ered from the fire; the former did in body perish in the torments of fire, but in mind they remained steadfast in the ordinances of the law. The latter were openly delivered, the former were crowned in secret.3 It is a greater thing to be delivered from the flame of hell than from the furnace of a human power. If, then, Nebuchadnezzar praised and extolled and gave glory to God because He delivered three children from the fire, and gave such glory as to send forth a decree throughout his kingdom, "Whosoever shall speak blasphemy against the God of Shad

you, brethren? Do you not understand what is signified? Thus, then, when God wills to stir up powers against heretics, against schismatics, against those that scatter the Church, that blow on Christ as if they abhorred Him, that blaspheme baptism, let them not wonder; because God stirs them up, that Hagar may be beaten by Sarah. Let Hagar know herself, and yield her neck: for when, after being humiliated, she departed from her mistress, an angel met her, and said to her, "What is the matter with thee, Hagar, Sarah's handmaid?" When she complained of her mistress, what did she hear from the angel? rach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut "Return to thy mistress." It is for this that she is afflicted, that she may return; and would that she may return, for her offspring, just like the sons of Jacob, will obtain the inheritance with their brethren.

15. For see what they do and what they suffer. They slay souls, they suffer in body: they cause everlasting deaths, and yet they complain that they themselves suffer temporal deaths. And yet what deaths do they suffer? They allege to us some martyrs of theirs in persecution. See, Marculus was hurled headlong from a rock; see, Donatus of Bagaia

off, and their houses shall be brought to ruin," how should not these kings be moved, who observe, not three children delivered from the flame, but their very selves delivered from hell, when they see Christ, by whom 14. But they wonder that Christian powers they have been delivered, contemptuously are roused against detestable scatterers of spurned in Christians, when they hear it said the Church. Should they not be moved, to a Christian, "Say that thou art not a then? How otherwise should they give an Christian"? Men are willing to do such account of their rule to God? Observe, be- deeds, but they do not wish to suffer, at all loved, what I say, that it concerns Christian events, such punishments. kings of this world to wish their mother the Church, of which they have been spiritually born, to have peace in their times. We read Daniel's visions and prophetical histories. The three children praised the Lord in the fire: King Nebuchadnezzar wondered at the children praising God, and at the fire around them doing them no harm: and whilst he wondered, what did King Nebuchadnezzar was thrown into a well. When have the say, he who was neither a Jew nor circumcised, who had set up his own image and compelled all men to adore it; but, impressed by the praises of the three children when he saw the majesty of God present in the fire, what said he? "And I will publish a decree to all tribes and tongues in the whole earth." What sort of decree? "Whosoever shall speak blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut off, and their houses shall be made a ruin." See how an alien king acts with raging indignation that the God of Israel might not be blasphemed, because He was able to deliver the three children from the fire: and yet they would not have Christian kings to act with severity when Christ is contemptuously rejected, by whom not three children, but the whole world, with these very kings, is delivered from the fire of hell! For those three children, my brethren, were delivered from temporal fire. Is He not the same God who was the God of the Maccabees and the God of the three children? The latter He deliv

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Roman authorities decreed such punishments as casting men down rocks? But what do those of our party reply? What was done I know not; what, however, do ours tell? That they flung themselves headlong and cast the infamy of it upon the authorities. Let us call to mind the custom of the Roman authorities, and see to whom we are to give credit. Our men declare that those men cast themselves down headlong. If they are not the very disciples of those men, who now cast themselves down precipices, while no man persecutes them, let us not credit the allegation of our men: what wonder if those men did what these are wont to do? The Roman authorities never did employ such punishments: for had they not the power to put them to death openly? But those men, while they wished to be honored when dead, found not a death to make them more famous. In short, whatever the fact was, I do not know. And even if thou hast suffered corporal affliction, O party of Donatus, at the hand of the Catholic Church, as an Hagar thou hast suf

32 Macc. vii.

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fered it at the hand of Sarah; " return to thy by speaking of other matters, what has been mistress." A point which it was indeed nec- spoken might be shut out from your hearts. essary to discuss has detained us somewhat too Hold fast these things, declare such things; long to be at all able to expound the whole and while yourselves are inflamed, go your text of the Gospel Lesson. Let this suffice way thither, and set on fire them that are you in the meantime, beloved brethren, lest, cold.

TRACTATE XII.

CHAPTER III. 6-21.

1. We observe, beloved, that the intimation | the figure of the future people was made up with which we yesterday excited your atten- in its completeness. For we find one born tion has brought you together with more alac- of a bond woman disinherited, one born of rity, and in greater number than usual; but a free woman made heir: again, we find one meanwhile let us, if you please, pay our debt born of a free woman disinherited, one born of a discourse on the Gospel Lesson, which of a bond woman made heir. Ishmael, born comes in due course. You shall then hear, of a bond woman, disinherited; Isaac, born beloved, as well what we have already effected of a free woman, made heir: Esau, born of a concerning the peace of the Church, and free woman, disinherited; the sons of Jacob, what we hope yet further to accomplish. born of bond women, made heirs. Thus, in For the present, then, let the whole attention these three fathers the figure of the whole of your hearts be given to the gospel; let future people is seen: and not without reason none be thinking of anything else. For if God saith, "I am the God of Abraham, and he who attends to it wholly apprehends with the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: difficulty, must not he who divides himself by this," saith He, "is my name for ever." diverse thoughts let go what he has received? Rather let us remember what was promised Moreover, you remember, beloved, that on the to Abraham himself: for this was promised Cast Lord's day, as the Lord deigned to help to Isaac, and also to Jacob. What do we find? us, we discoursed of spiritual regeneration."In thy seed shall all nations be blessed."2 That lesson we have caused to be read to At that time the one man believed what as you again, so that what was then left unspoken, we may now, by the aid of your prayers in the name of Christ, fulfill.

2. Spiritual regeneration is one, just as the generation of the flesh is one. And Nicodemus said the truth when he said to the Lord that a man cannot, when he is old, return again into his mother's womb and be born. He indeed said that a man cannot do this when he is old, as if he could do it even were he an infant. But be he fresh from the womb, or now in years, he cannot possibly return again into the mother's boweis and be born. But just as for the birth of the flesh, the bowels of woman avail to bring forth the child only once, so for the spiritual birth the bowels of the Church avail that a man be baptized only once. Therefore, in case one should say, "Well, but this man was born in heresy, and this in schism: " all that was cut away, if you remember what was debated to you about our three fathers, of whom God willed to be called the God, not that they were thus alone, but because in them alone

yet he saw not: men now see, and are blinded. What was promised to the one man is fulfilled in the nations; and they who will not see what is already fulfilled, are separating themselves from the communion of the nations. But what avails it them that they will not see? See they do, whether they will or no; the open truth strikes against their closed eyes.

3. It was in answer to Nicodemus, who was of them that had believed on Jesus, that it was said, And Jesus did not trust Himself to them. To certain men, indeed, He did not trust Himself, though they had already believed on Him. Thus it is written, "Many believed in His name, seeing the signs which He did. But Jesus did not trust Himself to them. For He needed not that any should testify of man; for Himself knew what was in man. Behold, they already believed on Jesus, and yet Jesus did not trust Himself to them. Why? because they were not yet born again of water and of the Spirit. From this have we ex

horted and do exhort our brethren the cate- not they who have sons like to see them playchumens. For if you ask them, they have ing? She saw and disapproved it. Somealready believed in Jesus; but because they thing or other she saw in their play; she saw have not yet received His flesh and blood, mockery in it, observed the pride of the slave; Jesus has not yet trusted Himself to them. she was displeased with it, and she cast him What must they do that Jesus may trust Him- out. The children of bond women, when self to them? They must be born again of wicked, are cast out; and the child of the free water and of the Spirit; the Church that is in woman, when an Esau, is cast out. Let none, travail with them must bring them forth. therefore, presume on his birth of good They have been conceived; they must be parents; let none presume on his being bapbrought forth to the light: they have breasts tized by holy men. Let him that is baptized to be nourished at; let them not fear lest, by holy men still beware lest he be not a being born, they may be smothered; let them Jacob, but an Esau. This would I say then, not depart from the mother's breasts. brethren, it is better to be baptized by men 4. No man can return into his mother's that seek their own and love the world, which bowels and be born again. But some one is is what the name of bond woman imports, born of a bond woman? Well, did they who and to be spiritually seeking the inheritance of were born of bond women at the former time, Christ, so as to be as it were a son of Jacob return into the wombs of the free to be born by a bond woman, than to be baptized by anew? The seed of Abraham was in Ishmael holy men and to become proud, so as to be also; but that Abraham might have a son of an Esau to be cast out, though born of a free the bond maid, it was at the advice of his wife. | woman. Hold ye this fast, brethren. We are The child was of the husband's seed, not of not coaxing you, let none of your hope be in the womb, but at the sole pleasure of the us; we flatter neither ourselves nor you; wife. Was his birth of a bond woman the every man bears his own burden. It is our reason why he was disinherited? Then, if duty to speak, that we be not judged unhe was disinherited because he was the son happily: yours to hear, and that with the of a bond woman, no sons of bond women heart, lest what we give be required of you; would be admitted to the inheritance. The nay, that when it is required, it may be sons of Jacob were admitted to the inheritance; found a gain, not a loss. but Ishmael was put out of it, not because 5. The Lord says to Nicodemus, and exborn of a bond woman, but because he was plains to him: "Verily, verily, I say unto proud to his mother, proud to his mother's thee, Except a man be born again of water son; for his mother was Sarah rather than and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Hagar. The one gave her womb, the other's kingdom of God." Thou, says He, underwill was added: Abraham would not have standest a carnal generation, when thou saydone what Sarah willed not: therefore was he est, Can a man return into his mother's bowSarah's son rather. But because he was proud els? The birth for the kingdom of God must to his brother, proud in playing, that is, in be of water and of the Spirit. If one is born mocking him; what said Sarah? Cast out to the temporal inheritance of a human the bond woman and her son; for the son of father, be he born of the bowels of a carnal the bond woman shall not be heir with my mother; if one is born to the everlasting inson Isaac." It was not, therefore, the bow-heritance of God as his Father, be he born of els of the bond woman that caused his rejec- the bowels of the Church. A father, as one tion, but the slave's neck. For the free-born that will die, begets a son by his wife to sucis a slave if he is proud, and, what is worse, ceed him; but God begets of the Church the slave of a bad mistress, of pride itself. sons, not to succeed Him, but to abide with Thus, my brethren, answer the man, that a Himself. And He goes on: "That which is man cannot be born a second time; answer born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is fearlessly, that a man cannot be born a second born of the Spirit is spirit." We are born time. Whatever is done a second time is spiritually then, and in spirit we are born mockery, whatever is done a second time is by the word and sacrament. The Spirit is play. It is Ishmael playing, let him be cast present that we may be born; the Spirit is out. For Sarah observed them playing, saith invisibly present whereof thou art born, for the Scripture, and said to Abraham, Cast thou too must be invisibly born. For He out the bond woman and her son.' The goes on to say: "Marvel not that I said unto playing of the boys displeased Sarah. She thee, Ye must be born again. The Spirit saw something strange in their play. Do bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest its

I

1 Gen. xxi. 9, 10.

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voice, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth." None sees the Spirit, and

how do we hear the Spirit's voice? There down from the cross; but He deferred, that sounds a psalm, it is the Spirit's voice; the He might rise again from the tomb. He, the gospel sounds, it is the Spirit's voice; the Lord, bore with proud slaves; the physician divine word sounds, it is the Spirit's voice. with the sick. If He did this, how ought they "Thou hearest its voice, and knowest not to act whom it behoves to be born of the whence it cometh, and whither it goeth." Spirit!-if He did this, He who is the true But if thou art born of the Spirit, thou too Master in heaven, not of men only, but also shalt be so, that one who is not born of the of angels. For if the angels are learned, they Spirit knows not, as for thee, whence thou are so by the Word of God. If they are comest, or whither thou goest. For He said, learned by the Word of God, ask of what they as He went on, “So is also every one that is are learned; and you shall find, "In the beborn of the Spirit." ginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The neck of man is done away with, only the hard and stiff neck, that it may be gentle to bear the yoke of Christ, of which it is said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 3

6. "Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be?" And, in fact, in the carnal sense, he knew not how. In him occurred what the Lord had said; the Spirit's voice he heard, but knew not whence it came, and whither it was going. "Jesus 7. And He goes on, "If I have told you answered and said unto him, Art thou a mas- earthly things, and ye believe not; how shall ter in Israel, and knowest not these things?" ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?" Oh, brethren! what? do we think that the What earthly things did He tell, brethren? Lord meant to taunt scornfully this master of "Except a man be born again; is that an the Jews? The Lord knew what He was do- earthly thing? "The Spirit bloweth where it ing; He wished the man to be born of the listeth, and thou hearest its voice, and knowSpirit. No man is born of the Spirit if he be est not whence it cometh, or whither it not humble, for humility itself makes us to goeth;" is that earthly? For if He spoke it be born of the Spirit; "for the Lord is nigh of the wind, as some have understood it, to them that are of broken heart." The when they were asked what earthly thing the man was puffed up with his mastership, and Lord meant, when He said, "If I told you it appeared of some importance to himself earthly things, and ye believe not; how shall that he was a teacher of the Jews. Jesus ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?"— pulled down his pride, that he might be born when, I say, it was asked of certain men what of the Spirit: He taunted him as an un-" earthly thing" the Lord meant, being in learned man; not that the Lord wished to difficulty, they said, What He said, "The appear his superior. What comparison can Spirit bloweth where it listeth," and "its there be, God compared to man, truth to voice thou hearest, and knowest not whence falsehood? Christ greater than Nicodemus! it cometh, or whither it goeth," He said Ought this to be said, can it be said, is it to concerning the wind. Now what did He be thought? If it were said, Christ is name earthly? He was speaking of the spirgreater than angels," it were ridiculous: for itual birth; and going on, saith, So is every incomparably greater than every creature is one that is born of the Spirit." Then, He by whom every creature was made. But brethren, which of us does not see, for exyet He rallies the man on his pride: "Art ample, the south wind going from south to thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these north, or another wind coming from east to things?" As if He said, Behold, thou know-west? How, then, know we not whence it est nothing, thou art a proud chief; be thou born of the Spirit: for if thou be born of the Spirit, thou wilt keep the ways of God, so as to follow Christ's humility. So, indeed, is He high above all angels, that, "being in the form of God, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking upon Him the form of a servant, being made into the likeness of men, and found in fashion as a man: He humbled Himself, being made obedient unto death" (and lest any kind of death should please thee), "even the death of the cross." " He hung on the cross, and they scoffed at Him. He could have come

1 Ps. xxxiv. 18.

2 Phil. i, 6-8.

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cometh and whither it goeth? What earthly thing, then, did He tell, which men did not believe? Was it that which He had said about raising the temple again? Surely, for He had received His body of the earth, and that earth taken of the earthly body He was preparing to raise up. They did not believe Him as about to raise up earth. "If I told you earthly things," saith He, "and ye believe not; how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?" That is, if ye believe not that I can raise up the temple cast down by you, how shall ye believe that men can be regenerated by the Spirit?

3 Matt. xi. 30.

8. And He goes on: "And no man hath Hence, in the Psalms, many sometimes sing, ascended into heaven, but He that came to show that one is made of many; sometimes down from heaven, the Son of man who is in one sings, to show what is made of many. heaven." Behold, He was here, and was Therefore was it only one that was healed in also in heaven; was here in His flesh, in the pool; and whoever else went down into it heaven by His divinity; yea, everywhere by was not healed. Now this one shows forth His divinity. Born of a mother, not quitting the oneness of the Church. Woe to them the Father. Two nativities of Christ are who hate unity, and make to themselves understood: one divine, the other human: parties among men! Let them hear him who one, that by which we were to be made; the wished to make them one, in one, for one: other, that by which we were to be made anew: let them hear him who says, Be not ye makboth marvellous; that without mother, this ing many: "I have planted, Apollos watered; without father. But because He had taken a but God gave the increase. But neither he body of Adam,-for Mary was of Adam,- that planteth is anything, neither he that and was about to raise that same body again, watereth; but God that giveth the increase."4 it was an earthly thing He had said in saying, They were saying, "I am of Paul, I of Apol"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will los, I of Cephas.' And he says, "Is Christ raise it up." But this was a heavenly thing, divided?" Be ye in one, be one thing, be when He said, "Except a man be born again one person: "No man hath ascended into of water and of the Spirit, he shall not see heaven, but He who came down from heaven." the kingdom of God." Come then, breth-Lo! we wish to be thine, they said to Paul. ren! God has willed to be the Son of man, And he said to them, I will not that ye be and willed men to be sons of God. He came Paul's, but be ye His whose is Paul together down for our sakes; let us ascend for His with you. sake. For He alone descended and ascended, He who saith, "No man hath ascended into heaven, but He who came down from heaven." Are they not therefore to ascend into heaven whom He makes sons of God? Certainly they are: this is the promise to us, "They shall be equal to the angels of God. Then how is it that no man ascends, but He that descended? Because one only descended, only one ascends. What of the rest? What are we to understand, but that they shall be His members, that one may ascend? Therefore it follows that no man hath ascended into heaven, but He who came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven." Dost thou marvel that IIe was both here and in heaven? Such He made His disciples. Hear the Apostle Paul saying, "But our conversation is in heaven." " If the Apostle Paul, a man, walked in the flesh on earth, and yet had his conversation in heaven, was the God of heaven and earth not able to be both in heaven and on earth?

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9. Therefore, if none but He descended and ascended, what hope is there for the rest? The hope for the rest is this, that He came down in order that in Him and with Him they might be one, who should ascend through Him. He saith not, And to seeds," saith the apostle, as in many; but as in one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." And to believers he saith, "And ye are Christ's; and if Christ's, then are Abraham's seed."3 What he said to be one, that he said that we all are.

"God

10. For He came down and died, and by that death delivered us from death: being slain by death, He slew death. And you know, brethren, that this death entered into the world through the devil's envy. made not death," saith the Scripture, “nor delights He in the destruction of the living; but He created all things to be." But what saith it here? "But by the devil's envy, death entered into the whole world."5 To the death offered for our entertainment by the devil, man would not come by constraint; for the devil had not the power of forcing, but only cunning to persuade. Hadst thou not consented, the devil had brought in nothing: thy own consenting, O man, led thee to death. Of the mortal are mortals born; from immortals we are become mortals. From Adam all men are mortal; but Jesus the Son of God, the Word of God, by which all things were made, the only Son equal with the Father, was made mortal: "for the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

II. He endured death, then; but death He hanged on the cross, and mortal men are delivered from death. The Lord calls to mind a great matter, which was done in a figure with them of old: "And as Moses, saith He, "lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up; that every one who believeth on Him may not perish, but have everlasting life." A great mystery is here, as they who read know. Again, let them hear, as well they who have

I Matt. xxii. 30.

2 Phil. ii. 20

3 Gal. iii. 16, 29.

4 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7.

5 Wisd. 1. 2.