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The things which then were hidden are now sufficiently revealed by the
actual events which have followed. For who can carefully and
intelligently consider these things without recognizing them
accomplished in Christ? Shem, of whom Christ was born in the
flesh, means "named." And what is of greater name than Christ,
the fragrance of whose name is now everywhere perceived, so that even
prophecy sings of it beforehand, comparing it in the Song of Songs,
to ointment poured forth? Is it not also in the houses of Christ,
that is, in the churches, that the "enlargement" of the nations
dwells? For Japheth means "enlargement." And Ham (i.e.,
hot), who was the middle son of Noah, and, as it were, separated
himself from both, and remained between them, neither belonging to the
first-fruits of Israel nor to the fullness of the Gentiles, what
does he signify but the tribe of heretics, hot with the spirit, not of
patience, but of impatience, with which the breasts of heretics are
wont to blaze, and with which they disturb the peace of the saints?
But even the heretics yield an advantage to those that make
proficiency, according to the apostle's saying, "There must also be
heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest among
you." Whence, too, it is elsewhere said, "The son that receives
instruction will be wise, and he uses the foolish as his servant."
For while the hot restlessness of heretics stirs questions about many
articles of the catholic faith, the necessity of defending them forces
us both to investigate them more accurately, to understand them more
clearly, and to proclaim them more earnestly; and the question mooted
by an adversary becomes the occasion of instruction. However, not
only those who are openly separated from the church, but also all who
glory in the Christian name, and at the same time lead abandoned
lives, may without absurdity seem to be figured by Noah's middle
son: for the passion of Christ, which was signified by that man's
nakedness, is at once proclaimed by their profession, and dishonored
by their wicked conduct. Of such, therefore, it has been said,
"By their fruits ye shall know them." And therefore was Ham cursed
in his son, he being, as it were, his fruit. So, too, this son of
his, Canaan, is fitly interpreted "their movement," which is
nothing else than their work. But Shem and Japheth, that is to
say, the circumcision and uncircumcision, or, as the apostle
otherwise calls them, the Jews and Greeks, but called and
justified, having somehow discovered the nakedness of their father
(which signifies the Saviour's passion), took a garment and laid it
upon their backs, and entered backwards and covered their father's
nakedness, without their seeing what their reverence hid. For we both
honor the passion of Christ as accomplished for us, and we hate the
crime of the Jews who crucified Him. The garment signifies the
sacrament, their backs the memory of things past: for the church
celebrates the passion of Christ as already accomplished, and no
longer to be looked forward to, now that Japheth already dwells in the
habitations of Shem, and their wicked brother between them.
But the wicked brother is, in the person of his son (i.e., his
work), the boy, or slave, of his good brothers, when good men make
a skillful use of bad men, either for the exercise of their patience or
for their advancement in wisdom. For the apostle testifies that there
are some who preach Christ from no pure motives; "but," says be,
"whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein
do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." For it is Christ Himself who
planted the vine of which the prophet says, "The vine of the Lord of
hosts is the house of Israel;" and He drinks of its wine, whether
we thus understand that cup of which He says, "Can ye drink of the
cup that I shall drink of?" and, "Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from me," by which He obviously means His passion.
Or, as wine is the fruit of the vine, we may prefer to understand
that from this vine, that is to say, from the race of Israel, He
has assumed flesh and blood that He might suffer; "and he was
drunken," that is, He suffered; "and was naked," that is, His
weakness appeared in His suffering, as the apostle says, "though He
was crucified through weakness." Wherefore the same apostle says,
"The weakness of God is stronger than men; and the foolishness of
God is wiser than men." And when to the expression "he was naked"
Scripture adds "in his house," it elegantly intimates that Jesus
was to suffer the cross and death at the hands of His own household,
His own kith and kin, the Jews. This passion of Christ is only
externally and verbally professed by the reprobate, for what they
profess. they do not understand. But the elect hold in the inner man
this so great mystery, and honor inwardly in the heart this weakness
and foolishness of God. And of this there is a figure in Ham going
out to proclaim his father's nakedness; while Shem and Japheth, to
cover or honor it, went in, that is to say, did it inwardly.
These secrets of divine Scripture we investigate as well as we can.
All will not accept our interpretation with equal confidence, but all
hold it certain that these things were neither done nor recorded without
some foreshadowing of future events, and that they are to be referred
only to Christ and His church, which is the city of God, proclaimed
from the very beginning of human history by figures which we now see
everywhere accomplished. From the blessing of the two sons of Noah,
and the cursing of the middle son, down to Abraham, or for more than
a thousand years, there is, as I have said, no mention of any
righteous persons who worshipped God. I do not therefore conclude
that there were none; but it had been tedious to mention every one,
and would have displayed historical accuracy rather than prophetic
foresight. The object of the writer of these sacred books, or rather
of the Spirit of God in him, is not only to record the past, but to
depict the future, so far as it regards the city of God; for whatever
is said of those who are not its citizens, is given either for her
instruction, or as a foil to enhance her glory.
Yet we are not to suppose that all that is recorded has some
signification; but those things which have no signification of their
own are interwoven for the sake of the things which are significant.
It is only the ploughshare that cleaves the soil; but to effect this,
other parts of the plough are requisite. It is only the strings in
harps and other musical instruments which produce melodious sounds; but
that they may do so, there are other parts of the instrument which are
not indeed struck by those who sing, but are connected with the strings
which are struck, and produce musical notes. So in this prophetic
history some things are narrated which have no significance, but are,
as it were, the framework to which the significant things are
attached.
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