' Prov. xxvii. 2.
14 2 Rom. X. lo.
must be executed; for of Him the psalm had sung, " Mercy and judgment will I sing to Thee, O Lord." ' Now, He says not " judg- ment and mercy," for if judgment had been first, there would be no mercy; but it is mercy first, then judgment. What is the mercy first? The Creator of man deigned to become man; was made what He had made, that the creature He had made might not perish. What can be added to this mercy? And yet He has added thereto. It was not enough for Him to be made man. He added to this that He was rejected of men; it was not enough to be rejected. He was dishon- ored; it was not enough to be dishonored. He was put to death; but even this was not enough, it was by the death of the cross. For when the apostle was commending to us His obedience even unto death, it was not enough for him to say, " He became obedient unto death; " for it was not unto death of any kind whatever: but he added, "even the death of the cross.''-* Among all kinds of death, there was nothing worse than that death. In short, that wherein one is racked by the most intense pains is called cruciatus, which takes its name from crux, a cross. For the crucified, hanging on the tree, nailed to the wood, were killed by a slow lingering death. To be crucified was not merely to be put to death; for the victim lived long on the cross, not because longer life was chosen, but because death itself was stretched out that the pain might not be too quickly ended. He willed to die for us, yet it is not enough to say this; He deigned to be crucified, be- came obedient even to the death of the cross. He who was about to take away all death, chose the lowest and worst kind of death: He slew death by the worst of deaths. To the Jews who understood not, it was indeed the worst of deaths, but it was chosen by the Lord. For He was to have that very cross as His sign; that very cross, a trophy, as it were, over the vanquished devil. He was to put on the brow of believers, so that the apos- tle said, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. ''5 Nothing was then more intoler- able in the flesh, nothing is now more glori- ous on the brow. What does He reserve for His faithful one, when He has put such honor on the instrument of His own torture? Now is the cross no longer used among the Romans in the punishment of criminals, for where the cross of the Lord came to be honored, it was thought that even a guilty man would be 3 Ps. ci. I.
A Phil. ii. 8.
5 Gal. vi. 14.
2IO THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XXXVI.
honored if he should be crucified. Hence, He who came for this cause judged no man: He suffered also the wicked. He suffered unjust judgment, that He might execute righteous judgment. But it was of His mercy that He endured unjust judgment. In short, He became so low as to come to the cross; yea, laid aside His power, but published His mercy. Wherein did He lay aside His power? In that He would not come down from the cross, though He had the power to rise again from the sepulchre. Wherein did He publish His mercy? In that, when hang- ing on the cross. He said, " Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."' Whether, then, it be that He said, " I judge not any man," because He had come not to judge the world, but to save the world; or, that, as I have mentioned, when He had said, "Ye judge after the flesh," He added, "I judge not any man," for us to understand that Christ judgeth not after the flesh, like as He was judged by men.
5. But that you may know that Christ is judge even now, hear what follows: "And if I judge, my judgment is true." Behold, thou hast Him as thy judge, but acknowledge Him as thy Saviour, lest thou feel the judge. But why has He said that His judgment is true? "Because," saith He, "I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." I have said to you, brethren, that this holy Evangelist John soars exceedingly high: it is with difficulty that he is comprehended. But we need to remind you, beloved, of the deeper mystery of this soaring. Both in the prophet Ezekiel, and in the Apocalypse of this very John whose Gospel this is, there is mentioned a fourfold living creature, having four char- acteristic faces; that of a man, of an ox, of a lion, and of an eagle. Those who have handled the mysteries of Holy Scripture be- fore us have, for the most part, understood by this living creature, or rather, these four living creatures, the four evangelists. They have understood the lion as put for king, be- cause he appears to be, in a manner, the king of beasts on account of his strength and terri- ble valor. This character is assigned to Matthew, because in the generations of the Lord he followed the royal line, showing how the Lord was, along the royal line, of the seed of David. But Luke, because he begins with the priesthood of Zacharias, mentioning the father of John the Baptist, is designated the ox; for the ox was an important victim in the sacrifice of the priests. To Mark is deservedly assigned the man Christ, because I Luke xxiii. 34.
neither has he said anything of the royal au- thority, nor did he begin with the priestly function, but only set out with the man Christ. All these have departed but little from the things of earth, that is, from those things which our Lord Jesus Christ performed on earth; of His divinity they have said very lit- tle, like men walking with Him on the earth. There remains the eagle; this is John, the preacher of sublime truths, and a contempla- tor with steady gaze of the inner and eternal light. It is said, indeed, that the young eagles are tested by the parent birds in this way: the young one is suspended from the talons of the male parent and directly ex- posed to the rays of the sun; if it looks steadily at the sun, it is recognized as a true brood; if its eye quivers, it is allowed to drop off, as a spurious brood. Now, therefore, con- sider how sublime are the things he ought to speak who is compared to the eagle; and yet even we, who creep on the earth, weak and hardly of any account among men, venture to handle and to expound these things; and imagine that we can either apprehend when we meditate them, or be apprehended when we speak.
6. Why have I said this? For perhaps after these words one may justly say to me: Lay aside the book then. Why dost thou take in hand what exceeds thy measure? Why trust thy tongue to it? To this I reply: Many heretics abound; and God has per- mitted them to abound to this end, that we may not be always nourished with milk and remain in senseless infancy. For inasmuch as they have not understood how the divinity of Christ is set forth to our acceptance, they have concluded according to their will: and by not discerning aright, they have brought in most troublesome questions upon catholic believers; and the hearts of believers began to be disturbed and to waver. Then imme- diately it became a necessity for spiritual men, who had not only read in the Gospel anything respecting the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, but had also understood it, to bring forth the armor of Christ against the armor of the devil, and with all their might to fight in most open conflict for the divinity of Christ against false and deceitful teachers; lest, while they were silent, others might per- ish. For whoever have thought either that our Lord Jesus Christ is of another substance than the Father is, or that there is only Christ, so that the same is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; whoever also have chosen to think that He was only man, not God made man, or God in such wise as to be mutable in His Godhead, or God in such wise as not to Tractate XXXVI.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
I I be man; these have made shipwreck from the faith, and have been cast forth from the har- bor of the Church, lest by their inquietude they might wreck the ships in their company. Which thing obliged that even we, though least and as regards ourselves wholly unworthy, but in regard of His mercy set in some ac- count among His stewards, should speak to you what either you may understand and re- joice with me, or, if you cannot yet under- stand, by believing it you may remain secure in the harbor.
7. I will accordingly speak; let him who can, understand; and let him who cannot un- derstand, believe: yet will I speak what the Lord saith, "Ye judge after the flesh; I judge not any man," either now, or after the flesh. " But even if I judge, my judgment is true." Why is Thy judgment true? *' Because I am not alone," saith He, "but I and the Father that sent me." What then, O Lord Jesus? If Thou wert alone would Thy judgment be false: and is it because Thou art not alone, but Thou and the Father that sent Thee, that Thou judgest truly? How shall I answer? Let Himself answer: He saith, " My judgment is true." Why? "Be- cause I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." If He is with Thee, how has He sent Thee? And has He sent Thee, and yet is He also with Thee? Is it so that hav- ing been sent. Thou hast not departed from Him? And didst Thou come to us, and yet abode there? How is this to be believed? how apprehended? To these two questions I answer: Thou sayest rightly, how is it to be apprehended; how believed, thou snyest not rightly. Rather, for that reason is it right to believe it, because it is not immediately to be apprehended; for if it were a thing to be immediately apprehended, there would be no need to believe it, because it would be seen. It is because thou dost not apprehend that thou believest; but by believing thou art made capable of apprehending. For if thou (lost not believe, thou wilt never apprehend, since thou wilt remain less capable. Let faith then purify thee, that understanding may fill thee. " My judgment is true," saith He, " because I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." Therefore, O Lord our (iod, Jesus Christ, Thy sending is Thy incarnation. So I see, so I understand: in short, so I believe, in case it may smack of arrogance to say, so I understand. Doubtless the Lord Jesus Clirist is even here; rather, i^'as here as to His flesh, is here now as to His Godhead: He was both with the Father and had not left the Father. Hence, in that He is said to have been sent and to have come to us, His incarnation is set forth to us, for the Father did not take flesh.
8. For there are certain heretics called Sa- bellians, who are also called Patripassians, who affirm that it was the Father Himrelf that had suffered. Do not. thou so affirm, O Catholic; for if thou wilt be a Patripassian, thou wilt not be sane. Understand, then, that the incarnation of the Son is termed the sending of the Son; and do not believe that the Father was incarnate, but do not yet be- lieve that He departed from the incarnate Son. The Son carried flesh, the Father was with the Son. If the Father was in heaven, the Son on earth, how was the Father with the Son? Because both Father and Son were everywhere: for God is not in such manner in heaven as not to be on earth. Hear him who would flee from the judgment of God, and found not a way to flee by: " Whither shall I go," saith he, " from Thy Spirit; and whither shall I flee from Thy face? If I ascend up into heaven. Thou art there." The question was about the earth; hear what follows: " If I descend unto hell, Thou art there." ' If, then. He is said to be present even in hell, what in the universe remains where He is not present? For the voice of God with the pro- phet is, " I fill heaven and earth."- Hence He is everywhere, who is confined by no place. Turn not thou away from Him, and He is with thee. If thou wouldst come to Him, be not slow to love; for it is not with feet but with affections thou runnest. Thou comest while remaining in one place, if thou believest and lovest. Wherefore He is every- where; and if everywhere, how not also with the Son? Is it so that He is not with the Son, while, if thou believest. He is even with thee?
9. How, then, is His judgment true, but because the Son is true? For this He said: "And if I judge, my judgment is true; be- cause I nm not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." Just as if He had said, "jMy judgment is true," because I am the Son of. God. How dost Thou prove that Thou art the Son of God? " Because I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." Blush, Sabellian; thou hearest the -5"^/, thou hearest the Fatlicr. Father is Father, Son is Son. He said not, I am the Father, and I the same am the Son; but He saith, " I am not alone." Why art Tliou not alone? Because the Father is with me. " I am, and the Father that sent me; " thou hearest, " I am, and He that sent me." Lest thou lose siglit of ttie person, distinguish the persons. Distin- ' Ps. cxxxix. 7, 8.
2 Jer. xxiii. 24.
212 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XXXVI.
guish by understanding, do not separate by faithlessness; lest again, fleeing as it were Charybdis, thou rush upon Scylla. For the whirlpool of the impiety of the Sabellians was swallowing thee, to say that the Father is the same who is Son: just now thou hast learned, " I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." Thou dost acknowledge that the Father is Father, and that the Son is Son; thou dost rightly acknowledge: but do not say the Father is greater, the Son is less; do not say, the Father is gold, the Son is silver. There is one substance, one Godhead, one co- eternity, perfect equality, no unlikeness. For if thou only believe that Christ is another, not the same person that the Father is, but yet imagine that in respect of His nature He is somewhat different from the Father, thou hast indeed escaped Charybdis, but thou hast been wrecked on the rocks of Scylla. Steer the middle course, avoid each of the two perilous sides. Father is Father, Son is Son. Thou sayest now. Father is Father, Son is Son; thou hast fortunately escaped the danger of the absorbing whirl; why wouldst thou go unto the other side to say, the Father is this, the Son that? The Son is another person than the Father is, this thou sayest rightly; but that He is different in nature, thou sayest not rightly. Certainly the Son is another person, because He is not the same who is Father; and the Father is another person, because He is not the same who is Son: nevertheless, they are not different in nature, but the self- same is both Father and Son. What means the self-same? God is one. Thou hast heard, " Because I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me: '* hear how thou mayest believe Father and Son; hear the Son Himself, " I and the Father are one." ' He said not, I am the Father; or, I and the Father is one person; but when He says, " I and the Father are one," hear both, both the one, imiim, and the are, sumus, and thou shalt be delivered both from Charybdis and from Scylla. In these two words, in that He said one. He delivers thee from Arius; in that He said are. He delivers thee from Sabellius. If one, therefore not diverse; if are, therefore both Father and Son. For He would not say are of one person; but, on the other hand, He would not say one of diverse. Hence the reason why He says, " my judgment is true," is, that thou mayest hear it briefly, be- cause I am the Son of God. But I would have thee in such wise believe that I am the Son of God, that thou mayest understand that the Father is with me: I am not Son in such ' John X. 30.
manner as to have left Him; I am not in such manner here that I should not be with Him; nor is He in such manner there as not to be with me: I have taken to me the form of a servant, yet have I not lost the form of God; therefore He saith, " I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."
10. Tie had spoken of judgment; He means to speak of testimony. " In your law,'' saith He, "it is written that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness ofme. " He expounded the law to them also, if they were not unthankful. For it is a great question, my brethren, and to me it certainly appears to have been ordained in a mystery, where God said, " In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand." ^ Is truth sought by two witnesses? Clearly it is; so is the custom of mankind: but yet it may be that even two witnesses lie. The chaste Susanna was pressed by two false witnesses: were they not therefore false be- cause they were two? Do we speak of two or of three? A whole people lied against Christ. 3 If, then, a people, consisting of a great multitude of men, was found a false witness, how is it to be understood that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand," unless it be that in this manner the Trinity is mysteriously set forth to us, in which is perpetual stability of truth? Dost thou wish to have a good cause? Have two or three witnesses, — the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. In short, when Susanna, the chaste woman and faithful wife, was pressed by two false witnesses, the Trinity supported her in her conscience and in secret: that Trinity raised up from secrecy one witness, Daniel, and convicted the two,'* Therefore, because it is written in your law that the wit- ness of two men is true, receive our witness, lest ye feel our judgment. " For I," saith He, " judge not any man; but I bear witness of myself: '' I defer judgrrient, I defer not the witness.
11. Let us, brethren, choose for ourselves God as our judge, God as our witness, against the tongues of men, against the weak suspic- ions of mankind. For He who is the judge disdains not to be witness, nor is He advanced in honor when He becomes judge; since He who is witness will also Himself be judge. In what way is He witness? Because He asks not another to learn from Him who thou art. In what way is He judge? Because He has the power of killing and making alive, of condemning and acquitting, of casting down ^ Deut. xix. 15; Matt, xviii. 16. 3 Luke xxiii. i.
4 Dan. xiii. 36-62 (apocryphal addition).
Tractate XXXVII.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
21 into hell and of raising up into heaven, of joining to the devil and of crowning with the angels. Since, therefore, He has this power, He is judge. Now, because He requires not another witness that He may know thee; and that He who will hereafter judge thee is now seeing thee, there is no means whereby thou canst deceive Him when He begins to judge. For there is no furnishing thyself with false witnesses who can circumvent that judge when He shall begin to judge thee. This is what God says to thee: When thou despisedst, I did see it; and when thou believedst not, I did not frustrate my sentence. I delayed it, not removed it. Thou would st not hear what I enjoined, thou shalt feel what I foretold. But if thou hearest what I enjoined, thou shalt not feel the evils which I have foretold, but thou shalt enjoy the good things which I have promised.
12. Let it not by any means surprise any one that He says, " Aly judgment is true; because I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me; " whilst He has said in another place, "The Father judgeth not any man, but all judgment hath He given to the Son." We have already discoursed on these same words of the evangelist, and we remind you now that this was not said because the Father will not be with the Son when He comes to judge, but because the Son alone will be appar- ent to the good and the bad in the judgment, in that form in which He suffered, and rose again, and ascended into heaven. For at that moment, indeed, as they were beholding Him ascending, the angelic voice sounded in the ears of His disciples, " So shall He come in like manner as ye have seen Him going into heaven; " ' that is, in the form of man in which He was judged, will He judge, in order that also that prophetic utterance may be ful- filled, ■' They shall look upon Him whom they pierced." = But when the righteous go into eternal life, we shall see Him as He is; that will not be the judgment of the living and the dead, but only the reward of the living.
13. Likewise, let it not surprise you that He says, " Li your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true," that any man should hence suppose that this was not also the law of God, because it is not said, /// the law of God: let him know that, when it is said thus, In your law, it is just as if He said, " In the law which was given to you;" given by whom, except by God? Just as we say, " Our daily bread; '' and yet we say, " Give us this day."
I Acts i. II.
- Zech. xii. lo; John xix. 37.
TRACTATE XXXVII.
Chapter VHI. 19. 2c.
I. What in the holy Gospel is spoken briefly ought not briefly to be expounded, so that what is read may be understood. The words of the Lord are few, but great; to be valued not by number, but by weight: not to be despised because they are few, but to be sought i:)ecause they are great. You who were present yesterday have heard, as we dis- coursed according to our ability from that whicu the Lord said, " Ye judge after the flesii; I judge not any man. But yet if I judge, my judgment is true; because I am not alone, but I and the Father tliat sent me. It is written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear wit- ness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." Yesterday, as I have said, from these words a discourse was de- livered to your ears and to your minds.
When the Lord had spoken these words, they who heard, " Ye judge after tlie llesh," mani- fested the truth of what they had heard. For they answered the Lord, as He spoke of God His Father, and said to Him, " Where is thy Father?" The Father of Christ they under- stood carnally, because they judged the words of Christ after the flesh. But He who spoke was openly flesh, but secretly the Word: man visible, God hidden. They saw the covering, and despised the wearer: they despised be- cause they knew not; knew not, because they saw not; saw not, because they were blind; they were blind, because they believed not.
2. Let us see, then, what answer the Lord made to this. "Where," say they, "is thy Father?' ' For we have heard thee say, ' ' I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent inc: " we see thee alone, we do not see thy Father 214 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XXXVII.
with thee; how sayest thou that thou art not alone, but that thou art with thy Father? Else show us that thy Father is with thee. And the Lord answered them: Do ye know me, that I should show you the Father? This is indeed what follows; this is what He answered in His own words, the exposition of which we have already premised. For see what He said, " Ye neither know me nor my Father: if ye knew me, ye would perhaps know my Father also." Ye say then, " Where is thy Father?" As if already ye knew me; as if what you see were all that I am. There- fore because ye know not me, I do not show you my Father. Ye suppose me, in fact, to be a man; hence ye seek a man for my father, because "ye judge after the flesh." But because, according to what you see, I am one thing, and another thing according to what you see not, and that I as hidden from you speak of my Father as hidden, it is requisite that you should first know me, and then ye know my Father also.