think that he was the Christ; but they did not think that
Christ would not come at all. When they were hoping that He would come,
they were offended at Him when He was present, and stumbled at Him as on a
low stone. For He was as yet a small stone, already indeed cut out of the
mountain without hands; as saith Daniel the prophet, that he saw a stone
cut out of the mountain without hands.  But what follows? "And that stone,"
saith he "grew and became a great mountain and filled the whole face of the
earth."(5) Mark then, my beloved brethren, what I say: Christ, before the
Jews, was already cut out from the mountain. The prophet wishes that by the
mountain should be understood the Jewish kingdom. But the kingdom of the
Jews had not filled the whole face of the earth. The stone was cut out from
thence, because from thence was the Lord born on His advent among men. And
wherefore without hands? Because without the cooperation of man did the
Virgin bear Christ. Now then was that stone cut out without hands before
the eyes of the Jews; but it was humble. Not without reason; because not
yet had that stone increased and filled the whole earth: that He showed in
His kingdom, which is the Church, with which He has filled the whole face
of the earth. Because then it had not yet increased, they stumbled at Him
as at a stone: and that happened in them which is written, "Whosoever shall
fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever that stone shall
fall, it will grind them to powder."(6) At first they fell upon Him lowly:
as the lofty One He shall come upon them; but that He may grind them to
powder when He comes in His exaltation, He first broke them in His
lowliness. They stumbled at Him, and were broken; they were not ground, but
broken: He will come exalted and will grind them. But the Jews were to be
pardoned because they stumbled at a stone which had not yet increased. What
sort of persons are those who stumble at the mountain itself? Already you
know who they are of whom I speak. Those who deny the Church diffused
through the whole world, do not stumble at the lowly stone, but at the
mountain itself: because this the stone became as it grew. The blind Jews
did not see the lowly stone: but how great blindness not to see the
mountain!

   5. They saw Him then lowly, and did not know Him. He was pointed out to
them by a lamp. For in the first place he, than whom no greater had arisen
of those born of women, said, "I am not the Christ." It was said to him,
"Art thou Elias? He answered, I am not." For Christ sends Elias before Him:
and he said, "I am not," and occasioned a question for us. For it is to be
feared test. men, insufficiently understanding, think that John
contradicted what Christ said. For in a certain place, when the Lord Jesus
Christ said certain things in the Gospel regarding Himself, His disciples
answered Him: "How then say the scribes," that is, those skilled in the
law, "that Elias must first come?" And the Lord said, "Elias is already
come, and they have done unto him what they listed;" and, if you wish to
know, John the Baptist is he.(1) The Lord Jesus Christ said, "Elias is
already come, and John the Baptist" is he; but John, being interrogated,
confessed that he was not Elias, in the same manner that he confessed that
he was not Christ. And as his confession that he was not Christ was true,
so was his confession that he was not Elias. How then shall we compare the
words of the herald with the words of the Judge? Away with the thought that
the herald speaks falsehood; for that which he speaks he hears from the
Judge. Wherefore then did he say, "I am not Elias;" and the Lord, "He is
Elias"? Because the Lord Jesus Christ wished in him to prefigure His own
advent, and to say that John was in the spirit of Elias. And what John was
to the first advent, that will Elias be to the second advent. As there are
two advents of the Judge, so are there two heralds. The Judge indeed was
the same, but the heralds two,  but not two judges. It was needful that in
the first instance the Judge should come to  be judged. He sent before Him
His first herald; He called him Elias, because Elias will be in the second
advent what John was in the first.

   6. For mark, beloved brethren, how true it is what I say. When John was
conceived, or rather when he was born, the Holy Spirit prophesied that this
would be fulfilled in him: "And he shall be," he said, "the forerunner of
the Highest, in the spirit and power of Elias."(2) What signifieth "in the
spirit and power of Elias"? In the same Holy Spirit in the room of Elias.
Wherefore in room of Elias? Because what Elias will be to the second, that
John was to the first advent. Rightly therefore, speaking literally, did
John reply. For the Lord spoke figuratively, "Elias, the same is John:" but
he, as I have said, spoke literally when he said, "I am not Elias." Neither
did John speak falsely, nor did the Lord speak falsely; neither was the
word of the herald nor of the Judge false, if only thou understand. But who
shall understand? He who shall have imitated the lowliness of the herald,
and shall have acknowledged the loftiness of the Judge. For nothing was
more lowly than the herald. My brethren, in nothing had John greater merit
than in this humility, inasmuch as when he was able to deceive men, and to
be thought Christ, and to have been received in the place of Christ (for so
great were his grace and his excellency), nevertheless he openly confessed
and said, "I am not the Christ." "Art thou Elias?" If he had said I am
Elias, it would have been as if Christ were already coming in His second
advent to judge, not in His first to be judged. As if saying. Elias is yet
to come, "I am not," said he, "Elias." But give heed to the lowly One
before whom John came, that you may not feel the lofty One before whom
Elias came. For thus also did the Lord complete the saying: "John the
Baptist is he which is to come." He came as a figure of that in which Elias
is to come in his own person. Then Elias will in his own proper person be
Elias, now in similitude he was John. Now John in his own proper person is
John, in similitude Elias. The two heralds gave to each other their
similitudes, and kept their own proper persons; but the Judge is one Lord,
whether preceded by this herald or by that.

   7. "And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said, No. And
they said unto him, Art thou a prophet? and he answered, No! They said
therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that
sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He saith, I am the voice of one
crying in the wilderness."(3) That said Isaiah. This prophecy was fulfilled
in John, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Crying what?
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God." Would
it not have seemed to you that a herald would have cried, "Go away, make
room." Instead of the herald's cry "Go away," John says "Come." The herald
makes men stand back from the judge; to the Judge John calls. Yes, indeed,
John calls men to the lowly One, that they may not experience what He will
be as the exalted Judge. "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah." He did not
say, I am John, I am Elias, I am a prophet. But what did he say? This I am
called, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the
Lord: I am the prophecy itself."

   8. "And they which were sent were of the Pharisees," that is, of the
chief men among the Jews; "and they asked him and said unto him, Why
baptizest thou then, if thou be not the Christ, nor Elias, nor a prophet?"
As if it seemed to them audacity to baptize, as if they meant to inquire,
in what character baptizest thou? We ask whether thou art the Christ; thou
sayest that thou art not. We ask whether thou perchance art His precursor,
for we know that before the advent of Christ, Elias will come; thou
answerest that thou art not. We ask, if perchance thou art some herald come
long before, that is, a prophet, and hast received that power, and thou
sayest that thou art not a prophet. And John was not a prophet; he was
greater than a prophet. The Lord gave such testimony concerning him: "What
went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?" Of
course implying that he was not shaken by the wind; because John was not
such an one as is moved by the wind; for he who is moved by the wind is
blown upon by every seductive blast. "But what went ye out for to see? A
man clothed in soft raiment?" For John was clothed in rough garments; that
is, his tunic was of camel's hair. "Behold, they who are clothed in soft
raiment are in kings' houses." You did not then go out to see a man clothed
in soft raiment. "But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say
unto you, one greater than a prophet is here;"(1) for the prophets
prophesied of Christ a long time before, John pointed Him out as present.

   9. "Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not the Christ, nor Elias, nor
a prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water; but there
standeth One among you whom ye know not." For, very truly, He was not seen,
being humble, and therefore was the lamp lighted. Observe how John gives
place, who might have been accounted other than he was. "He it is who
cometh after me, who is made before me" (that is, as we have already said,
is "preferred before me"), whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to
unloose." How greatly did he humble himself! And therefore he was greatly
lifted up; for he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.(2) Hence, holy
brethren, you ought to note that if John so humbled himself as to say, "I
am not worthy to unloose His shoe-latchet," what need they have to be
humbled who say, "We baptize; what we give is ours, and what is ours is
holy." He said, Not I, but He; they say, We. John is not worthy to unloose
His shoe's latchet; and if he had said he was worthy, how humble would he
still have been! And if he had said he was worthy, and had spoken thus, "He
came after me who is made before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am only
worthy to unloose," he would have greatly humbled himself. But when he says
that he is not worthy even to do this, truly was he full of the Holy
Spirit, who in such fashion as a servant acknowledged his Lord, and merited
to be made a friend instead of a servant.

   10. "These things were done in Bethany, beyond Jordan, where John was
baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold
the Lamb of God; behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world!" Let no
one so arrogate to himself as to say that he taketh away the sin of the
world. Give heed now to the proud men at whom John pointed the finger. The
heretics were not yet born, but already were they pointed out; against them
he then cried from the river, against whom he now cries from the Gospel.
Jesus comes, and what says he? "Behold the Lamb of God!" If to be innocent
is to be a lamb, then John was a lamb, for was not he innocent? But who is
innocent? To what extent innocent? All come from that branch and shoot,
concerning which David sings, even with groanings, "Behold, I was shapen in
iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."(3) Alone, then, was He,
the Lamb who came, not so. For He was not conceived in iniquity, because
not conceived of mortality; nor did His mother conceive Him in sin, whom
the Virgin conceived, whom the Virgin brought forth; because by faith she
conceived, and by faith received Him. Therefore, "Behold the Lamb of God."
He is not a branch derived from Adam: flesh only did he derive from Adam,
Adam's sin He did not assume. He who took not upon Him sin from our lump,
He it is who taketh away our sin. "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away
the sin of the world!"

   You know that certain men say sometimes, We take away sin from men, we
who are holy; for if he be not holy who baptizeth, how taketh he away the
sin of another, when he is a man himself full of sin? In opposition to
these disputations, let us not speak our own words, let us read what John
says: "Behold the Lamb of God; behold Him who taketh away the sin of the
world!" Let there not be presumptuous confidence of men upon men: let not
the sparrow flee to the mountains, but let it trust in the Lord;(1) and if
it lift its eyes to the mountains, from whence cometh aid to it, let it
understand that its aid is from the Lord who made heaven and earth.(2) So
great is the excellence of John, that to him it is said, "Art thou the
Christ?" He says, No. Art thou Elias? He says, No. Art thou a prophet? He
says, No. Wherefore then dost thou baptize? "Behold the Lamb of God; behold
Him who taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I spake, After
me cometh a Man who was made before me; for He was before me." "Cometh
after me," because He was born later; "was made before me," because
preferred before me; "He was before me," because, "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

   12. "And I knew Him not," he said; "but that He might be made manifest
to Israel, therefore came I baptizing with water. And John bare record,
saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode
upon Him. And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water,
the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and
abiding upon Him, the same is He who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I
saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." Give heed for a little,
beloved. When did John learn Christ? For he was sent to baptize with water.
They asked, Wherefore? That He might be made manifest to Israel, he said.
Of what profit was the baptism of John? My brethren, if it had profited in
any respect, it would have remained now, and men would have been baptized
with the baptism of John, and thus have come to the baptism of Christ. But
what saith he? "That He might be made manifest to Israel,"--that is, to
Israel itself, to the people Israel, so that Christ might be made manifest
to it,--therefore he came baptizing with water. John received the ministry
of baptism, that by the water of repentance he might prepare the way for
the Lord, not being himself the Lord; but where the Lord was known, it was
superfluous to prepare for Him the way, for to those who knew Him He became
Himself the way; therefore the baptism of John did not last long. But how
was the Lord pointed out? Lowly, that John might so receive a baptism in
which the Lord Himself should be baptized.

   13. And was it needful for the Lord to be baptized? I instantly reply
to any one who asks this question: Was it needful for the Lord to be born?
Was it needful for the Lord to be crucified? Was it needful for the Lord to
die? Was it needful for the Lord to be buried? If He undertook for us so
great humiliation, might He not also receive baptism? And what profit was
there that he received the baptism of a servant? That thou mightest not
disdain to receive the baptism of the Lord. Give heed, beloved brethren.
Certain catechumens were to arise in the Church of higher grace. It
sometimes comes to pass that you see a catechumen who practises continence,
bids farewell to the world, renounces all his possessions, distributing
them to the poor; and although but a catechumen, instructed in the saving
doctrine better, perhaps, than many of the faithful. It is to be feared
regarding such an one that he may say to himself about holy baptism,
whereby sins are remitted, What more shall I receive? Behold, I am better
than this faithful man, and this,--having in his mind those among the
faithful who are either married, or who are perhaps ignorant, or who keep
possession of their property, while he has given his to the poor,--and
considering himself better than those who have been already baptized, he
deigns not to come to baptism, saying, Am I to receive what this man has,
and this? thinking of persons whom he despises, and, as it were, considers
it an indignity to receive that which inferiors have received, because he
appears to himself to be already better than they; and, nevertheless, all
his sins are upon him, and without coming to saving baptism, wherein all
sins are remitted, he cannot, with all his excellence, enter into the
kingdom of heaven. But the Lord, in order to invite such excellence to his
baptism, that sins might be remitted, Himself came to the baptism of His
servant; and although He had no sin to be remitted, nor was there anything
in Him that needed to be washed, He received baptism from a servant; and by
so doing, addressed Himself to the son carrying himself proudly, and
exalting himself, and disdaining, perhaps, to receive along with the
ignorant that from which salvation comes to him, and said to him: How dost
thou extend thyself? How dost thou exalt thyself? How great is thy
excellence? How great is thy grace? Can it be greater than mine? If I come
to the servant, dost thou disdain to come to the Lord? If I have received
the baptism of the servant, dost thou disdain to be baptized by the Lord?

   14. But that you may know, my brethren, that not from a necessity of
any chain of sin did the Lord come to this John, as the other evangelists
say when the Lord came to him to be baptized, John himself said, "Comest
Thou to me? I have need to be baptized of Thee."(1) What did He reply to
him? "Suffer it to be so now: let all righteousness be fulfilled?" What
meaneth this, "let all righteousness be fulfilled"? I came to die for men,
have I not to be baptized for men? What meaneth" let all righteousness be
fulfilled"? Let all humility be fulfilled. What then? Was not He to accept
baptism from a good servant who accepted suffering at the hands of evil
servants? Give heed then. The Lord being baptized, if John for this end
baptized, that by means of his baptism the Lord might manifest His
humility, should no one else have been baptized with the baptism of John?
But many were baptized with the baptism of John. When the Lord was baptized
with the baptism of John, the baptism of John ceased. John was forthwith
cast into prison. Afterwards we do not find that any one is baptized with
that baptism. If, then, John came baptizing for this end that the humility
of the Lord might be made manifest to us, in order that we might not
disdain to receive from the Lord that which the Lord had received from a
servant, should John have baptized the Lord alone? But if John had baptized
the Lord alone, some would have thought that the baptism of John was more
holy than that of Christ: as if Christ alone had been found worthy to be
baptized with the baptism of John, but the human race with that of Christ.
Give heed, beloved brethren. With the baptism of Christ we have been
baptized, and not only we, but the whole world, and this will continue to
the end. Which of us can in any respect be compared with Christ, whose
shoe's latchet John declared himself unworthy to unloose? If, then, the
Christ, a man of such excellence, a man who is God, had been alone baptized
with the baptism of John, what were men likely to say? What a baptism was
that of John! His was a great baptism, an ineffable sacrament; behold,
Christ alone deserved to be baptized with the baptism of John. And thus the
baptism of the servant would appear greater than the baptism of the Lord.
Others were also baptized with the baptism of John, that the baptism of
John might not appear better than the baptism of Christ; but baptized also
was the Lord, that through the Lord receiving the baptism of the servant,
other servants might not disdain to receive the baptism of the Lord: for
this end, then, was John sent.

   15. But did he know Christ, or did he not know Him? If he did not know
Him, wherefore did He say, when Christ came to the river, "I have need to
be baptized of Thee"? that is to say, I know who Thou art. If, then, he
already knew Him, assuredly he knew Him when he saw the dove descending. It
is evident that the dove did not descend upon the Lord until after He went
up out of the water of baptism. "The Lord having been baptized, went up out
of the water, and the heavens were opened, and he saw a dove descending on
Him." If, then, the dove descended after the baptism, and if, before the
Lord was baptized, John said to Him, "Comest Thou to me? I have need to be
baptized of Thee;" that is to say, before he knew Him to whom he said,
"Comest Thou to me? I have need to be baptized of Thee;"--how then said he,
"And I knew Him not: but He who sent me to baptize with water. the same
said to me, Upon whom thou seest the Spirit descending as a dove, and
abiding upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost?" It
is not an insignificant question, my brethren. If you have seen the
question, you have seen not a little; it remains that the Lord give the
solution of it. This, however, I say, if you have seen the question, it is
no small matter. Behold, John is placed before your eyes, standing beside
the river. Behold John the Baptist. Behold, the Lord comes, as yet to be
baptized, not yet baptized. Hear the voice of John, "Comest Thou to me? I
have need to be baptized of Thee." Behold, already he knew the Lord, by
whom He wishes to be baptized. The Lord, having been baptized, goes up out
of the water; the heavens are opened, the Spirit descends; then John knows
Him. If then for the first time he knew Him, why did he say before, "I have
need to be baptized of Thee"? But if he did not then recognize Him for the
first time, because he knew Him already, what is the meaning of what he
said, "I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same
said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding
upon Him, as a dove, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost"?

   16. My brethren, this question if solved today would oppress you, I do
not doubt, for already have I spoken many words. But know that the question
is of such a character that alone it is able to extinguish the party of
Donatus. I have said thus much, my beloved, in order to gain your
attention, as is my wont; and also in order that you may pray for us, that
the Lord may grant to us to speak what is suitable, and that you may be
found worthy to receive what is suitable. In the meantime, be pleased to
defer the question for to-day. But in the meantime, I say this briefly,
until I give a fuller solution: Inquire peacefully, without quarreling,
without contention, without altercations, without enmities; both seek by
yourselves, and inquire of others, and say, "This question our bishop
proposed to us to-day, and he will resolve it at a future time, if the Lord
will." But whether it be resolved or not, reckon that I have propounded
what appears to me of importance; for it does seem of considerable
importance. John says, "I have need to be baptized of Thee," as if he knew
Christ. For if he did not know Him by whom he wished to be baptized, he
spoke rashly when he said, "I have need to be baptized of Thee." Therefore
he knew Him. If he knew Him, what is the meaning of the saying, "I knew Him
not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon Him, as a dove,
the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost"? What shall we say?
That we do not know when the dove came? Lest perchance they(1) take refuge
in this, let the other evangelists be read, who have spoken of this matter
more plainly, and we find most evidently that the dove then descended when
the Lord came up out of the water. Upon Him baptized the heavens opened,
and He saw the Spirit descending.(2) If it was when He was already baptized
that John knew Him, how saith he to Him, coming to baptism, "I have need to
be baptized of Thee"? Ponder this in the meantime with yourselves, confer
upon it, treat of it, one with another. The Lord our God grant that before
you hear it from me, the explanation may be revealed to some of you first.
Nevertheless, brethren, know this, that by means of the solution of this
question, the allegation of the party of Donatus, if they have any sense of
shame, will be silenced, and their mouths will be shut regarding the grace
of baptism, a matter about which they raise mists to confuse the
uninstructed, and spread nets for flying birds.

TRACTATE V: CHAPTER I. 33.

   WE have arrived, as the Lord hath willed it, to the day of our promise.
He will grant this also, that we may arrive at the fulfillment of the
promise. For then those things which we say, if they are useful to us and
to you, are from Him; but those things which proceed from man are false, as
our Lord Jesus Christ Himself has said, "He that speaketh a lie speaketh of
his own."(1) No one has anything of his own except falsehood and sin. But
if man has any truth and justice, it is from that fountain after which we
ought to thirst in this desert, so that being, as it were, bedewed by some
drops from it, and comforted in the meantime in this pilgrimage, we may not
fail by the way, but reach His rest and satisfying fullness. If then "he
that speaketh a lie speaketh of his own," he who speaketh the truth
speaketh of God. John is true, Christ is the Truth; John is true, but every
true man is true from the Truth. If, then, John is true, and a man cannot
be true except from the Truth, from whom was he true, unless from Him who
said, "I am the truth"?(2) The Truth, then, could not speak contrary to the
true man, or the true man contrary to the Truth. The Truth sent the true
man, and he was true because sent by the Truth. If it was the Truth that
sent John, then it was Christ that sent him. But that which Christ does
with the Father, the Father does; and what the Father does with Christ,
Christ does. The Father does nothing apart from the Son, nor the Son
anything apart from the Father: inseparable love, inseparable unity:
inseparable majesty, inseparable power, according to these words which He
Himself propounded," I and my Father are one."(1) Who then sent John? If we
say the Father, we speak truly; if we say the Son, we speak truly; but to
speak more plainly, we say the Father and the Son. But whom the Father and
the Son sent, one God sent; because the Son said, "I and the Father are
one." How, then, did he not know Him by whom he was sent? For he said, "I
knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto
me." I interrogate John: "Who sent thee to baptize with water? what did He
say to thee?" "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove,
and abiding upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost."
Is it this, O John, that He said to thee who sent thee? It is manifest that
it was this; who, then, sent thee? Perhaps the Father. True God is the
Father, and the Truth is God the Son: if the Father without the Son sent
thee, God without the Truth sent thee; but if thou art true, because thou
dost speak the truth, and dost, speak of the Truth, the Father did not send
thee without the Son, but the Father and the Son together sent thee. If,
then, the Son sent thee with the Father, how didst thou not know Him by
whom thou wast sent? He whom thou hadst seen in the Truth, Himself sent
thee that He might be recognized in the flesh, and said, "Upon whom thou
shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same
is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.'

   2. Did John hear this that he might know Him whom he had not known, or
that he might more fully know Him whom he had already known? For if he had
been entirely ignorant of Him, he would not have said to Him when He came
to the river to be baptized, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and
comest Thou to me?"(2) He knew Him therefore. But when did the dove
descend? When the Lord had been baptized, and was ascending from the water.
But if He who sent Him said, "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit
descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth
with the Holy Ghost," and he knew Him not, but when the dove descended he
learned to know Him, and the time at which the dove descended was when the
Lord was going up from the water; but John had known the Lord, when the
Lord came to him to the water: it is made plain to us that John after a
manner knew, and after a manner did not at first know the Lord. And unless
we understand it so, he was a liar. How was he true acknowledging the Lord
and saying, "Comest Thou to me to be baptized," and, "I have need to be
baptized of Thee"? Is he true when he said this? And how is he again true
when he saith, "I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water,
the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a
dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He who baptizeth with the Holy
Ghost"? The Lord was made known by a dove, not to him who knew Him not, but
to him who in a manner knew Him, and in a manner knew Him not. It is for us
to discover what, in Him, John did not know, and learned by the dove.

   3. Why was John sent baptizing? Already, I recollect, I have explained
that to you, beloved, according to my ability. For if the baptism of John
was necessary for our salvation, it ought even now to be used. For we
cannot think that men are not saved now, or that more are not saved now, or
that there was one salvation then, another now. If Christ has been changed,
the salvation has also been changed; if salvation is in Christ, and Christ
Himself is the same, there is the same salvation to us. But why was John
sent baptizing? Because it behoved Christ to be baptized. Wherefore did it
behove Christ to be baptized? Wherefore did it behove Christ to be born?
Wherefore did it behove Christ to be crucified? For if He had come to point
out the way of humility, and to make Himself the way of humility; in all
things had humility to be fulfilled by Him. He deigned from this to give
authority to His own baptism, that His servants might know with what
alacrity they ought to run to the baptism of the Lord, when He Himself did
not refuse to receive the baptism of a servant. This favor was bestowed
upon John that it should be called his baptism.

   4. Give heed to this, exercise your discrimination, and know it,
beloved. The baptism which John received is called the baptism of John:
alone he received such a gift. No one of the just before him and no one
after him so received a baptism that it should be called his baptism. He
received it indeed, for of himself he could do nothing: for if any one
speaketh of his own, he speaketh of his own a lie. And whence did he
receive it except from the Lord Jesus Christ? From Him he received power to
baptize whom he afterwards baptized. Do not marvel; for Christ acted in the
same manner in respect to John as in respect to His mother. For concerning
Christ it was said, "All things were made by Him."(1) If all things were
made by him, Mary also was made by Him, of whom Christ was afterwards born.
Give heed, beloved; in the same manner that He did create Mary. and was
created by Mary, so did He give the baptism of John, and was baptized by
John.

   5. For this purpose therefore did He receive baptism from John, in
order that, receiving what was inferior from an inferior, He might exhort
inferiors to receive that which was superior. But wherefore was not He
alone baptized by John, if John, by whom Christ was baptized, was sent for
this end, to prepare a way for the Lord, that is, for Christ Himself? This
we have already explained, but we recur to it, because it is necessary for
the present question. If our Lord Jesus Christ had been alone baptized with
the baptism of John;--hold fast what we say; let not the world have such
power as to efface from your hearts what the Spirit of God has written
there; let not the thorns of care have such power as to choke the seed
which is being sown in you: for why are we compelled to repeat the same
things, but because we are not sure of the memory of your hearts?--and if
then the Lord alone had been baptized with the baptism of John, there would
be persons who would so reckon it, that the baptism of John was greater
than is the baptism of Christ. For they would say, that baptism is so much
the greater, that Christ alone deserved to be baptized with it. Therefore,
that an example of humility might be given us by the Lord, that the
salvation of baptism might be obtained by us, Christ accepted what for Him
was not necessary, but on our account was necessary. And again, lest that
which Christ received from John should be preferred to the baptism of
Christ, others also were permitted to be baptized by John. But for those
who were baptized by John that baptism did not suffice: for they were
baptized with the baptism of Christ; because the baptism of John was not
the baptism of Christ. Those who receive the baptism of Christ do not seek
the baptism of John; those who received the baptism of John sought the
baptism of Christ. Therefore was the baptism of John sufficient for Christ.
How should it not be sufficient, when not even it was necessary? For to Him
was  no baptism necessary; but in order to exhort us to receive His
baptism, He received the baptism of His servant. And lest the baptism of
the servant should be preferred to the baptism of the Lord, other fellow-
servants were baptized with the baptism of the servant. But it behoved
those fellow-servants who were baptized with that baptism to be likewise
baptized with the baptism of the Lord: but those who were baptized with the
baptism of the Lord do not require the baptism of the fellow-servant.

   6. Since, then, John had accepted a baptism which may be properly
called the baptism of John, but the Lord Jesus Christ would not give His
baptism to any, not that no one should be baptized with the baptism of the
Lord, but that the Lord Himself should always baptize: that was done, that
the Lord should baptize by means of servants; that is to say, those whom
the servants of the Lord were to baptize, the Lord baptized, not they. For
it is one thing to baptize in the capacity of a servant, another thing to
baptize with power. For baptism derives its character from Him through
whose power it is given; not from him through whose ministry it is given.
As was John, so was his baptism: the righteous baptism of a righteous man;
but of a man who had received from the Lord that grace, and so great grace,
that he was worthy to be the forerunner of the Judge, and to point Him out
with the finger, and to fulfill the saying of that prophecy: "The voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way for the Lord." (2) As was
the Lord, such was His baptism: the baptism of the Lord, then, was divine,
because the Lord was God.

   7. But the Lord Jesus Christ could, if He wished, have given power to
one of His servants to give a baptism of his own, as it were, in His stead,
and have transferred from Himself the power of baptizing, and assigned it
to one of His servants, and have given the same power to the baptism
transferred to the servant as it had when bestowed by the Lord. This He
would not do, in order that the hope of the baptized might be in him by
whom they acknowledged themselves to have been baptized. He would not,
therefore, that the servant should place his hope in the servant. And
therefore the apostle exclaimed, when he saw men wishing to place their
hope in himself, "Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the
name of Paul?"(3) Paul then baptized as a servant, not as the power itself;
but the Lord baptized as the power. Give heed. He was both able to give
this power to His servants, and unwilling. For if He had given this power
to His servants--that is to say, that what belonged to the Lord should be
theirs--there would have been as many baptisms as servants; so that, as we
speak of the baptism of John, we should also have spoken of the baptism of
Peter, the baptism of Paul, the baptism of James, the baptism of Thomas, of
Matthew, of Bartholomew: for we spoke of that baptism as that of John. But
perhaps some one objects, and says, Prove to us that that baptism was
called the baptism of John. I will prove it from the very words of the
Truth Himself, when He asked the Jews, "The baptism of John, whence was it?
from heaven, or of men?"(1) Therefore, lest as many baptisms should be
spoken of as there are servants who received power from the Lord to
baptize, the Lord kept to Himself the power of baptizing, and gave to His
servants the ministry. The servant says that he baptizes; he says so
rightly,  as the apostle says. "And I baptized also the household of
Stephanas;"(2) but as a servant. Therefore, if even he be bad, and he
happen to have the ministration of baptism, and if men do not know him, but
God knows him, God, who has kept the power to Himself, permits baptism to
be administered through him.

   8. But this John did not know in the Lord. That He was the Lord he
knew, and that he ought to be baptized by Him he knew; and he confessed
that He was the Truth, and that he, the true man, was sent by the Truth:
this he knew. But what was in Him which he knew not? That he was about to
retain to Himself the power of His baptism, and was not to transmit or
transfer it to any servant; but that, whether a good servant baptized in a
ministerial manner, or whether an evil servant baptized, the person
baptized should not know that he was baptized, unless by Him who kept to
Himself the power of baptizing. And that you may know, brethren, what john
did not know in Him, he learned it by means of the dove: for he knew the
Lord; but that He was to retain to Himself the power of baptizing, and not
to give it to any servant, he did not yet know. Regarding this he said, "I
knew Him not." And that you may know that he there learnt this, give heed
to what follows: "But He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said
unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and
abiding upon Him, the same is He." What same is He? The Lord? But he
already knew the Lord. Suppose, then, that John had said thus far, "I knew
Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me--
" We ask, what He said? It follows: "Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit
descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him." I do not say what follows. In
the meantime give heed: "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as
a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He." But what same is He? What
did He who sent me mean to teach me by means of a dove? That He was Himself
the Lord. Already I knew by whom I was sent; already I knew Him to whom I
said, "Comest Thou to me to be baptized? I have need to be baptized of
Thee." So far, then, did I know the Lord, that I wished to be baptized by
Him, not that He should be baptized by me; and then He said to me, "Suffer
it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." I
came to suffer; do I not come to be baptized? "Let all righteousness be
fulfilled," says my God to me. Let all righteousness be fulfilled; let me
teach entire humility. I know that there will be proud ones in my future
people; I know that some men then will be eminent in some grace, so that
when they see ordinary persons baptized, they, because they consider
themselves better, whether in continence, or in alms-giving, or in
doctrine, will perhaps not deign to receive what has been received by their
inferiors. It was needful that I should heal them, so that they should not
disdain to come to the baptism of the Lord, because I came to the baptism
of the servant.

   9. Already, then, John knew this, and he knew the Lord. What then did
the dove teach? What did He desire to teach by means of the dove--that is,
by means of the Holy Spirit thus coming to teach who had sent him to whom
He said, "Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit descending as a dove, and
abiding upon Him, the same is He"? Who is this He? The Lord? I know. But
didst thou already know this, that the same Lord having the power to
baptize, was not to give that power to any servant, but to retain it to
Himself, so that all who were baptized by the ministration of the servant,
should not impute their baptism to the servant, but to the Lord? Didst thou
already know this? I did not know this: so what did He say to me? "Upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him,
the same is He who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." He does not say, "He is
the Lord;" He does not say, "He is the Christ;" He does not say, "He is
God;" He does not say, "He is Jesus;" He does not say, "He is the One who
was born of the Virgin Mary, after thee, before thee." This He does not
say, for this John did already know. But what did he not know? That this
great authority of baptism the Lord Himself was to have, and to retain to
Himself, whether present in the earth or absent in body in the heaven, and
present in majesty; lest Paul should say, my baptism; lest Peter should
say, my baptism. Therefore see, give heed to the words of the apostles.
None of the apostles said, my baptism. Although there was one gospel of
all, yet thou findest that they said, my gospel: thou dost not find that
they say, my baptism.

   10. This, then, my brethren, John learned. What John learned by means
of the dove let us also learn. For the dove did not teach John without
teaching the Church, the Church to which it was said, "My dove is one."(1)
Let the dove teach the dove; let the dove know what John learned by the
dove. The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. But this which John
learned in the dove, wherefore did he learn it in the dove? For it behoved
him to learn, and perhaps it did not so, much behove him to learn as to
learn by the dove. What shall I say, my brethren, concerning the dove? or
when will faculty of tongue or heart suffice to speak as I wish? And
perchance, my wish falls short of my duty in speaking; even if I were able
to speak as I wish, how much less am I able to speak as I ought? I could
wish to hear one better than myself speak this, rather than speak of it to
you.

   11. John learns to know Him whom he knew; but he learns in Him with
regard to what he did not know; with regard to what he did know, he does
not learn. And what did he know? The Lord. What did he not know? That the
power of the Lord's baptism was not to pass from the Lord to any man, but
that the ministration of it plainly would do so; the power from the Lord to
no one, the ministration both to good and bad. Let not the dove shrink from
the ministration of the bad, but have regard to the power of the Lord. What
injury does a bad servant do to you where the Lord is good? What impediment
can the malicious herald put in your way if the judge is well-disposed?
John learned by means of the dove this. What is it that he learned? Let him
repeat it himself. "The same said unto me," saith he, "Upon whom thou shalt
see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding on Him, this is He which
baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." Let not those seducers deceive thee, O
dove, who say,  We baptize. Acknowledge, dove, what the dove has taught:
"This is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." By means of the dove we
are taught that this is He; and dost thou think that thou art baptized by
his authority by whose ministration thou art baptized? If thou thinkest
this, thou art not as yet in the body of the dove; and if thou art not in
the body of the dove, it is not to be wondered at that thou hast not
simplicity; for by means of the dove, simplicity is chiefly designated.

   12. Wherefore, my brethren, by the simplicity of the dove did John
learn that "This is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost," unless to show
that these are not doves who have scattered the Church? Hawks they were,
and kites. The dove does not tear. And thou seest that they hold us up to
hatred, for the persecutions, as they call them, which they have suffered.
Bodily persecutions, indeed, if they are to be so called, they have
suffered, since these were the scourges of the Lord, plainly administering
temporal correction, lest He should have to condemn them eternally, if they
did not acknowledge it and amend themselves. They truly persecute the
Church who persecute by means of deceit; they strike the heart more heavily
who strike with the sword of the tongue; they shed blood more bitterly who,
as far as they can, slay Christ in man. They seem to be in fear, as it
were, of the judgment of the authorities. What does the authority do to
thee if thou art good? but if thou art evil, fear the authority; "For he
beareth not the sword in vain,"(2) saith the apostle. Draw not the sword
wherewith thou dost strike Christ. Christian, what dost thou persecute in a
Christian? What did the Emperor persecute in thee? He persecuted the flesh;
thou in a Christian persecutest the Spirit. Thou dost not slay the flesh.
And, nevertheless, they do not spare the flesh; as many as they were able,
they slew with the sword; they spared neither their own nor strangers. This
is known to all. The authority is hated because it is legitimate; he acts
in a hated manner who acts according to the law; he acts without incurring
hatred who acts contrary to the laws. Give heed, each one of you, my
brethren, to what the Christian possesses. His humanity he has in common
with many, his Christianity distinguishes him from many, and his
Christianity belongs to him more strictly than his humanity. For, as a
Christian, he is renewed after the image of God, by whom man was made after
the image of God;(3) but as a man he might be bad, he might be a pagan, he
might be an idolater. This thou dost persecute in the Christian, which is
his better part; for this by which he lives thou wishest to take away from
him. For he lives temporally according to the spirit of life, by which his
body is animated, but he lives for eternity according to the baptism which
he received from the Lord; thou wishest to take this away from him which he
received from the Lord, this thou wishest to take away from him by which he
lives. Robbers, with regard to those whom they wish to despoil, have the
purpose to enrich themselves and to deprive their victims of all that they
have; but thou takest from him, and with thee there will not be anything
more, for there does not accrue more to thee because thou takest from him.
But, truly, they do the same as those who take away the natural life: they
take it away from another, and yet they themselves have not two lives.

   13. What, then, dost thou wish to take away? What displeases thee in
the man whom thou wishest to rebaptize? Thou art not able to give what he
already has, but thou makest him deny what he has. What greater cruelty did
the pagan persecutor of the Church commit? Swords were stretched out
against the martyrs, wild beasts were let loose, fires were applied: for
what purpose these things? In order that the sufferer might be induced to
say, I am not a Christian. What dost thou teach him whom thou wishest to
rebaptize, unless that he first say, I am not a Christian? For the same
purpose for which the persecutor put forth the flame, thou puttest forth
the tongue; thou dost by seducing what he did not do by slaying. And what
is it thou dost give, and to whom art thou to give it? If he tells thee the
truth, and does not lie, seduced by thee, he will say, I have. Thou askest,
Hast thou baptism? I have, he says. As long as he says, I have, thou
sayest, I will not give. And do not give, for that which thou wishest to
give cannot cleave to me; because what I received cannot be taken away from
me. But wait, nevertheless; let me see what thou wouldest teach me. Say, he
said, in the first place, I have not. But this I have; if I shall say, I
have not, I lie; for what I have I have. Thou hast not, he says. Teach me
that I have it not. An evil man gave it to thee. If Christ is evil, an evil
man did give it to me. Christ, he says, is not evil; but Christ did not
give it to thee. Who then gave it to me? Reply, I know that I received it
from Christ. He who gave it to thee, he says, was not Christ, but some
traditor. I shall see to it who was the minister; I shall see who was the
herald. Concerning the official, I do not dispute; I give heed to the
Judge: and, perchance, in thy objection to the official, thou speakest
falsely. But I decline to discuss it; let the Lord of both decide the cause
of His own official. If, perhaps, I were to ask for proof, thou couldst
give none; indeed, thou liest; it has been proved that thou wert not able
to give proof. But I do not place my case on this, lest from my zealous
defense of innocent men thou infer that I have placed my hope even on
innocent men. Let the men be what. they may, I received from Christ, I was
baptized by Christ. No, he says; not Christ, but that bishop baptized thee,
and that bishop communicates to them. By Christ I have been baptized, I
know. How dost thou know? The dove taught me, which John saw. O evil kite,
thou mayest not tear me from the bowels of the dove. I am numbered among
the members of the dove, because what the dove taught, this I know. Thou
sayest to me, This man or that baptized thee: by means of the dove it is
said to me and to thee, "This is He which baptizeth." Which shall I
believe, the kite or the dove?

   14. Tell me certainly, that thou mayest be confounded by that lamp by
which also were the former enemies confounded, who were like to thee, the
Pharisees, who, when they questioned the Lord by what authority He did
those things: "I also," said He, "will ask you this question, Tell me, the
baptism of John, whence is it? from heaven, or of men?" And they, who were
preparing to spread their wiles, were entangled by the question, and began
to debate with themselves, and say, "If we shall answer, It is from heaven,
He will say unto us, Wherefore did ye not believe him?" For John had said
of the Lord, "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the
world!"(1) Why then do you inquire by what authority I act? O wolves, what
I do, I do by the authority of the Lamb. But that you may know the Lamb,
why do you not believe John, who said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh
away the sin of the world"? They, then, knowing what John had said
regarding the Lord, said among themselves, "If we shall say that John's
baptism is from heaven, He will say unto us, Wherefore then did ye not
believe him? If we shall say, It is of men, the people will stone us; for
they hold John as a prophet." Hence, they feared men; hence, they were
confounded to confess the truth. Darkness replied with darkness; but they
were overcome by the light. For what did they reply? "We know not;"
regarding that which they knew, they said, "We know not." And the Lord
said, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."(2) And the
first enemies were confounded. How? By the lamp. Who was the lamp? John.
Can we prove that he was the lamp? We can prove it; for the Lord says: "He
was a burning and a shining lamp."(1) Can we prove also that the enemies
were confounded by him? Listen to the psalm: "I have prepared," he says, "a
lamp for my Christ. His enemies I will clothe with shame."(2)

   15. As yet, in the darkness of this life, we walk by the lamp of faith:
let us hold also to the lamp John, and let us confound by him the enemies
of Christ; indeed, let Christ Himself confound His own enemies by His own
lamp. Let us put the question which the Lord put to the Jews, let us ask
and say, "The baptism of John, whence is it? from heaven, or of men?" What
will they say? Mark, if they are not as enemies confounded by the lamp.
What will they say? If they shall say, Of men, even their own will stone
them; but if they shall say, From heaven, let us say to them, Wherefore,
then, did ye not believe him? They perhaps say, We believe him. Wherefore,
then, do you say that you baptize, when John says, "This is He which
baptizeth"? But it behoveth, they say, the ministers of so great a Judge
who baptize, to be righteous. And I also say, and all say, that it behoveth
the ministers of so great a Judge to be righteous; let the ministers, by
all means, be righteous if they will; but if they will not be righteous who
sit in the seat of Moses, my Master made me safe, of whom His Spirit said,
"This is He which baptizeth." How did He make me safe? "The scribes and the
Pharisees," He says, "sit in Moses' seat: what they say, do; but what they
do, that do not ye: for they say, and do not."(3) If the minister is
righteous, I reckon him with Paul, I reckon him with Peter; with those I
reckon righteous ministers: because, in truth, righteous ministers seek not
their own glory; for they are ministers, they do not wish to be thought
judges, they abhor that one should place his hope on them; therefore, I
reckon the righteous minister with Paul. For what does Paul say? "I have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. Neither is he that
planteth anything, nor he that watereth; but God who giveth the
increase."(4) But he who is a proud minister is reckoned with the devil;
but the gift of Christ is not contaminated, which flows through him pure,
which passes through him liquid, and comes to the fertile earth. Suppose
that he is stony, that he cannot from water rear fruit; even through the
stony channel the water passes, the water passes to the garden beds; in the
stony channel it causes nothing to grow, but nevertheless it brings much
fruit to the gardens. For the spiritual virtue of the sacrament is like the
light: both by those who are to be enlightened is it received pure, and if
it passes through the impure it is not stained. Let the ministers be by all
means righteous, and seek  not their own glory, but His glory whose
ministers they are; let them not say, The baptism is mine; for it is not
theirs. Let them give heed unto John. Behold, John was full of the Holy
Spirit; and he had his baptism from heaven, not from men; but how long had
he it? He said himself, "Prepare ye the way for the Lord."(5) But when the
Lord was known, Himself became the way; there was no longer need for the
baptism of John to prepare the way for the Lord.

   16. What, however, are they accustomed to say against us? "Behold,
after John, baptism was given." For before that question was properly
treated in the Catholic Church, many erred in it, both great and good men;
but because they were members of the dove, they did not cut themselves off,
and in their case that happened which the apostle said, "If in any thing ye
are otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."(6) Whence those
who separated themselves became unteachable. What then are they wont to
say? Behold, after John baptism was given; after heretical baptism is it
not to be given? because certain who had the baptism of John were commanded
by Paul to be baptized,(7) for they had not the baptism of Christ. Why
then, say they, dost thou exaggerate the merit of John, and, as it were,
underrate the misery of heretics? I also grant to you that the heretics are
wicked; but the heretics gave the baptism of Christ, which baptism John did
not give.

   17. I go back to John, and say, "This is he which baptizeth." For John
is better than a heretic, just as John is better than a drunkard, as John
is better than a murderer. If we ought to baptize after the worse because
the apostles baptized after the better, whosoever among them were baptized
by a drunkard,--I do not say by a murderer. I do not say by the satellite
of some wicked man, I do not say by the robber of other men's goods, I do
not say by the oppressor of orphans, or a separater of married persons; I
speak of none of these; I speak of what happens every year, of what happens
every day; I speak of what all are called to, even in this city, when it is
said to them, Let us play the part of the irrational, let us have pleasure,
and on such a day as this of the calends of January we ought not to fast:
these are the things I speak of, these trifling everyday proceedings;--when
one is baptized by a drunkard, who is better? John or the drunkard? Reply,
if thou canst, that the drunkard is better than John! This thou wilt never
venture to do. Do you then, as a sober man, baptize after thy drunkard. For
if the apostles baptized after John, how much more ought the sober to
baptize after the drunkard? Or dost thou say, the drunkard is in unity with
me? Was not John then, the friend of the Bridegroom, in unity with the
Bridegroom?

   18. But I say to thee thyself, whoever thou art, Art thou better than
John? Thou wilt not venture to say: I am better than John. Then let thine
own baptize after thee if they are better. For if baptism was administered
after John, blush that baptism is not administered after thee. Thou wilt
say, But I have and teach the baptism of Christ. Acknowledge, then, now the
Judge, and do not be a proud herald. Thou givest the baptism of Christ,
therefore baptism is not administered after thee: after John it was
administered, because he gave not the baptism of Christ, but his own; for
he had in such manner received it that it was his own. Thou art then not
better than John: but the baptism given through thee is better than that of
John; for the one is Christ's, but the other is that of John. And that
which was given by Paul, and that which was given by Peter, is Christ's;
and if baptism was given by Judas it was Christ's. Judas gave baptism and
after Judas baptism was not repeated; John gave baptism, and baptism was
repeated after John: because if baptism was given by Judas, it was the
baptism of Christ; but that which was given by John, was John's baptism. We
prefer not Judas to John; but the baptism of Christ, even when given by the
hand of Judas, we prefer to the baptism of John, rightly given even by the
hand of John. For it was said of the Lord before He suffered, that He
baptized more than John; then it was added: "Howbeit, Jesus Himself
baptized not, but His disciples."(1) He, and not He: He by power, they by
ministry; they performed the service of baptizing, the power of baptizing
remained in Christ. His disciples, then, baptized, and Judas was still
among his disciples: and were those, then, whom Judas baptized not again
baptized; and those whom John baptized were they again baptized? Plainly
there was a repetition, but not a repetition of the same baptism. For those
whom John baptized, John baptized; those whom Judas baptized, Christ
baptized. In like manner, then, they whom a drunkard baptized, those whom a
murderer baptized, those whom an adulterer baptized, if it was the baptism
of Christ, were baptized by Christ. I do not fear the adulterer, the
drunkard, or the murderer, because I give heed unto the dove, through whom
it is said to me, "This is He which baptizeth."

   19. But, my brethren, it is madness to say that--I will not say Judas--
but that any man was better than he of whom it was said, that "Among those
that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the
Baptist."(2) No servant then is preferred to him; but the baptism of the
Lord, even when given through an evil servant, is preferred to the baptism
even of a servant who was a friend. Listen to the sort of persons whom the
Apostle Paul mentions, false brethren, preaching the word of God through
envy, and what he says of them: "And I therein do rejoice, yea, and will
rejoice."(3) They proclaimed Christ, through envy indeed, but still they
proclaimed Christ. Consider not the why, but the whom: through envy is
Christ preached to thee. Behold Christ, avoid envy. Do not imitate the evil
preacher, but imitate the Good One who is preached to thee. Christ then was
preached by some out of envy. And what is envy? A shocking evil. By this
evil was the devil cast down; this malignant pest it was which cast him
down; and certain preachers of Christ were possessed by it, whom,
nevertheless, the apostle permitted to preach. Wherefore? Because they
preached Christ But he who envies, hates; and he who hates, what is said
concerning him? Listen to the Apostle John: "He who hateth his brother is a
murderer."(4) Behold, after John baptism was given, after a murderer
baptism was not given; because John gave his own baptism, the murderer gave
the baptism of Christ. That sacrament is so sacred that not even the
ministration of a murderer pollutes it.

   20. I do not reject John, but rather I believe John. In what do I
believe John? In that which he learned through the dove? What did he learn
through the dove? "This is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." Now
therefore, brethren, hold this fast and impress it upon your hearts; for if
I would more fully explain to-day, Wherefore through the dove? time fails.
For I have, I think, to some extent made plain to you, holy brethren, that
a matter which had to be learned was instilled into John by means of the
dove, a matter with regard to Christ which John did not know, although he
already knew Christ; but why it behoved this matter to be pointed out by
means of the dove, I would say, were it possible to say it briefly: but
because it would take long to say, and I am unwilling to burden you, since
I have been helped by your prayers to perform my promise; with the renewed
help of your pious attention and good wishes, it will likewise become clear
to you, wherefore John with regard to that matter which he learned
regarding the Lord, namely, that it is "He which baptizeth with the Holy
Ghost," and that to none of His servants had he transferred the power of
baptizing--why this it became him not to learn except through the dove.

TRACTATE VI: CHAPTER I. 32, 33.

   1. I CONFESS to you, holy brethren, I was afraid the cold would have
made you cold in assembling yourselves together; but since you prove by
this, your crowded assembly, that you are fervent in spirit, I doubt not
that  you have also prayed for me, that I may pay you what I owe. For I
promised you in the name of Christ that, as the shortness of the time
prevented us from expounding it before, I would to-day discuss why God was
pleased to manifest the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove. That this may be
explained, this day has dawned on us; and I perceive that from  eagerness
to hear, and pious devotion, you have come together in greater number than
usual. May God, by our mouth, fulfill your expectation. For your coming
together is of your love; but love of what? If of us, even that is well;
for we desire to be loved by you, but not in ourselves. Because we love you
in Christ, do you love us in Christ in return, and let our love mutually
sigh towards God; for the note of the dove is a sighing or moaning.

   2. Now if the dove's note is a moaning, as we all know it to be, and
doves moan in love, hear what the apostle says, and wonder not that the
Holy Ghost willed to be manifested in the form of a dove: "For what we
should pray for as we ought," says he, "we know not; but the Spirit Himself
intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."(1) What then, my
brethren? shall we say this, that the Spirit groans where He has perfect
and eternal blessedness with the Father and the Son? For the Holy Spirit is
God, even as the Son of God is God, and the Father God. I have said "God"
thrice, but not three Gods; for indeed it is God thrice rather than three
Gods; because the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one God: this
you know full well. It is not then in Himself with Himself in that Trinity,
in that blessedness, in that His eternal substance, that the Holy Spirit
groans; but in us He groans because He makes us to groan. Nor is it a
little matter that the Holy Spirit teaches us to groan, for He gives us to
know that we are sojourners in a foreign land, and He teaches us to sigh
after our native country; and through that very longing do we groan. He
with whom it is well in this world, or rather he who thinks it is well with
him, who exults in the joy of carnal things, in the abundance of things
temporal, in an empty felicity, has the cry of the raven; for the raven's
cry is full of clamor, not of groaning. But he who knows that he is in the
pressure of this mortal life, a pilgrim "absent from the Lord,"(2) that he
does not yet possess that perpetual blessedness which is promised to us,
but that he has it in hope, and will have it in reality when the Lord shall
come openly in glory who came before in humility concealed; he, I say, who
knows this doth groan. And so long as it is for this he groans, he does
well to groan; it was the Spirit that taught him to groan, he learnt it
from the dove. Many indeed groan by reason of earthly misery. They are
shattered, it may be, by losses, or weighed down by bodily ailment, or shut
up in prisons, or bound with chains, or tossed about on the waves of the
sea, or hedged in by the ensnaring devices of their enemies. Therefore do
they groan, but not with the moaning of the dove, not with love of God, not
in the Spirit. Accordingly, when such are delivered from these same
afflictions, they exult with loud voices, whereby it is made manifest that
they are ravens, not doves. It was with good reason that a raven was sent
forth from the ark, and returned not again; a dove was sent forth, and it
returned. These two birds Noah sent forth.(1) He had there the raven, and
also the dove. That ark contained both kinds; and if the ark was a figure
of the Church, you see indeed that in the present deluge of the world, the
Church must of necessity contain both kinds, as well the raven as the dove.
Who are the ravens? They who seek their own. Who are the doves? They who
seek the things that are Christ's.(2)

   3. Therefore, when He sent the Holy Spirit He manifested Him visibly in
two ways--by a dove and by fire: by a dove upon the Lord when He was
baptized, by fire upon the disciples when they were gathered together. For
when the Lord had ascended into heaven after His resurrection, having spent
forty days with His disciples, and the day of Pentecost being fully come,
He sent unto them the Holy Spirit as He had promised. Accordingly the
Spirit coming at that time filled the place, and there was first a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, as we read in the Acts of the
Apostles, and "there appeared unto them," it says, "cloven tongues as of
fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they began to speak with tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance."(3) Here we have seen a dove descending
upon the Lord; there, cloven tongues upon the assembled disciples: in the
former, simplicity is shown; in the latter, fervency. Now there are who are
said to be simple, who are only indolent; they are called simple, but they
are only slow. Not such was Stephen, full of the Holy Ghost: he was simple,
because he injured no one; he was fervent, because he reproved the ungodly.
For he held not his peace before the Jews. His are those burning words: "Ye
stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart and ears, ye do always resist the
Holy Spirit." Mighty impetuosity; but it is the dove without gall raging.
For that you know that he was fierce without gall, see how, upon hearing
these words, they who were the ravens immediately took up stones and rushed
together upon this dove. They begin to stone Stephen; and he who a little
before stormed and glowed with ardor of spirit,--who had, as it were, made
an onset on his enemies, and like one full of violence had attacked them in
such fiery and burning words as you have heard, "Ye stiff-necked and
uncircumcised in heart and ears," that any one who heard those words might
fancy that Stephen, if he were allowed, would have them consumed at once,
--but when the stones thrown from their hands reached him, with fixed knee
he saith, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."(4) He held fast to the
unity of the dove. For his Master, upon whom the dove descended, had done
the same thing before him; who, while hanging on the cross, said, "Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do."(5) Wherefore by the dove it
is shown that they who are sanctified by the Spirit should be without
guile; and that their simplicity should not continue cold is shown us by
the fire. Nor let it trouble you that the tongues were divided; for tongues
are diverse, therefore the appearance was that of cloven tongues. "Cloven
tongues," it saith, "as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." There is a
diversity of tongues, but the diversity of tongues does not imply schisms.
Be not afraid of separation in the cloven tongues; in the dove recognize
unity.

   4. Hence in this manner it behoved the Holy Spirit to be manifested
when coming upon the Lord, that every one might understand that if he has
the Holy Spirit he ought to be simple as the dove, to have true peace with
his brethren, that peace which the kisses of doves signify. Ravens have
their kisses too; but in the case of the ravens it is a false peace, in
that of the dove a true peace. Not every one, therefore, who says, "Peace
be with you," is to be listened to as if he were a dove. How then are the
kisses of ravens distinguished from those of doves? Ravens kiss, but they
tear; the nature of doves is innocent of tearing. Where consequently there
is tearing, there is not true peace in the kisses. They have true peace who
have not torn the Church. Ravens feed upon carrion, it is not so with the
dove; it lives on the fruits of the earth, its food is innocent. This,
brethren, is really worthy of admiration in the dove. Sparrows are very
small birds, but yet they kill flies at least. The dove does nothing of
this sort, for it does not feed on what is dead. They who have torn the
Church feed on the dead. God is mighty; let us pray that they who are
devoured by them, and perceive it not, may come to life again. Many
acknowledge that they do come to life again, for at their coming we daily
express joy with them in the name of Christ. Be ye simple, but only in such
wise that ye be fervent, and let your fervor be in your tongues. Hold not
your peace, speak with glowing tongues, set those that are cold on fire.

   5. For why, my brethren? Who does not see what they do not? And no
wonder; for they who are unwilling to return from that are just like the
raven that was sent forth from the ark. For who does not see what they see
not? They are unthankful even to the Holy Spirit Himself. See, the dove
descended upon the Lord, upon the Lord when baptized: and thereupon was
manifested that holy and real Trinity, which to us is one God. For the Lord
went up out of the water, as we read in the Gospel: "And, lo, the heavens
were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and it
abode upon Him: and immediately a voice followed, Thou art my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased."(1) The Trinity most manifestly appears: the
Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Spirit in the dove. In this
Trinity let us see, as we do see, whereunto the apostles were sent forth,
and what it is wonderful those men do not see. Not indeed that they really
do not see, but that they really shut their eyes to that which strikes them
in the very face: that whereunto the disciples were sent forth in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by Him of whom it is
said, "This is He that baptizeth:" it was said, in fact, to His ministers,
by Him who has retained this authority to Himself.

   6. Now this it was in Him that John saw, and came to know which he did
not know. Not that he did not know Him to be the Son of God, or that he did
not know Him to be the Lord, or not know Him to be the Christ; or that he
did not know this too, that it was He who should baptize with water and
with the Holy Ghost. This he did know; but that he should do this so as to
retain the authority to Himself and transfer it to none of His ministers,
this is what he learnt in the dove. For by this authority, which Christ has
retained to Himself alone, and conferred upon none of His ministers, though
He has deigned to baptize by His ministers; by this authority, I say,
stands the unity of the Church, which is figured in the dove, concerning
which it is said, "My dove is one, the only one of her mother."(2) For if,
as I have already said, my brethren, the authority were transferred by the
Lord to His minister, there would be as many baptisms as ministers, and the
unity of baptism would no longer exist.

   7. Mark, brethren; before our Lord Jesus Christ came to His baptism
(for it was after the baptism that the dove descended, whereby John
recognized something that was peculiar to Him, since he was told, "Upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending like a dove, and remaining on
Him, the same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost"), John knew that He
it was that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost; but that it should be with this
peculiarity, that the authority should not pass from Him to another,
notwithstanding He confers it, this is what he learnt there. And whence do
we prove that John did already know that the Lord was to baptize with the
Holy Ghost; so that what he must be understood to have learned by the dove
is, that the Lord was to baptize with the Holy Ghost in such wise that the
authority should not pass from Him to any other man? Whence do we prove
this? The dove descended after the Lord was baptized; but before the Lord
came to be baptized by John in the Jordan, we have said that John knew Him,
on the evidence of those words, in which he says, "Comest Thou to me to be
baptized? I have need to be baptized of Thee." Well, he did know Him to be
the Lord, knew Him to be the Son of God; how do we prove that he knew
already that the same was He who should baptize with the Holy Ghost? Before
He came to the river, whilst many people were running together to John to
be baptized, he says to them, "I indeed baptize you with water; but He that
cometh after me is greater than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not
worthy to loose; the same shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with
fire."(3) Already he knew this also. What then did he learn from the dove,
that he may not afterwards be found a liar (which God forbid we should
think), if it be not this, that there was to be a certain peculiarity in
Christ, such that, although many ministers, be they righteous or
unrighteous, should baptize, the virtue of baptism would be attributed to
Him alone on whom the dove descended, and of whom it was said, "This is He
that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost"? Peter may baptize, but this is He that
baptizeth; Paul may baptize, yet this is He that baptizeth; Judas may
baptize, still this is He that baptizeth.

   8. For if the sanctity of baptism be according to the diversity of
merits in them that administer it, then as merits are diverse there will be
diverse baptisms; and the recipient will imagine that what he receives is
so much the better, the better he appears to be from whom he received it.
The saints themselves--understand brethren, they that belong to the dove,
that have their part in that city of Jerusalem, the good themselves in the
Church, of whom the apostle says, "The Lord knoweth them that are His"(1)--
are endued with different graces, and do not all possess like merits. Some
are more holy than others, some are better than others. Therefore if one
receive baptism from him, for example, who is a righteous saint, another
from another who is of inferior merit with God, of inferior degree, of
inferior continence, of inferior life, how notwithstanding is that which
they receive one, equal and like, if it be not because, "This is He that
baptizeth"? Just, then, as when the good and the better administer baptism,
one man does not receive a good thing, another a better; but,
notwithstanding that the ministers were one good the other better, they
receive what is one and equal, not a better in the one case and a worse in
the other; so, too, when a bad man administers baptism, through the
ignorance or forbearance of the Church (for bad men either are not known as
such, or are borne with; the chaff is tolerated until the floor be fully
purged at the last), that which is given is one, not unlike because the
ministers are unlike, but like and equal because "This is He that
baptizeth."

   9. Therefore, beloved, let us see what those men desire not to see; not
what they may not see, but what they grieve to see, as though it were shut
against them. Whither were the disciples sent to baptize as ministers, in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost? Whither were
they sent? "Go," said He, "baptize the nations." You have heard, brethren,
how that inheritance comes, "Ask of me, and I will give Thee the nations
for Thine inheritance, and the utmost bounds of the earth for Thy
possessions."(2) You have heard how that "from Sion went forth the law, and
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."(3) For it was there the disciples
were told, "Go, baptize the nations in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost."(4) We became attentive when we heard, "Go,
baptize the nations." In whose name? "In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost." This is one God; for it says not in the
"names" of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, but "in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Where thou
hearest one name, there is one God; just as it was said of Abraham's seed,
and the Apostle Paul expounds it, "In thy seed shall all nations be
blessed; he said not, In seeds, as in many, but as in one, and in thy seed
which is Christ."(5) Wherefore, just as the apostle wished to show thee
that, because in that place it is not said "in seeds," Christ is one; so
here too, when it is said, "in the name," not in the names, even as these,
"in seed," not in seeds, is it proved that the Father, and the Son. and the
Holy Ghost are one God.

   10. But lo, say the disciples to the Lord, we are told in what name we
are to baptize; Thou hast made us ministers, and hast said to us, "Go,
baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Whither shall we go? Whither? Have you not heard? To Mine inheritance. You
ask, Whither shall we go? To that which I bought with my blood. Whither
then? To the nations, saith He. I fancied that He said, Go, baptize the
Africans in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Thanks be to God, the Lord has solved the question the dove has taught us.
Thanks be to God, it was to the nations the apostles were sent; if to the
nations, then to all tongues. The Holy Spirit signified this, being divided
in the tongues, united in the dove. Here the tongues are divided, there the
dove unites them. The tongues of the nations agreed, perhaps that of Africa
alone disagreed. What can be more evident, my brethren? In the dove the
unity, in the tongues the community of the nations. For once the tongues
became discordant through pride, and then of one became many tongues. For
after the flood certain proud men, as if endeavoring to fortify themselves
against God, as if aught were high for God, or aught could give security to
pride, raised a tower, apparently that they might not be destroyed by a
flood, should there come one thereafter. For they had heard and considered
that all iniquity was swept away by a flood; to abstain from iniquity they
would not; they sought the height of a tower as a defense against a flood;
they built a lofty tower. "God saw their pride, and frustrated their
purpose by causing that they should not understand one another's speech,
and thus tongues became diverse through pride." If pride caused diversities
of tongues, Christ's humility has united these diversities in one. The
Church is now bringing together what that tower had sundered. Of one tongue
there were made many; marvel not: this was the doing of pride. Of many
tongues there is made one; marvel not: this was the doing of charity. For
although the sounds of tongues are various, in the heart one God is
invoked, one peace preserved. How then should the Holy Spirit have been
manifested when signifying a unity, if not by the dove, so that it might be
said to the Church brought into a state of peace, "My dove is one"? How
ought humility to have been represented but by an innocent, sorrowing bird;
not by a proud, exulting bird like the raven?

   11. But perhaps they will say: Well, as it is a dove, and the dove is
one, baptism there cannot be apart from the one dove. Therefore if the dove
is with thee, or if thou be thyself a dove, do thou give me, when I come to
thee, that which I have not. You know that this is what they say; but you
will presently see that it is not of the voice of the dove, but of the
clamor of the raven. For attend a little, beloved, and fear their devices;
nay, beware of them, and listen to the words of gainsayers only to reject
them, not to swallow them and take them into your bowels. Do therein what
the Lord did when they offered Him the bitter draught, "He tasted, and spat
it out; " [1] so also you hear and cast away. What indeed say they? Let us
see. Lo, Church, it is to thee it is said, "My dove is one, the only one of
her mother" to thee certainly is it said. Stop, do not question me; prove
first whether to me it was said; if it was said to me, I would hear it at
once. "To thee," saith he, "it was said." I answer, in the voice of the
Catholic Church, "To me." And this answer, brethren, sounding forth from my
mouth alone, has sounded, as I believe, also from your hearts, and we all
affirmed together, yea, to the Catholic Church was it said, "One is my
dove, the only one of her mother." Apart from this dove, says he further,
there is no baptism: I was baptized apart from this dove, consequently have
not baptism; if I have not baptism, why dost thou not give it me when I
come to thee ?

   12. I also will put questions; let us meanwhile lay aside the inquiry
as to whom this was said, "My dove is one, the only one of her mother; "--
as yet we are inquiring;--it was said either to me or to thee; let us
postpone the question as to whom it was said. This is what I ask, if the
dove is simple, innocent, without gall, peaceful in its kisses, not fierce
with its talons, I ask whether the covetous, the rapacious, the crafty, the
sottish, the infamous, belong to the members of this dove? are they members
of this dove? Far be the thought, says he. And who would really say this,
brethren? To speak of nothing else, if I mention the rapacious alone,
members of the hawk they may be, not members of the dove. Kites seize and
plunder, so do hawks, so do ravens; doves do not plunder nor tear,
consequently they who snatch and rob are not members of the dove. Was there
not even one rapacious person among you? Why abides the baptism, which in
this case the hawk, not the dove, has given? Why do you not among
yourselves baptize after robbers, after adulterers, after drunkards? why
not baptize after the avaricious among yourselves? Are these all members of
the dove? You so dishonor your dove that you make those that have the
nature of the vulture her members. What, then, brethren, what say we? There
are the bad and the good in the Catholic Church, but with them the bad
only. But perhaps I say this with a hostile feeling: let this too be
afterwards examined. They do say, certainly, that among them are the good
and the bad; for, should they assert that they have only the good, let
their own credit it, and I subscribe. With us, let them say, there are none
but holy, righteous, chaste, sober men; no adulterers, no usurers, no
deceivers, no false swearers, no wine-bibbers;--let them say this, for I
heed not their tongues I touch their hearts. But since they are well known
to us, and to you, and to their own, just as you are known both to
yourselves in the Catholic Church and to them, neither let us find fault
with them, nor let them flatter themselves. We confess that in the Church
there are good and bad, yet as the grain and the chaff. Sometimes he who is
baptized by the grain is chaff, and he who is baptized by the chaff is
grain. Otherwise, if his baptism who is baptized by the grain stands good,
and his who is baptized by the chaff not, then it is not true, "This is He
that baptizeth." But if it is true "This is He that baptizeth," then what
is given by the chaff stands good, and he baptizeth in like manner as the
dove. For the bad man (who administers baptism) is not the dove, nor
belongs to the members of the dove, nor can he possibly be affirmed to be
so, either with us in the Catholic Church or with them, if they assert that
their Church is the dove. What then are we to understand, brethren? Since
it is evident, and known to all, and they must admit, though it be against
their will, that when with them bad men give baptism, it is not given after
those bad men; and with us, too, when the bad give baptism, t is not given
after them. The dove does not baptize after the raven; why then would the
raven baptize after the dove ?

   13. Consider, beloved, why also was there a something pointed out by
means of the dove, as that the dove--namely, the Holy Spirit in the shape
of a dove--came to the Lord on being baptized, and rested upon Him, whilst
by the coming of the dove John learned this, that there dwelt in the Lord a
power peculiarly His own to baptize? Because it was by this power peculiar
to Himself, as I have said, the peace of the Church was made secure. And
yet it may be that one may have baptism apart from the dove; but that
baptism apart from the dove should do him good, is impossible. Consider,
beloved, and understand what I say, for by this deception they mislead such
of our brethren as are dull and cold. Let us be more simple and more
fervent See, say they, have I received, or have I not? I answer, Thou hast
received. Well, if I have received, there is nothing which thou canst give
me; I am safe, even on thine own evidence. For I affirm that I have
received, and thou, too, dost confess that I have received: I am safe by
the confession of both: what then dost thou promise me? Why wouldst thou
make me a Catholic, when thou wouldst not give me anything further, seeing
thou confessest that I have already received that which thou affirmest
thyself to possess? But when I say, Come to me, I say that thou dost not
possess, who yet confessest that I do. Why dost thou say, Come to me ?

   14. The dove teaches us. From the head of the Lord she answers, and
says, Thou hast baptism, but the charity with which I groan thou hast not.
How is this says he, I have baptism, and have not charity? Have I the
sacraments, and not charity? Do not shout: show me how can he who divides
unity have charity? I, saith he, have baptism. Thou hast; but that baptism,
without charity, profits thee nothing; because without charity thou art
nothing. The baptism itself, even in him who is nothing, is not nothing.
Baptism, indeed, is something, aye, something great, for His sake, of whom
it is said, "This is He that baptizeth." But lest thou shouldst fancy that
that which is great can profit thee aught, if thou be not in unity, it was
after He was baptized that the dove descended, as if intimating, If thou
hast baptism, be in the dove, lest what thou hast profit thee not. Come,
then, to the dove, we say; not that thou mayest begin to have what thou
hadst not before, but that what thou didst have may begin to profit thee.
For thou didst have baptism to destruction without; if thou shalt have it
within, it begins to profit thee to salvation.

   15. For not only was baptism not profitable to thee, and not also
hurtful Even holy things may be hurtful. In the good, indeed, holy things
are to salvation; in the evil, to judgment. For we certainly know,
brethren, what we receive, and what we receive is at any rate holy, and no
one says that it is not: and what says the apostle? "But he that eateth and
drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself." [1] He does
not say that the thing itself is bad, but that the evil man, by receiving
it amis , receives the good thing which he does receive to judgment. Was
that morsel which the Lord delivered to Judas evil? God forbid. The
physician would not give poison; it was health the physician gave; but by
unworthily receiving it, he who received it not being at peace, received it
unto destruction. So likewise also good heed to what thou hast; by that
very thing which thou hast thou wilt be condemned. Wherefore? Because thou
hast what belongs to the dove apart from the dove. If thou hast what is the
dove's in the dove, thou art safe. Suppose thyself a soldier: if thou hast
thy general's mark within the lines, thou servest in safety; but if thou
hast it out of bounds, not only that mark will not be of advantage to thee
for service, but thou wilt even be punished as a deserter. Come, then,
come, and do not say, I have already, I have enough. Come; the dove is
calling thee, calling thee by her sighing. My brethren, to you I say, call
by groaning, not by quarreling; call by praying, by invitation, by fasting;
let them by your charity understand that you pity them. I doubt not, my
brethren, that if they see your sorrow they will be astonished, and will
come to life again. Come, then, come; be not afraid; be afraid if thou do
not come; nay, be not afraid, rather bewail thyself. Come, thou wilt
rejoice if thou wilt come; thou wilt indeed groan in the tribulations of
thy pilgrimage, but thou wilt rejoice in hope. Come where the dove is, to
whom it was said, "My dove is one, the only one of her mother." Seest thou
not the one dove upon the head of Christ? seest thou not the tongues
throughout the whole world? It is the same Spirit by the dove and by the
tongues: if by the dove the same Spirit, and by the tongues the same
Spirit, then was the Holy Spirit given to the whole world, from which
Spirit thou hast cut thyself off, that thou mightest clamor with the raven,
not that thou mightest sigh with the dove. Come, then.

   16. But thou art anxious, it may be, and sayest, I was baptized
without; I fear lest therefore I am guilty, in that I was baptized without.
Already thou beginnest to know what thou hast to bewail. Thou sayest truly
that thou art guilty, not because of thy receiving, but because of thy
receiving without. Keep then what thou hast received; amend thy receiving
it without. Thou hast received what is the doves apart from the dove. Here
are two things said to thee: Thou hast received, and, Apart from the dove
thou hast received. In that thou hast received, I approve; that thou hast
received without, I disappprove. Keep then what thou hast received, it is
not changed, but recognized: it is the mark of my king, I will not profane
it. I will correct the deserter, not change the mark.

   17. Boast not of thy baptism because I call it a red baptism. Behold, I
say that it is so the whole Catholic Church says that it is so the dove
regards it, and acknowledges it, and groans because thou hast it without;
she sees therein what she may acknowledge, sees also what she may correct.
It is a real baptism, come. Thou boastest that it is real, and yet wilt
thou not come? What then of the wicked, who do not belong to the dove?
Saith the dove to thee, Even the wicked, among whom I groan, who belong not
to my members, and it must needs be that I groan among them, have not they
that which thou boastest of having? Have not many drunkards baptism? Have
not many covetous? Have not many idolaters, and, what is worse, who are
such as stealth? Do not the pagans resort, now Christians secretly seek out
diviners and consult astrologers. And yet these have baptism; but the dove
groans among ravens. Why then dost thou boast in the having it? This that
thou hast, the wicked man also has. Have thou humility, charity, peace;
have thou the good thing which as yet thou hast not, so that the good thing
which thou hast may profit thee.

   18. For what thou hast, even Simon Magus had: the Acts of the Apostles
are witness, that canonical book which has to be read in the Church every
year. You know that every year, in the season following the Lord's Passion,
that book is read, wherein it is written, how the apostle was converted,
and from a persecutor became a preacher; [1] also, how on the day of
Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent in cloven tongues as of fire. [2] There
we read that in Samaria many believed through the preaching of Philip: and
he is understood to have been either one of the apostles or one of the
deacons; for we read there that seven deacons were ordained, among whom is
the name of Philip. Well, then, through the preaching of Philip the
Samaritans believed; Samaria began to abound in believers. This Simon Magus
was there. By his magical arts he had so befooled the people, that they
fancied him to be the power of God. Impressed, however, by the signs which
were done by Philip, he also believed; but in what manner he believed, the
events that followed afterwards proved. And Simon also was baptized. The
apostles, who were at Jerusalem, heard this. Peter and John were sent to
those in Samaria; they found many baptized; and as none of them had as yet
received the Holy Ghosts--in like manner as He at that time descended, so
as that they on whom the Holy Spirit came should speak with tongues, for a
manifest token that the nations would believe,--they laid their hands on
them, praying for them, and they received the Holy Ghost. This Simon--who
was not a dove but a raven in the Church, because he sought his own things,
not the things which are Jesus Christ's; whence he loved the power which
was in the Christians more than the righteousness--Simon, I say, saw that
the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the hands of the apostles
(not that it was given by them, but given in answer to their prayers), and
he said to them, " How much money will ye that I give you, so that by the
laying on of my hands also, the Holy Ghost may be given? And Peter said
unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou thoughtest that the gift
of God was to be bought with money." To whom said he, "Thy money perish
with thee "? Undoubtedly to one that was baptized. Baptism he had already;
but he did not cleave to the bowels of the dove. Understand that he did
not; attend to the very words of the Apostle Peter, for he goes on, "Thou
hast no part nor lot in this faith: for I see that thou art in the gall of
bitterness." [3] The dove has no gall; Simon had, and for that reason he
was separated from the bowels of the dove. What did baptism profit him? Do
not therefore boast of thy baptism, as if that were of itself enough for
thy salvation. Be not angry, put away thy gall, come to the dove. Here that
will profit thee, which without not only did not profit thee, but even was
prejudicial to thee.

   19. Neither say, I will not come, because I was baptized without. So,
begin to have charity, begin to have fruit, let there be fruit found in
thee, and the dove will send thee within. We find this in Scripture. The
ark was made of incorruptible wood. The incorruptible timbers are the
saints, the faithful that belong to Christ. For as in the temple the living
stones of which it is built are said to be faithful men, so likewise the
incorruptible timbers are they who persevere in the faith. In that same
ark, then, the timbers were incorruptible. Now the ark is the Church, it is
there the dove baptizeth; for the ark was borne on the water,  the
incorruptible timbers timbers were baptized without, such as all the trees
that were in the world. Nevertheless the water was the same, not another
sort; all had come from heaven, or from abysses of the fountains. It was
the same water in which the incorruptible timbers which were in the ark
were baptized, and in which the timbers that were without were baptized.
The dove was sent forth, and at first found no rest for its feet; it
returned to the ark, for all was full of water, and it preferred to return
rather than be rebaptized. But the raven was sent out before the water was
dried up. Rebaptized, it desired not to return, and died in those waters.
May God avert from us that raven's death. For why did not the raven return,
unless because it was taken off by the waters? rest for its feet, whilst
the water was crying to it on every side, "Come, come, dip thyself here;"
just as these heretics cry, "Come, come, here thou hast it;" the dove,
finding no rest for its feet, returned to the ark. And ark sends you out to
speak to them; and what did the dove afterwards? Because there were timbers
without that were baptized, it brought back to the ark an olive branch.
That branch had both leaves and fruit. Let there not be in thee words only,
nor leaves only; let there be fruit, and thou returnest to the ark, not of
thyself, the dove calls thee back. Groan ye without, that ye may call them
back within.

   20. Moreover, as to this fruit of the olive. if the matter be examined,
you will find what it was. The fruit of the olive signifies charity. How do
we prove this? Just as oil is kept down by no liquid, but bursting through
all, bounds up and overtops them; so likewise charity cannot be pressed to
the bottom, but must of necessity show itself at the top. Therefore the
apostle says of it, "Yet show I unto you a more excellent [1] way." Since
we have said of oil that it overtops other liquids, in case it should not
be of charity, the apostle said," I show you a more excellent way," let us
hear what follows. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
Go now, Donatus, and cry, "I am eloquent;" go now, and cry, "I am learned."
How far eloquent? How far learned? Hast thou spoken with the tongues of
angels? Yet though thou wert to speak with the tongues of angels, not
having charity, I should hear only sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. I
want solidity; let me find fruit among the leaves; let there be not words
merely, let them have the olive, let them return to the ark.

   21. But I have the sacrament, thou wilt say. Thou sayest the truth; the
sacrament is divine; thou hast baptism, and that I confess. But what says
the apostle? "If I should know all mysteries, [2] and have prophecy and all
faith, so that I could remove mountains;" in case thou shouldest say this,
"I believe; enough for me." But what says James? "The devils believe and
tremble." [3] Faith is mighty, but without charity it profits nothing. The
devils confessed Christ. Accordingly it was from believing, but not from
loving, they said, "What have we to do with Thee?" [4] They had faith, but
not charity; hence they were devils. Boast not of faith; so far thou art on
a level with the devils. Say not to Christ, What have I to do with Thee?
For Christ's unity speaks to thee. have fruit, and thou returnest to the
ark. The reason why we seek you is, because you are bad; for if you were
not bad, we should have found you, and would not be seeking you. He who is
good is already found; he who is bad is still sought after. Consequently,
we are seeking you; return ye to the ark. "But I have baptism already." "
Though I should know all mysteries, [5] and have prophecy and all faith, so
as to remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing." Let me see
fruit there; let me see the olive there, and thou art called back to the
ark.

   23. But what sayest thou? "Behold, we suffer many evils." Would that ye
suffered these for Christ, not for your own honor! Hear what follows: They,
indeed, boast sometimes, because they do many alms, give to the poor;
because they suffer afflictions: but it is for Donatus, not for Christ.
Consider how thou sufferest; for if thou sufferest for Donatus, it is for a
proud man: thou art not in the dove if thou art suffering for Donatus.
Donatus was not the friend of the Bridegroom; for had he been, he would
have sought the glory of the Bridegroom, not his own. See the friend of the
Bridegroom saying, "This is He that baptizeth." He, for whom thou art
suffering, was not the friend of the Bridegroom. Thou hast not the wedding
garment; and if thou art come to the feast, thou wilt be put out of doors;
nay, thou hast been cast out of doors already, and for that reason thou art
wretched: return at length, and do not boast. Hear what the apostle says:
"Though I should distribute all my goods to the poor, and give my body to
be burnt, but have not charity." See what thou dost not have. "Though," he
saith, "I should give my body to be burnt;" and that, too, for the name of
Christ; but since there are many who do this boastfully, not with charity,
therefore, "Though I should give my body to be burnt, and have not charity,
it profiteth me nothing." [1]  It was by charity those martyrs, who
suffered in time of persecution, did this; but these men do it of their
vanity and pride; for in the absence of a persecutor, they throw themselves
headlong into destruction. Come, then, that thou mayest have charity. "But
we have our martyrs." What martyrs? They are not doves; hence they
attempted to fly, and fell over the rock.

   24. You see then, my brethren, that all things cry against them, all
the divine pages, all prophecy, the whole gospel, all the apostolic
letters, every sigh of the dove, and yet they awake not, they do not yet
rouse from their sleep. But if we are the dove, let us groan, let us
persevere, let us hope; God's compassion will be with you, that the fire of
the Holy Spirit may glow in your simplicity; and they will come. There must
be no despairing; pray, preach, love; the Lord is able to the utmost.
Already they begin to be sensible of their shame; many have become sensible
of it, and blushed; Christ will aid, that the rest also may become sensible
of it. However, my brethren, at least let the chaff alone remain there; let
all the grain be gathered together; let whatever has borne fruit among them
return to the ark by the dove.

   25. Failing everywhere else, what do they now allege against us, not
finding what to say? They have taken away our houses, they have taken away
our estates. They bring forward wills. "See, Gaius Seius made a grant of an
estate to the church over which Faustinus presided." Of what church was
Faustinus bishop? What is the church? To the church over which Faustinus
presided, said he. But Faustinus presided not over a church, but over a
sect. The dove, however, is the Church. Why cry out? We have not devoured
houses; let the dove have them. Let inquiry be made who the dove is, and
let  her have them. For you know, my brethren, that those houses of theirs
are not Augustin's; and if you know it not, and imagine that I delight in
the possession of them, God knows, yea, knows my judgment respecting those
estates, and even what I suffer in that matter; He knows my groaning, since
He has deigned to impart to me somewhat of the dove. Behold, there are
those estates; by what right dost thou assert thy claim to them? By divine
right, or by human? Let them answer: Divine right we have in the
Scriptures, human right in the laws of kings. By what right does every man
possess what he possesses? Is it not by human right? For by divine right,
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." [2] The poor and the
rich God made of one clay; the same earth supports alike the poor add the
rich. By human right, however, one says, This estate is mine, this house is
mine, this servant is mine. By human right, therefore, is by right of the
emperors. Why so? Because God has distributed to mankind these very human
rights through the emperors and kings of this world. Do you wish us to read
the laws of the emperors, and to act by the estates according to these
laws? If you will have your possession by human right, let us recite the
laws of the emperors; let us see whether they would have the heretics
possess anything. But what is the emperor to me? thou sayest. It is by
right from him that thou possessest the land. Or take away rights created
by emperors, and then who will dare say, That estate is mine, or that slave
is mine, or this house is mine? If, however, in order to their possessing
these thing, men have received rights derived from kings, will ye that we
read the laws, that you may be glad in having even a single garden, and
impute it to nothing but the clemency of the dove that you are permitted to
remain in the communion of the Catholic Church, usurp peace, may not dare
to possess anything in the name of the Church. pe

    26. But what have we to do with the emperor? But I have already said
that we are treating of human right. And yet the apostle would have us obey
kings, would have us honor kings, and said, "Honor the king." [3] Do not
say, What have I to do with the king ? as in that case, what have you to do
with the possession? It is by the rights derived from kings that
possessions are enjoyed. Thou hast said, What have I to do with the king?
Say not then that the possessions are thine;  which men enjoy their
possessions, thou hast referred them. But it is with divine right I have to
do, saith he. Well, let us read the Gospel; let us see how far extends the
Catholic Church of Christ, upon whom the dove came, which taught, "This is
He that baptizeth." In what way, then, can he possess by divine right, who
says, "I baptize;" whilst the dove says, "This is He that baptizeth;"
whilst the Scripture says, "My dove is one, the only one of her mother"?
Why have you torn the dove?--nay, rather, have torn your own bowels? for
while you are yourselves torn to pieces, the dove continues entire.
Therefore, my brethren, if, driven from every point, they have nothing to
say, I will tell them what to do; let them come to the Catholic Church, and
together with us, they will have not only the earth, but Him also who made
heaven and earth.

TRACTATE VII: CHAPTER I. 34--51.

   1. WE rejoice at your numbers, for you have come together with
readiness and in greater numbers than we could have hoped. This it is that
delights and consoles us in all the labors and dangers of this life, your
love towards God, and pious zeal, and assured hope, and fervor of spirit.
You heard when the psalm was read, "that the needy and poor man cries to
God in this world." [1] For it is the voice, as you have often heard, and
ought to remember, not of one man, and yet of one man; not of one, because
the faithful are many--many grins groaning amid the chaff diffused
throughout the whole world--but of one, because all are members of Christ,
rejoicing of the world is vanity. With great expectation is it hoped for
and it cannot, when it comes, be held fast. For this day which is a day of
rejoicing in this city to the lost, to-morrow will, of course, cease to be;
nor will they themselves be the same tomorrow that they are to-day. And all
things every soul follows what it loves. "All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the
flower fadeth; but the word of the Lord abideth forever." [2] Behold what
thou must love if thou dost desire to abide for ever. But thou hadst this
to reply: How can I apprehend the word of God? "The Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us." [3]

   2. Wherefore, beloved, let it belong to our neediness and poverty to
grieve for those who seem to themselves to abound. For their joy is as that
of madmen. But as a madman rejoices for the most part in his madness, and
laughs, and grieves over him who is in his senses, so let us, beloved, if
we have received the medicine coming from heaven, because we all were
madmen, as if made whole, because those things which we did love we do not
love,--let us, I say, groan unto God for those who are yet in madness, for
He is able to themselves, they see their own confusion. But until this take
place, let our pursuits be different, let the recreations of our souls be
different; our grief avails more than their joy. As far as regards the
number of the brethren, it is difficult to conceive that any one of the men
should have been carried away by that celebration; but as regards the
number of the sisters, it grieves us, and this is a greater cause for
grief, that they do not rather repair to the Church, whom if not fear,
modesty at all events ought to deter from the public scene. May He see to
this who sees it; and may His mercy be present to heal all. Let us who have
come together feed upon the feast of God, and let our joy be His word. For
He has invited us to His gospel, and He is our food, than whom nothing is
sweeter, if only a man have a healthy palate in his heart.

   3. But I imagine, beloved brethren, that you remember that this Gospel
is read in order in suitable portions; and I think that it has not escaped
you what has lately been treated of, specially the recent matters
concerning John and the dove. Concerning John, namely, what new thing he
learned concerning the Lord by means of the dove, although he had already
known the Lord. And this was discovered by the inspiration of the Spirit of
God, that John indeed already knew the Lord, but that the Lord Himself was
to baptize, that the power of baptizing He would not transfer from Himself
to any one, this he learned by means of the dove, because it was said to
him, "On whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding
upon Him, this is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." [1] What is
"This is He"? Not another, although by means of another. But why by means
of a dove? Many things were said, and I am not able, nor is there need that
I should go over all;--principally, however, to denote peace, because also
the trees which were baptized outside, because the dove found in them
fruit, it brought to the ark, as you remember the dove sent out by Noah
from the ark, which floated on the flood and was washed by baptism, was not
submerged. When, then, it was sent forth, it brought an olive branch; but
it had not leaves alone, it had also fruit. [2] This, then, we ought to
wish for our brethren who are baptized outside, that they may have fruit;
the dove will not permit them to remain outside, but bring them back to the
ark. For the whole of fruit is charity, without which a man is nothing,
whatever else he have. And this, which is most fully said by the apostle,
we have mentioned and recounted. For he says, "Though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding
brass or a tinkling cymbal; and though I should have all knowledge, and
know all mysteries, and have all prophecy, and should have all faith" (but
in what sense did he say all faith ?), "so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I should distribute all my
goods to the poor, and though I should give my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profiteth me nothing." [3] But in no manner are they able
to say that they have charity who divide unity. These things were said: let
us see what follows.

   4. John bare record because he saw. What record did he bear? "That this
is the Son of God." It behoved, then, that He should baptize who is God's
only Son, not His adopted son. Adopted sons are the ministers of the only
Son: the only Son has power; the adopted, the ministry. In the case that a
minister baptizes who does not belong to the number of sons, because he
lives evilly and acts evilly, what is our consolation? "This is He which
baptizeth."

   5. "The next day, John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking
upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God !" Assuredly, in
a special sense, the Lamb; for the disciples were also called lambs:
"Behold, I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves."[4] They were also
called light: "Ye are the light of the world; "[5] but in another sense is
He called so, concerning whom it was said, "That was the true light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world." [6] In like manner was He
called the dove in a special sense, alone without stain, without sin; not
one whose sins have been washed away, but One who never had stain. For
what? Because John said concerning the Lord, "Behold the Lamb of God," was
not John himself a lamb? Was he not a holy man? Was he not the friend of
the Bridegroom? Wherefore, with a special meaning, said John of Him, "This
is the Lamb of God;" because solely by the blood of this Lamb alone could
men be redeemed.

   6. My brethren, if we acknowledge our price, that it is the blood of
the Lamb, who are they who this day celebrate the festival of the blood of
I know not what woman? and how ungrateful are they! The gold was snatched,
they say, from the ear of a woman, and the blood ran, and the gold was
placed on a pair of scales or on a balance, and the advantage was much on
the side of the blood. If the blood of a woman was sufficiently weighty to
outweigh the gold, what power to outweigh the world has the blood of the
Lamb by whom the world was made? And, indeed, that spirit, I know not who,
was pacified by the blood that he should depress the weight. Impure spirits
knew that Jesus Christ would come, they had heard of His coming from the
angels, they had heard of it from the prophets, and they expected it. For
if they were not expecting it, why did they exclaim, "What have we to do
with Thee? art Thou come before the time to destroy us ? We know who Thou
art; the Holy One of God." [1] They expected that He would come, but they
were ignorant of the time. But what have you heard in the psalm regarding
Jerusalem? "For Thy servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and will
pity the dust thereof. Thou shall arise," says he, "and have mercy upon
Zion: for the time is come that Thou wilt have mercy upon her." [2] When
the time came for God to have mercy, the Lamb came. What sort of a Lamb
whom wolves fear? What sort of a Lamb is it who, when slain, slew a lion?
For the devil is called a lion, going about and roaring, seeking whom he
may devour. [3] By the blood of the Lamb the lion was vanquished. Behold
the spectacles of Christians. And what is more: they with the eyes of the
flesh behold vanity, we with the eyes of the heart behold truth. Do not
think, brethren, that our Lord God has dismissed us without spectacles; for
if there are no spectacles, why have ye come together to-day? Behold, what
we have said you saw, and you exclaimed; you would not have exclaimed if
you had not seen. And this is a great thing to see in the whole world, the
lion vanquished by the blood of the Lamb: members of Christ delivered from
the teeth of the lions, and joined to the body of Christ. Therefore some
spirit or other contrived the counterfeit that His image should be bought
for blood, because he knew that the human race was at some time to be
redeemed by the precious blood. For evil spirits counterfeit certain
shadows of honor to themselves, that they may deceive those who follow
Christ. So much so, my brethren, that those who seduce by means of amulets,
by incantations, by the devices of the enemy, mingle the name of Christ
with their incantations: because they are not now able to seduce
Christians, so as to give them poison they add some honey, that by means of
the sweet the bitter may be concealed, and be drunk to ruin. So much so,
that I know that the priest of that Pilleatus was sometimes in the habit of
saying, Pilleatus himself also is a Christian. Why so, brethren, unless
that they were not able otherwise to seduce Christians ?

   7. Do not, then, seek Christ elsewhere than where Christ wished Himself
to be preached to you; and as He wished Himself to be preached to you, in
that fashion hold Him fast, in that manner write Him on your heart. It is a
wall against all the assaults, and against all the snares of the enemy. Do
not fear, he does not tempt unless he has been permitted; it is certain
that he does nothing unless permitted or sent. He is sent as an evil angel
by a power holding him in control: he is permitted when he asks anything;
and this, brethren, does not take place unless that the just may be tried,
the unjust punished. Why, then, dost thou fear? Walk in the Lord thy God;
be thou assured, what He does not wish thee to suffer thou dost not suffer;
what He permits thee to suffer is the scourge of one correcting, not the
punishment of one condemning. We are being educated for an eternal
inheritance, and do we spurn to be scourged? My brethren, if a boy were to
refuse the punishment of cuffs or stripes from his father, would he not be
called proud, incorrigible, ungrateful towards paternal discipline? And for
what does an earthly father educate his son? That he may not lose the
temporal things which he has acquired for him, which he has collected for
him, which he does not wish him to lose, which he who leaves them cannot
retain eternally. He does not teach a son with whom he is to possess, but
one who is to possess after him My brethren, if a father teaches a son who
is to succeed him, and teaches him also that he will have to pass through
all these things, in same way as he who is admonishing him is destined to
pass through them, how do you wish that He educate us, our Father to whom
we are not to succeed, but to whom we are to approach, and with whom we are
to abide eternally in an inheritance which does not decay nor die, and
which no storms can desolate? He is Himself both the inheritance and the
Father. Shall we possess Him, and ought we not to undergo training? Let us
hear the instruction of the Father. When our head aches, let us not have
recourse to the superstitious intercessor, to the diviners and remedies of
vanity. My brethren, shall I not mourn over you? Daily do I find these
things; and what shall I do? Not yet have I persuaded Christians that their
hope ought to be placed in God. Behold, if one dies to whom one of these
remedies has been given (and how many have died with remedies, and how many
have lived without them !), with what confidence does the spirit go forth
to God? He has lost the sign of Christ, and has received the sign of the
devil. Perhaps he may say that he has not lost the sign of Christ. Thou
canst have, then, the sign of Christ along with the sign of the devil.
Christ does not desire community of ownership, but He desires to possess
alone what He has purchased. He has bought at so great a price that He may
possess alone: thou makest Him the partner of that devil to whom thou didst
sell thyself by thy sin. " Woe to the double-hearted," [4] to those who in
their hearts give part to God and part to the devil. God, being angry that
the devil has part there, departs, and the devil will possess the whole.
Not in vain, therefore, says the apostle, "Neither give place to the
devil." [1] Let us know the Lamb, then, brethren; let us know our price.

   8. "John stood, and two of his disciples." Behold two of John's
disciples: since John, the friend of the Bridegroom, was such as he was, he
sought not his own glory, but bore witness to the truth. Did he wish that
his disciples should remain with him and not follow the Lord? Rather he
himself showed his  disciples whom they should follow. For they accounted
of him as though he were the lamb; and he said, "Why do you give heed to
me? I am not the lamb; behold the Lamb of God," of whom also he had already
said, Behold the Lamb of God. And what benefit does the Lamb of God confer
upon us? "Behold," he says, "who taketh away the sin of the world." The two
who were with John followed Him when they heard this.

   9. Let us see what follows: "Behold the Lamb of God." This John said,
and the two disciples heard him speak, and followed Jesus. Then Jesus
turned and saw them following, and saith unto them, "What seek ye ?" And
they said, "Rabbi (that is to say, being interpreted, Master), where
dwellest Thou ?" They did not follow Him in such manner as that they should
cleave to Him; for it is plain when they cleave unto Him, for He called
them from the ship. For one of the two was Andrew, as you have just heard,
and Andrew was the brother of Peter; and we know from the Gospel that the
Lord called Peter and Andrew from the ship, saying, "Come ye after me, and
I will make you fishers of men." [2] And from that time they clave unto
Him, so as not to go away. On the present occasion these two followed Him,
not as those who were not again to leave Him, but to see where He dwelt,
and to fulfill the Scripture: "Let thy foot wear out the threshold of His
doors; arise to come to Him continually, and be instructed in His
precepts." [3] He showed them where He dwelt: they came and remained with
Him. What a blessed day they spent, what a blessed night! Who can make
known to us those things which they heard from the Lord? Let us also build
in our heart, and make a house into which He may come and teach us, and
have converse with us.

   10. "What seek ye ?" They said unto Him, "Rabbi (which is to say, being
interpreted, Master), where dwellest Thou? He  says to them, Come and see.
And they came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day: and it
was about the tenth hour." Do we think that it did in no wise pertain to
the evangelist to tell us what hour it was? Is it possible that he wished
us to give heed to nothing in that, to inquire after nothing? It was the
tenth hour. That number signifies the law, because the law was given in ten
commandments. But the time had come for the law to be fulfilled by love,
because it could not be fulfilled by the Jews by fear. Hence the Lord says,
"I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill." [4] Suitably, then, at
the tenth hour did these two follow Him, at the testimony of the friend of
the Bridegroom, and  that He at the tenth hour heard" Rabbi (which is
interpreted, Master)." If at the tenth hour the Lord heard Rabbi, and the
tenth number pertains to the law, the master of the law is no other than
the giver of the law. Let no one say that one gave the law, and that
another teaches the law: for the same teaches it who gave it; He is the
Master of His own law, and teaches it. And mercy is in His I tongue
therefore mercifully teacheth He the law, as it is said regarding wisdom,
The law and mercy doth she carry in her tongue." [5] Do not fear that thou
art not able to fulfill the law, flee to mercy. If thou canst not fulfill
the law, make use of that covenant, make use of the bond, make use of the
prayers which the heavenly One, skilled in the law, has ordained and
composed for you.

   11. For those who have a cause, and wish to supplicate the emperor,
seek for some one skilled in the law, and trained in the schools, to
compose their petition for them; lest perchance, if they ask in an
unbecoming manner, they not only do not obtain what they seek, but get
punishment instead of a benefit. When, therefore, the apostles sought to
petition, and could not find how to approach the Emperor God, they said
unto Christ, "Lord, teach us to pray;" that is to say, "O thou who art our
skilled One in the law, our Assessor, yea, the Concessor of God, compose
for us prayers." And the Lord taught them from the book of the celestial
law, taught them how to pray; and in that which He taught, He laid down a
certain condition: "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors."
[6] If thou seekest not according to the law, thou becomest guilty. Dost
thou not tremble before the Emperor, having become guilty? Offer the
sacrifice of humility, offer the sacrifice of mercy; pray, saying, Forgive
me, for I also forgive. But if thou sayest, do. For what wilt thou do?
whither wilt thou go if thou hast lied in thy prayers? Not as it is said in
the forum, thou shalt lose the benefit of the rescript; but thou shall not
obtain a rescript. For it is the law of the forum that he who shall have
lied in his petition shall derive no benefit from that which he has
obtained. But this among men, because a man can be deceived: the emperor
might have been deceived, when thou didst address to him thy petition; for
thou saidest what thou wouldest, and he to whom thou didst speak knew not
whether it was true or false; he sent thee away to thy adversary to be
confuted if possible, so that if before the judge thou shouldest be
convicted of falsehood (because he was not able not to grant the rescript,
not knowing whether thou hadst lied), thou shouldest lose the benefit of
the rescript, in the place to which thou hadst taken it. But God, who knows
whether thou liest or speakest the truth, does not cause thee to lose in
the judgment the benefit, but does not permit thee to obtain it, because
thou hast dared to lie to the Truth.

   12. What, then, wilt thou do? Tell me. To fulfill the law in every
part, so as to offend in nothing, is difficult: the condition of guilt is
therefore certain; wilt thou refuse to use the remedy? Behold, my brethren,
what a remedy the Lord hath provided for the sicknesses of the soul! What
then? When thy head aches, we praise thee if thou placest the gospel at thy
head, instead of having recourse to an amulet. For so far has human
weakness proceeded, and so lamentable is the estate of those who have
recourse to amulets, that we rejoice when we see a man who is upon his bed,
and tossed about with fevers and pains, placing his hope on nothing else
than that the gospel lies at his head; not because it is done for this
purpose, but because the gospel is preferred to amulets. If, then, it is
placed at the head to allay the pain of the head, is it not placed at the
heart to heal it from sin? Let it be done then. Let what be done? Let it be
placed at the heart, let the heart be healed. It is well,--well that thou
shouldest have no further care regarding the safety of the body, than to
ask it from God. If He knows that it will do thee good, He will give it
thee; if He give it not to thee, it would not have profited thee to have
it. How many are sick in bed, and for that reason are innocent! for if they
were to recover, they would go forth to commit acts of wickedness. To how
many is health an injury! The robber who goes forth to the narrow path to
slay a man, how much better for him would it have been to have been sick!
And he who rises by night to dig through his neighbor's wall, how much
better for him to be tossed by fever! If he were ill, he would have been
comparatively innocent; being well, he is guilty of wickedness. It is
known, then, to God what is expedient for us: let us make this only our
endeavor, that our hearts be whole from sins; and when it happens that we
are scourged in the body, let us pray to Him for relief. The Apostle Paul
besought Him that He would take away the thorn in his flesh, and He would
not. Was he disturbed? Was he filled with sadness, and did he speak of
himself as deserted? Rather did he say that he was not deserted, because
that was not taken away which he desired to be taken away, to the end that
infirmity might be cured. For this he found in the voice of the Physician,
"My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in
weakness." [1] Whence knowest thou, then, that God does not wish to heal
thee? As yet it is expedient for thee to be scourged. Whence knowest thou
how diseased that is which the physician cuts, using his knife on the
diseased parts? Does he not know the measure, what he is to do, and how far
he is to do it? Does the shrieking of him he cuts restrain the hands of the
physician cutting according to his art? The one cries, the other cuts. Is
he cruel who does not listen to the man crying out, or is he not rather
merciful in following the wound, that he may heal the sick man? These
things have I said, my brethren, in order that no one seek any other aid
than that of God, when we happen to be under the reproof of God. See that
ye perish not; see that ye do not depart from the Lamb, and be devoured by
the lion.

   13. We have declared, then, why it was at the tenth hour. Let us see
what follows: "One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Him, was
Andrew. Simon Peter's brother. He findeth his own brother Simon, and saith
unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the
Christ." Messias, in Hebrew; Christ. in Greek; in Latin, Anointed. Chri^sma
is anointing in Greek; Christ, therefore, is the Anointed. He is peculiarly
anointed, pre-eminently anointed; wherewith all Christians are anointed, He
is pre-eminently anointed. Hear how He speaks in the psalm: "Wherefore God,
Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows."
For all the holy ones are His fellows, but He in a peculiar sense is the
Holy of Holies, peculiarly anointed, peculiarly Christ.

   14. "And he brought him to Jesus; and when Jesus beheld him, He said,
Thou art  Simon the son of Joannes: thou shall be called Cephas, which is,
by interpretation, Peter." It is not a great thing that the Lord said whose
son Peter was. What is great to the Lord? He knew all the names of His own
saints, whom He predestinated before the foundation of the world; and dost
thou wonder that He said to one man, Thou art the son of this man, and thou
shall be called this or that? Is it a great matter that He changed his
name, and converted it from Simon to Peter? Peter is from petra, a rock,
but the petra [rock]; is the Church; in the name of Peter, then, was the
Church figured. And who is safe, unless he who builds upon the rock? And
what saith the Lord Himself? "He that heareth these my words, and doeth
them, I will liken him unto a wise man building his house upon a rock" (he
doth not yield to temptation). "The rain descended, the floods came, the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded
upon a rock. But he that heareth my words, and doeth them not" (now let
each one of us fear and beware), " I will liken him to a foolish man, who
built his house upon the sand: the rain descended, the floods came, the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall
of it." [1] What profit is it to enter the Church for him who builds upon
the sand? For, by hearing and not doing, he builds indeed, but on the sand.
For if he hears nothing, he builds nothing; but if he hears, he builds. But
we ask, Where? For if he hears and does, he builds upon the rock; if he
hears and does not, he builds upon the sand. There are two kinds of
builders, those building upon the rock, and those building upon the sand.
What, then, are those who do not hear? Are they safe? Does He say that they
are safe because they do not build? They are naked beneath the rains,
before the winds, before the floods; when these come, they carry away:
those persons before they overthrow the houses. It is then the only
security, both to build, and to build upon the rock. If thou wilt hear and
do not, thou buildest; but thou buildest a ruin: and when temptation comes
it overthrows the house, and carries away thee with the ruin. But if thou
dost not hear, thou art naked; thou thyself art dragged away by those
temptations. Hear, then, and do; it is the only remedy. How many,
perchance, on this day, by hearing and not doing, are hurried away on the
stream of this festival! For, through hearing and not doing, the flood
cometh, this annual festival; the torrent is filled, it will pass away and
become dry, but woe to him whom it shall carry away! Know this, then,
beloved, that unless a man hears and does, he builds not upon the rock, and
he does not belong to that great name which the Lord so commended. For He
has  called thy attention. For if Simon had been  called Peter before, thou
wouldest not have so clearly seen the mystery of the rock, and thou
wouldest have thought that he was called so by chance, not by the
providence of God; therefore God willed that he should be called first
something else, that by the very change of name the reality of the
sacrament might be commended to our notice.

   15. "And the day following He would go forth into Galilee, and finding
Philip, He saith unto him, Follow me. Now he was of the city of Andrew and
Peter. And Philip findeth Nathanael" (Philip who had been already called by
the Lord); "and he said units him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the
law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus, the son of Joseph." He was called
the son of that man to whom His mother had been espoused. For that He was
conceived and born while she was still a virgin, all Christians know well
from the Gospel. This Philip said to Nathanael, and he added the place,
"from Nazareth." And Nathanael said unto him, "From Nazareth something good
can come." What is the meaning, brethren? Not as some read, for it is
likewise wont to be read, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ?" For
the words of Philip follow, who says, "Come and see." But the words of
Philip can suitably follow both readings, whether you read it thus, as
confirming, "From Nazareth something good can come," to which Philip
replies, "Come and see;" or whether as doubting, and making the whole a
question, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Come and see." Since
then, whether read in this manner or in that, the words following are not
incompatible, it is for us to inquire which of the two interpretations we
shall adopt.

   16. What sort of a man this Nathanael was, we prove by the words which
follow. Hear what sort of a man he was; the Lord Himself bears testimony.
Great is the Lord, known by the testimony of John; blessed Nathanael, known
by the testimony of the truth. Because the Lord, although He had not been
commended by the testimony of John, Himself to Himself bore testimony,
because the truth is sufficient for its own testimony. But because men were
not able to receive the truth, they sought the truth by means of a lamp,
and therefore John was sent to show them the Lord. Hear the Lord bearing
testimony to Nathanael: " Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come
out of Nazareth? Philip says to him, Come and see. And Jesus sees Nathanael
coming to Him, and says concerning him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom
is no guile." Great testimony! Not of Andrew, nor of Peter, nor of Philip
was that said which was said of Nathanael, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in
whom is no guile."

   17. What do we then, brethren? Ought this man to be the first among the
apostles? Not only is Nathanael not found as first among the apostles, but
he is neither the middle nor the last among the twelve, although the Son of
God bore such testimony to him, saying, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in
whom is no guile." Is the reason asked for? In so far as the Lord
intimates, we find a probable reason. For we ought to understand that
Nathanael was learned and skilled in the law and for that reason was the
Lord unwilling to place him among His disciples, because He chose unlearned
persons, that He might by them confound the world. Listen to the apostle
speaking these things: "For ye see," saith he, "your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,
are called: but God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things that
are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, as though
they were things that are, to bring to nought things that are. [1] If a
learned man had been chosen, perhaps he would have said that he was chosen
for the reason that his learning made him worthy of choice. Our Lord Jesus
Christ, wishing to break the necks of the proud, did not seek the orator by
means of the fisherman, but by  the fisherman He gained the emperor. Great
was Cyprian as an orator, but before him was Peter the fisherman, by means
of whom not only the orator, but also the emperor, should believe. No noble
was chosen in the first place, no learned man, because God chose the weak
things of the world that He might confound the strong. This man, then, was
great and without guile, and for this reason only was not chosen, lest the
Lord should seem to any to have chosen the learned. And from this same
learning in the law, it came that when he heard "from Nazareth,"-- for he
had searched the Scripture, and knew that s the Saviour was to be expected
thence, what the other scribes and Pharisees had difficulty in knowing,--
this man, then, very learned in the law, when he heard Philip saying, "We
have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write,
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph; "--this man, who knew the Scriptures
excellently well, when he heard the name "Nazareth," was filled with hope,
and said, "From Nazareth something good can come."

   18. Let us now see the rest concerning this man. "Behold an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no guile." What is" in whom is no guile?" Perhaps he had
no sin? Perhaps he was not sick? Perhaps he did not need a physician? God
forbid. No one is born here in such fashion as not to need that Physician.
What, then, is the meaning of the words, "in whom is no guile"? Let us
search a little more intently--it will appear presently--in the name of the
Lord. The Lord says dolus [guile]; and every one who understands Latin
knows that dolus is when one thing is done and another feigned. Give heed,
beloved. Dolus (guile) is not dolor (pain). I say this because many
brethren, not well skilled in Latin, so speak as to say, Dolus torments
him, using it for dolor. Dolus is fraud, it is deceit. When a man conceals
one thing in his heart, and speaks another, it is guile, and he has, as it
were, two hearts; he has, as it were, one recess of his heart where he sees
the truth, and another recess where he conceives falsehood. And that you
may know that this is guile, it is said in the Psalms, "Lips of guile."
What are "lips of guile"? It follows, "In a heart and in a heart have they
spoken evil." [2] What is "in a heart and in a heart," unless in a double
heart? If, then, guile was not in Nathanael, the Physician judged him to be
curable, not whole. A whole man is one thing, a curable another, an
incurable a third: he who is sick, but not hopelessly sick, is called
curable; he who is sick hopelessly, incurable; but he who is already whole
does not need a physician. The Physician, then, who had come to cure, saw
that he was curable, because there was no guile in him. How was guile not
in him, if he is a sinner? He confesses that he is a sinner. For if he is a
sinner, and says that he is a just man, there is guile in his mouth.
Therefore in Nathanael He praised the confession of sin, He did not judge
that he was not a sinner.

   19. Wherefore, when the Pharisees, who seemed righteous to themselves,
blamed the Lord, because, as physician, he mixed with the sick, and when
they said, "Behold with whom he eats, with publicans and sinners," the
Physician replied to the madmen, "They that are whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." [1]
That is to say, because you call yourselves righteous when you are sinners,
because you judge yourselves to be whole when you are languishing, you put
away from you the medicine, and do not hold fast health. Hence that
Pharisee who had asked the Lord to dinner, was whole in his own eyes; but
that sick woman rushed into the house to which she had not been invited,
and, made impudent by the desire of health, approached not the head of the
Lord, nor the hands, but the feet; washed them with tears, wiped them with
her hair, kissed them, anointed them with ointment,--made peace, sinner as
she was, with the footprints of the Lord. The Pharisee who sat at meat
there, as though whole himself, blamed the Physician, and said within
himself, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known what woman
touched his feet." He suspected that He knew not, because He did not
repulse her to prevent His being touched with unclean hands; but He did
know, He permitted Himself to be touched, that the touch itself might heal.
The Lord, seeing the heart of the Pharisee, put forth a parable: "There was
a certain creditor, which had two debtors; the one owed five hundred
denars, and the other fifty; and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly
forgave them both. Which of them loved him most?" He answered, "I suppose,
Lord, he to whom he forgave most." And turning to the woman, He said unto
Simon, "Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me
no water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped
them with the hairs of her head: thou gavest me no kiss; she hath not
ceased to kiss my feet: thou gavest me no oil; she hath anointed my feet
with ointment. Wherefore, I say unto thee, to her are forgiven many sins,
for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little."[2] That is to say, thou art more sick, but thou thinkest thyself
whole; thou thinkest that little is forgiven thee when thou owest more.
Well did she, because guile was not in her, deserve medicine. What means,
guile was not in her? She confessed her sins. This He also praises in
Nathanael, that guile was not in him; for many Pharisees who abounded in
sins said that they were righteous, and brought guile with them, which made
it impossible for them to be healed.

   20. Jesus then saw this man in whom was no guile, and said, "Behold an
Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." Nathanael saith unto Him, "Whence
knowest Thou me ?" Jesus answered and said, "Before that Philip called
thee, when thou wast under the fig (that is, under the fig-tree), I saw
thee." Nathanael answered and said unto Him, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of
God; Thou art the King of Israel." Some great thing Nathanael may have
understood in the saying, "When thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee,
before that Philip called thee;" for his words, "Thou art the Son of God,
Thou art the King of Israel," were not dissimilar to those of Peter so long
afterwards, when the Lord said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona,
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is
in heaven." And there He named the rock, and praised the strength of the
Church's support in this faith. Here already Nathanael says, "Thou art the
Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel." Wherefore? Because it was said to
him, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I
saw thee."

   21. We must inquire whether this fig-tree signifies anything. Listen,
my brethren. We find the fig-tree cursed because it had leaves only, and
not fruit. [3] In the beginning of the human race, when Adam and Eve had
sinned, they made themselves girdles of fig leaves.[4] Fig leaves then
signify sins. Nathanael then was under the fig-tree, as it were under the
shadow of death. The Lord saw him, he concerning whom it was said, "They
that sat under the shadow of death, unto them hath light arisen." [5] What
then was said to Nathanael? Thou sayest to me, O Nathanael, "Whence knowest
thou me ?" Even now thou speakest to me, because Philip called thee. He
whom an apostle had already called, He perceived to belong to His Church. O
thou Church, O thou Israel, in whom is no guile! if thou art the people,
Israel, in whom is no guile, thou hast even now known Christ by His
apostles, as Nathanael knew Christ by Philip. But His compassion beheld
thee before thou knewest Him, when thou wert lying under sin. For did we
first seek Christ, and not He seek us? Did we come sick to the Physician,
and not the Physician to the sick? Was not that sheep lost, and did not the
shepherd, leaving the ninety and nine in the wilderness, seek and find it,
and joyfully carry it back on his shoulders? Was not that piece of money
lost, and the woman lighted the lamp, and searched in the whole house until
she found it? And when she had found it, "Rejoice with me," she said to her
neighbors, "for I have found the piece of money which I lost." [1] In like
manner were we lost as the sheep, lost as the piece of money; and our
Shepherd found the sheep, but sought the sheep; the woman found the piece
of money, but sought the piece of money. What is the woman? The flesh of
Christ. What is the lamp? "I have prepared a lamp for my Christ." [2]
Therefore were we sought that we might be found; having been found, we
speak. Let us not be proud, for before we were found we were lost, if we
had not been sought. Let them then not say to us whom we love, and whom we
desire to gain to the peace of the Catholic Church, "What do you wish with
us? Why seek you us if we are sinners ?" We seek you for this reason that
you perish not: we seek you because we were sought; we wish to find you
because we have been found.

   52. When, then, Nathanael had said "Whence knowest Thou me ?" the Lord
said to him, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-
tree, I saw thee." O thou Israel without guile, whosoever thou art O people
living by faith, before I called thee by my apostles, when thou wast under
the shadow of death, and thou sawest not me, I saw thee. The Lord then says
to him, "Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou
believest: thou shalt see a greater thing than these." What is this, thou
shalt see a greater thing than these? And He saith unto him, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, ye shall see heaven open, and angels ascending and
descending upon the Son of man." Brethren, this is something greater than
"under the fig-tree I saw thee." For it is more that the Lord justified us
when called than that He saw us lying under the shadow of death. For what
profit would it have been to us if we had remained where He saw us? Should
we not be lying there? What is this greater thing? When have we seen angels
ascending and descending upon the Son of man ?

   23. Already on a former occasion I have spoken of these ascending and
descending angels; but lest you should have forgotten, I shall speak of the
latter briefly by way of recalling it to your recollection. I should use
more words if I were introducing, not recalling the subject. Jacob saw a
ladder in a dream; and on a ladder he saw angels ascending and descending:
and he anointed the stone which he had placed at his head. [3] You have
heard that the Messias is Christ; you have heard that Christ is the
Anointed. For Jacob did not place the stone, the anointed stone, that he
might come and adore it: otherwise that would have been idolatry, not a
pointing out of Christ. What was done was a pointing out of Christ, so far
as it behoved such a pointing out to be made, and it was Christ that was
pointed out. A stone was anointed, but not for an idol. A stone anointed;
why a stone? "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, elect, precious: and he that
believeth on Him shall not be confounded." [4] Why anointed? Because
Christus comes from chrisma. But what saw he then on the ladder? Ascending
and descending angels. So it is the Church, brethren: the angels of God are
good preachers, preaching Christ; this is the meaning of, "they ascend and
descend upon the Son of man." How do they ascend, and how do they descend?
In one case we have an example; listen to the Apostle Paul. What we find in
him, let us believe regarding the other preachers of the truth. Behold Paul
ascending: "I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago was caught up into
the third heaven (whether in the body, or whether out of the body, I cannot
tell: God knoweth), and that he heard unspeakable words, which it is not
lawful for a man to utter." [5] You have heard him ascending, hear him
descending: "I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto
carnal; as babes in Christ I have fed you with milk, not with meat." [6]
Behold he descended who had ascended. Ask whether he ascended to the third
heaven. Ask whether he descended to give milk to babes. Hear that he
descended: "I became a babe in the midst of you, even as a nurse cherisheth
her children." [7] For we see both nurses and mothers descend to babes, and
although they be able to speak Latin, they shorten the words, shake their
tongues in a certain manner, in order to frame childish endearments from a
methodical language; because if they speak according to rule, the infant
does not understand nor profit. And if there be a father well skilled in
speaking, and such an orator that the forum resounds with his eloquence,
and the judgment-seats shake, if he have a little son, on his return home
he puts aside the forensic eloquence to which he had ascended, and in
child's language descends to his little one. Hear in one place the apostle
himself ascending and descending in the same sentence: "For whether," says
he, "we be beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is
for your cause."[1] What is "we are beside ourselves"? That we see those
things which it is not lawful for  a man to speak. What is "we are sober
for your cause? Have I judged myself to know anything among you, save Jesus
Christ and Him crucified ?" If the Lord Himself ascended and descended, it
is evident that His preachers ascend by imitation. descend by preaching.

   24. And if we have detained you somewhat longer than is our wont, the
design was that the dangerous hours might pass: we imagine that those
people have now brought their vanity to a close. But let us, brethren,
having fed upon the feasts of salvation, do what remains, that we may in a
religious manner fill up the Lord's day with spiritual joys, and compare
the joys of verity with the joys of vanity;[2] and if we are horrified, let
us grieve; if we grieve, let us pray; if we pray, may we be heard; if we
are heard, we gain them also.

TRACTATE VIII: CHAPTER II. 1-4.

   1. The miracle indeed of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby He made the
water into wine, is not marvellous to those who know that it was God's
doing. For He who made wine on that day at the marriage feast, in those six
water-pots, which He commanded to be filled with water, the self-same does
this every year in vines. For even as that which the servants put into the
water-pots was turned into wine by the doing of the Lord, so in like manner
also is what the clouds pour forth changed into wine by the doing of the
same Lord. But we do not wonder at the latter, because it happens every
year: it has lost its marvellousness by its constant recurrence. And yet it
suggests a greater consideration than that which was done in the water-
pots. For who is there that considers the works of God, whereby this whole
world is governed and regulated, who is not amazed and overwhelmed with
miracles? If he considers the vigorous power of a single grain of any seed
whatever, it is a mighty thing, it inspires him with awe. But since men,
intent on a different matter, have lost the consideration of the works of
God, by which they should daily praise Him as the Creator, God has, as it
were, reserved to Himself the doing of certain extraordinary actions, that,
by striking them with wonder, He might rouse men as from sleep to worship
Him. A dead man has risen again; men marvel: so many are born daily, and
none marvels. If we reflect  more considerately, it is a matter of greater
wonder for one to be who was not before, than for one who was to come to
life again. Yet the same God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, doeth by
His word all these things; and it is He who created that governs also. The
former miracles He did by His Word, God with Himself; the latter miracles
He did by the same Word incarnate, and for us made man. As we wonder at the
things which were done by the man Jesus, so let us wonder at the things
which where done by  Jesus God. By Jesus God were made heaven,  and earth,
and the sea, all the garniture of heaven, the abounding riches of the
earth, and the fruitfulness of the sea;--all these things which lie within
the reach of our eyes were made by Jesus God. And we look at these things,
and if His own spirit is in us they in such manner please us, that we
praise Him that contrived them; not in such manner that turning ourselves
to the works we turn away from the Maker, and, in a manner, turning our
face to the things made and our backs to Him that made them.

   2. And these things indeed we see; they lie before our eyes. But what
of those we do not see, as angels, virtues, powers, dominions, and every
inhabitant of this fabric which is above the heavens, and beyond the reach
of our eyes? Yet angels, too, when necessary, often showed themselves to
men. Has not God made all these too by His Word, that is, by His only Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ? What of the human soul itself, which is not seen,
and yet by its works shown in the flesh excites great admiration in those
that duly reflect on them,--by whom was it made, unless by God? And through
whom was it made, unless through the Son of God? Not to speak as yet of the
soul of man: the soul of any brute whatever, see bow it regulates the huge
body, puts forth the senses, the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the
nostrils to smell, the taste to discern flavors--the members, in short, to
execute their respective functions! Is it the body, not the soul, namely
the inhabitant of the body, that doeth these things? The soul is not
apparent to the eyes, nevertheless it excites admiration by these its
actions. Direct now thy consideration to the soul of man, on which God has
bestowed understanding to know its Creator to discern and distinguish
between good and evil, that is, between right and wrong: see how many
things it does through the body! Observe this whole world arranged in the
same human commonwealth, with what administrations, with what orderly
degrees of authority, with what conditions of citizenship, with what laws,
manners, arts! The whole of this is brought about by the soul, and yet this
power of the soul is not visible. When withdrawn from the body, the latter
is a mere carcase: first, it in a manner preserves it from rottenness. For
all flesh is corruptible, and falls off into putridity unless preserved by
the soul as by a kind of seasoning. But the human soul has this quality in
common with the soul of the brute; those qualities rather are to be admired
which I have stated, such as belong to the mind and intellect, wherein also
it is renewed after the image of its Creator, after whose image man was
formed. [1] What will this power of the soul be when this body shall have
put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality? [2] If
such is its power, acting through corruptible flesh, what shall be its
power through a spiritual body, after the resurrection of the dead? Yet
this soul, as I have said, of admirable nature and substance, is a thing
invisible, intellectual; this soul also was made by God Jesus, for He is
the Word of God. " All things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing
made."

   3. When we see, therefore, such deeds wrought by Jesus God, why should
we wonder at water being turned into wine by the man Jesus? For He was not
made man in such manner that He lost His being God. Man was added to Him,
God not lost to Him. This miracle was wrought by the same who made all
those things Let us not therefore wonder that God did it, but love Him
because He did it in our midst, and for the purpose of our restoration. For
He gives us certain intimations by the very circumstances of the  case. I
suppose that it was not without cause He came to the marriage. The miracle
apart, there lies something mysterious and sacramental in the very fact.
Let us knock, that He may open to us, and fill us with the invisible wine:
for we were water, and He made us wine, made us wise; for He gave us the
wisdom of His faith, whilst before we were foolish. And it appertains, it
may be, to this  wisdom, together with the honor of God, and with the
praise of His majesty, and with the charity of His most powerful mercy, to
understand what was done in this miracle.

   4. The Lord, on being invited, came to the marriage. What wonder if He
came to that house to a marriage, having come into this world to a
marriage? For, indeed, if He came not to a marriage, He has not here a
bride. But what says the apostle? "I have espoused you to one husband, to
present you a chaste virgin to Christ." Why does he fear lest the virginity
of Christ's bride should be corrupted by the subtilty of the devil? "I
fear," saith he, "lest as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtilty, so also
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and chastity which is in
Christ." [3] Thus has He here a bride whom He has redeemed by His blood,
and to whom He has given the Holy Spirit as a pledge. He has freed her from
the bondage of the devil: He died for her sins, and is risen again for her
justification. [4] Who will make such offerings to his bride? Men may offer
to a  bride every sort of earthly ornament,--gold, silver, precious stones,
houses, slaves, estates, farms,--but will any give his own blood? For if
one should give his own blood to his bride, he would not live to take her
for his wife. But the Lord, dying without fear, gave His own blood for her,
whom rising again He was to have, whom He had already united to Himself in
the Virgin's womb. For the Word was the Bridegroom, and human flesh the
bride; and both one, the Son of God, the same also being Son of man. The
womb of the Virgin Mary, in which He became head of the Church, was His
bridal chamber: thence He came forth, as a bridegroom from his chamber, as
the Scripture foretold, "And rejoiced as a giant to run his way." From His
chamber He came forth as a bridegroom; and being invited, came to the
marriage.

   5. It is because of an indubitable mystery that He appears not to
acknowledge His mother. from whom as the Bridegroom He came forth, when He
says to her, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet
come." What is this? Did He come to the marriage for the purpose of
teaching men to treat their mothers with contempt? Surely he to whose
marriage He had come was taking a wife with the view of having children,
and surely he wished to be honored by those children he would beget: had
Jesus then come to the marriage in order to dishonor His mother, when
marriages are celebrated and wives married with the view of having
children, whom God commands to honor their parents? Beyond all doubt,
brethren, there is some mystery lurking here. It is really a matter of such
importance that some,--of whom the apostle, as we have mentioned before,
has forewarned us to be on our guard, saying, " I fear, lest, as the
serpent beguiled Eve by his subtilty, so also your minds should be
corrupted from the simplicity and chastity which is in Christ,"--taking
away from the credibility of the gospel, and asserting that Jesus was not
born of the Virgin Mary, used to endeavor to draw from this place an
argument in support of their error, so far as to say, How could she be His
mother, to whom He said, "Woman, what have I to do with thee ?" Wherefore
we must answer them, and show them why the Lord said this, test in their
insanity they appear to themselves to have discovered something contrary to
wholesome belief, whereby the chastity of the virgin bride may be
corrupted, that is, whereby the faith of the Church may be injured. For in
very deed, brethren, their faith is corrupted who prefer a lie to the
truth. For these men, who appear to honor Christ in such wise as to deny
that He had flesh, do nothing short of proclaiming Him a liar. Now they who
build up a lie in men, what do they but drive the truth out of them? They
let in the devil, they drive Christ out; they let in an adulterer, shut out
the bridegroom, being evidently paranymphs, or rather, the panderers of the
serpent. For it is for this object they speak, that the serpent may
possess, and Christ be shut out. How doth the serpent possess? When a lie
possesses. When falsehood possesses, then the serpent possesses; when truth
possesses, then Christ possesses. For Himself has said, "I am the truth;"
[1] but of that other He said, "He stood not in the truth, because the
truth is not him." [2] And Christ is the truth in such wise that thou
shouldst receive the whole to be true in Him. The true Word, God equal with
the Father, true soul, true flesh, true man, true God, true nativity, true
passion, true death, true resurrection. If thou say that any of these is
false, rottenness enters, the worms of falsehood are bred of the poison of
the serpent, and nothing sound will remain.

   6. What, then, is this, saith one, which the Lord saith, "Woman, what
have I to do with thee ?" Perhaps the Lord shows us in the sequel why He
said this: "Mine hour," saith He, "is not yet come." For thus is how He
saith, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." And
we must seek to know why this was said. But first let us therefrom
withstand the heretics. What says the old serpent, of old the hissing
instiller of poison? What saith he? That Jesus had not a woman for His
mother. Whence provest thou that? From this, saith he, because Jesus said,
"Woman, what have I to do with thee ?" Who has related this, that we should
believe that Jesus said it? Who has related it? None other than John the
evangelist. But the same John the evangelist said, "And the mother of Jesus
was there." For this is how he has told us: "The next day. there was a
marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. And having
been invited to the marriage, Jesus had come thither with His disciples."
We have here two sayings uttered by the evangelist. "The mother of Jesus
was there," said the evangelist; and it is the same evangelist that has
told us what Jesus said to His mother. And see, brethren, how he has told
us that Jesus answered His mother, having said first, "His mother said unto
Him," in order that you may keep the virginity of your heart secure against
the tongue of the serpent. Here we are told in the same Gospel, the record
of the same evangelist, "The mother of Jesus was there," and "His mother
said unto Him." Who related this? John the evangelist. And what said Jesus
in answer to His mother? "Woman, what have I to do with thee? Who relates
this? The very same Evangelist John. O most faithful and truth-speaking
evangelist, thou tellest me that Jesus said, "Woman, what have I to do with
thee?" why hast thou added His mother, whom He does not acknowledge? For
thou hast said that "the mother of Jesus was there," and that "His mother
said unto Him;" why didst thou not rather say, Mary was there, and Mary
said unto Him. Thou tellest as these two facts, "His mother said unto Him,"
and "Jesus answered her, Woman, why have I to do with thee ?" Why  doest
thou this, if it be not because both are true? Now, those men are willing
to believe the evangelist in the one case, when he tells us that Jesus said
to His mother, "Woman, what have I to do with thee ?" and yet they will not
believe him in the other, when he says, "The mother of Jesus was there,"
and " His mother said unto Him." But who is he that resisteth the serpent
and holds fast the truth, whose virginity of heart is not corrupted by the
subtilty of the devil? He who believes both to be true, namely, that the
mother of Jesus was there, and that Jesus made that answer to His mother.
But if he does not as yet understand in what manner Jesus said, "Woman,
what have I to do with thee?" let him meanwhile believe that He said it,
and said it, moreover, to His mother. Let him first have the piety to
believe, and he will then have fruit in understanding.

   7. I ask you, O faithful Christians, Was the mother of Jesus there?
Answer ye, She was. Whence know you? Answer, The Gospel says it. What
answer made Jesus to His mother? Answer ye, "Woman, what have I to do with
thee? mine hour is not yet come." And whence know you this? Answer, The
Gospel says it. Let no man corrupt this your faith, if you desire to
preserve a chaste virginity for the Bridegroom. But if it be asked of you,
why He made this answer to His mother, let him declare who understands; but
he who does not as yet understand, let him most firmly believe that Jesus
made this answer, and made it moreover to His mother. By this piety he will
learn to understand also why Jesus answered thus, if by praying he knock at
the door of truth, and do not approach it with wrangling. Only this much,
while he fancies himself to know, or is ashamed because he does not know,
why Jesus answered thus, let him beware lest he be constrained to believe
either that the evangelist lied when he said, "The mother of Jesus was
there," or that Jesus Himself suffered for our sins by a counterfeit death
and for our justification showed counterfeit scars; and that He spoke
falsely in saying, "If ye continue in my word, ye are my disciples indeed;
and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [1] For if
He had a false mother, false flesh, false death, false wounds in His death,
false scars in His, resurrection, then it will not be the truth, but rather
falsehood, that shall make free those that believe on Him. Nay, on the
contrary, let falsehood yield to truth, and let all be confounded who would
have themselves be accounted truth-speaking, because they endeavor to prove
Christ a deceiver, and will not have it said to them, We do not believe you
because you lie, when they affirm that truth itself has lied. Nevertheless,
if we ask them, Whence know you that Christ said, "Woman, what have I to do
with thee ?" they answer that they believe the Gospel. Then why do they not
believe the Gospel when it says, "The mother of Jesus was there," and, "His
mother said unto Him"? Or if the Gospel lies here, how are we to believe it
there, that Jesus said this, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" Why do
not those miserable men rather faithfully believe that the Lord did so
answer, not to a stranger, but to His mother; and also piously seek to know
why He did so answer? There is a great difference between him who says, I
would know why Christ made this answer to His mother, and him who says, I
know that it was not to His mother that Christ made this answer. It is one
thing to be willing to understand what is shut up, another thing to be
unwilling to believe what is open. He who says, I would know why Christ
thus made answer to His mother, wishes the Gospel, in which he believes,
opened up to him; but he who says, I know that it was not to His mother
that Christ made this answer, accuses of falsehood the very Gospel, wherein
he believed that Christ did so answer.

   8. Now then, if it seem good, brethren, those men being repulsed, and
ever wandering in their own blindness, unless in humility they be healed,
let us inquire why our Lord answered His mother in such a manner. He was in
an extraordinary manner begotten of the Father without a mother, born of a
mother without a father; without a mother He was God, without a father He
was man; without a mother before all time, without a father in the end of
times. What He said was said in answer to His mother, for "the mother of
Jesus was there," and " His mother said unto Him." All this the Gospel
says. It is there we learn that "the mother of Jesus was there," just where
we learn that He said unto her, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine
hour is not yet come." Let us believe the whole; and what we do not yet
understand, let us search out. And first take care, lest perhaps, as the
Manichaeans found occasion for their falsehood, because the Lord said,
"Woman, what have I to do with thee ?" the astrologers in like manner may
find occasion for their deception, in that He said, " Mine hour is not yet
come." If it was in the sense of the astrologers He said this, we have
committed a sacrilege in burning their books. But if we have acted rightly,
as was done in the times of the apostles, [2] it was not according to their
notion that the Lord said, "Mine hour is not yet come." For, say those
vain-talkers and deceived seducers, thou seest that Christ was under fate,
as He says, "Mine hour is not yet come." To whom then must we make answer
first--to the heretics or to the astrologers? For both come of the serpent,
and desire to corrupt the Church's virginity of heart, which she holds in
undefiled faith. Let us first reply to those whom we proposed, to whom,
indeed, we have already replied in great measure. But lest they should
think that we have not what to say of the words which the Lord uttered in
answer to His mother, we prepare you further against them; for I suppose
what has already been said is sufficient for their refutation.

   9. Why, then, said the Son to the mother, "Woman, what have I to do
with thee? mine hour is not yet come?" Our Lord Jesus Christ was both God
and man. According as He was God, He had not a mother; according as He was
man, He had. She was the mother, then, of His flesh, of His humanity, of
the weakness which for our sakes He took upon Him. But the miracle which He
was about to do, He was about to do according to His divine nature, not
according to His weakness; according to that wherein He was God not
according to that wherein He was born weak. But the weakness of God is
stronger than men. [1] His mother then demanded a miracle of Him; but He,
about to perform divine works, so far did not recognize a human womb;
saying in effect, "That in me which works a miracle was not born of thee,
thou gavest not birth to my divine nature; but because my weakness was born
of thee, I will recognize thee at the time when that same weakness shall
hang upon the cross." This, indeed, is the meaning of "Mine hour is not yet
come." For then it was that He recognized, who, in truth, always did know.
He knew His mother in predestination, even before He was born of her; even
before, as God, He created her of whom, as man, He was to be created, He
knew her as His mother: but at a certain hour in a mystery He did not
recognize her; and at a certain hour which had not yet come, again in a
mystery, He does recognize her. For then did He recognize her, when that to
which she gave birth was a-dying. That by which Mary was made did not die,
but that which was made of Mary; not the eternity of the divine nature, but
the weakness of the flesh, was dying. He made that answer therefore, making
a distinction in the faith of believers, between the who; and the how, He
came. For while He was God and the Lord of heaven and earth, He came by a
mother who was a woman. In that He was Lord of the world, Lord of heaven
and earth, He was, of course, the Lord of Mary also; but in that wherein it
is said, "Made of a woman, made under the law," He was Mary's son. The same
both the Lord of Mary and the son of Mary; the same both the Creator of
Mary and created from Mary. Marvel not that He was both son and Lord. For
just as He is called the son of Mary, so likewise is He called the son of
David; and son of David because son of Mary. Hear the apostle openly
declaring, "Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." [2]
Hear Him also declared the Lord of David; let David himself declare this: "
The Lord said to my Lord, Sit Thou on my right hand. " [3] And this passage
Jesus Himself brought forward to the Jews, and refuted them from it. [4]
How then was He both David's son and David's Lord? David's son according to
the flesh, David's Lord according to His divinity; so also Mary's son after
the flesh, and Mary's Lord after His majesty. Now as she was not the mother
of His divine nature, whilst it was by His divinity the miracle she asked
for would be wrought, therefore He answered her, "Woman, what have I to do
with thee ?" But think not that I deny thee to be my mother: "Mine hour is
not yet come;" for in that hour I will acknowledge thee, when the weakness
of which thou art the mother comes to hang on the cross. Let us prove the
truth of this. When the Lord suffered, the same evangelist tells us, who
knew the mother of the Lord, and who has given us to know about her in this
marriage feast,--the same, I say, tells us, "There was there near the cross
the mother of Jesus; and Jesus saith to His mother, Woman, behold thy son!
and to the disciple, Behold thy mother !" [5] He commends His mother to the
care of the disciple; commends His mother, as about to die before her, and
to rise again before her death. The man commends her a human being to man's
care. This humanity had Mary given birth to. That hour had now come, the
hour of which He had then said, "Mine hour is not yet come."

   10. In my opinion, brethren, we have answered the heretics. Let us now
answer the astrologers. And how do they attempt to prove that Jesus was
under fate? Because, say they, Himself said, "Mine hour is not yet come."
Therefore we believe Him; and if He had said, "I have no hour," He would
have excluded the astrologers: but behold, say they, He said, "Mine hour is
not yet come." If then He had said, "I have no hour," the astrologers would
have been shut out, and would have no ground for their slander; but now
that He said, " Mine hour is not yet come," how can we contradict His own
words? 'Tis wonderful that the astrologers, by believing Christ's words,
endeavor to convince Christians that Christ lived under an hour of fate.
Well, let them believe Christ when He saith, "I have power to lay down my
life and to take it up again: no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down
of myself, and I take it again." [1] Is this power then under fate? Let
them show us a man who has it in his power when to die, how long to live:
this they can never do. Let them, therefore, believe God when He says, "I
have power to lay down my life, and to take it up again;" and let them
inquire why it was said, "Mine hour is not yet come;" and let them not
because of these words, be imposing fate on the Maker of heaven, the
Creator and Ruler of the stars. For even if fate were from the stars, the
Maker of the stars could not be subject to their destiny. Moreover, not
only Christ had not what thou callest fate, but not even hast thou, or I,
or he there, or any human being whatsoever.

   11. Nevertheless, being deceived, they deceive others, and propound
fallacies to men. They lay snares to catch men, and that, too. in the open
streets. They who spread nets to catch wild beasts even do it in woods and
desert places: how miserably vain are men, for catching whom the net is
spread in the forum! When men sell themselves to men, they receive money;
but these give money in order to sell themselves to vanities. For they go
in to an astrologer to buy themselves masters, such as the astrologer is
pleased to give them: be it Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, or any other named
profanity. The man went in free, that having given his money he might come
out a slave. Nay, rather, had he been free he would not have gone in; but
he entered whither his master Error and his mistress Avarice dragged him.
Whence also the truth says, " Every one that doeth sin is the slave of
sin." [2]

   12. Why then did He say, "Mine hour is not yet come ?" Rather because,
having it in His power when to die, He did not yet see it fit to use that
power. Just as we, brethren, say, for example, "Now is the appointed hour
for us to go out to celebrate the sacraments." If we go out before it is
necessary, do we not act perversely and absurdly? And because we act only
at the proper time, do we therefore in this action regard fate when we so
express ourselves? What means then, "Mine hour is not yet come?" When I
know that it is the fitting time for me to suffer, when my suffering will
be profitable, then I will willingly suffer. That hour is not yet: that
thou mayest preserve both, this, "Mine hour is not yet come;" and that, "I
have power to lay down my life, and power to take it again." He had come,
then, having it in His power when to die. And surely it would not have been
right were He to die before He had chosen disciples. Had he been a man who
had not his hour in his own power, he might have died before he had chosen
disciples; and if haply he had died when his disciples were now chosen and
instructed, it would be something conferred on him, not his own doing. But,
on the contrary, He who had come having in His power when to go, when to
return, how far to advance, and for whom the regions of the grave were
open, not only when dying but when rising again; He, I say, in order to
show us His Church's hope of immortality, showed in the head what it
behoved the members to expect. For He who has risen again in the head will
also rise again in all His members. The hour then had not yet come, the fit
time was not yet. Disciples had to be called, the kingdom of heaven to be
proclaimed, the Lord's divinity to be shown forth in miracles, and His
humanity in His very sympathy with mortal men. For He who hungered because
He was man, fed so many thousands with five loaves because He was God; He
who slept because He was man, commanded the winds and the waves because He
was God. All these things had first to be set forth, that the evangelists
might have whereof to write, that there might be what should be preached to
the Church. But when He had done as much as He judged to be sufficient,
then His hour came, not of necessity, but of will,--not of condition, but
of power.

   13. What then, brethren? Because we have replied to these and those,
shall we say nothing as to what the water-pots signify? what the water
turned into wine? what the master of the feast? what the bridegroom? what
in mystery the mother of Jesus? what the marriage itself? We must speak of
all these, but we must not burden you. I would have preached to you in
Christ's name yesterday also, when the usual sermon was due to you, my
beloved, but I was hindered by certain necessities. If you please then,
holy brethren, let us defer until to-morrow what pertains to the hidden
meaning of this translation, and not burden both your and our own weakness.
There are many of you, perhaps, who have to-day come together on account of
the solemnity of the day, not to hear the sermon. Let those who come to-
morrow come to hear, so that we may not defraud those who are eager to
learn, nor burden those who are fastidious.

TRACTATE IX: CHAPTER II. 1-11.

   1. May the Lord our God be present, that He may grant us to render you
what we promised. For yesterday, if you remember, holy brethren, when the
shortness of the time prevented us from completing the sermon we had begun,
we put off until to-day the unfolding, by God's assistance, of those things
which are mystically put in hidden meanings in this fact of the Gospel
lesson. We need not, therefore, now stay any longer to commend the miracle
of God. For He is the same God who, throughout the whole creation, worketh
miracles every day, which become lightly esteemed by men, not because of
the ease with which they are wrought, but by reason of their constant
recurrence. Those uncommon works, however, which were done by the same
Lord--that is, by the Word for us made flesh--occasioned greater
astonishment to men, not because they are greater than those which He daily
performs in the creation, but because these which happen every day are
accomplished as it were in the course of nature; but the others appear
exhibited to the eyes of men, wrought by the: efficacy of a power, as it
were, immediately present. We said, as you remember, one dead man rose
again, people were amazed, whilst no man wonders at the birth every day of
those who were not in being. In like manner, who does not wonder at water
turned into wine, although God is doing this every year in vines? But since
all the works which the Lord Jesus did, serve not only to rouse our hearts
by their miraculous character, but also to edify our hearts in the doctrine
of faith, it behoves us thoroughly to examine into the meaning and
significance of those works. For the consideration of the meaning of all
these things we deferred, as you remember, till today.

   2. The Lord, in that He came to the marriage to which He was invited,
wished, apart from the mystical signification, to assure us that marriage
was His own institution. For there were to be those of whom the apostle
spoke, "forbidding to marry,"' and asserting that marriage was an evil, and
of the devil's institution: notwithstanding the same Lord declares in the
Gospel, on being asked whether it be lawful for a man to put away his wife
for any cause, that it is not lawful save for the cause of fornication. In
His answer, if you remember, He said, "What God hath joined together let
not man put asunder." [2] And they that are well instructed in the catholic
faith know that God instituted marriage; and as the union of man and wife
is from God, so divorce is from the devil. But in the case of fornication
it is lawful for a man to put away his wife, because she first chose to be
no longer wife in not preserving conjugal fidelity to her husband. Nor are
those women who vow virginity to God, although they hold a higher place of
honor and sanctity in the Church, without marriage. For they too, together
with the whole Church, attain to a marriage, a marriage in which Christ is
the Bridegroom. And for this cause, therefore, did the Lord, on being
invited, come to the marriage, to confirm conjugal chastity, and to show
forth the sacrament of marriage.  For the bridegroom in that marriage, to
whom it was said, "Thou hast kept the good wine until now," represented the
person of the Lord. For the good wine--namely, the gospel--Christ has kept
until now.

   3. For now let us begin to uncover the hidden meanings of the
mysteries, so far as He in whose name we made you the promise may enable
us. In the ancient times there was prophecy, and no times were left without
the dispensation of prophecy. But the prophecy, since Christ was not
understood therein, was water. For in water wine is in some manner latent.
The apostle tells us what we are to understand by this water: "Even unto
this day," saith he, "whilst Moses is read, that same veil is upon their
heart; that it is not unveiled because it is done away in Christ. And when
thou shalt have passed over," saith he, "to the Lord, the veil shall be
taken away." [1] By the veil he means the covering over of prophecy, so
that it was not understood. When thou hast passed over to the Lord, the
veil is taken away; so likewise is tastelessness taken away when thou hast
passed over to the Lord; and what was water now becomes wine to thee. Read
all the prophetic books; and if Christ be not understood therein, what
canst thou find so insipid and silly? Understand Christ in them, and what
thou readest not only has a taste, but even inebriates thee; transporting
the mind from the body, so that forgetting the things that are past, thou
reachest forth to the things that are before. [2]

   4. Wherefore, prophecy from ancient times, even from the time when the
series of human births began to run onwards, was not silent concerning
Christ; but the import of the prophecy was concealed therein, for as yet it
was water. Whence do we prove that in all former times, until the age in
which the Lord came, prophecy did not fail concerning Him? From the Lord's
own saying. For when He had risen from the dead, He found His disciples
doubting concerning Himself whom they had followed. For they saw that He
was dead, and they had no hope that He would rise again; all their hope was
gone. On what ground was the thief, after receiving praise, deemed worthy
to be that same day in Paradise? Because when bound on the cross he
confessed Christ, while the disciples doubted concerning Him. Well, He
found them wavering, and in a manner reproving themselves because they had
looked for redemption in Him. Yet they sorrowed for Him as cut off without
fault, for they knew Him to be innocent. And this is what the disciples
themselves said, after His resurrection, when He had found certain of them
in the way, sorrowful, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not
known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And He said
unto them, What things? And they said, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who
was a prophet mighty in deeds and words before God and all the people: how
our priests and rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and bound
Him to the cross. But we trusted that it was He who should have redeemed
Israel; and to-day is now the third day since these things were done."
After one of the two whom He found in the way going to a neighboring
village had spoken these and other words, Jesus answered and said, "O
irrational, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ to have suffered all these things. and to enter into His
glory? And beginning from Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto
them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." And likewise, in
another place, when He would even have His disciples touch Him with their
hands, that they might believe that He had risen in the body, He saith,
"These are the words which I have spoken unto you, while I was yet with
you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened
He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said
unto them, Thus it is written, that Christ should suffer, and rise again
from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

   5. When these words of the Gospel are understood, and they are
certainly clear, all the mysteries which are latent in this miracle of the
Lord will be laid open. Observe what He says, that it behoved the things to
be fulfilled in Christ that were written of Him. Where were they written?
"In the law," saith He, "and in the prophets, and in the Psalms." He
omitted no part of the Old Scriptures. These were water; and hence the
disciples were called irrational by the Lord, because as yet they tasted to
them as water, not as wine. And how did He make of the water wine? When He
opened their understanding, and expounded to them the Scriptures, beginning
from Moses, through all the prophets; with which being now inebriated, they
said, "Did not our hearts burn within us in the way, when He opened to us
the Scriptures ?" For they understood Christ in those books in which they
knew Him not before. Thus our Lord Jesus Christ changed the water into
wine, and that has now taste which before had not, that now inebriates
which before did not. For if He had commanded the water to be poured out of
the water-pots, and so Himself had put in the wine from the secret
repositories of the creature, whence He made bread when He satisfied so
many thousands; for five loaves were not in themselves sufficient to
satisfy five thousand men, nor even to fill twelve baskets, but the
omnipotence of the Lord was, as it were, a fountain of bread; so likewise
He might, on the water being poured out, have poured in wine: but had He
done this, He would appear to have rejected the Old Scriptures. When,
however, He turns the water itself into wine, He shows us that the Old
Scripture also is from Himself, for at His own command were the water-pots
filled. It is from the Lord, indeed, that the Old Scripture also is; but it
has no taste unless Christ is understood therein.

   6. But observe what Himself saith, "The things which were written in
the law, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me." And we know
that the law extends from the time of which we have record, that is, from
the beginning of the world: "In the beginning God made the heaven and the
earth."[1] Thence down to the time in which we are now living are six ages,
this being the sixth, as you have often heard and know. The first age is
reckoned from Adam to Noah; the second, from Noah to Abraham; and, as
Matthew the evangelist duly follows and distinguishes, the third, from
Abraham to David; the fourth, from David to the carrying away into Babylon;
the fifth, from the carrying away into Babylon to John the Baptist; [2] the
sixth, from John the Baptist to the end of the world. Moreover, God made
man after His own image on the sixth day, because in this sixth age is
manifested the renewing of our mind through the gospel, after the image of
Him who created us; [3] and the water is turned into wine, that we may
taste of Christ, now manifested in the law and the prophets, Hence "there
were there six water-pots," which He bade be filled with water. Now the six
water-pots signify the six ages, which were not without prophecy. And those
six periods, divided and separated as it were by joints, would be as empty
vessels unless they were filled by Christ. Why did I say, the periods which
would run fruit-lessly on, unless the Lord Jesus were preached in them?
Prophecies are fulfilled, the water-pots are full; but that the water may
be turned into wine, Christ must be understood in that whole prophecy.

   7. But what means this: "They contained two or three metretae apiece"?
This phrase certainly conveys to us a mysterious meaning. For by "metretae"
he means certain measures, as if he should say jars, flasks, or something
of that sort. Metreta is the name of a measure, and takes its name from the
word "measure." For me
tron is the Greek word for measure, whence the word "metretae" is derived.
"They contained," then, "two or three metretae apiece." What are we to say,
brethren? If He had simply said "three apiece," our mind would at once have
run to the mystery of the Trinity. And, perhaps, we ought not at once to
reject this application of the meaning, because He said, "two or three
apiece;" for when the Father and Son are named, the Holy Spirit must
necessarily be understood. For the Holy Spirit is not that of the Father
only, nor of the Son only, but the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. For
it is written," If any man love the world, the Spirit of the Father is not
in him." [4] And again, "Whoso hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of
His." [5] The same, then, is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son.
Therefore, the Father and the Son being named, the Holy Spirit also is
understood, because He is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. And when
there is mention of the Father and Son, "two metretae," as it were, are
mentioned; but since the Holy Spirit is understood in them, "three
metretae." That is the reason why it is not said, "Some containing two
metretae apiece, others three apiece;" but the same six water-pots
contained "two or three metretae apiece." It is as if he had said, When I
say two apiece, I would have the Spirit of the Father and of the Son to be
understood together with them; and when I say three apiece, I declare the
same Trinity more plainly.

   8. Wherefore, whoso names the Father and the Son ought thereby to
understand the mutual love of the Father and Son, which is the Holy Spirit.
And perhaps the Scriptures on being examined (r do not say that I am able
to show you this to-day, or as if another proof cannot be found),--
nevertheless, the Scriptures, perhaps, on being searched, do show us that
the Holy Spirit is charity. And do not count charity a thing cheap. How,
indeed, can it be cheap, when all things that are said to be not cheap are
called dear (chara)? Therefore, if what is not cheap is dear, what is
dearer than dearness itself (charitas)? The apostle so commends charity to
us that he says, "I show unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with
the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as
sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I know all mysteries and
all knowledge, and have prophecy and all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I distribute all
my goods to the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not charity,
it profiteth me nothing." [6] How great, then, is charity, which, if
wanting, in vain have we all things else; if present, rightly have we all
things! Yet the Apostle Paul, setting forth the praise of charity with
copiousness and fullness, has said less of it than did the Apostle John in
brief, whose Gospel this is. For he has not hesitated to say, "God is
love." It is also written, "Because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given us." [1] Who, then, can name the
Father and the Son without thereby understanding the love of the Father and
Son? Which when one begins to have, he will have the Holy Spirit; which if
one has not, he will not have the Holy Spirit. And just as thy body, if it
be without spirit, namely thy soul, is dead so likewise thy soul, if it be
without the Holy Spirit, that is, without charity, will be reckoned dead.
Therefore "The water-pots contained two metretae apiece," because the
Father and the Son are proclaimed in the prophecy of all the periods; but
the Holy Spirit is there also, and therefore it is added, "or three
apiece." "I and the Father," saith He, "are one." [2] But far be it from us
to suppose that where we are told, "I and the Father are one," the Holy
Spirit is not there. Yet since he named the Father and the Son, let the
water-pots contain "two metretae apiece;" but attend to this, "or three
apiece." "Go, baptize the nations in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost." So, therefore, when it says "two apiece," the
Trinity is not expressed but understood; but when it says, "or three," the
Trinity is expressed also.

   9. But there is also another meaning that must not be passed over, and
which I will declare: let every man choose which he likes best. We keep not
back what is suggested to us. For it is the Lord's table, and the minister
ought not to defraud the guests, especially when they hunger as you now do,
so that your longing is manifest. Prophecy, which is dispensed from the
ancient times, has for its object the salvation of all nations. True, Moses
was sent to the people of Israel alone, and to that people alone was the
law given by him; and the prophets, too, were of that people, and the very
distribution of times was marked out according to the same people; whence
also the water-pots are said to be "according to the purification of the
Jews:" nevertheless, that the prophecy was proclaimed to all other nations
also is manifest, forasmuch as Christ was concealed in him in whom all
nations are blessed, as it was promised to Abraham by the Lord, saying, "In
thy seed shall all nations be blessed. [3] But this was not as yet
understood, for as yet the 2water was not turned into wine. The prophecy
therefore was dispensed to all nations. But that this may appear more
agreeably, let us, so far as our time permits, mention certain facts
respecting the several ages, as represented respectively by the water-pots.

   10. In the very beginning, Adam and Eve were the parents of all
nations, not of the Jews only; and whatever was represented in Adam
concerning Christ, undoubtedly concerned all nations, whose salvation is in
Christ. What better can I say of the water of the first water-pot than what
the apostle says of Adam and Eve? For no man will say that I misunderstand
the meaning when I produce, not my own, but the apostle's. How great a
mystery, then, concerning Christ does that of which the apostle makes
mention contain, when he says, "And the two shall be in one flesh: this is
a great mystery!" [4] And lest any man should understand that greatness of
mystery to exist in the case of the individual men that have wives, he
says, "But I speak concerning Christ and the Church." What great mystery is
this, "the two shall be one flesh?" While Scripture, in the Book of
Genesis, was speaking of Adam and Eve, it came to these words, "Therefore
shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and
they two shall be one flesh." [5] Now, if Christ cleave to the Church, so
that the two should be one flesh, in what manner did He leave His Father
and His mother? He left His Father in this sense, that when He was in the
form of God, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied
Himself, taking to Him the form of a servant. [6] In this sense He left His
Father, not that He forsook or departed from His Father, but that He did
not appear unto men in that form in which He was equal with the Father. But
how did He leave His mother? By leaving the synagogue of the Jews, of
which, after the flesh, He was born, and by cleaving to the Church which He
has gathered out of all nations. Thus the first water-pot then held a
prophecy of Christ; but so long as these things of which I speak were not
preached among the peoples, the prophecy was water, it was not vet changed
into wine. And since the Lord his enlightened us through the apostle, to
show us what we were in search of, by this one sentence, "The two shall be
one flesh; a great mystery concerning Christ and the Church;" we are now
permitted to seek Christ everywhere, and to drink wine from all the water-
pots. Adam sleeps, that Eve may be formed; Christ dies, that the Church may
be formed. When Adam sleeps, Eve is formed from his side; when Christ is
dead, the spear pierces His side, that the mysteries may flow forth whereby
the Church is formed. Is it not evident to every man that in those things
then done, things to come were foreshadowed, since the apostle says that
Adam himself was the figure of Him that was to come? "Who is," saith he,
"the figure of Him that was to come."[1] All was mystically prefigured.
For, in reality, God could have taken the rib from Adam when he was awake,
and formed the woman. Or was it, haply, necessary for him to sleep lest he
should feel pain in his side when the rib was taken away? Who is there that
sleeps so soundly that his bones may be torn from him without his awaking?
Or was it because it was God that tore it out, that the man did not feel
it? Well, He who could take it from him without pain when he was asleep,
could do it also when he was awake. But, without doubt, the first water-pot
was being filled, there was a dispensation of the prophecy of that time
concerning this which was to be.

   11. Christ was represented also in Noah and in that ark of the whole
world. For why were all kinds of animals shut in, in the ark but to signify
all nations? For God could again create every kind of animals. When as yet
they were not, did He not say, "Let the earth bring forth," and the earth
brought forth? From the same source He could make anew, whence He then
made; by a word He made, by a word He could make again: were it not that He
was setting before us a mystery, and filling up the second water-pot of
prophetical dispensation, that the world might by the wood be delivered in
a figure; because the life of the world was to be nailed on wood.

   12. Now, in the third water-pot, to Abraham, as I have mentioned
before, it was said, "In thy seed shall all nations be blessed." And who
does not see whose figure Abraham's only son was, he who bore the wood for
the sacrifice of himself, to that place whither he was being led to be
offered up? For the Lord bore his own cross, as the Gospel tells us. This
will be enough to say concerning the third water-pot.

   13. But as to David, why do I say that his prophecy extends to all
nations, when we have just heard the psalm (and it is difficult to mention
a psalm in which the same is not sounded forth)? But certainly, as I have
said. we have been just singing, "Arise, O God, judge the earth; for Thou
shalt inherit among all nations."[2] And this is why the Donatists are as
men cast forth from the marriage: just as the man who had not a wedding
garment was invited, and came, but was cast forth from the number of the
guests because he had not the garment to the glory of the bridegroom; for
he who seeks his own glory, not Christ's, has not the wedding garment: for
they refuse to agree with him who was the friend of the Bridegroom, and
says, "This is He that baptizeth." And deservedly was that which he was not
made, by way of rebuke, an objection to him who had not the wedding
garment, "Friend, how art thou come hither? "[3] And just as he was
speechless, so also are these. For what can tongue-clatter avail when the
heart is mute? For they know that inwardly, and with their own selves, they
have not anything to say. Within, they are mute; without, they make a din.
But whether they will or no, they hear this sung even among themselves,
"Arise, O God, judge the earth; for Thou shalt inherit among the nations
"and by not communicating with all nations, what do they but acknowledge
themselves to be disinherited ?

   14. Now what I said, brethren, that prophecy extends to all nations
(for I wish to show you another meaning in the expression, "Containing two
or three metretae apiece "),--that prophecy, I say, extends to all nations,
is pointed out, as we have just now reminded you, in Adam, "who is the
figure of Him that was to come." Who does not know that from him all
nations are sprung; and that in the four letters of his name the four
quarters of the globe, by their Greek appellations, are indicated? For if
the east, west, north, and south are expressed in Greek even as Holy
Scripture mentions them in various places, the initial letters of the
words, thou wilt find, make the word Adam: for in Greek the four quarters
of the world are called Anatole, Dysis, Arktos, Mesembria. If thou write
these four words, one under the other, like four verses, the capital
letters form the word Adam. The same is represented in Noah, by reason of
the ark, in which were all animals, significant of all nations: the same in
Abraham, to whom it was said more clearly, "In thy seed shall all nations
be blessed:" the same in David, from whose psalms, to omit other
expressions, we have just been singing, "Arise, O God, judge the earth; for
Thou shalt inherit among all nations." Now to what God is it said "Arise,"
but to Him who slept? "Arise, O God, judge the earth." As if it were said,
Thou hast been asleep, having been judged by the earth; arise, to judge the
earth. And whither does that prophecy extend, "For Thou shalt inherit among
all nations" ?

   15. Moreover, in the fifth age, in the fifth water-pot as it were,
Daniel saw a stone that had been cut from a mountain without hands, and had
broken all the kingdoms of the earth; and he saw the stone grow and become
a great mountain, so as to fill the whole face of the earth.[1] What can be
plainer, my brethren? The stone is cut from a mountain: the same is the
stone which the builders rejected, and is become the head of the corner.[2]
From what mountain is it cut, if not from the kingdom of the Jews, of which
our Lord Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh? And it is cut
without hands, without human exertion; because Christ sprung from a virgin,
without a husband's embrace. The mountain from which it was cut had not
filled the whole face of the earth; for the kingdom of the Jews did not
possess all nations. But, on the other hand, the kingdom of Christ we see
occupying the whole world.

   16. To the sixth age belongs John the Baptist, than whom none greater
has arisen among those born of women; of whom it was said, that he was
"greater than a prophet."[3] And how did John show that Christ was sent to
all nations? When the Jews came to him to be baptized, that they might not
pride themselves on the name of Abraham, he said to them, "O generation of
vipers, who has proclaimed to you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring
forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance;" that is, be humble; for he was
speaking to proud people. But whereof were they proud? Of their descent
according to the flesh, not of the fruit of imitating their father Abraham.
What said he to them? "Say not, We have Abraham for our father: for God is
able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham."[4] Meaning by stones
all nations, not on account of their durable strength, as in the case of
that stone which the builders rejected, but on account of their stupidity
and their foolish insensibility, because they had become like the things
which they were accustomed to worship: for they worshipped senseless
images, themselves equally senseless. "They that make them are like them,
and so are all they that trust in them."[5] Accordingly, when men begin to
worship God,  what do they hear said to them? "That ye may be the children
of your Father who is in heaven; who maketh His sun to rise on the good and
on the evil, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."[6] Wherefore,
if a man becomes like that which he worships, what is meant by "God is able
of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham "? Let us ask ourselves
and we shall see that it is a fact. For of those nations are we come, but
we should not have come of them had not God of the stones raised up
children unto Abraham. We are made children of Abraham by imitating his
faith, not by being born of his flesh. For just as they by their degeneracy
have been disinherited, so have we by imitating been adopted. Therefore,
brethren, this prophecy also of the sixth water-pot extended to all
nations; and hence it was said concerning all, " containing two or three
metretae apiece."

   17. But how do we show that all nations belong to the "two or three
metretae apiece"? It was a matter of reckoning, in some measure, that he
should say the same water-pots contained "two apiece," which he had said
contained "three apiece;" evidently in order to intimate to us a mystery
therein. How are there "two metretae apiece"? Circumcision and
uncircumcision. Scripture mentions these two classes of people, and leaves
out no kind of men, when it says, "Circumcision and uncircumcision;"[7] in
these two appellations thou hast all nations: they are the two metretae
apiece. In these two walls, meeting from different quarters, "Christ became
the corner-stone, in order to make peace in Himself."[8] Let us show also
the "three metretae apiece" in the case of these same all nations. Noah had
three sons, through whom the human race was restored. Hence the Lord says,
"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three
measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."[9] What is this woman, but
the flesh of the Lord? What is the leaven, but the gospel? What the three
measures, but all nations, on account of the three sons of Noah? Therefore
the "six water-pots containing two or three metretae apiece" are six
periods of time, containing the prophecy relating to all nations, whether
as represented in two sorts of men, namely, Jews and Greeks, as the apostle
often mentions them;[10] or in three sorts, on account of the three sons of
Noah. For the prophecy was represented as reaching unto all nations. And
because of that reaching it is called a measure,[11] even as the apostle
says, "We have received a measure for reaching unto you."[12] For in
preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, he says, "A measure for reaching unto
you."

TRACTATE X: CHAPTER II. 12-21.

   1. In the psalm you have heard the groaning of the poor, whose members
endure tribulations over the whole earth, even unto the end of the world.
Make it your chief business, my brethren, to be among and of these members:
for all tribulation is to pass away. "Woe to them that rejoice !"[1]
"Blessed," says the Truth, "are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted." God has become man: what shall man be, for whom God is become
man? Let this hope comfort us in every tribulation and temptation of this
life. For the enemy does not cease to persecute; and when he does not
openly rage, he plots in secret. How does he plot? "And for wrath, they
worked deceitfully."[2] Thence is he called a lion and a dragon. But what
is said to Christ? "Thou shall tread on the lion and the dragon." Lion, for
open rage; dragon, for hidden treachery. The dragon cast Adam out of
Paradise; as a lion, the same persecuted the Church, as Peter says: "For
your adversary, the devil, goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he
may devour."[3] Let it not seem to you as if the devil had lost his
ferocity. When he blandly flatters, then is he the more vigilantly to be
guarded against. But amid all these treacherous devices and temptations of
his, what shall we do but that which we have heard in the psalm: "And I,
when they were troublesome to me, clothed me in sackcloth, and humbled my
soul in fasting."[4] There is one that heareth prayer, hesitate not to
pray; but He that heareth abideth within. You need not direct your eyes
towards some mountain; you need not raise your face to the stars, or to the
sun, or to the moon; nor must you suppose that you are heard when you pray
beside the sea: rather detest such prayers. Only cleanse the chamber of thy
heart; wheresoever thou art, wherever thou prayest, He that hears is
within, within in the secret place, which the psalmist calls his bosom,
when he says, "And my prayer shall be turned in my own bosom."[5] He that
heareth thee is not beyond thee; thou hast not to travel far, nor to lift
thyself up, so as to reach Him as it were with thy hands. Rather, if thou
lift thyself up, thou shall fall; if thou humble thyself, He will draw near
thee. Our Lord God is here, the Word of God, the Word made flesh, the Son
of the Father, the Son of God, the Son of man; the lofty One to make us,
the humble to make us anew, walking among men, bearing the human,
concealing the divine.

   2. "He went down," as the evangelist says, "to Capernaum, He, and His
mother, and His brethren, and His disciples; and they continued there not
many days." Behold He has a mother, and brethren, and disciples: whence He
has a mother, thence brethren. For our Scripture is wont to call them
brethren, not only that are sprung from the same man and woman, or from the
same mother, or from the same father, though by different mothers; or, in
truth, that are of the same degree as cousins by the father's or mother's
side: not these alone is our Scripture wont to call brethren. The Scripture
must be understood as it speaks. It has its own language; one who does not
know this language is perplexed and says, Whence had the Lord brethren? For
surely Mary did not give birth a second time? Far from it! With her begins
the dignity of virgins. She could be a mother, but a woman known of man she
could not be. She is spoken of as mulier [which usually signifies a wife],
but only in reference to her sex, not as implying loss of virgin purity:
and this follows from the language of Scripture itself. For Eve, too,
immediately she was formed from the side of her husband, and as yet not
known of her husband, is, as you know, called mulier: "And he made her a
woman [mulier]." Then, whence the brethren? The kinsmen of Mary, of
whatever degree, are the brethren of the Lord. How do we prove this? From
Scripture itself. Lot is called "Abraham's brother;"[6] he was his
brother's son. Read, and thou wilt find that Abraham was Lot's uncle on the
father's side, and yet they are called brethren. Why, but because they were
kinsmen? Laban the Syrian was Jacob's uncle by the mother's side, for he
was the brother of Rebecca, Isaac's wife and Jacob's mother.[7] Read the
Scripture, and thou wilt find that uncle and sister's son are called
brothers.[8] When thou hast known this rule, thou wilt find that all the
blood relations of Mary are the brethren of Christ. 3. But rather were
those disciples brethren; for even those kinsmen would not be brethren were
they not disciples: and to no advantage brethren, if they did not recognize
their brother as their master. For in a certain place, when He was informed
that His mother and His brethren were standing without, at the time He was
speaking to His disciples, He said: "Who is my mother? or who are my
brethren? And stretching out His hand over His disciples, He said, These
are my brethren;" and, "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, the same
is my mother, and brother, and sister."[1] Therefore also Mary, because she
did the will of the Father. What the Lord magnified in her was, that she
did the will of the Father, not that flesh gave birth to flesh. Give good
heed, beloved. Moreover, when the Lord was regarded with admiration by the
multitude, while doing signs and wonders, and showing forth what lay
concealed under the flesh, certain admiring souls said: "Happy is the womb
that bare Thee: and He said, Yea, rather, happy are they that hear the word
of God, and keep it."[2] That is to say, even my mother, whom ye have
called happy, is happy in that she keeps the word of God: not because in
her the Word was made flesh and dwelt in us; but because she keeps that
same word of God by which she was made, and which in her was made flesh.
Let not men rejoice in temporal offspring, but let them exult if in spirit
they are joined to God. We have spoken these things on account of that
which the evangelist says, that He dwelt in Capernaum a few days, with His
mother, and His brethren, and His disciples.

   4. What follows upon this? "And the Jews' passover was at hand; and He
went up to Jerusalem." The narrator relates another matter, as it came to
his recollection. "And He found in the temple those that sold oxen, and
sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when He had made,
as it were, a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple;
the oxen likewise, and the sheep; and poured out the changers' money, and
overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things
hence; and make not my Father's house a house of merchandise." What have we
heard, brethren? See, that temple was still a figure, and yet the Lord cast
out of it all that sought their own, all who had come to market. And what
did they sell there? Things which people needed in the sacrifices of that
time. For you know, beloved, that sacrifices were given to that people, in
consideration of the carnal mind and stony heart yet in them, to keep them
from falling away to idols: and they offered there for sacrifices oxen,
sheep, and doves: you know this, for you have read it. It was not a great
sin, then, if they sold in the temple that which was bought for the purpose
of offering in the temple: and yet He cast them out thence. If, while they
were selling what was lawful and not against justice (for it is not
unlawful to sell what it is honorable to buy), He nevertheless drove those
men out, and suffered not the house of prayer to be made a house of
merchandise; how, if He found drunkards there, what would the Lord do? If
the house of God ought not to be made a house of trading, ought it to be
made a house of drinking? But when we say this, they gnash upon us with
their teeth; but the psalm which you have heard comforts us: "They gnashed
upon me with their teeth." Yet we know how we may be cured, although the
strokes of the lash are multiplied on Christ, for His word is made to bear
the scourge: "The scourges," saith He, "were gathered together against me,
and they knew not." He was scourged by the scourges of the Jews; He is now
scourged by the blasphemies of false Christians: they multiply scourges for
their Lord, and know it not. Let us, so far as He aids us, do as the
psalmist did: "But as for me, when they were troublesome to me, I put on
sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting."[3]

   5. Yet we say, brethren (for He did not spare those men: He who was to
be scourged by them first scourged them), that He gave us a certain sign,
in that He made a scourge of small cords, and with it lashed the unruly,
who were making merchandise of God's temple. For indeed every man twists
for himself a rope by his sins: "Woe to them who draw sins as a long rope
?"[4] Who makes a long rope? He who adds sin to sin. How are sins added to
sins? When the sins which have been committed are covered over by other
sins. One has committed a theft: that he may not be found out to have
committed it, he seeks the astrologer. It were enough to have committed
theft: why wilt thou add sin to sin? Behold two sins committed. When thou
art forbidden to go to the astrologer, thou revilest the bishop: behold
three sins. When thou hearest it said of thee, Cast him forth from the
Church; thou sayest, I will betake me to the party of Donatus: behold thou
addest a fourth sin. The rope is growing; be thou afraid of the rope. It is
good for thee to be corrected here, when thou art scourged with it; that it
may not be said of thee at the last, "Bind ye his hands and feet, and cast
him forth into outer darkness."[1] For, "With the cords of his own sins is
every one bound."[2] The former of these is the saying of the Lord, the
latter that of another Scripture; but yet both are the sayings of the Lord.
With their own sins are men bound and cast into outer darkness.

   6. However, to seek the mystery of the deed in the figure, who are they
that sell oxen? Who are they that sell sheep and doves? They are they who
seek their own in the Church, not the things which are Christ's. They
account all a matter of sale, while they will not be redeemed: they have no
wish to be bought, and yet they wish to sell. Yes; good indeed is it for
them that they may be redeemed by the blood of Christ, that they may come
to the peace of Christ. Now, what does it profit to acquire in this world
any temporal and transitory thing whatsoever, be it money, or pleasure of
the palate, or honor that consists in the praise of men? Are they not all
wind and smoke? Do they not all pass by and flee away? Are they not all as
a river rushing headlong into the sea? And woe to him who shall fall into
it, for he shall be swept into the sea. Therefore ought we to curb all our
affections from such desires. My brethren, they that seek such things are
they that sell. For that Simon too, wished to buy the Holy Ghost, just
because he meant to sell the Holy Ghost; and he thought the apostles to be
just such traders as they whom the Lord cast out of the temple with a
scourge. For such an one he was himself, and desired to buy what he might
sell he was of those who sell doves. Now it was in a dove that the Holy
Ghost appeared.[3] Who, then, are they, brethren, that sell doves, but they
who say, "We give the Holy Ghost "? But why do they say this? and at what
price do they sell? At the price of honor to themselves. They receive as
the price, temporal seats of honor, that they may be seen to be sellers of
doves. Let them beware of the scourge of small cords. The dove is not for
sale: it is given freely; for grace, or favor, it is called. Therefore, my
brethren, just as you see them that sell, common chapmen, each cries up
what he sells: how many stalls they have set up! Primianus has a stall at
Carthage, Maximianus has another, Rogatus has another in Mauritania, they
have another in Numidia, this party and that, which it is not in our power
now to name. Accordingly,  one goes round to buy the dove, and every  one
at his own stall cries up what he sells.

   Let the heart of such an one turn away from f every seller; let him
come where he receives freely. Aye, brethren, and they do not blush, that,
by these bitter and malicious dissensions of theirs, they have made of
themselves so many parties, while they assume to be what they are not,
while they are lifted up, thinking themselves to be something when they are
nothing.[4] But what is fulfilled in them, since that they will not be
corrected, but that which you have heard in the psalm: "They were rent
asunder, and felt no remorse" ?

   7. Well, who sell oxen? They who have dispensed to us the Holy
Scriptures are understood to mean the oxen. The apostles were oxen, the
prophets were oxen. Whence the apostle says: "Thou shalt not muzzle the
mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or
saith He it for our sakes? Yea, for our sakes He saith it: that he who
ploweth should plow in hope; and he that thresheth, in hope of
partaking."[5] Those oxen, then, have left to us the narration of the
Scriptures. For it was not of their own that they dispensed, because they
sought the glory of the Lord. Now, what have ye heard in that psalm? "And
let them say continually, The Lord be magnified, they that wish the peace
of His servant.''[6] God's servant, God's people, God's Church. Let them
who wish the peace of that Church magnify the Lord, not the servant: "and
let them say continually, The Lord be magnified." Who, let say? "Them who
wish the peace of His servant." The voice of that people, of that servant,
is clearly that voice which you have heard in lamentations in the psalm,
and were moved at hearing, because you are of that people. What was sung by
one, re-echoed from the hearts of all. Happy they who recognized themselves
in those voices as in a mirror. Who, then, are they that wish the peace of
His servant, the peace of His people, the peace of the one whom He calls
His "only one," and whom He wishes to be delivered from the lion: "Deliver
mine only one from the power of the dog ?"[7] They who say always, "The
Lord be magnified." Those oxen, then, magnified the Lord, not themselves.
See this ox magnifying his Lord, because "the ox knoweth his owner;"[8]
observe that ox in fear lest men desert the ox's owner and rely on the ox:
how he dreads them that are willing to put their confidence in him: "Was
Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? "[1] Of
what I gave, I was not the giver: freely ye have received; the dove came
down from heaven. "I have planted," saith he, "Apollo, watered; but God
gave the increase: neither he that planteth is anything, neither he that
watereth; but God that giveth the increase."[2] "And let them say always,
The Lord be magnified, they that wish the peace of His servant."

   8. These men, however, deceive the people by the very Scriptures, that
they may receive honors and praises at their hand, and that men may not
turn to the truth. But in that they deceive, by the very Scriptures, the
people of whom they seek honors, they do in fact sell oxen: they sell sheep
too; that is, the common people themselves. And to whom do they sell them,
but to the devil? For if the Church be Christ's sole and only one, who is
it that carries off whatever is cut away from it, but that lion that roars
and goes about, "seeking whom he may devour?"[3] Woe to them that are cut
off from the Church! As for her, she will remain entire. "For the Lord
knoweth then that are His."[4] These, however, so far as they can, sell
oxen and sheep, they sell doves too: let them guard against the scourge of
their own sins. But when they suffer some such things for these their
iniquities, let them acknowledge that the Lord has made a scourge of small
cords, and is admonishing them to change themselves and be no longer
traffickers: for if they will not change, they shall at the end hear it
said, "Bind ye these men's hands and feet, and cast them forth into outer
darkness."

   9. "Then the disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of
Thine house hath eaten me up:" because by this zeal of God's house, the
Lord cast these men out of the temple. Brethren, let every Christian among
the members of Christ be eaten up with zeal of God's house. Who is eaten up
with zeal of God's house? He who exerts himself to have all that he may
happen to see wrong; there corrected, desires it to be mended, does  not
rest idle: who if he cannot mend it, endures it, laments it. The grain is
not shaken out on the threshing-floor that it may enter the barn when the
chaff shall have been separated. If thou art a grain, be not shaken out
from the floor before the putting into the granary; lest thou be picked up
by the birds before thou be gathered into the granary. For the birds of
heaven, the powers of the air, are waiting to snatch up something off the
threshing-floor, and they can snatch up only what has been shaken out of
it. Therefore, let the zeal of God's house eat thee up: let the zeal of
God's house eat up every Christian, zeal of that house of God of which he
is a member. For thy own house is not more important than that wherein thou
hast everlasting rest. Thou goest into thine own house for temporal rest,
thou enterest God's house for everlasting rest If, then, thou busiest
thyself to see that nothing wrong be done in thine own house, is it fit
that thou suffer, so far as thou canst help, if thou shouldst chance to see
aught wrong in the house of God, where salvation is set before thee, and
rest without end? For example, seest thou a brother rushing to the theatre?
Stop him, warn him, make him sorry, if the zeal of God's house doth eat
thee up. Seest thou others running and desiring to get drunk, and that,
too, in holy places, which is not decent to be done in any place? Stop
those whom thou canst, restrain whom thou canst, frighten whom thou canst,
allure gently whom thou canst: do not, however, rest silent. Is it a
friend? Let him be admonished gently. Is it a wife? Let her be bridled with
the utmost rigor. Is it a maid-servant? Let her be curbed even with blows.
Do whatever thou canst for the part thou bearest; and so thou fulfillest,
"The zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up." But if thou wilt be cold,
languid, having regard only to thyself, and as if thyself were enough to
thee, and saying in thy heart, What have I to do with looking after other
men's sins? enough for me is the care of my own soul: this let me keep
undefiled for God;--come, does there not recur to thy mind the case of that
servant who hid his talent and would not lay it out? Was he accused because
he lost it, and not because he kept it without profit ?[5] So hear ye then,
my brethren, that ye may not rest idle. I am about to give you counsel: may
He who is within give it; for though it be through me, it is He that gives
it. You know what to do, each one of you, in his own house, with his
friend, his tenant, his client, with greater, with less: as God grants an
entrance, as He opens a door for His word, do not cease to win for Christ;
because you were won by Christ.

   10. "The Jews said unto Him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing
that thou doest these things ?" And the Lord answered, "Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and
six years was this temple in building, and dost thou say, In three days I
will rear it up?" Flesh they were, fleshly things they minded; but He was
speaking spiritually. But who could understand of what temple He spoke? But
yet we have not far to seek; He has discovered it to us through the
evangelist, he has told us of what temple He said it. "But He spake," saith
the evangelist, "of the temple of His body." And it is manifest that, being
slain, the Lord did rise again after three days. This is known to us all
now: and if from the Jews it is concealed, it is because they stand
without; yet to us it is open, because we know in whom we believe. The
destroying and rearing again of that temple, we are about to celebrate in
its yearly solemnity: for which we exhort you to prepare yourselves, such
of you as are catechumens that you may receive grace; even now is the time,
even now let that be purposed which may then come to the birth. Now, that
thing we know.

   11. But perhaps this is demanded of us, whether the fact that the
temple was forty and six years in building may not have in it some mystery.
There are, indeed, many things that may be said of this matter; but what
may briefly be said, and easily understood, that we say meanwhile.
Brethren, we have said yesterday, if I mistake not, that Adam was one man,
and is yet the whole human race. For thus we said, if you remember. He was
broken, as it were, in pieces; and, being scattered, is now being gathered
together, and, as it were, conjoined into one by a spiritual fellowship and
concord. And "the poor that groan," as one man, is that same Adam, but in
Christ he is being renewed: because an Adam is come without sin, to destroy
the sin of Adam in His own flesh, and that Adam might renew to himself the
image of God. Of Adam then is Christ's flesh: of Adam the temple which the
Jews destroyed, and the Lord raised up in three days. For He raised His own
flesh: see, that He was thus God equal with the Father. My brethren, the
apostle says, "Who raised Him from the dead." Of whom says he this? Of the
Father. "He became," saith he, "obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross; wherefore also God raised Him from the dead, and gave Him a name
which is above every name."(1) He who was raised and exalted is the Lord.
Who raised Him? The Father, to whom He said in the psalms, "Raise me up and
I will requite them."(2) Hence, the Father raised Him up. Did He not raise
Himself? And doeth the Father anything without the Word? What doeth the
Father without His only One? For, hear that He also was God. "Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Did He say, Destroy the
temple, which in three days the Father will raise up? But as when the
Father raiseth, the Son also raiseth; so when the Son raiseth, the Father
also raiseth: because the Son has said, "I and the Father are one."(3)

   12. Now, what does the number Forty-six mean? Meanwhile, how Adam
extends over the whole globe, you have already heard explained yesterday,
by the four Greek letters of four Greek words. For if thou write the four
words, one under the other, that is, the names of the four quarters of the
world, of east, west, north, and south, which is the whole globe,--whence
the Lord says that He will gather His elect from the four winds when He
shall come to judgment;(4)--if, I say, you take these four Greek words,--
anatolh`, which is east; du'sis</greek>, which is west; a'rchtos, which is
north; meshmbri'a, which is south; Anatole, Dysis, Arctos, Mesembria,--the
first letters of the words make Adam. How, then, do we find there, too, the
number forty-six? Because Christ's flesh was of Adam. The Greeks compute
numbers by letters. What we make the letter A, they in their tongue put
Alpha, a, and Alpha, a, is called one. And where in numbers they write
Beta, b, which is their b, it is called in numbers two. Where they write
Gamma, g, it is called in their numbers three. Where they write Delta, d,
it is called in their numbers four; and so by means of all the letters they
have numbers. The letter we call M, and they call My, m, signifies forty;
for they say My, m, tessara'chonta. Now look at the number which these
letters make, and you will find in it that the temple was built in forty-
six years. For the word Adam has Alpha, a, which is one: it has Delta, d,
which is four; there are five for thee: it has Alpha, a, again, which is
one; there are six for thee: it has also My, m, which is forty; there hast
thou forty-six. These things, my brethren, were said by our elders before
us, and that number forty-six was found by them in letters. And because our
Lord Jesus Christ took of Adam a body, not of Adam derived sin; took of him
a corporeal temple, not iniquity which must be driven from the temple: and
that the Jews crucified that very flesh which He derived from Adam (for
Mary was of Adam, and the Lord's flesh was of Mary); and that, further, He
was in three days to raise that same flesh which they were about to slay on
the cross: they destroyed the temple which was forty-six years in building,
and that temple He raised up in three days.

   13. We bless the Lord our God, who gathered us together to spiritual
joy. Let us be ever in humility of heart, and let our joy be with Him. Let
us not be elated with any prosperity of this world, but know that our
happiness is not until these things shall have  passed way. Now, my
brethren, let our joy be in hope: let none rejoice as in a present thing,
lest he stick fast in the way. Let joy be wholly of hope to come, desire be
wholly of eternal life. Let all sighings breathe after Christ. Let that
fairest one alone, who loved the foul to make them fair, be all our desire;
after Him alone let us run, for Him alone pant and sigh; "and let them say
always, The Lord be magnified, that wish the peace of His servant."


Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland, beginning in
1867. (LNPF I/VII, Schaff). The digital version is by The Electronic Bible
Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.

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