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1. John the evangelist, among his fellows and companions the other
evangelists, received this special and peculiar gift from the Lord
(on whose breast he reclined at the feast, hereby to signify that he
was drinking deeper secrets from His inmost heart), to utter those
things concerning the Son of God which may perhaps rouse the attentive
minds of the little ones, but cannot fill them, as yet not capable of
receiving them; while to minds, of somewhat larger growth, and coming
to a certain age of inner manhood, he gives in these words something
whereby they may both be exercised and fed. You have heard it when it
was read, and you remember how this discourse arose. For yesterday it
was read, that "therefore the Jews sought to kill Jesus, because
He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His
Father, making Himself equal with God." This that displeased the
Jews, pleased the Father. This, without doubt, pleases them too
that honor the Son as they honor the Father; for if it does not
please them, they will not be pleasing. For God will not be greater
because it pleases thee, but thou wilt be less if it displeases thee.
Now against this calumny of theirs, coming either of ignorance or of
malice, the Lord speaks not at all what they can understand, but that
whereby they may be agitated and troubled, and, on being troubled, it
may be, seek the Physician. And He uttered what should be written,
that it might afterwards be read even by us. Now we have seen what
happened in the hearts of the Jews when they heard these words; what
happens in ourselves when we hear them, let us more fully consider.
For heresies, and certain tenets of perversity, ensnaring souls and
hurling them into the deep, have not sprung up except when good
Scriptures are not rightly understood, and when that in them which is
not rightly understood is rashly and boldly asserted. And so, dearly
beloved, ought we very cautiously to hear those things for the
understanding of which we are but little ones, and that, too, with
pious heart and with trembling, as it is written, holding this rule of
soundness, that we rejoice as in food in that which we have been able
to understand, according to the faith with which we are imbued; and
what we have not yet been able to understand, that we lay aside
doubting, and defer the understanding of it for a time; that is, even
if we do not yet know what it is, that still we doubt not in the least
that it is good and true. And as for me, brethren, you must consider
who I am that undertake to speak to you, and what I have undertaken:
for I have taken upon me to treat of things divine, being a man; of
spiritual things, being carnal; of things eternal, being a mortal.
Also from me, dearly beloved, far be vain presumption, if my
conversation would be sound in the house of God, "which is the
Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth."
In proportion to my measure I take what I put before you: where it
is opened, I see with you; where it is shut, I knock with you.
2. Now the Jews were moved and indignant: justly, indeed, because
a man dared to make himself equal with God; but unjustly in this,
because in the man they understood not the God. They saw the flesh,
the God they knew not; they observed the habitation, of the
inhabitant they were ignorant. That flesh was a temple, within it
dwelt God. It was not the flesh that Jesus made equal to the
Father, it was not the form of a servant that He compared to the
Lord; not that which He became for us, but that which He was when
He made us. For who Christ is (I speak to Catholics) you know,
because you have rightly believed; not Word only, nor flesh only,
but the Word was made flesh to dwell among us. I recite again
concerning the Word what you know: "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God:" here is
equality with the Father. But "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us." Than this flesh the Father is greater. Thus the Father
is both equal and greater; equal to the Word, greater than the
flesh; equal to Him by whom He made us, greater than He who was
made for us. By this sound catholic rule, which you ought
particularly to know. which you who know it hold fast, from which your
faith ought not in any case to slip, which is to be wrested from your
heart by no arguments of men, let us measure the things we do
understand; and the things which, it may be, we do not understand,
let us defer, to be hereafter measured by this rule, when we shall be
competent to do this. We know Him, then, as equal to the Father,
the Son of God, because we know Him in the beginning as God the
Word. Why, then, sought the Jews to slay Him? "Because He not
only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father,
making Himself equal with God:" seeing the flesh, not seeing the
Word. Let Him therefore speak against them, the Word through the
flesh; let Him, the dweller within, speak for through His
dwelling-place, that whoso can, shall know who He is that dwells
within.
What saith He then to them? "Then answered Jesus, and said unto
them," being indignant because He made Himself equal with God,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son cannot do anything of
Himself, but what He seeth the Father doing." What the Jews
answered to these words is not written: and perhaps they said nothing.
Certain, however, who wish to be esteemed Christians, are not
silent, but from these words somehow conceive certain opinions in
contradiction to us, which are not to be despised, both for their and
for our sakes. The Arian heretics, namely, while they assert that
the Son, who took upon Himself flesh, is less than the Father, not
by the flesh, but before taking flesh, and not of the same substance
as the Father, take a handle of misrepresentation from these words,
and reply to us: "You see that the Lord Jesus, observing the Jews
to be moved with indignation at his making himself equal to God the
Father, subjoined such words as these, to show that he was not equal
with God. For the Jews," say they, "were provoked against
Christ, because he made him self equal with God; and Christ,
wishing to cure them of this impression, and to show them that the Son
is not equal to the Father, that is, to God, saith this, as if he
said, Why are ye angry? Why are ye indignant? I am not equal to
God, since 'the Son cannot do anything of himself, except what he
seeth the Father doing.' Now," say they, "he who 'cannot do
anything of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing,' is surely
less, not equal."
4. In this distorted and depraved rule of his own heart, let the
heretic hear us, not as yet chiding, but still as it were inquiring,
and let him explain to us what he thinks. For, I suppose, whoever
thou art (for we may regard him as here present in person), thou dost
hold with us, that "in the beginning was the Word." I do hold it,
saith he. And that "the Word was with God"? This too, saith
he, I hold. Proceed then, and hold the stronger saying that
follows, that "the Word was God." Even this, says he, I hold:
but yet, this, God the greater; that, God the less. Now this
somehow smells of the pagan: I thought I was speaking with a
Christian. If there is God the greater, and God the less, then we
worship two Gods, not one God. Why, saith he; dost not thou,
too, affirm two Gods, equal the one to the other? This I do not
assert: for I understand this equality as implying therein also
undivided love; and if undivided love, then perfect unity. For if
the love that God put in men doth make of many hearts of men one
heart, and doth make many souls of men into one soul, as it is written
of them that believed and mutually loved one another, in the Acts of
the Apostles, "They had one soul and one heart toward God:" if,
therefore, my soul and thy soul become one soul, when we think the
same thing and love one another, how much more must God the Father
and God the Son be one God in the fountain of love!
5. But to these words, by which thy heart is disturbed, bend thy
thought, and reflect with me on that which we were seeking out
concerning the Word. We already hold that "the Word was God:" I
join to this another thing, that, having said, "This was in the
beginning with God," the evangelist immediately subjoined, "All
things were made by Him." Now will I urge thee by questioning, now
will I move thee against thyself, and sue thee against thyself: only
keep this in memory concerning the Word, that "the Word was God,
and all things were made by Him." Hear now the words by which thou
wast moved to assert that the Son is less, forsooth, because He
said, "The Son cannot of Himself do anything, but what He seeth
the Father doing." Just so, saith he. Explain to me this a
little: This is, I presume, how thou thinkest: that the Father
doeth certain things, and the Son observes how the Father doeth,
that He may also Himself be able to do those things which He seeth
the Father doing. Thou hast set up two artisans, as it were: the
Father and the Son just like master and learner, like as artisan
fathers are wont to teach their sons their craft.
Behold, I come down to thy carnal sense: for the moment I think as
thou doest: let us see if this our conception finds an issue in harmony
with the things which we have just now alike spoken and alike hold
regarding the Word, that "the Word was God," and that "all
things were made by Him." Suppose, then, the Father, as an
artisan, doing certain works, and the Son as a learner, who "cannot
of Himself do anything, but what He seeth the Father doing:" He
keenly watches, in a manner, the Father's hands, that, as He
seeth Him fashioning aught, so He may Himself in like manner fashion
something similar by His own works. But the Father here doeth all
those things that He doeth, and wishes the Son to give heed to Him,
and to do the like also Himself; by whom doeth the Father? Come!
now is the time for thee to stand to thy former opinion, which thou
didst recite with me, and didst hold with me; that "in the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,
and all things were made by Him." But thou, after holding with me,
that all things were made by the Word, dost again, with thy carnal
wit and childish fancy, imagine with thyself God making something,
and the Word giving heed; so that when God has made, the Word also
may make the like. Now, what does God make without the Word? For
if He doeth aught, then were not all things made by the Word; thou
hast given up the position which thou didst hold. But if all things
were made by the Word, correct what thou didst understand amiss. The
Father made, and made only by the Word: in what way does the Word
give heed to see the Father making without the Word, what the Word
may do in like manner? Whatever the Father hath made, He made it by
the Word; else is it false that "all things were made by Him."
But it is true that "all things were made by Him." Perhaps this
did not seem enough for thee? Well, "and without Him was nothing
made."
6. Withdraw, then, from this wisdom of the flesh, and let us
inquire in what manner it is said, "The Son cannot of Himself do
anything, but what He seeth the Father doing." Let us inquire, if
we are worthy to apprehend. For I confess it is a great thing, and
altogether difficult; to see the Father doing through the Son: not
the Father and the Son doing each His particular works, but the
Father doing every work whatsoever by the Son; so that not any works
are done by the Father without the Son, or by the Son without the
Father, because "all things were made by Him, and without Him was
nothing made." These truths being most firmly established in the
foundation of faith, what now is the nature of this "seeing"? Thou
seek-eat, as I suppose, to know the Son doing: seek first to know
the Son seeing. For what, in fact, saith He? "The Son cannot
of Himself do anything, but what He seeth the Father doing." Note
what He said, "but what He seeth the Father doing." The seeing
comes first, the doing follows: He seeth in order to do. As for
thee, why seekest thou at present to know how He doeth, whilst thou
understandest not as yet how He seeth? Why runnest thou to that which
comes later, leaving that which comes first? He declares Himself as
seeing and doing, not doing and seeing; because "He cannot of
Himself do anything, but what He seeth the Father doing." Wilt
thou that I explain to thee how He doeth? Do thou explain to me how
He seeth. If thou canst not explain this, neither can I that. If
thou art not yet competent to understand this, neither am I to
understand that. Wherefore let each of us seek, each knock, that
each may merit to receive. Why dost thou, as if thou wert learned,
unjustly blame me who am unlearned? I in respect of the doing, thou
in respect of the seeing, being both unlearned, let us inquire of the
Master, not childishly wrangle in His school. We have already,
however, learned together that "all things were made by Him."
Therefore it is manifest that it is not a different kind of works that
the Father doeth, that, seeing them, the Son may do other works
like them; but the very same doeth the Father by the Son, because
all things were made by the Word. Now, as to how God doeth, who
knows? How made He, I will not say the world, but thine own eye,
in thy carnal attachment to which thou comparest visible things with
invisible? For thou conceivest of God such things as thou art wont to
see with these eyes. But if God might be seen with these eyes, He
would not have said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God." Accordingly, thou hast an eye of the body to see an
artificer, but thou hast not yet the eye of the heart to see God:
hence, what thou art wont to see in an artificer, thou wouldest
transfer to God. Leave earthly things on the earth; set thy heart on
high.
7. What then, beloved, are we going to explain that which we have
asked, how the Word seeth, how the Father is seen by the Word,
what the seeing of the Word is? I am not so bold, so rash, as to
promise to explain this, for myself or for you: however I estimate
your measure, still I know my own. Therefore, if you please, not
to delay it longer, let us run over the passage, and see how carnal
hearts are troubled by the words of the Lord; to this end troubled,
that they may not continue in that which they hold. Let this be
wrested from them, as some toy is wrested from children, with which
they amuse themselves to their hurt, that, as persons of larger
growth, they may have more profitable things planted in them, and may
be able to make progress, instead of crawling on the earth Arise,
seek, sigh, pant with desire, and knock at what is shut. But if we
do not yet desire, not yet earnestly seek, not yet sigh, we shall
only be throwing pearls to all indiscriminately, or finding pearls
ourselves, regardless of what kind. Wherefore, beloved, I would
move a longing desire in your heart. Good character leads to right
understanding: the kind of life leads to another kind of life. One
kind of life is earthly, another is heavenly: there is a life of
beasts, another of men, and another of angels.
The life of beasts is excited with earthly pleasures, seeks earthly
pleasures alone, and grovels after them with immoderate desire: the
life of angels is alone heavenly; the life of men is midway between
that of angels and of beasts. If man lives after the flesh, he is on
a level with the beasts; if he lives after the Spirit, he joins in
the fellowship of angels. When thou livest after the Spirit, examine
even in the angelic life whether thou be small or well-grown. For if
thou art still a little one, the angels say to thee, "Grow: we feed
on bread; thou art nourished with milk, with the milk of faith that
thou mayest come to the meat of sight." But if there be still a
longing for filthy pleasures, if the thoughts be still of deceit, if
lies are not avoided, if perjuries be heaped on lies, shall a heart so
foul dare to say, "Explain to me how the Word sees;" even if I be
able to do so, even if I myself now see?
And further, though not perhaps of this character myself, and I am
nevertheless far from this vision, how must that man be weighed down
with earthly desires, who is not yet rapt with this desire from above!
There is a wide difference between loathing and desiring; and again,
between desiring and enjoying. If thou livest as do the beasts, thou
loathest: the angels have full enjoyment. If, on the other hand,
thou livest not as the beast, thou hast no longer loathing: something
thou desirest, and dost not receive: thou hast, by the very desire,
begun the life of the angels. May it grow in thee, and be perfected
in thee; and mayest thou receive this, not of me, but of Him who
made both me and thee!
8. Yet the Lord also has not left us to chance, since, in that He
said, "The Son cannot of Himself do anything, but what He seeth
the Father doing," He meant us to understand that the Father
doeth, not some works which the Son may see, and the Son doeth other
works after He has seen the Father doing; but that both the Father
and Son do the very same works. For He goes on to say, "For what
things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son in like manner."
Not after the Father hath done works, doeth the Son other works in
like manner; but, "whatever He doeth, these also the Son doeth in
like manner." If these the Son doeth which the Father doeth, then
it is by the Son that the Father doeth: if by the Son the Father
doeth what He doeth, then the Father doeth not some, the Son
others; but the works of the Father and of the Son are the same
works. And how doeth the Son also the same? Both "the same," and
"in like manner." In case you should think them the same, but in a
different manner, the "same," saith He, and "in like manner."
And how could they be the same and not in like manner? Take an
example, which I presume is not too big for you: when we write
letters they are first formed by our heart, then by our hand.
Certainly: why otherwise have you all agreed, but because you
perceived it to be so? It is as I have said, it is manifest to us
all. The letters are made first by our heart, then by our body; the
hand serves, the heart commands; both the heart and the hand make the
same letters. Dost think the heart doeth some letters, the hand some
others? The same indeed doeth the hand, but not in like manner: our
heart forms them intelligibly, but our hand visibly. See how the same
things are made, but not in like manner. Hence it was not enough for
the Lord to say, "What things soever the Father doeth, these also
the Son doeth;" He must add, "and in like manner." For what if
thou shouldst understand this just as thou understandest whatever thy
heart doeth, this also thy hand doeth, but in a different manner?
Here, however, he added, "These also the Son doeth in like
manner." If He both doeth these, and in like manner doeth, then
awake; let the Jew be crushed, let the Christian believe, let the
heretic be convinced: The Son is equal to the Father.
9. "For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things
that Himself doeth." Here is that "showeth." "Showeth," as it
were, to whom? Of course, as to one that sees. We return to that
which we cannot explain, how the Word seeth. Behold, man was made
by the Word; but man has eyes, ears, hands, divers members in the
body: he is able by the eyes to see, by the ears to hear, by the
hands to work; the members are diverse, their offices diverse. One
member cannot do the office of another; yet, by reason of the unity of
the body, the eye sees both for itself and for the ear, and the ear
hears for itself and for the eye. Are we to suppose that something
like this holds good in the Word, seeing all things are by Him; and
Scripture has said in the psalm, "Understand, ye brutish among the
people; and ye fools, at length be wise. He that planted the ear,
shall He not hear? And He that formed the eye, shall He not
see?" Hence, if the Word is He that formed the eye, for all
things are by the Word; if the Word is He that planted the ear, for
all things are by the Word: we cannot say the Word doth not hear,
the Word doth not see; lest the psalm reprove us, and say,
"Fools, at length be wise." Therefore, if the Word heareth and
seeth, if the Son heareth and seeth, are we yet to search for eyes
and ears in Him in separate places? Does He by one part hear, by
another see; and cannot His ear do what His eye doth; and cannot
His eye do what His ear can? Or is He not all sight, all hearing?
Perhaps yes; nay, not perhaps, but truly yes; whilst, however,
that seeing of His, and that hearing of His, is in a way far other
than it is with us. Both to see and to hear exist together in the
Word: seeing and hearing are not diverse things in Him; but hearing
is sight, and sight is hearing.
10. And we, who see in one way, and hear in another way, how know
we this? We return perhaps to ourselves, if we are not the
trangressors to whom it is said, "Return, O trangressors, to your
heart." Return to your heart: why go from yourselves, and perish
from yourselves? Why go the ways of solitude? You go astray by
wandering: return ye. Whither? To the Lord. 'Tis quickly done:
first return to thine own heart; thou hast wandered abroad an exile
from thyself; thou knowest not thyself, and yet thou art asking by
whom thou wast made! Return, return to thy heart, lift thyself away
from the body: thy body is thy place of abode; thy heart perceives
even by thy body. But thy body is not what thy heart is; leave even
thy body, return to thy heart. In thy body thou didst find eyes in
one place, ears in another place: dost thou find this in thy heart?
Or hast thou not ears in thy heart? Else of what did the Lord say,
"Whoso hath ears to hear, let him hear?" Or hast thou not eyes in
thy heart? Else of what saith the apostle. "The eyes of your heart
being enlightened?" Return to thy heart; see there what, it may
be, thou canst perceive of God, for in it is the image of God. In
the inner man dwelleth Christ, in the inner man art thou renewed after
the image of God, in His own image recognize its Author. See how
all the senses of the body bring intelligence to the heart within of
what they have perceived abroad; see how many ministers the one
commander within has and what it can do by itself even without these
ministers. The eyes report to the heart things black and white; the
ears report to the same heart pleasant and harsh sounds; to the same
heart the nostrils announce sweet odors and stenches; to the same heart
the taste announces things bitter and sweet; to the same heart the
touch announces things smooth and rough; and the heart declares to
itself things just and unjust. Thy heart sees and hears and judges all
other things perceived by the senses; and, what the senses do not
aspire to, discerns things just and unjust, things evil and good.
Show me the eyes, ears, nostrils, of thy heart. Diverse are the
things that are referred to thy heart, yet are there not diverse
members there. In thy flesh, thou hearest in one place, seest in
another; in thy heart, where thou seest, there thou hearest. If
this be the image, how much more mightily He whose the image is!
Therefore the Son both heareth and seeth; the Son is both the
hearing itself and the seeing: to hear is to Him the same thing as
"to be;" and to see is to Him the same thing as "to be." To see
is not the same thing to thee as to be; for if thou lose thy sight,
thou canst be; and if thou lose thy hearing, thou canst be.
11. Do we think we have knocked? Is there raised up within us
something whereby we may even slightly conjecture whence light may come
to us? It is my opinion, brethren, I that when we speak of these
things, and meditate upon them, we are exercising ourselves. And
when we are exercising ourselves, and are as it were bent back again by
our own weight to our customary thoughts, we are like weak-eyed
persons, when they are brought forth to see the light, if perchance
they had no sight at all before, and begin in some sort to recover
their sight by the assiduous care of physicians. And when the
physician would test the progress of recovery, he tries to show them
something which they sought to see, but could not while they were
blind: and while the eyesight is now somewhat recovered, they are
brought forth to the light; and as they see it, are beaten back in a
manner by the very glare; and they answer the physician, as he points
out the object, This moment I did see, but now I cannot. What
then does the physician? He brings them back to their usual ways, and
applies the eye-salve to nourish the longing for seeing that which was
seen only for a moment, so that by the very longing he may cure more
completely; and if any stinging salves are applied for the recovery of
soundness, let the patient bear it bravely, and, inflamed with love
of the light, say to himself, When will it be that with strong eyes
I shall see what with sore and weak eyes I could not? He urges the
physician, and begs him to heal him. Therefore, brethren, if, it
may be, something like this has taken place in your hearts, if somehow
you have raised your heart to see the Word, and, beaten back by its
light, you have fallen back to your wonted ways; pray the Physician
to apply sharp salves, the precepts of righteousness. There is that
which thou mayest see, but not that whereby thou canst see. Thou
didst not believe me before that there is that which thou mayest see:
thou art now, as by the guidance of reason, brought to it: thou hast
drawn near, strained thine eyes to see it, throbbed, and shrunk
back. Thou knowest for certain that there is what thou mayest see,
but that thou art not yet meet to see it. Therefore be healed. What
are the eye-salves? Do not lie, do not swear falsely, do not commit
adultery, do not steal, do not defraud. But thou art used to these,
and it is with some pain thou art drawn away from old habits: this is
what bites, but yet heals. For I tell thee freely, by fear of
myself and of thee, if thou give up the healing, and scorn to become
meet to enjoy this light, by weakness of thine eyes, thou wilt love
darkness; and by loving darkness, wilt remain in darkness; and by
remaining in darkness, wilt be cast even into outer darkness: there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. If the love of light has
effected nothing in thee, let the fear of pain effect something.
12. I think I have spoken long enough, and yet I have not
concluded the Gospel lesson: if I go on to declare what remains, I
shall burden you, and I fear lest even what has been drawn may be
lost; therefore let this be enough for you now, beloved. We are
debtors, not now, but always as long as we live; because we live for
you. However, do you, by good living, comfort this life of ours,
so weak, toilsome, and full of peril in this world; do not afflict
and wear us out by your evil manners. For if, when offended with your
evil life, we flee from you and separate ourselves from you, and no
longer come to you, will ye not complain, and say, And if we were
sick, ye might care for us; and if we were weak, ye might have
visited us? Behold, we do care for you; behold, we do visit you;
but let it not be with us as you have heard from the apostle, "I fear
lest I have bestowed labor upon you in vain."
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