8. These men, however, deceive the peo- ple by the very Scriptures, that they may receive honors and praises at their hand, and that men may not turn to the truth. But in that they deceive, by the very Scriptures, the people of whom they seek honors, they do in fact sell oxen: they sell sheep too; that is, the common people themselves. And to whom do they sell them, but to the devil? For if the Church be Christ's sole and only one, who is it that carries off whatever is cut away from it, but that lion that roars and goes about, "seeking whom he may devour?" ^ Woe to them that are cut off from the Church! As for her, she will remain entire. " For the Lord knoweth them that are His." ■♦ These, however, so far as they can, sell oxen and sheep, they sell doves too: let them guard against the scourge of their own sins. But when they suffer some such things for these their iniquities, let them acknowledge that the Lord has made a scourge of small cords, and is admonishing them to change themselves and be no longer traffickers: for if they will not change, they shall at the end hear it said, " Bind ye these men's hands and feet, and cast them forth into outer darkness."
9. " Then the disciples remembered that it was written. The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up: " because by this zeal of God's house, the Lord cast these men out of the temple. Brethren, let every Christian among the members of Christ be eaten up with zeal of God's house. Who is eaten up with zeal of God's house? He who exerts himself to have all that he may happen to see wrong there corrected, desires it to be mended, does not rest idle: who if he cannot mend it, en- dures it, laments it. The grain is not shaken out on the threshing-floor that it may enter the barn when the chaff shall have been sepa- rated. If thou art a grain, be not shaken out from the floor before the putting into the granary; lest thou be picked up by the birds before thou be gathered into the granary. For the birds of heaven, the powers of the air, are waiting to snatch up something off the threshing-floor, and they can snatch up only 3 1 Cor. Pet.
13- Cor. iii. 6, 7. Tim. ii. 19.
what has been shaken out of it. Therefore, let the zeal of God's house eat thee up: let the zeal of God's house eat up every Christian, zeal of that house of God of which he is a member. For thy own house is not more important than that wherein thou hast ever- lasting rest. Thou goest into thine own house for temporal rest, thou enterest God's house for everlasting rest. If, then, thou busiest thyself to see that nothing wrong be done in thine own house, is it fit that thou suffer, so far as thou canst help, if thou shouldst chance to see aught wrong in the house of God, where salvation is set before thee, and rest without end? For example, seest thou a brother rushing to the theatre? Stop him, warn him, make him sorry, if the zeal of God's house doth eat thee up. Seest thou others running and desiring to get drunk, and that, too, in holy places, which is not decent to be done in any place? Stop those whom thou canst, restrain whom thou canst, frighten whom thou canst, allure gently whom thou canst: do not, however, rest silent. Is it a friend? Let him be admonished gently. Is it a wife? Let her be bridled with the utmost rigor. Is it a maid-servant? Let her be curbed even with blows. Do whatever thou canst for the part thou bearest; and so thou fulfillest, "The zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up." But if thou wilt be cold, lan- guid, having regard only to thyself, and as if thyself were enough to thee, and saying in thy heart, What have I to do with looking after other men's sins? enough for me is the care of my own soul: this let me keep unde- filed for God; — come, does there not recur to thy mind the case of that servant who hid his talent and would not lay it out? Was he accused because he lost it, and not because he kept it without profit?5 So hear ye then, my brethren, that ye may not rest idle. I am about to give you counsel: may He who is within give it; for though it be through me, it is He that gives it. You know what to do, each one of you, in his own house, with his friend, his tenant, his client, with greater, with less: as God grants an entrance, as He opens a door for His word, do not cease to win for Christ; because you were won by Christ.
10. " The Jews said unto Him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? " And the Lord answered, " Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and dost thou say. In three days I will rear it up?"
5 Matt. XXV. 25-30.
Tractate X.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
7Z Flesh they were, fleshly things they minded; but He was speaking spiritually. But who could understand of what temple He spoke? But yet we have not far to seek; He has dis- covered it to us through the evangelist, he has told us of what temple He said it. " But He spake," sailhthe evangelist, '' of the tem- ple of His body." And it is manifest that, being slain, the Lord did rise again after three days. This is known to us all now: and if from the Jews it is concealed, it is because they stand without; yet to us it is open, be- cause we know in whom we believe. The destroying and rearing again of that temple, we are about to celebrate in its yearly solem- nity: for which we exhort you to prepare yourselves, such of you as are catechumens, that you may receive grace; even now is the time, even now let that be purposed which may then come to the birth. Now, that thing we know.
II. But perhaps this is demanded of us, whether the fact that the temple was forty and six years in building may not have in it some mystery. There are, indeed, many things that may be said of this matter; but what may briefly be said, and easily under- stood, that we say meanwhile. Brethren, we have said yesterday, if I mistake not, that Adam was one man, and is yet the whole hu- man race. For thus we said, if you remem- ber. He was broken, as it were, in pieces; and, being scattered, is now being gathered together, and, as it were, conjoined into one by a spiritual fellowship and concord. And " the poor that groan," as one man, is that same Adam, but in Christ he is being renew- ed: because an Adam is come without sin, to destroy the sin of Adam in His own flesh, and that Adam might renew to himself the image of God. Of Adam then is Christ's flesh: of Adam the temple which the Jews destroyed, and the Lord raised up in tiiree days. For He raised His own flesh: see, that He was thus God equal with the Father. My breth- ren, the apostle says, " Who raised Him from the dead.'' Of whom says he this? Of the Father. '" He became," saith he, "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; wherefore also God raised Him from the dead, and gave Him a name which is above every name.'' ' He who was raised and exalted is the Lord. Who raised Him? The Father, to whom He said in the psalms, " Raise me up and I will requite them."- Hence, the Father raised Him up. Did He not raise Himself? And doeth the Father anything without the Word? What doeth the Father without His only One? For, hear that He also was God. " Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Did He say, Destroy the temple, which in three days the Father will raise up? But as when the Father raiseth, the Son also raiseth; so when the Son raiseth, the Father also raiseth: because the Son has said, " I and the Father are one. "3 12. Now, what does the number Forty-six mean? Meanwhile, how Adam extends over the whole globe, you have already heard ex- plained yesterday, by the four Greek letters of four Greek words. For if thou write the four words, one under the other, that is, the names of the four quarters of tlie world, of east, west, north, and south, which is the whole globe, — whence the Lord says that He will gather His elect from the four winds when He shall come to judgment;** — if, I say, you take these four Greek words, — amxoXr^, which is east; du(ri<i, which is west; afr/-o<i, which is north; iiz<7Y,j.[-iina, which is south; Anatole, Dysis, Arctos, Mesembria, — the first letters of the words make Adam. How, then, do we find there, too, the number forty-six? Because Christ's flesh was of Adam. The Greeks compute numbers by letters. What we make the letter A, they in their tongue put Alpha, «, and Alpha, «, is called one. And where in numbers they write Beta, ^3, which is their b, it is called in numbers two. Where they write Gamma, y, it is called in their numbers three. Where they write Delta, rJ, it is called in their numbers four; and so by means of all the letters they have numbers. The letter we call M, and they call My, /Ji, signifies forty; for they say My,//, rtntjapaxttvTa. Now look at the number which these letters make, and you will find in it that the temple was built in forty-six years. For the word Adam has Alpha, «, which is one: it has Delta, '5, which is four; there are five for thee: it has Alpha, a, again, which is one; "there are six for thee: it has also My,,a, which is forty; there. hast thou forty-six. These things, my l)rethren, were said by our elders before us, and that number forty-six was found by them in letters. And because our Lord Jesus Christ took of Adam a body, not of Atlam derived sin; took of him a corporeal temj^le, not iniquity which must be driven from the temple: and that the Jews crucified that very flesh whicli He derived from Adam (for Miiry was of Adam, and the Lord's flesh was of Mary); and that, further. He was in three days to raise that same flesh whicli they were about to slay on the cross: they destroyed ■ Phil. ii. 8.
2 Ps. Xli. II.
John X. 30.
4 Mark xiii. 27.
74 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN [Tractate XI.
the temple which was forty-six years in build- ing, and that temple He raised up in three days.
13. We bless the Lord our God, who gathered us together to spiritual joy. Let us be ever in humility of heart, and let our joy be with Him. Let us not be elated with any prosperity of this world, but know that our happiness is not until these things shall have passed way. Now, my brethren, let our joy be in hope: let none rejoice as in a present thing, lest he stick fast in the way. Let joy be wholly of hope to come, desire be wholly of eternal life. Let all sighings breathe after Christ. Let that fairest one alone, who loved the foul to make them fair, be all our desire; after Him alone let us run, for Him alone pant and sigh; "and let them say always, The Lord be magnified, that wish the peace of His servant."
TRACTATE XI.
1. Opportunely has the Lord procured for us that this passage should occur in its order to-day: for I suppose you have observ- ed, beloved, that we have undertaken to con- sider and explain the Gospel according to John in due course. Opportunely then it occurs, that to-day you should hear from the Gospel, that, " Except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he shall not see the kingdom of God. " For it is time that we ex- hort you, who are still catechumens, who have believed in Christ in such wise, that you are still bearing your sins. And none shall see the kingdom of heaven while burdened with sins; for none shall reign with Christ, but he to whom they have been forgiven: but for- given they cannot be, but to him who is born again of water and of the Holy Spirit. But let us observe all the words what they imply, that here the sluggish may find with what earnestness they must haste to put off their burden. For were they bearing some heavy load, either of stone, or of wood, or even of some gain; if they were carrying corn, or wine, or money, they would run to put off their loads: they are carrying a burden of sins, and yet are sluggish to run. You must run to put off this burden; it weighs you down, it drowns you.
2. Behold, you have heard that when our Lord Jesus Christ "was in Jerusalem at the Passover, on the feast day, many believed in His name, seeing the signs which He did." "Many believed in His name;" and what follows? " But Jesus did not trust Himself to them." Now what does this mean, " They believed," or trusted, "in His name;" and yet " Jesus did not trust Himself to them;"? Was it, perhaps, that they had not believed on Him, but were feigning to have believed, and that therefore Jesus did not trust Himself to them? But the evangelist would not have said, "Many believed in His name," if he were not giving a true testimony to them. A great thing, then, it is, and a wonderful thing: men believe on Christ, and Christ trusts not Himself to men. Especially is it wonderful, since, being the Son of God, He of course suffered willingly. If He were not willing, He would never have suffered, since, had He not willed it, He had not been born; and if He had willed this only, merely to be born and not to die, He might have done even whatever He willed, because He is the almighty Son of the almighty Father Let us prove it by facts. For when they wished to hold Him, He departed from them. The Gospel says, " And when they would have cast Him headlong from the top of the mountain, He departed from them unhurt."' And when they came to k.y hold of Him, after He was sold by Judas the traitor, who imagined that he had it in his power to deliver up his Mas- ter and Lord, there also the LjOrd showed that He suffered of His own willjTiot of necessity. For when the Jews desired to lay hold of Him, He said to them, "Whom seek ye?
But they said, Jesus of Nazareth. And said He, I am He. On hearing this saying, they went backward, and fell to the ground." - In this, that in answering them He threw them to the ground. He showed His power; that in His being taken by them He might show His will. It was of compassion, then, that He suffered. For " He was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification." ^ Hear His own words: " I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it I Luke iv. 30.
2 John xviii. 4-6.
3 Rom. iv. 25.
Tractate XL] ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
/D again: no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself, that I may take it again." ' Since, therefore, He had such power, since He declared it by words, showed it by deeds, what then does it mean that Jesus did not trust Himself to them, as if they would do Him some harm against His will, or would do something to Him against His will, especially seeing that they had already believed in His name? Moreover, of the same persons the evangelist says, " They believed in His name," of whom he says, " But Jesus did not trust Himself to them." Why? "Because He knew all men, and needed not that any should bear witness of man: for Himself knew what was in man." The artificer knew what was in His own work better than the work knew what was in itself. The Creator of man knew what was in man, which the created man himself knew not. Do we not prove this of Peter, that he knew not what was in himself, when he said, "With Thee, even to death "? Hear that the Lord knew what was in man: "Thou with me even to death? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice."^ The man, then, knew not what was in himself; but the Creator of the man knew what was in the man. Nevertheless, many believed in His name, and yet Jesus did not trust Him- self to them. What can we say, brethren? Perhaps the circumstances that follow will in- dicate to us what the mystery of these words is. That men had believed in Him is mani- fest, is true; none doubts it, the Gospel says it, the truth-speaking evangelist testifies to it. Again, that Jesus trusted not Himself to them is also manifest, and no Christian doubts it; for the Gospel says this also, and the same truth-speaking evangelist testifies to it. Why, then, is it that they believed in His name, and yet Jesus did not trust Himself to them? Let us see what follows.
3. " And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus by name, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Him by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi (you already know that Master is called Rabbi), we know that Thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these signs which Thou doest, except God be with him." This Nicodemus, then, was of those who had believed in His name, as they saw the signs and prodigies which He did. For this is what he said above: " Now, when He was in Jerusalem at the passover on the feast-day, many believed in His name." Why did they believe? He goes on to say, " See- ing His signs which He did." And what ' John X. 18.
Matt. xxvi. 33, 34; Luke xxii. 33, 34.
says he of Nicodemus? " There was a ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus by name* the same came to Him by night, and says to Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God.'' Therefore this man also had believed in His name. And why had he be- lieved? He goes on, "For no man can do these signs which Thou doest, except God be with him.-"' If, therefore, Nicodemus was of those who had believed in His name, let us now consider, in the case of this Nicodemus, why Jesus did not trust Himself to them. " Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Therefore to them who have been born again doth Jesus trust Himself. Behold, those men had believed on Him, and yet Jesus trusted not Himself to them. Such are all catechu- mens: already they believe in the name of Christ, but Jesus does not trust Himself to them. Give good heed, my beloved, and understand. If we say to a catechumen. Dost thou believe on Christ? he answers, I believe, and signs himself; already he bears the cross of Christ on his forehead, and is not ashamed of the cross of his Lord. Behold, he has be- lieved in His name. Let us ask him. Dost thou eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink the'blood of the Son of man? he knows not what we say, because Jesus has not trusted Himself to him.
4, Therefore, since Nicodemus was of that number, he came to the Lord, but came by night; and this perhaps pertains to the mat- ter. Came to the Lord, and came by night; came to the Light, and came in the darkness. But what do they that are born again of water and of the Spirit hear from the apostle? ' ' Ye were once darkness, but now light in the Lord; walk as children of light; " ^ and again, " But we who are of the day, let us be sober."" Therefore they who are born again were of the night, and are of the day; were darkness, and are light. Now Jesus trusts Himself to them, and they come to Jesus, not by night, like Nicodemus; not in dark- ness do they seek the day. For such now also profess: Jesus has come near to them, has made salvation in them; for He said, " Except a man eat my flesli, and drink my blood, he shall not have life in hini."s And as the catechumens have the sign of the cross on their forehead, they are already of the great house; but from servants let them be- come sons. For they are something who already belong to the great house. But when did the people Israel eat the manna?
5 John vi. 54.
76 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XI.
After they had passed the Red Sea. And as to what the Red Sea signifies, hear the apos- tle: " Moreover, brethren, I would not have you ignorant, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea." To what purpose passed they through the sea? As if thou wert asking of him, he goes on to say, " And all were baptized by MoseS in the cloud and in the sea."' Now, if the figure of the sea had such efficacy, how great will be the efficacy of the true form of bap- tism! If what was done in a figure brought the people, after they had crossed over, to the manna, what will Christ impart, in the verity of His baptism, to His own people, brought over through Himself? By His bap- tism He brings over them that believe; all their sins, the enemies as it were that pursue them, being slain, as all the Egyptians perish- ed in that sea. Whither does He bring over, my brethren? Whither does Jesus bring over by baptism, of which Moses then showed the figure, when he brought them through the sea? Whither? To the manna. What is the manna? "I am," saith He, "the liv- ing bread, which came down from heaven." ^ The faithful receive the manna, having now been brought through the Red Sea? Why Red Sea? Besides sea, why also "red"? That "Red Sea" signified the baptism of Christ. How is the baptism of Christ red, but as conse- crated by Christ's blood? Whither, then, does He lead those that believe and are baptized? To the manna. Behold, "manna," I say: what the Jews, that people Israel, received, is well known, well known what God had rained on them from heaven; and yet catechumens know not what Christians receive. Let them blush, then, for their ignorance; let them pass through the Red Sea, let them eat the manna, that as they have believed in the name of Jesus, so likewise Jesus may trust Himself to them.
5. Therefore mark, my brethren, what answer this man who came to Jesus by night makes. Although he came to Jesus, yet be- cause he came by night, he still speaks from the darkness of his own flesh. He understands not what he hears from the Lord, understands not what he hears from the Light, "which lighteth every man that cometh into this world." ' Already hath the Lord said to him, " Except a man be born again, he shall not see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born again when he is old?" The Spirit speaks to him, and he thinks of the flesh. He thinks of his own flesh, because as yet he thinks not of Cor.
Christ's flesh. For when the Lord Jesus had said, " Except a man eat my flesh, and drink my blood, he shall not have life in him," some who followed Him were offepded, and said among themselves, "This is a hard say- ing; who can hear it? " For they fancied that, in saying this, Jesus meant tnat they would be able to cook Him, after being cut up Ukc a lamb, and eat Him: horrified at His words, they went back, and no more followed Him. Thus speaks the evangelist: "And the Lord Himself remained with the twelve; and they said to Him, Lo, those have left Thee. And He said. Will ye also go away? " — wishing to show them that He was necessary to them, not they necessary to Christ, Let no man fancy that he frightens Christ, when he tells Him that he is a Christian; as if Christ will be more blessed if thou be a Chris- tian. It is a good thing for thee to be a Christian; but if thou be not, it will not be ill for Christ. Hear the voice of the psalm, " I said to the Lord, Thou art my God, since Thou hast no need of my goods." '* For that reason, "Thou art my God, since of my goods Thou hast no need." If thou be with- out God, thou wilt be less; if thou be with God, God will not be greater. Not from thee will He be greater, but thou without Him wilt be less. Grow, therefore, in Him; do not withdraw thyself, that He may, as it were, diminish. Tnou wilt be renewed if thou come to Him, wilt suffer loss if thou depart from Him. He remains entire when thou comest to Him, remains entire even when thou fallest away. When, therefore. He had said to His disciples, " Will ye also go away? " Peter, that Rock, answered with the voice of all, " Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." Pleasantly sav- ored the Lord's flesh in his mouth. The Lord, however, expounded to them, and said, " It is the Spirit that quickeneth.*' After He had said, " Except a man eay my flesh, and drink my blood, he shall not have life in him," lest they should understand it carnally. He said, " It is the Spirit that quickeneth, but the flesh profiteth nothing: the words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and life."5 6. This Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus by night, did not savor of this spirit and this life. Saith Jesus to him, " Except a man be born again, he shall not see the kingdom of God." And he, savoring of his own flesh, while as yet he savored not of the flesh of Christ in his mouth, saith, " How can a man be born a second time, when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's 4 Ps. xvi. 2.
5 John vi. 54-59.
Tractate XI.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
17 womb, and be born?" This man knew but one birth, that from Adam and Eve; that which is from God and the Church he knew not yet: he knew only those parents that bring forth to death, knew not yet the parents that bring forth to life; he knew but the parents that bring forth successors, knew not yet the ever-living parents that bring forth those that shall abide.
Whilst there are two births, then, he un- derstood only one. One is of the earth, the other of heaven; one of the flesh, the other of the Spirit; one of mortality, the other of eternity; one of male and female, the other of God and the Church. But these two are each single; there can be no repeating the one or the other. Rightly did Nicodemus understand the birth of the flesh; so under- stand thou also the birth of the Spirit, as Nicodemus understood the birth of the flesh. What did Nicodemus understand? " Can a man enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Thus, whosoever shall tell thee to be spiritually born a second time, answer in the words of Nicodemus, "Can a man enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? " I am already born of Adam, Adam cannot beget me a second time. I am already born of Christ, Christ cannot beget me again. As there is no repeating from the womb, so neither from baptism.