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1. The course of reading from the Gospel of John, as those of you
who are concerned for your own progress may remember, so proceeds in
regular order, that the passage which has now been read comes before us
for exposition today. You remember that we have expounded it, in the
preceding discourses, from the very beginning of the Gospel, as far
as the lesson of today. And though perhaps you have forgotten much of
it, at least it remains in your memory that we have done our part in
it. What you have heard from it about the baptism of John, even
though you retain not all, yet I believe you have heard that which you
may retain. Also, what was said as to why the Holy Spirit appeared
in the shape of a dove; and how that most knotty question was solved,
namely, what was that something in the Lord which John did not know,
and which he learned by means of the dove, whilst already John knew
Him, since, as Jesus came to be baptized, he said to Him, "I
ought to be baptized by Thee, and comest Thou to me?" when the
Lord answered him, "Suffer it now, that all righteousness may be
fulfilled."
2. Now, therefore, the order of our reading obliges us to return to
that same John. The same is he who was prophesied of by Isaiah,
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare yea way for the
Lord, make His paths straight." Such testimony gave he to his
Lord and (for the Lord deemed him worthy) his friend. And the
Lord, even his friend, did also Himself bear witness to John. For
concerning John He said, "Among them that are born of women, there
hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist." But as He put
Himself before John, in that wherein He was greater, He was God.
"But he that is! less," saith He, "in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he." Less in age; greater in power, in deity, in
majesty, in brightness: even as "in the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God." In the preceding
passages, however, John had given testimony to the Lord, in such
wise that he did indeed call Him Son of God, but said not that He
was God, nor yet denied it: he was silent as to His being God, not
denied that He was God; but yet he was not altogether silent as to
His being God, for perhaps we find this in the lesson of today. He
had called Him Son of God; but men, too, have been called sons of
God. He had declared Him to be of such excellence, that he was not
himself worthy to loose the latchet of His shoe. Now this greatness
gives us much to understand: whose shoe-latchet he was not worthy to
loose, he than whom none greater had arisen among them that are born of
women. He was more, indeed, than all men and angels. For we find
an angel forbidding a man to fall at his feet. For example, when in
the Apocalypse an angel was showing certain things to John, the
writer of this Gospel, John, terrified at the greatness of the
vision, fell down at the angel's feet. But said the angel,
"Rise; see thou do it not: worship God, for I am thy
fellow-servant, and the brethren's." An angel, then, forbade a
man to fall down at his feet. Is it not manifest that He must be
above all angels, for whom a man, such that a greater than he has not
risen among them that are born of women, declares himself to be not
worthy to loose the latchet of His shoe?
3. John, however, may say something more evidently, that our Lord
Jesus Christ is God. We may find this in the present passage, that
it is perhaps of Him we have been singing, "The Lord reigned over
all the earth;" against which they are deaf who imagine that He
reigns only in Africa. But let them not suppose that it is not of
Christ it is spoken when it is said, "God reigned over all the
earth." For who else is our King, but our Lord Jesus Christ?
It is He that is our King. And what have you heard in the same
psalm, in the verse just sung? "Sing praises to our God, sing
praises: sing praises to our Kings sing praises." Whom he called
God, the same he called our King: "Sing praises to our God, sing
praises: sing praises to our King, sing ye praises with
understanding." And that thou shouldest not understand Him to whom
thou singest praises to reign in one part, he says, "For God is
King of all the earth." And how is He King of all the earth, who
appeared in one part of the earth, in Jerusalem, in Judea, walking
among men, born, sucking the breast, growing, eating, drinking,
waking, sleeping, sitting at a well, wearied; laid hold of,
scourged, spat upon, crowned with thorns, hanged on a tree, wounded
with a spear, dead, buried? How then King of all the earth? What
was seen locally was flesh, to carnal eyes only flesh was visible; the
immortal majesty was concealed in mortal flesh. And with what eyes
shall we be able to behold the immortal majesty, after penetrating
through the structure of the flesh? There is another eye, there is an
inner eye. Tobias, for example, was not without eyes, when, blind
in his bodily eyes, he was giving precepts of life to his son. The
son was holding the father's hand, that the father might walk with his
feet, whilst the father was giving the son counsel to walk in the way
of righteousness. Here I see eyes, and there I understand eyes.
And better are the eyes of him that gives counsel of life, than his
who holds the hand. Such eyes Jesus also required when He said to
Philip, "Am I so long time with you, and ye have not known me?"
Such eyes He required when He said, "Philip, he that seeth me,
seeth the Father." These are the eyes of the understanding, these
are the eyes of the mind. It is for that reason that the psalm, when
it had said, "For God is King of all the earth," immediately
added, "Sing ye praises with understanding." For in that I say,
"Sing ye praises to our God," I say that God is our King. But
yet our King you have seen among men, as man; you have seen Him
suffering, crucified, dead: there was in that flesh something
concealed, which you might have seen with eyes of flesh. What was
there concealed? "Sing ye praises with understanding." Do not seek
to see with the eyes what is beheld by the mind. "Sing praises" with
the tongue, for He is among you as flesh; but because "the Word was
made flesh, and dwelt among us," render the sound to the flesh,
render to God the gaze of the mind "Sing ye praises with
understanding," and you see that the "Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us."
4. Now let John also declare his witness: "After these things
came Jesus and His disciples into the land of Judea; and there He
tarried with them, and baptized." Being baptized, He baptized.
Not with that baptism with which He was baptized did He baptize.
The Lord, being baptized by a servant gives baptism, showing the
path of humility and leading to the baptism of the Lord, that is,
His own baptism, by giving an example of humility, in not Himself
refusing baptism from a servant. And in the baptism by a servant, a
way was prepared for the Lord; the Lord also being baptized, made
Himself a way for them that come to Him. Let us hear Himself: "I
am the way, the truth, and the life." If thou seekest truth, keep
the way, for the way and the truth are the same. The way that thou
art going is the same as the whither thou art going: thou art not going
by a way as one thing, to an object as another thing; not coming to
Christ by something else as a way, thou comest to Christ by Christ.
How by Christ to Christ? By Christ the man, to Christ God; by
the Word made flesh, to the Word which in the beginning was God with
God; from that which man ate, to that which angels daily eat. For
so it is written, "He gave them bread of heaven: man ate the bread
of angels." What is the bread of angels? "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and Re Word was God." How
has man eaten the bread of angels? "And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us."
5. But though we have said that angels eat, do not fancy,
brethren, that this is done with teeth. For if you think so, God,
of whom the angels eat, is as it were torn in pieces. Who tears
righteousness in pieces? But still, some one asks me, And who is it
that can eat righteousness? Well, how is it said, "Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be
filled"? The food which thou eatest carnally perishes, in order to
refresh thee; to repair thy waste it is consumed: eat righteousness;
and while thou art refreshed, it continues entire. Just as by seeing
this corporeal light, these eyes of ours are refreshed, and yet it is
a corporeal thing that is seen by corporeal eyes. Many there have
been, when too long in darkness, whose eyesight is weakened by
fasting, as it were, from light. The eyes, deprived of their food
(for they feed on light), become wearied by fasting, and weakened,
so that they cannot bear to see the light by which they are refreshed;
and if the light is too long absent, they are quenched, and the very
sense of sight dies as it were in them. What then? Does the light
become less, because so many eyes are daily fed by it? Thy eyes are
refreshed, and the light remains entire. As God was able to show
this in the case of corporeal light to corporeal eyes, does He not
show that other light to clean hearts as unwearied, continuing entire,
and in no respect failing? What light? "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God." Let us see if this is light.
"For with Thee is the fountain of light, and in Thy light shall we
see light." On earth, fountain is one thing, light another. When
thirsting, thou seekest a fountain, and to get to the fountain thou
seekest light; and if it is not day, thou lightest a lamp to get to
the fountain. That fountain is the very light: to the thirsting a
fountain, to the blind a light. Let the eyes be opened to see the
light, let the lips of the heart be opened to drink of the fountain;
that which thou drinkest, thou seest, thou hearest. God becomes all
to thee; for He is to thee the whole of these things which thou
lovest. If thou regardest things visible, neither is God bread, nor
is God water, nor is God this light, nor is He garment nor house.
For all these are things visible, and single separate things. What
bread is, water is not; and what a garment is, a house is not; and
what these things are, God is not, for they are visible things. God
is all this to thee: if thou hungerest, He is bread to thee; if thou
thirstest, He is water to thee; if thou art in darkness, He is
light to thee: for He remains incorruptible. If thou art naked, He
is a garment of immortality to thee, when this corruptible shall put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. All things
can be said of God, and nothing is worthily said of God. Nothing is
wider than this poverty of expression. Thou seekest a fitting name for
Him, thou canst not find it; thou seekest to speak of Him in any way
soever, thou findest that He is all. What likeness have the lamb and
the lion? Both is said of Christ. "Behold the Lamb of God!"
How a lion? "The Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed."
6. Let us hear John: "Jesus baptized." We said that Jesus
baptized. How Jesus? How the Lord? How the Son of God? How
the Word? Well, but the Word was made flesh. "And John also was
baptizing in Aenon, near to Salim." A certain lake, "Aenon."
How do we know it was a lake? "Because there was much water there,
and they came and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into
prison." If you remember (see, I say it again), I told you why
John baptized: because the Lord must needs be baptized. And why
must the Lord be baptized? Because many there would be to despise
baptism, that they might appear to be endowed with greater grace than
they saw other believers endowed with. For example, a catechumen,
now living continently, might despise a married person, and say of
himself that he was better than the other believer. That catechumen
might possibly say in his heart, "What need have I to receive
baptism, to have just what that other man has, than whom I am already
better?" Therefore, lest that neck of pride should hurl to
destruction certain men much elated with the merits of their own
righteousness, the Lord was willing to be baptized by a servant, as
if addressing His chief sons: "Why do you extol yourselves? Why
lift yourselves up because you have, one prudence, another learning,
another chastity, another the courage of patience? Can you possibly
have as much as I who gave you these? And yet I was baptized by a
servant, you disdain to be baptized by the Lord." This is the sense
of "to fulfill all righteousness."
7. But some one will say, "It were enough, then, that John
baptized only the Lord; what need was there for others to be baptized
by John?" Now we have said this too, that if John had baptized
only the Lord, men would not be without this thought, that John had
a better baptism than the Lord had. They would say, in fact, "So
great was the baptism of John, that Christ alone was worthy to be
baptized therewith." Therefore, to show that the baptism which the
Lord was to give was better than that of John, that the one might be
understood as that of a servant, the other as that of the Lord, the
Lord was baptized to give an example of humility; but He was not the
only one baptized by John, lest John's baptism should appear to be
better than the baptism of the Lord. To this end, however, our
Lord Jesus Christ showed the way, as you have heard, brethren,
lest any man, arrogating to himself that he has abundance of some
particular grace, should disdain to be baptized with the baptism of the
Lord. For whatever the catechumen's proficiency, he still carries
the load of his iniquity: it is not forgiven him until he shall have
come to baptism. Just as the people Israel were not rid of the
Egyptians until they had come to the Red Sea, so no man is rid of
the pressure of sins until he has come to the font of baptism.
8. "Then there arose a question on the part of John's disciples
with the Jews about purifying." John baptized, Christ baptized.
John's disciples were moved; there was a running after Christ,
people were coming to John. Those who came to John, he sent to
Jesus to be baptized; but they who were baptized by Christ were not
sent to John. John's disciples were alarmed, and began to dispute
with the Jews, as usually happens. Understand the Jews to have
declared that Christ was greater, and that to His baptism people
ought to have recourse. John's disciples, not yet understanding
this, defended John's baptism. They came to John himself, that he
might solve the question.
Understand, beloved. And here we are given to see the use of
humility, and, when people were erring in the subject of dispute, are
shown whether John desired to glory in himself. Now probably he
said, "You say the truth, you contend rightly; mine is the better
baptism, I baptized Christ Himself." John could say this after
Christ was baptized. If he wished to exalt himself, what an
opportunity he had to do so! But he knew better before whom to humble
himself: to Him whom he knew to have come after himself by birth, he
willingly yielded precedence by confessing Him. He understood his own
salvation to be in Christ. He had already said above, "We all have
received out of His fullness;" and this is to confess Him to be
God. For how can all men receive of His fullness, if He be not
God? For if He is man in such wise that He is not God, then
Himself also receives of the fullness of God, and so is not God.
But if all men receive of His fullness, He is the fountain, they
are drinkers. They that drink of a fountain, both thirst and drink.
The fountain never thirsts; it has never need of itself. Men need a
fountain. With thirsty stomachs and parched lips they run to the
fountain to be refreshed. The fountain flows to refresh, so does the
Lord Jesus.
9. Let us see, then, what answer John gives: "They came unto
John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond
Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold the same baptizeth, and
all men come to him:" that is, What sayest thou? Ought they not to
be hindered, that they may rather come to thee? "He answered and
said, A man cannot receive anything, except it be given him from
heaven." Of whom, think you, had John said this? Of himself.
"As a man, I received," saith he, "from heaven." Note, my
beloved: "A man cannot receive anything, except it be given him from
heaven Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the
Christ." As much as to say, "Why do ye deceive yourselves? See
how you have put this question before me. What have you said to me?
'Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest
witness.' Then you know what sort of witness I bare to Him. Am I
now to say that He is not the same whom I declared Him to be? And
because I received somewhat from heaven, in order to be something, do
you wish me to be empty of it, so as to speak against the truth? 'A
man cannot receive anything, except it be given him from heaven. Ye
yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ.'"
Thou art not the Christ; but what if thou art greater than He since
thou didst baptize Him? "I am sent:" I am the herald, He is the
Judge.
10. But hear a far stronger, a far more expressive testimony. See
ye what it is we are treating of; see ye that to love any person in
place of Christ is adultery. Why do I say this? Let us attend to
the voice of John. People could be mistaken in him, could think him
to be the person he was not. He rejects the false honor, in order to
hold the truth complete. See what he declares Christ to be; what
does he say himself is? "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom."
Be chaste, love the bridegroom. But what art thou, who sayest to
us, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom? But the friend of
the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly
because of the bridegroom's voice." The Lord our God will help me
in proportion to the tumult of my heart, for it is full of sadness, to
utter the grief I feel; but I beseech you by Christ Himself to
imagine in thought what it will not be possible for me to utter; for I
know that my grief cannot be expressed with befitting impressiveness.
Now I see many adulterers who desire to get possession of the bride,
purchased at so great a price, loved while deformed that she might be
made fair, having been purchased and delivered and adorned by such an
one; and those adulterers strive with their words to be loved instead
of the bridegroom. Of that One it is said, "This is He that
baptizeth." Who is he that goes forth from us and says, "I am he
that baptizeth"? Who is he that goes forth from us and says, "That
is holy which I give"? Who is he that goes hence and says, "It is
good for thee to be born of me"? Let us hear the friend of the
bridegroom, not the adulterers against the bridegroom; let us hear one
jealous, but not for himself.
11. Brethen, return in thought to your own homes. I speak of
carnal, I speak of earthly things; I speak after the manner of men,
for the infirmity of your flesh. Many of you have, many of you wish
to have, many, though you wish not to have, still have had wives;
many who do not at all wish to have wives, are born of the wives of
your fathers. This is a feeling that touches every heart. There is
no man so alien from mankind in human affairs as not to feel what I
say. Suppose that a man, having set out on a journey, had commended
his bride to the care of his friend: "See, I pray thee, thou art
my dear friend; see to it, lest in my absence some other may perchance
be loved in my stead." Then what sort of a person must he be, who,
while the guardian of the bride or wife of his friend, does indeed
endeavor that none other be loved, but if he wishes himself to be loved
instead of his friend, and desires to enjoy her who was committed to
his care, how detestable must he appear to all mankind! Let him see
her gazing out of the window, or joking with some one somewhat too
heedlessly, he forbids her as one who is jealous. I see him jealous,
but let me see for whom he is jealous; whether for his absent friend or
for his present self. Think that our Lord Jesus Christ has done
this. He has committed His bride to the care of His friend; He has
set out on a journey to a far country to receive a kingdom, as He says
Himself in the Gospel, but yet is present in His majesty. Let the
friend who has gone beyond the sea be deceived; and if he is deceived,
woe to him who deceives! Why do men attempt to deceive God, God who
looks at the hearts of all, and searches the secrets of all? But some
heretic shows himself, and says, "'Tis I that give, 'tis I that
sanctify, 'tis I that justify; go not thou to that other sect."
He does well indeed to be jealous, but see for whom. "Go not thou
to idols," saith he, he is rightly jealous; "nor to diviners,"
still rightly jealous. Let us see for whom he is jealous: "What I
give is holy, because it is I that give it; he is baptized whom I
baptize; he whom I baptize not is not baptized." Hear thou the
friend of the bridegroom, learn to be jealous for thy friend; hear
His voice who is "He that baptizeth."
Why desire to arrogate to thyself what is not thine? Is he so very
absent who has left here his bride? Knowest thou not, that He who
rose from the dead is sitting at the right hand of the Father? If the
Jews despised Him hanging on the tree, dost thou despise Him sitting
in heaven? Be assured, beloved, that I suffer great grief of this
matter; but, as I have said, I leave the rest to your thoughts. I
cannot utter it if I speak the whole day. If I bewail it the whole
day, I do not enough. I cannot utter it, if I should have, as the
prophet says, "a fountain of tears;" and were I changed into
tears, and to become all tears, were I turned into tongues, and to
become all tongues, it were not enough.
12. Let us return and see what this John saith: "He that hath
the bride is the bridegroom;" she is not my bride. And dost thou not
rejoice in the marriage? Yea, saith he, I do rejoice: "But the
friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth
greatly because of the voice of the bridegroom." Not because of mine
own voice, saith he, do I rejoice, but because of the Bridegroom's
voice. I am in the place of hearer; He, of speaker: I am as one
that must be enlightened, He is the light; I am as the ear, He is
the word. Therefore the friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth
Him. Why standeth? Because he falls not. How fails not? Because
he is humble. See him standing on solid ground; "I am not worthy to
loose the latchet of His shoe." Thou doest well to be humble;
deservedly thou dost not fall; deservedly thou standest, and hearest
Him, and rejoicest greatly for the Bridegroom's voice. So also the
apostle is the Bridegroom's friend; he too is jealous, not for
himself, hut for the Bridegroom. Hear his voice when he is jealous:
"I am jealous over you," said he, "with the jealousy of God:"
not with my own, nor for myself, but with the jealousy of God.
Why? How? Over whom art thou jealous, and for whom? "For I
have espoused you to one husband, to present a chaste virgin to
Christ." Why dost thou fear, then? Why art thou jealous? "I
fear," saith he, "lest, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his
subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the chastity which is
in Christ." The whole Church is called a virgin. You see that the
members of the Church are divers, that they are endowed with and do
rejoice in divers gifts: some men wedded, some women wedded; some are
widowers who seek no more to have wives, some are widows who seek no
more to have husbands; some men preserve continence from their youth,
some women have vowed their virginity to God: divers are the gifts,
but all these are one virgin. Where is this virginity? for it is not
in the body. It belongs to few women; and if virginity can be said of
men, to few men in the Church belongs a holy integrity even of body;
yet one such is a more honorable member. Other members, however,
preserve virginity, not in body, but all in mind. What is the
virginity of the mind? Entire faith, firm hope, sincere charity.
This is the virginity which he, who, was jealous for the
Bridegroom, feared might be corrupted by the serpent. For, just as
the bodily member is marred in a certain part, so the seduction of the
tongue defiles the virginity of the heart. Let her who does not desire
without cause to keep virginity of body, see to it that she be not
corrupted in mind.
13. What shall I say, then, brethren? Even the heretics have
virgins, and there are many virgins among heretics. Let us see
whether they love the Bridegroom, so that this virginity may be
guarded. For whom is it guarded? "For Christ." Let us see if it
be for Christ, and not for Donatus: let us see for whom this
virginity is preserved: you can easily prove. Behold, I show you
the Bridegroom, for He shows Himself. John bears witness to Him:
"This is He that baptizeth." O thou virgin, if for this
Bridegroom thou preservest thy virginity, why runnest thou to him who
says, "I am he that baptizeth," while the friend of the Bridegroom
tells thee, "This is He that baptizeth"? Again, thy Bridegroom
possesseth the whole world; why, then, shouldst thou be defiled with
a part of it? Who is the Bridegroom? "For God is King of all the
earth." This thy Bridegroom possesses the whole, because He
purchased the whole. See at what price He purchased it, that thou
mayest understand what He has purchased. What price has He given?
He gave His blood. Where gave He, where shed He, His blood?
In His passion. Is it not to thy Bridegroom thou singest, or
feignest to sing, when the whole world was purchased: "They pierced
my hands and my feet, they counted all my bones: but they themselves
considered me, they looked upon me, they divided my garments among
them, and upon my vesture they cast lots"? Thou art the bride,
acknowledge thy Bridegroom's vesture. Upon what vesture was the lot
cast? Ask the Gospel; see to whom thou art espoused, see from whom
thou receivest pledges. Ask the Gospel; see what it tells thee in
the suffering of the Lord. "There was a coat" there: let us see
what kind; "woven from the top throughout." What does the coat
woven from the top signify, but charity? What does this coat
signify, but unity? Consider this coat, which not even the
persecutors of Christ divided. For it saith, "They said among
themselves, Let us not divide it, but let us cast lots upon it."
Behold that of which the psalm spoke! Christ's persecutors did not
rend His garment; Christians divide the Church.
14. But what shall I say, brethren? Let us see plainly what He
purchased. For there He bought, where He paid the price. Paid it
for how much? If He paid it only for Africa, let us be Donatists,
and not be called Donatists, but Christians; since Christ bought
only Africa: although even here are other than Donatists. But He
has not been silent of what He bought in this transaction. He has
made up the account: thanks be to God, He has not tricked us. Need
there is for that bride to hear, and then to understand to whom she has
vowed her virginity. There, in that psalm where it says, "They
pierced my hands and my feet, they counted all my bones;" wherein the
Lord's passion is most openly declared; the psalm which is read every
year on the last week, in the hearing of the whole people, at the
approach of Christ's passion; and this psalm is read both among them
and us; there, I say, note, brethren, what He has bought: let
the bill of merchandise be read: hear ye what He bought: "All the
ends of the earth shall remember, and turn unto the Lord; and all the
kindreds of the nations shall worship in His sight: for the kingdom is
His, and He shall rule the nations." Behold what it is He has
bought! Behold! "For God, the King of all the earth," is thy
Bridegroom. Why, then, wouldst thou have one so rich reduced to
rags? Acknowledge Him: He bought the whole; yet thou sayest,
"Thou hast a part of it here." Oh, would that thou weft
well-pleasing to thy Spouse; would that thou who speakest wert not
defiled, and, what is worse, defiled in heart, not in body! Thou
lovest a man instead of Christ; lovest one that says, "'Tis I
that baptize;" not hearing the friend of the Bridegroom when he
says, "This is He that baptizeth;" not hearing him when he says,
"He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom." I have not the bride,
said he; but what am I? "But the friend of the Bridegroom, who
standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly, because of the
Bridegroom's voice."
15. Evidently, then, my brethren, it profits those men nothing to
keep virginity, to have continence, to give alms. All those doings
which are praised in the Church profit them nothing; because they rend
unity, namely, that "coat" of charity. What do they? Many among
them are eloquent; great tongues, streams of tongues. Do they speak
like angels? Let them hear the friend of the Bridegroom, jealous for
the Bridegroom, not for himself: "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."
16. But what say they? "We have baptism." Thou hast, but not
thine. It is one thing to have, another to own. Baptism thou hast,
for thou hast received to be baptized, received as one enlightened,
provided thou be not darkened of thyself; and when thou givest, thou
givest as a minister, not as owner; as a herald proclaiming, not as a
judge. The judge speaks through the herald, and nevertheless it is
not written in the registers, "The herald said," but, "The judge
said." Therefore see if what thou givest is thine by authority. But
if thou hast received, confess with the friend of the Bridegroom,
"A man cannot receive anything, except it be given him from
heaven." Confess with the friend of the Bridegroom, "He that hath
the bride is the Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom
standeth and heareth Him." But O, would thou didst stand and hear
Him, and not fall, to hear thyself! For by hearing Him, thou
wouldst stand and hear; for thou wilt speak, and thy head is puffed
with pride. I, saith the Church, if I am the bride, if I nave
received pledges, if I have been redeemed at the price of that blood,
do hear the voice of the Bridegroom; and I do hear the voice of the
Bridegroom's friend too, if he give glory to my Bridegroom, not to
himself. Let the friend speak: "He that hath the bride is the
Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth
Him, and rejoices greatly because of the voice of the Bridegroom."
Behold, thou hast sacraments; and I grant that thou hast. Thou
hast the form, but thou art a branch cut off from the vine; thou hast
a form, I want the root. There is no fruit of the form, except
where there is a root; but where is the root but in charity? Hear the
form of the cut-off branches; let Paul speak: "Though I know all
mysteries," saith he, "and have all prophecy, and all faith" (and
how great a faith!), "so as to remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing."
17. Let no man tell you fables, then. "Pontius wrought a
miracle; and Donatus prayed, and God answered him from heaven."
In the first place, either they are deceived, or they deceive. In
the last place, grant that he removes mountains: "And have not
charity," saith the apostle, "I am nothing." Let us see whether
he has charity. I would believe that he had, if he had not divided
unity. For against those whom I may call marvel-workers, my God
has put me on my guard, saying, "In the last times there shall arise
false prophets, doing signs and wonders, to lead into error, if it
were possible, even the elect: Lo, I have foretold it to you."
Therefore the Bridegroom has cautioned us, that we ought not to be
deceived even by miracles. Sometimes, indeed, a deserter frightens a
plain countryman; but whether he is of the camp, and whether he is the
better of that character with which he is marked, is what he who would
not be frightened or seduced attends to. Let us then, my brethren,
hold unity: without unity, even he who works miracles is nothing.
The people Israel was in unity, and yet wrought no miracles:
Pharaoh's magicians were out of unity, and yet they wrought the like
works as Moses." The people Israel, as I have said, wrought no
miracles. Who were saved with God they who did, or they who did
not, work miracles? The Apostle Peter raised a dead person: Simon
Magus did many things: there were there certain Christians who were
not able to do either what Peter did or what Simon did; and wherein
did they rejoice? In this, that their names were written in heaven.
For this is what our Lord Jesus Christ said to the disciples on
their return, because of the faith of the Gentiles. The disciples,
in truth, themselves said, boasting, "Behold, Lord, in Thy name
even the devils are subject to us." Rightly indeed they confessed,
they brought the honor to the name of Christ; and yet what does He
say to them? "Do not ye glory in this, that the devils are subject
to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Peter
cast out devils. Some old widow, some lay person or other, having
charity, and holding the integrity of faith, forsooth does not do
this. Peter is the eye in the body, that man is the finger, yet is
he in the same body in which Peter is; and if the finger has less
power than the eye, yet it is not cut off from the body. Better is it
to be a finger and to be in the body, than to be an eye and to be
plucked out of the body.
18. Therefore, my brethren, let no man deceive you, let no man
seduce you: love the peace of Christ, who was crucified for you,
whilst He was God. Paul says, "Neither he that planteth is
anything, neither he that watereth, but God who giveth the
increase." And does any of us say that he is something? If we say
that we are something, and give not the glory to Him, we are
adulterers; we desire ourselves to be loved, not the Bridegroom.
Love ye Christ, and us in Him, in whom also you are beloved by us.
Let the members love one another, but live all under the Head. With
grief indeed, my brethren, I have been obliged to speak much, and
yet I have said little: I have not been able to finish the passage;
God will help us to finish it in due season. I did not wish to burden
your hearts further; I wish them to be free for sighs and prayers in
behalf of those who are still deaf and do not understand.
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