11. "But he that was made whole knew not who it was " that had said this to him. *' For Jesus,'' when He had done this, and given him this order, " turned away from him in the crowd." See how this also is fulfilled. We bear our neighbor, and walk towards God; but Him, to whom we are walking, we do not yet see: for that reason also, that man did not yet know Jesus. The mystery herein in- timated to us is, that we believe on Him whom we do not yet see; and that He may not be seen, He turns aside in the crowd. It is difficult in a crowd to see Christ: a certain solitude is necessary for our mind; it is by a certain solitude of contemplation that God is seen. A crowd has noise; this seeing re- quires secrecy. " Take up thy bed " — being thyself borne, bear thy neighbor; " and walk," that thou mayest come to the goal. Do not seek Christ in a crowd: He is not as one of a crowd; He excels all crowd. That great fish first ascended from the sea, and He sits in heaven making intercession for us: as the great high priest He entered alone into that within the veil; the crowd stands ■ without. Do thou walk, bearing thy neighbor: if thou hast learned to bear, thou, who wast wont to be borne. In a word, even now as yet thou knowest not Jesus, not yet seest Jesus: what follows thereafter? Since that man desisted not from taking up his bed and walking, " Jesus seeth him afterwards in the temple." He did not see Jesus in the crowd, he saw Him in the temple. The Lord Jesus, indeed, saw him both in the crowd and in the temple; but the impotent man does not know Jesus in the crowd, but he knows Him in the tem- ple. The man came then to the Lord: saw Him in the temple, saw Him in a consecrated, saw Him in a holy place. And what does the Lord say to him? *' Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest some worse thing befall thee."
12. The man. then, after he saw Jesus, and knew Him to be the author of his heal- ing, was not slothful in preaching Him whom he had seen: " He departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus that liad made him whole." He brought them word, and they were mad against him; he preached his own salvation, they sought not their own salvation.
13. The Jews persecuted the Lord Jesus because He did these things on the Sabbath- day. Let us hear what answer the Lord now made to the Jews. I have told you how He is wont to answer concerning the Ileal ing of men on the Sabbath-day, that they used not on the Sabbath-day to slight their cattle, either in delivering or in feeding them. What does He answer concerning the carrying of the bed? A manifest corporal work was done before the eyes of the Jews; not a healing of the body, but a bodily work, which appeared not so necessary as the healing. Let the Lord, then, openly declare that the sacrament of the Sabbath, even the sign of keeping one day, was given to the Jews for a time, but that the fulfillment of the sacrament had come in Himself. "My Father," saith He, "worketh hitherto, and I work." He sent a great commotion among them: the water is troubled by the coming of the Lord, but yet He that troubles is not seen. Yet one great sick one is to be healed by the troubled water, the whole world by the death of the Lord.
14. Let us see, then, the answer made by the Truth: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.'-' Is it false, then, which the Scripture has said, that " God rested from all His works on the seventh day "? And does the Lord Jesus speak contrary to this Scrip- ture ministered by Moses, whilst He Himself says to the Jews, " If ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for He wrote of me"? See, then, whether INfoses did not mean it to be significant of something that "God rested on the seventh day." For God had not be- come wearied in doing the work of His own creation, and needed rest as a man. How can He have been wearied, who made by a word? Yet is both that true, that "God rested from His works on the seventh day;" and this also is true that Jesus saith, " My Father worketh hitherto." But who can unfold it in words, man to men, weak to weak, unlearned to them that seek to learn; and if he chance to understand somewhat, unable to bring it forth and unfold it to men, who with diffi- culty, it may be, r ive it, even if what is received can possi ' be unfolded? \\'\\o, I sa}', my brethren, can unfold in words how God both works while at rest, and rests while working? I pray you to put this matter off while you are advancing on the way; for this seeing requires the temple of God, requires the holy i)lace. Bear your neighlior, and walk. Ye shall see Him in that place where ye shall not require the words of men.
15. Perhaps we can more apnropriately say this, that in the saying, "God rested on the seventh day," he signified by a great mystery the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ Him- self, whosi)oke antl said, " My Father worketh hitherto, and 1 work." For the Lord Jesus is, of course, God. For He is the Word of God, and you have heard that " in the begin- Tl6 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XVII.
ning was the Word; " and not any word what- soever, but "the Word was God, and all things were made by Him." He was perhaps signified as about to rest on the seventh day from all His works. For, read the Gospel, and see what great works Jesus wrought. He wrought our salvation on the cross, that all things foretold by the prophets might be ful- filled in Him. He was crowned with thorns; He hung on the tree; said, "I thirst," re- ceived vinegar on a sponge, that it might be fulfilled which was said, "And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."' And when all His works were completed, on the sixth day of the week. He bowed His head and gave up the ghost, and on the Sabbath-day He rested in the tomb from all His works. Therefore it is as if He said to the Jews, "Why do ye expect that I should not work on the Sabbath? The Sabbath-day was or- dained for you for a sign of me. You observe the works of God: I was there when they were made, by me were they all made; I know them. ' My Father worketh hitherto.' The Father made the light, but He spoke that there should be light; if He spoke, it was by His Word He made it: His Word I was, I am; by me was the world made in those works, by me the world is ruled in these works. My Father worked when He made the world, and hitherto now worketh while He rules the world: therefore by me He made when He made, and by me He rules while He rules." This He said, but to whom? To men deaf, blind, lame, impotent, not acknowledging the physician, and as if in a frenzy they had lost their wits, wishing to slay Him.
16. Further, what said the evangelist as he went on? "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father;" not in any ordinary manner, but how? "Making Himself equal with God.'' For we all say to God, "Our Father which art in heaven;" we read also that the Jews said, "Seeing Thou art our Father." = Therefore it was not for this they were angry, because He said that God was His Father, but because He said it in quite another way ' Ps. Ixix. 22.
2 Isa. Ixiii. 16.
than men do. Behold, the Jews understand what the Arians do not understand. The Arians, in fact, say that the Son is not equal with the Father, and hence it is that the heresy was driven from the Church. Lo, the very blind, the very slayers of Christ, still understood the words of Christ. They did not understand Him to be Christ, nor did they understand Him to be the Son of God: but they did nevertheless understand that in these words such a Son of God was intimated to them as should be equal with God. Who He was they knew not; still they did acknowledge such a One to be declared, in that " He said God was His Father, making Himself equal with God." Was He not therefore equal with God? He did not make Himself equal, but the Father begat Him equal. Were He to make Himself equal, He would fall by rob- bery. For he who wished to make himself equal with God, whilst he was not so, fell, and of an angel became a devil, ^ and ad- ministered to man that cup of pride by which himself was cast down. For this fallen said' to man, envying his standing, " Taste, and ye shall be as gods;"^ that is, seize to your- selves by usurpation that which ye are not made, for I also have been cast down by rob- bery. He did not put forth this, but this is what he persuaded to. Christ, however, was begotten equal to the Father, not made; be- gotten of the substance of the Father. Whence the apostle thus declares Him: " Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." What means "thought it not robbery "? He usurped not equality with God, but was in that equality in which He was begotten. And how were we to come to the equal God? " He emptied Himself, taking upon Him the form of a ser- vant."s ButHe emptied Himself not by losing what He was, but by taking to Him what He ivas not. The Jews, despising this form of a servant, could not untierstaj^d the Lord Christ equal to the Father, although they had not the least doubt that He affirmed this of Himself, and therefore were they enraged: and yet He still bore with them, and sought the heal- ing of them, while they raged against Him.
3 Isa. xiv. 14.
4 Gen. iii. 5.
5 Phil. ii. 6.
Tractate XVIII. 1 ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
1 1 TRACTATE XVIII.
Chapter V. 19.
I. John the evangelist, among his fellows and companions the other evangelists, re- ceived this special and peculiar gift from the Lord (on whose breast he reclined at the feast, hereby to signify that he was drinking deeper secrets from His inmost heart), to utter those things concerning the Son of God which may perhaps rouse the attentive minds of the little ones, but cannot fill them, as yet not capable of receiving them; while to minds of somewhat larger growth, and coming to a certain age of mner manhood, he gives in these words something whereby they may both be exercised and fed. You have heard it when it was read, and you remember how this discourse arose. For yesterday it was read, that "therefore the Jews sought to kill Jesus, because He not only broke the Sab- bath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God." This that displeased the Jews, pleased the Father. This, without doubt, pleases them too that honor the Son as they honor the Father; for if it does not please them, they will not be pleasing. For God will not be greater be- cause it pleases thee, but thou wilt be less if it displeases thee. Now against this calumny of theirs, coming either of ignorance Or of malice, the Lord speaks not at all what they can understand, but that whereby they may be agitated and troubled, and, on being troubled, it may be, seek the Physician. And He uttered what should be written, that it might afterwards be read even by us. Now we have seen what happened in the hearts of the Jews when they heard these words; what happens in ourselves when we hear them, let us more fully consider. For heresies, and certain tenets of perversity, ensnaring souls and hurling them into the deep, have not sprung up except when good Scriptures are not rightly understood, and when that in them which is not rightly understood is rashly and lioldly asserted. And so, dearly beloved, ought we very cautiously to hear those things for the understanding of which we are but lit- tle ones, and that, too, with pious heart and with trembhng, as it is written, holding this rule of soundness, that we rejoice as in food in that which we have been able to under- stand, according to the faith with which we are imbued; and what we have not yet been able to understand, that we lay aside doubt- [ ing, and defer the understanding of it for a itime; that is, even if we do not yet know I what it is, that still we doubt not in the least i that it is good and true. And as for me, i brethren, you must consider who I am that I undertake to speak to you, and what I have undertaken: for I have taken upon me to treat of things divine, being a man; of spirit- j ual things, being carnal; of things eternal, I being a mortal. Also from me, dearly be- loved, far be vain presumption, if my conver- sation would be sound in the house of God, I "which is the Church of the living God, the ' pillar and foundation of the truth."' In pro- portion to m.y measure I take what I put be- fore you: where it is opened, I see with you; where it is shut, I knock with you.
2. Now the Jews were moved and indig- nant: justly, indeed, because a man dared to make himself equal with God; but unjustly in this, because in the man they understood not the God. They saw the tlesh, the God they knew not; they obser\'ed the habitation, of the innabitant they were ignorant. That flesh was a temple, within it dwelt God. It was not the flesh that Jesus made equal to the Father, it was not the form of a servant that He com- pared to the Lord; not that which He became for us, but that which He was when He made us. For who Christ is (I speak to Catholics) you know, because you have rightly believetl; not Word only, nor flesh only, but the Word was made flesh to dwell among us. I recite again concerning the Word what you know: " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: " here is equality with the Father. r>ut "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Than this flesh the Father is greater. Thus the Father is both equal and greater; equal to the Word, greater than the flesh; equal to Him by whom He made us, greater than He who was made for us. By this sound catholic rule, which you ought particularly to know, which you wiio know it hold fast, from which your faith ought not in any case to slip, which is to be wrestetl from your heart by no argu- ments of men, let us measure the things we do understand; antl the things which, it may be, we do not. untlerstantl, let us defer, to be i hereafter measured bv this rule, wiien we ' I TiiM. iii. J ii8 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XVIII.
shall be competent to do this. We know Him, then, as equal to the Father, the Son of God, because we know Him in the beginning as God the Word. Why, then, sought the Jews to slay Him? "Because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God: '' seeing the flesh, not seeing the Word. Let Him therefore speak against them, the Word through the flesh; let Him, the dweller within, speak for through His dwelling-place, that whoso can, shall know who He is that dwells within.
What saith He then to them? " Then an- swered Jesus, and said unto them," being indignant because He made Himself equal with God, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son cannot do anything of Himself, but what He seeth the Father doing." What the Jews answered to these words is not written: and perhaps they said nothing. Certain, however, who wish to be esteemed Christians, are not silent, but from these words somehow conceive certain opinions in contradiction to us, which are not to be despised, both for their and for our sakes. The Arian heretics, namely, while they assert that the Son, who took upon Himself flesh, is less than the Father, not by the flesh, but before taking flesh, and not of the same substance as the Father, take a handle of misrepresentation from these words, and reply to us: "You see that the Lord Jesus, observing the Jews to be moved with indignation at his making himself equal to God the Father, subjoined such words as these, to show that he was not equal with God. For the Jews," say they, "were pro- voked against Christ, because he made him- self equal with God; and Christ, wishing to cure them of this impression, and to show them that the Son is not equal to the Father, that is, to God, saith this, as if he said. Why are ye angry? Why are ye indignant? I am not equal to God, since ' the Son cannot do anything of himself, except what he seeth the Father doing.' Now," say they, "he who ' cannot do anything of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing,' is surely less, not equal."
4. Li this distorted and depraved rule of his own heart, let the heretic hear us, not as yet chiding, but still as it were inquiring, and let him explain to us what he thinks. For, I suppose, whoever thou art (for we may re- gard him as here present in person), thou dost hold with us, that " in the beginning was the Word." I do hold it, saith he. And that " the Word was with God "? This too, saith he, I hold. Proceed then, and hold the stronger saying that follows, that " the Word was God." Even this, says he, I hold: but yet, this, God the greater; that, God the less. Now this somehow smells of the pagan: I thought I was speaking with a Christian. If there is God the greater, and God the less, then we worship two Gods, not one God, Why, saith he; dost not thou, too, affirm two Gods, equal the one to the other? This I do not assert: for I understand this equality as implying therein also undivided love; and if undivided love, tnen perfect unity. For if the love that God put in men doth make of many hearts of men one heart, and doth make many souls of men into one soul, as it is written of them that believed and mutually loved one another, in the Acts of the Apostles, " They had one soul and one heart toward God: "' if, therefore, my soul and thy soul become one soul, when we think the same thing and love one another, how much more must God the Father and God the Son be one God in the fountain of love!
5. But to these words, by which thy heart is disturbed, bend thy thought, and reflect with me on that which we were seeking out concerning the Word. We already hold that "the Word was God:" I join to this another thing, that, having said, "This was in the beginning with God," the evangelist immediately subjoined, " All things were made by Him.'' Now will I urge thee by questioning, now will I move thee against thyself, and sue thee against thyself: only keep this in memory concerning the Word, that " the Word was God, and all things were made by Him." Hear now the words by which thou wast moved to assert that the Son is less, forsooth, because He said, " The Son cannot of Himself do anything, but what He seeth the Father doing. " Just so, saith he. Explain to me this a little; This is, I pre- sume, how thou thinkest: that the Father doeth certain things, and the Son observes how the Father doeth, tliat He may also Himself be able to do tho^ things which He seeth the Father doing. Thou hast set up two artisans, as it were: the Father and the Son just like master and learner, like as arti- san fathers are wont to teach their sons their craft. Behold, I come down to thy carnal sense: for the moment I think as thou doest: let us see if this our conception finds an issue in harmony with the things which we have just now alike spoken and alike hold regard- ing the Word, that " the Word was God," and that " all things were made by Him." Sup- pose, then, the Father, as an artisan, doing certain works, and the Son as a learner, who I Acts iv. 32.
Tractate XVIII. ] ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
119 "cannot of Himself do anything, but what He seeth the Father doitig: " He keenly watches, in a manner, the Father's hands, that, as He seeth Him fashioning aught, so He may Himself in like manner fashion something similar by His own works. But the Father here doeth all those things that He doeth, and wishes the Son to give heed to Him, and to do the like also Himself; by whom doeth the Father? Come! now is the time for thee to stand to thy former opinion, which thou didst recite with me, and didst hold with me, that " in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and all things were made by Him." But thou, after holding with me, .that all things were made by the Word, dost again, with thy carnal wit and childish fancy, imagine with thyself God making something, and the Word giving heed; so that when God has made, the Word also may make the like. Now, what does God make without the Word? For if He doeth aught, then were not all things made by the Word; thou hast given up the position which thou didst hold. But if all things were made by the Word, correct what thou didst understand amiss. The Father made, and made only by the Word: in what way does the Word give heed to see the Father making without the Word, what the Word may do in like manner? Whatever the Father hath made. He made it by the Word; else is it false that " all things were made by Him.'' But it is true that " all things were made by Him." Perhaps this did not seem enough for thee? Well, " and without Him was nothing made.''
6. Withdraw, then, from this wisdom of the flesh, and let us inquire in what manner it is said, "The Son cannot of Himself do anything, but what He seeth the Father do- ing." Let us inquire, if we are worthy to apprehend. For I confess it is a great thing, and altogether difficult, to see the Father doing through the Son: not the Father and the Son doing each His particular works, but the Father doing every work whatsoever by the Son; so that not any works are done by the Fattier without the Son, or by the Son with- out the Father, because "all things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made." These truths being most firmly es- tablished in the foundation of faith, whnt now is the nature of tliis " seeing "? Thou seek- est, as I suppose, to know the Son doing: seek first to know the Son seeing. For what, in fact, saith He? "The Son cannot of Himself do anything, but what He seeth the Father doing." Note what He said, " but what He seeth the Father doing. ' ' The seeing