sees both for the hand and the foot, and for and that by good living we shall prepare a all the other members. If a blow be coming place for ourselves there, whence we shall against the foot, the eye does not turn away never migrate. For our Lord Jesus Christ, from it, so as not to take precaution. Again, after that He is risen again, “now dieth no in the body, the hand alone works, but is it more;" "death," as the apostle says, "shall for itself alone the hand works? For the eye no more have dominion over Him. Bealso it works: for if a coming blow comes, hold what we must love. If we live, if we not against the hand, but only against the believe on Him who is risen again, He will face, does the hand say, I will not move, be- give us, not that which men love here who cause it is not coming to me? So the foot by love not God, or love the more the less they walking serves all the members: all the other love Him, but love this the less the more they members are silent, and the tongue speaks for love Him; but let us see what He has promall. We have therefore the Holy Spirit if we ised us. Not earthly and temporal riches, love the Church; but we love the Church if not honors and power in this world; for you we stand firm in its union and charity. For see all these things given to wicked men, that the apostle himself, after he had said that they may not be highly prized by the good. diverse gifts were bestowed on diverse men, Not, in short, bodily health itself, though it is just as the offices of the several members, He that gives that also, but that, as you see, saith, "Yet I show you a still more pre. He gives even to the beasts. Not long life; eminent way;" and begins to speak of for what, indeed, is long that will some day charity. This he put before tongues of men have an end? It is not length of days that and angels, before miracles of faith, before He has promised to His believers, as if that knowledge and prophecy, before even that were a great thing, or decrepit old age, which great work of mercy by which a man distri- all wish for before it comes, and all murmur butes to the poor all that he possesses; and, at when it does come. Not beauty of person, lastly, put it before even the martyrdom of which either bodily disease or that same old the body: before all these so great things he age which is desired drives away. One wishes put charity. Have it, and thou shalt have all: to be beautiful, and also to live to be old: for without it, whatever thou canst have will these two desires cannot agree together; if profit nothing. But that thou mayest know thou shalt be old, thou wilt not be beautiful; that the charity of which we are speaking re- when old age comes, beauty will flee away; fers to the Holy Spirit (for the question now the vigor of beauty and the groaning of old in hand in the Gospel is concerning the Holy age cannot dwell together in one body. All Spirit), hear the apostle when he says, The these things, then, are not what He promised charity of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us." 9. Why then was it the will of the Lord, seeing that the Spirit's benefits in us are the greatest, because by Him the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, to give us that Spirit after His resurrection? Why did He signify by this? In order that in our resurrection our love may be inflamed, and may part from the love of the world to run wholly towards God. For here we are born and die: let us not love this world; let us migrate hence by love; by love let us dwell above, by that love by which we love God. In this sojourn of our life let us meditate on nothing else, but that here we shall not always be, us when He said, "He that believeth in me, let him come and drink, and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." He has promised us eternal life, where we shall have no fear, where we shall not be troubled, whence we shall have no migration, where we shall not die; where there is neither bewailing a predecessor deceased, nor a hoping for a successor. Accordingly, because such is what He has promised to us that love Him, and glow with the charity of the Holy Spirit, therefore He would not give us that same Spirit until He should be glorified, so that He might show in His body the life which we have not now, but which we hope for in the resurrection. 2 Rom. vi. 9 TRACTATE XXXIII. 66 1. You remember, my beloved, that in the preferred to believe. They answered, from last discourse, by occasion of the passage of the prejudice of their heart, what they had the Gospel read, we spoke to you concerning answered to those officers, "Art thou also a the Holy Spirit. When the Lord had invited Galilean?" That is, one seduced as it were those that believe on Him to this drinking, by the Galilean. For the Lord was said to speaking among those who meditated to lay be a Galilean, because His parents were from hold of Him, and sought to kill Him, and were the city of Nazareth. I have said "His not able, because it was not His will: well, parents" in regard to Mary, not as regards when He had spoken these things, there arose the seed of man; for on earth He sought but a dissension among the multitude concerning a mother, He had already a Father on high. Him; some thinking that He was the very For His nativity on both sides was marvellous: Christ, others saying that Christ shall not arise divine without mother, human without father. from Galilee. But they who had been sent What, then, said those would-be doctors of to take Him returned clear of the crime and the law to Nicodemus? "Search the Scripfull of admiration. For they even gave wit- tures, and see that out of Galilee ariseth no ness to His divine doctrine, when those by prophet." Yet the Lord of the prophets whom they had been sent asked, "Why have arose thence. "They returned," saith the ye not brought him?" They answered that evangelist, every man to his own house." they had never heard a man so speak: "For 3. "Thence Jesus went unto the mount;" not any man so speaks." But He spake namely, to mount "Olivet,"-unto the fruitthus, because He was God and man. But ful mount, unto the mount of ointment, unto the Pharisees, repelling their testimony, said the mount of chrism. For where, indeed, to them: "Are ye also deceived?" We see, but on mount Olivet did it become the Christ indeed, that you also have been charmed by to teach? For the name of Christ is from his discourses. "Hath any one of the rulers chrism; yptopa in the Greek, is called in Latin or the Pharisees believed on him? But this unctio, an anointing. And He has anointed multitude who know not the law are cursed." us for this reason, because He has made us They who knew not the law believed on Him wrestlers against the devil. "And early in who had sent the law; and those men who the morning He came again into the temple, were teaching the law despised Him, that it and all the people came unto Him; and He might be fulfilled which the Lord Himself sat down and taught them." And He was had said, "I am come that they who see not not taken, for He did not yet deign to suffer. may see, and they that see may be made blind." For the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, were made blind, and the people that knew not the law, and yet believed on the author of the law, were enlightened. 66 4. And now observe wherein the Lord's gentleness was tempted by His enemies. "And the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman just taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst, and said to Him, 2. "Nicodemus," however, one of the Master, this woman has just been taken in Pharisees, who had come to the Lord by adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded night," not indeed as being himself unbe- us, that such should be stoned: but what saylieving, but timid; for therefore he came by est thou? But this they said, tempting Him, night to the light, because he wished to be that they might accuse Him." Why accuse enlightened and feared to be known;-Nic- Him? Had they detected Himself in any odemus, I say, answered the Jews, "Doth misdeed; or was that woman said to have our law judge a man before it hear him, and been concerned with Him in any manner? know what he doeth?" For they perversely What, then, is the meaning of tempting wished to condemn before they examined. Him, that they might accuse Him"? We Nicodemus indeed knew, or rather believed, understand, brethren, that a wonderful genthat if only they were willing to give Him a tleness shone out pre-eminently in the Lord. patient hearing, they would perhaps become, They observed that He was very meek, very like those who were sent to take Him, but I John ix. 39. 66 gentle: for of Him it had been previously foretold, "Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most Mighty; in Thy splendor and beauty answered Wisdom? How answered that urge on, march on prosperously, and reign, because of truth, and meekness, and right- Righteousness against which a faise accusaeousness." Accordingly, as a teacher, He tion was ready? He did not say, Let her brought truth; as a deliverer, He brought not be stoned; lest He should seem to speak gentleness; as a protector, He brought right- against the law. But God forbid that He cousness. That He was to reign on account should say, Let her be stoned: for He came of these things, the prophet had by the Holy not to lose what He had found, but to seek Spirit foretold. When He spoke His truth was what was lost. What then did He answer? acknowledged; when He was not provoked to See you how full it is of righteousness, how anger against His enemies, His meekness was full of meekness and truth! "He that is praised. Whilst, therefore, in respect of these without sin of you," saith He, "let him first two, namely, His truth and meekness,-His cast a stone at her." O answer of Wisdom! enemies were tormented with malice and envy; in respect of the third,—namely, righteousness, they laid a stumbling-block for Him. In what way? Because the law had commanded the adulterers to be stoned, and surely the law could not command what was unjust: if any man should say other than the law had commanded, he would be detected as unjust. Therefore they said among themselves," He is accounted true, he appears to be gentle; an accusation must be sought against him in respect of righteousness. Let us bring before him a woman taken in adul. tery; let us say to him what is ordered in the law concerning such: if he shall approve her being stoned, he will not show his gentleness; if he consent to let her go, he will not keep righteousness. But, say they, that he may not lose the reputation of gentleness, for which he is become an object of love to the people, without doubt he will say that she must be let go. Hence we find an opportunity of accusing him, and we charge him as being a transgressor of the law: saying to him, Thou art an enemy to the law; thou answerest against Moses, nay, against Him who gave the law through Moses; thou art worthy of death; thou too must be stoned with this woman.' By these words and sentiments they might possibly be able to inflame envy against Him, to urge accusation, and cause His condemnation to be eagerly demanded. But this against whom? It was perversity against rectitude, falsehood against the truth, the corrupt heart against the upright heart, folly against wisdom. When did such men prepare snares, into which they did not first thrust their own heads? Behold, the Lord in answering them will both keep righteousness, and will not depart from gentleness. He was not taken for whom the snare was laid, but rather they were taken who laid it, because they believed not on Him who could pull them out of the net. 5. What answer, then, did the Lord make? How answered the Truth? 1 Ps. xlv. 3, 4. How He sent them unto themselves! For without they stood to accuse and censure, themselves they examined not inwardly: they saw the adulteress, they looked not into themselves. Transgressors of the law, they wished the law to be fulfilled, and this by heedlessly accusing; not really fulfilling it, as if condemning adulteries by chastity. You have heard, O Jews, you have heard, O Pharisees, you have heard, O teachers of the law, the guardian of the law, but have not yet understood Him as the Lawgiver. What else does He signify to you when He writes with His finger on the ground? For the law was written with the finger of God; but written on stone because of the hard-hearted. The Lord now wrote on the ground, because He was seeking fruit. You have heard then, Let the law be fulfilled, let the adulteress be stoned. But is it by punishing her that the law is to be fulfilled by those that ought to be punished? Let each of you consider himself, let him enter into himself, ascend the judgment-seat of his own mind, place himself at the bar of his own conscience, oblige himself to confess. For he knows what he is: for "no man knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of man which is in him." Each looking carefully into himself, finds himself a sinner. Yes, indeed. Hence, either let this woman go, or together with her receive ye the penalty of the law. Had He said, Let not the adulteress be stoned, He would be proved unjust: had He said, Let her be stoned, He would not appear gentle: let Him say what it became Him to say, both the gentle and the just, "Whoso is without sin of you, let him first cast a stone at her." This is the voice of Justice: Let her, the sinner, be punished, but not by sinners: let the law be fulfilled, but not by the transgressors of the law. This certainly is the voice of justice: by which justice, those men pierced through as if by a dart, looking into themselves and finding Jesus themselves guilty, Ione after another ail How withdrew." The two were left alone, the wretched woman and Mercy. But the Lord, having struck them through with that dart of 66 64 justice, deigned not to heed their fall, but, turning away His look from them, again He wrote with His finger on the ground.' the woman. 4 The every man according to his deeds.' 6. But when that woman was left alone, and all they were gone out, He raised His eyes to We have heard the voice of justice, let us also hear the voice of clemency. For I suppose that woman was the more terrified when she had heard it said by the Lord, "He that is without sin of you, let him first cast a stone at her." But they, turning their thought to themselves, and by that very withdrawal having confessed concerning themselves, had left the woman with her great sin to Him who was without sin. And because she had heard this, "He that is without sin, let him first cast a stone at her," she expected to be punished by Him in whom sin could not be found. But He, who had driven back her adversaries with the tongue of justice, raising the eyes of clemency towards her, asked her, "Hath no man condemned thee?" She answered, "No man, Lord." And He said, "Neither do I condemn thee;" by whom, perhaps, thou didst fear to be condemned, 8. From both, then, men are in danger; because in me thou hast not found sin. both from hoping and despairing, from con"Neither will I condemn thee." What is trary things, from contrary affections. Who this, O Lord? Dost Thou therefore favor is deceived by hoping? He who says, God sins? Not so, evidently. Mark what fol- is good, God is merciful, let me do what I lows: "Go, henceforth sin no more." There- please, what I like; let me give loose reins fore the Lord did also condemn, but con- to my lusts, let me gratify the desires of my demned sins, not man. For if He were a soul. Why this? Because God is merciful, patron of sin, He would say, Neither will I God is good, God is kind. These men are condemn thee; go, live as thou wilt: be se- in danger by hope. And those are in danger cure in my deliverance; how much soever from despair, who, having fallen into grievthou wilt sin, I will deliver thee from all pun- ous sins, fancying that they can no more be ishment even of hell, and from the torment- pardoned upon repentance, and believing that ors of the infernal world. He said not this. they are without doubt doomed to damnation, 7. Let them take heed, then, who love His do say with themselves, We are already desgentleness in the Lord, and let them fear His tined to be damned, why not do what we truth. For "The Lord is sweet and right." please? with the disposition of gladiators desThou lovest Him in that He is sweet; fear tined to the sword. This is the reason that Him in that He is right. As the meek, He desperate men are dangerous: for, having no said, "I held my peace;" but as the just, longer aught to fear, they are to be feared exHe said, "Shall I always be silent?" "The ceedingly. Despair kills these; hope, those. Lord is merciful and pitiful." So He is, The mind is tossed to and fro between hope certainly. Add yet further, "Long-suffer- and despair. Thou hast to fear lest hope ing;" add yet further, "And very pitiful:" slay thee; and, when thou hopest much from but fear what comes last, "And true.' 3 For mercy, lest thou fall into judgment: again, those whom He now bears with as sinners, thou hast to fear lest despair slay thee, and, He will judge as despisers. "Or despisest when thou thinkest that the grievous sins thou the riches of His long-suffering and gen- which thou hast committed cannot be forgiven tleness; not knowing that the forbearance of thee, thou dost not repent, and thou incurGod leadeth thee to repentance? But thou, rest the sentence of Wisdom, which says, “I after thy hardness and impenitent heart, also will laugh at your perdition." s treasurest up for thyself wrath against the then does the Lord treat those who are in day of wrath and the revelation of the right- danger from both these maladies? To those judgment of God; who will render to who are in danger from hope, He says, “Be eous 1 Ps. xxv. 8. I 2 Isa. xlii. 14. 3 Ps. lxxxvi. 15. 4 Rom. ii. 4-6.. 5 Prov. i. 26. How not slow to be converted to the Lord, neither by delays, He has made the day of death unput it off from day to day; for suddenly His certain. Thou knowest not when thy last anger will come, and in the time of vengeance, day may come. Art thou ungrateful because will utterly destroy thee." To those who thou hast to-day on which thou mayest be are in danger from despair, what does He improved? Thus therefore said He to the say? In what day soever the wicked man woman, "Neither will I condemn thee;" shall be converted, I will forget all his iniqui- but, being made secure concerning the past, ties." Accordingly, for the sake of those beware of the future. "Neither will I con. who are in danger by despair, He has offered demn thee:" I have blotted out what thou us a refuge of pardon; and because of those hast done; keep what I have commanded who are in danger by hope, and are deluded thee, that thou mayest find what I have promised. 2 1. WHAT we have just heard and atten- such, but in the case of whom it can, proves it tively received, as the holy Gospel was being even by reasoning. Let us therefore reject read, I doubt not that all of us have also en- this kind of error, which the Holy Church has deavored to understand, and that each of us anathematized from the beginning. Let us according to his measure apprehended what not suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ is this he could of so great a matter as that which sun which we see rising from the east, setting has been read; and while the bread of the in the west; to whose course succeeds night, word is laid out, no one can complain that he whose rays are obscured by a cloud, which has tasted nothing. But again I doubt not removes from place to place by a set motion: that there is scarcely any who has understood the Lord Christ is not such a thing as this. the whole. Nevertheless, even should there The Lord Christ is not the sun that was made, be any who may sufficiently understand the but He by whom the sun was made. For words of our Lord Jesus Christ now read out" all things were made by Him, and without of the Gospel, let him bear with our ministry, Him was nothing made. whilst, if possible, with His assistance, we may, by treating thereof, cause that either all or many may understand that which a few are joyful of having understood for themselves. 3. There is therefore a Light which made this light of the sun: let us love this Light, let us long to understand it, let us thirst for the same; that, with itself for our guide, we may 2. I think that what the Lord says, "I am at length come to it, and that we may so live the light of the world," is clear to those that in it that we may never die. This is indeed have eyes, by which they are made partakers that Light of which prophecy long ago going of this light: but they who have not eyes before thus sang in the psalm: "O Lord, except in the flesh alone, wonder at what is Thou shalt save men and beasts; even as Thy said by the Lord Jesus Christ, "I am the mercy is multiplied, O God." These are the light of the world." And perhaps there may words of the holy psalm: mark ye what the not be wanting some one too who says with ancient discourse of holy men of God did himself: Whether perhaps the Lord Christ premise concerning such a light. "Men,' is that sun which by its rising and setting saith it, "and beasts Thou shalt save, O causes the day? For there have not been Lord; even as Thy mercy is multiplied, O wanting heretics who thought this. The God." For since Thou art God, and hast Manicheans have supposed that the Lord manifold mercy, the same multiplicity of Thy Christ is that sun which is visible to carnal mercy reaches not only to men whom Thou eyes, exposed and public to be seen, not only hast created in Thine own image, but even to by men, but by the beasts. But the right the beasts which Thou hast made subservient faith of the Catholic Church rejects such a fic- to men. For He who gives salvation to man, tion, and perceives it to be a devilish doctrine: the same gives salvation also to the beast. not only by believing acknowledges it to be Do not blush to think this of the Lord thy |