' F.zelc. xvi. 3.
238 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XLII.
ence. He, by disobedience and pride, fell as an angel, and became a devil.
11. But listen now to what the Lord says: "Ye," said He, "are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." This is how ye are his children, because such are your lusts, not because ye are born of him. What are his lusts? " He was a murderer from the beginning.^' This it is that explains, " the lusts of your father ye will do." " Ye seek to kill me, a man that telleth you the truth." He, too, had ill-will to man, and slew man. For the devil, in his ill-will to man, assuming the guise of a serpent, spoke to the woman, and from the woman instilled his poison into the man. They died by lis- tening to the devil, ^ whom they would not have listened to had they but listened to the Lord; for man, having his place between Him who created and him who was fallen, ought to have obeyed the Creator, not the deceiver. Therefore " he was a murderer from the be- ginning." Look at the kind of murder, brethren. The devil is called a murderer, not as armed with a sword, or girded with steel. He came to man, sowed his evil sug- gestions, and slew him. Think not, then, that thou art not a murderer when thou per- suadest thy brother to evil. If thou per- suadest th)^ brother to evil, thou slayest him.
And to let thee know that thou slayest him, listen to the psalm: " The sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. "^ Ye, then, "will do the lusts of your father;" and so ye go madly after the flesh, because ye cannot go after the spirit. " He was a murderer from the begin- ning; '* at least in the case of the first of man- kind. From the very time that murder [manslaughter] could possibly be committed, he was a murderer [manslayer]. Only from the time that man was made could man- slaughter be committed. For man could not be slain unless man was previously made. Therefore, "//(? was a murderer from the be- ginning." And whence a murderer? "And he stood [abode] not in the truth." There- fore he was in the truth,- and fell by not standing in it. And why "stood he not in the truth"? "Because the truth is not in him;'' not as in Christ. In such a way is the truth [in Him], that Christ Himself is the Truth. If, then, he had stood in the truth, he would have stood in Christ; but " he abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him."
12. "When he speaketh a He, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of ^ Gen. iii. i.
= Ps. Ivii. 4.
it." 3 What is this? You have heard the words of the Gospel: you have received them with attention. Here now, I repeat them, that you may clearly understand the subject of your thoughts. The Lord said those things of the devil which ought to have been said of the devil by the Lord. That " he was a murderer from the beginning " is true, for he slew the first man; "and he abode not in the truth," for he lapsed from the truth. " When he speaketh a lie," to wit, the devil himself, " he speaketh of his own; " for he is a liar, and its [his] father." From these words some have thought that the devil has a father, and have inquired who was the father of the devil. Indeed this de- testable error of the Manicheans has found means down to this present time wherewith to deceive the simple. For they are wont to say. Suppose that the devil was an angel, and fell; and with him sin began as you say; but. Who was his father? We, on the contrary, reply. Who of us ever said that the devil had a father? And they, on the other hand, re- join. The Lord saith, and the Gospel declares, speaking of the devil, " He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and Ids father."
13. Hear and understand. I shall not send thee far away [for the meaning]; under- stand it from the words themselves. The Lord called the devil the father of falsehood. What is this? Hear what it is, only revolve the words themselves, and understand. It is not every one who tells a lie that is the father of his lie. For if thou hast got a lie from another, and uttered it, thou indeed hast lied in giving utterance to the lie; but thou art not the father of that lie, because thou hast got it from another. But the devil was a liar of himself. He begat his own falsehood; he heard it from no one. As God the Father begat as His Son the Truth, so the devil, liaving fallen, begat falsehood as his son. Hearing this, recall now and reflect upon the words of the Lord. Ye catholic minds, con- sider what ye have heard; attend to what He says. "He" — who? The devil — "was a murderer from the beginning." We admit it, — -he slew Adam. "And he abode not in the truth." We admit it, for he lapsed from the 3 In this and the following paragraph, Auijustin deals with the rendering given to these words by the Manichaeans in support of their heresy, stated in section 10. The words ^^ pater ejus'" (o TraTTjp aiiToO), taken by themselves, might of course mean either " his father " or " the father of it '' {i.e. of falsehood]. Both the Greek idiom and the context require the latter; but the Manichae- ans adopted the former, and made the passage run, " for he {i.e. the devil] is a liar, and [so is] his father.'' Hence the question they are made to put afterwards, "Who was his [the devil's] father?" and our author's e.xposition of the passage.— Tr.
Tractate XLII.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
239 truth. "Because there is no truth in him." True: by falHng away from the truth he has lost its possession. " When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a Har, and the father of it." He is both a liar, and the father of lies. For thou, it may be, art a liar, because thou utterest a lie; but thou art not its father. For if thou hast got what thou sayest from the devil, and hast believed the devil, thou art a liar, but not the father of the lie. But he, because he got not else- where the lie wherewith in serpent-form he slew man as if by poison, is the father of lies; just as God is Father of truth. Withdraw, then, from the father of lies: make haste to the Father of truth; embrace tiie truth, that )'0u may enter into liberty.
14. Those Jews, then, spake what they saw with their father. And what was that but falsehood? But the Lord saw with His Father what He should speak: and what was that, but Himself? What, but the Word of the Father? What, but the truth of the Father, eternal itself, and co-eternal with the Father? He, then, "was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar,'' — and not only a liar, but also "the father of it;" that is, of the very lie that he speaks he is the father, for he himself begat his lie. "And because /tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you con- victeth me of sin," as I convict both you and your father? " If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me," but just because ye are the children of the devil?
15. "He that is of God lieareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Here, again, it is not of their nature as men, but of their depravity, that you are to think. In this way they are of God, and yet not of God. By nature they are of God, in depravity they are not of God. Give heed, I pray you. In the gospel you have the remedy against the poisonous and impious errors of the heretics. For of these words also the Manicheans are accustomed to say, See, here there are two natures,' — the one good and the other bad; the Lord says it. What says the Lord? "Ye therefore hear me not, because ye are not of God." This is what tlie Lord says. What then, he re- joins, dost thou say to that? Hear what I say. They are both of God, and not of God. By nature they are of God: by depravity they are not of God; for the good nature which is of God sinned voluntarily by believing the ' That is, in tiian. Compare section 10. — Tr.
persuasive words of the devil, and was cor- rupted; and so it is seeking a physician, be- cause no longer in health. Tliat is what I say. But thou thinkest it impossible that they should be of God, and yet not of God. Hear why it is not impossible. They are of God, and yet not of God, in the same way as they are the children of Abraham, and yet not the children of Abraham. Here you have it. It is not as you say. Hearken to the Lord Himself; it is He that said to them, " I know that ye are tlie children of Abra- ham." Could there be any lie with the Lord? Surely not. Then is it true what the Lord said? It is true. Then it is true that they were the children of Abraham? It is true. But listen to Himself denying it. He who said, " Ye are the children of Abra- ham," Himself denied that they were the children of Abraham. " If ye are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that telleth you the truth, which I have heard from God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the works of your father," that is, of the devil. How, then, were they both Abraham's children, and yet not his children? Both states He showed in them. They were both Abraham's children in their carnal origin, and not his children in the sin of following the persuasion of the devil. So, also, apply it to our Lord and God, that they were both of Him, and not of Him. How were they of Him? Because He it was that created the man of whom they were born. How were they of Him? Be- cause He is the Architect of nature, — Him- self the Creator of flesh and spirit. How, then, were they not of Him? Because they had made themselves depraved. They were no longer of Him, because, imitating the devil, they had become the children of the devil.
16. Therefore came the Lord Goil to man as a sinner. Thou hast heard the two names, both man and sinner. As man, he is of God; as a dinner, he is not of God. Let the moral evil - in man be distinguished from lus nature. Let that nature h^ owned, to the praise of the Creator; let the evil be acknowledged, that the physician may be called in to its cure. When the Lord then saiil, " He that is of (iod heareth the words of God: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." He did not distinguisli the value of different natures, or find, beyond their own soul and body, an}' nature in men which liatl not been vitiated by sin; but foreknowing those who should yet believe, them He called of GoJ, ' I 'ilium.
240 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XLIII.
because yet to be born again of God by the adoption of regeneration. To these apply the words, " He that is of God heareth tlie words of God. ' ' But that which follows, ' ' Ye there- fore hear them not, because ye are not of God," was said to those who were not only corrupted by sin (for this evil was common to all), but also foreknown as ihose who would not believe with the faith that alone could deliver them from the bondage of sin. On this account He foreknew that those to whom He so spake would continue in that which they derived from the devil, that is, in their sins, and would die in the impiety in which they resembled him; and would not come to the regeneration wherein they would be the children of God, that is, be born of the God by whom they were created as men. In accordance with this predestinating pur-_ pose did the Lord speak; and not that He had found any man amongst them who either by regeneration was already of God, or by nature was no longer of God.
TRACTATE XLIII.
Chapter VHI. 48-59.
1. In that lesson of the holy Gospel which has been read to-day, from power we learn patience. For what are we as servants to the Lord, as sinners to the Just One, as creatures to the Creator? Howbeit, just as in what we are evil, we are so of ourselves; so in what- ever respects we are good, we are so of Him, and through Him. And nothing does man so seek as he does power. He has great power in the Lord Christ; but let him first imitate His patience, that he may attain to power. Who of us would listen with patience if it were said to him, " Thou hast a devil "? as was said to Him, who was not only bring- ing men to salvation, but also subjecting devils to His authority.
2. For when the Jews had said, "Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? '' of these two charges cast at Him, He denied the one, but not the other. For He answered and said, " I have not a devil." He did not say, I am not a Samaritan; and yet the two charges had been made. Al- though He returned not cursing with cursing, although He met not slander with slander, yet was it proper for Hiaa to deny the one charge and not to deny the other. And not without a purpose, brethren. For Samaritan means keeper.' He knew that He was our keeper. For " He that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth; "= and, " Except the Lord keep the city, they wake in vain who keep it." 3 He then is our Keeper who is I Samaria, Hebrew *,il?2'2?i literally, "a keep," from -|^"jj to keep, to guard; hence, according to Augustin, "Samaritan," ^i^^Dki'i ^ keeper, a guardian. — Tr.
our Creator. For did it belong to Him to redeem us, and would it not be His to pre- serve us? Finally, that you may know more fully the hidden reason •* w4iy He ought not to have denied that He was a Samaritan, call to mind that well-known parable, where a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who wounded him severely, and left him half dead on the road. A priest camp along and took no no- tice of him. A Levite came up, and he also passed on his way, A certain Samaritan came up — He who is our Keeper. He went up to the wounded man. He exercised mercy, and did a neighbor's part to one whom He did not account an alien. s To this, then. He only replied that He had not a devil, but not that He was not a Samaritan.
3. And then after such an insult, this was all that He said of His own glory: " But I honor," said He, "my Father, and ye dis- honor me." That is, I ho/nor not myself, that ye may not think me arrogant. I have One to honor; and did ye recognize me, just as I honor the Father, so would ye also honor me. I do what I ought; ye do not what ye ought.
4. "And I," said He, " seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth." Whom does He wish to be understood but the Father? How, then, does He say in an- other place, "The Father judgeth no man, Init hath committed all judgment unto the , Son," '' while here He says, " I seek not mine. i own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth"? If, then, the Father judgeth.
2 Ps. cxxi. 4.
6 Chap. V. 22.
Tractate XLIII.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
241 how is it that He judgeth no man, but liath committed all judgment unto the Son?
5. In order to solve this point, attend. It may be solved by [quoting] a similar mode of speaking. Thou hast it written, " God tempt- eth not any man; "' and again thou hast it written, " The Lord your God tempteth you, to know whether you love Him."- Just the point in dispute, you see. For how docs God icmpt not any viafi, and how does the Lord your God tevipt you, to knoic whether ye love Hun? It is also written, " There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; "' ^ and in another place it is written, " The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever."^ Here also is the point in dispute. For how does perfect love cast out fear, if the fear of the Lord, which is clean, endureth for ever?
6. We are to understand, then, that there are two kinds of temptation: one, that de- ceives; the other, that proves. As regards that which deceives, God tempteth not ahy man; as regards that which proves, the Lord your God tempteth you, that He max know wliether ye love Him. But here again, also, there arises another question, how He tempt- eth that He may know, from whom, prior to the temptation, nothing can be hid. It is not that God is ignorant; but it is said, that He may know, that is, that He may make you to know. Such modes of speaking are found both in our ordinary conversation, and in writers of eloquence. Let me say a word on our style of conversation. We speak of a blind ditch, not because it has lost its eyes, but l)ecause by lying hid it makes us blind to its existence. One speaks of " bitter lupins," that is, "sour;" not that they themselves are bitter, but because they occasion bitterness to those who taste them.^ And so there are also expressions of this sort in Scripture. Those wiio take the trouble to attain a know- ledge of such points have no trouble in solv- ing them. And so " the Lord your God tempts you, that He may know." What is this, "that He may know"? That He may make you to know " if you love Him." Job was unknown to himself, l)ut he was not un- known to God. He led the tempter into [Job], and brought him to a knowledge of himself.
7. VVhat then of the two fears? There is a servile fear, anil there is a clean [chaste] fear: there is the fear of suffering jiunish- ment, there is another fear of losing right- eousness. That fear of suffering punishment 5 Virx. (ifor/;. lib. i. 75: Tyistes lu/n'nos non ijuiii i/i.ti sunt iristes, set/ i/iiia giistati coutristanty hoc est, triatcs /aciiint. lU is slavish. What great thing is it to fear punishment? The vilest slave and the crud- est robber do so. It is no great thing to fear punishment, but great it is to love righteous- ness. Has he, then, who loves righteousness no fear? Certainlv he has; not of incurring of punishment, but of losing righteousness. Aly brethren, assure yourselves of it, and draw your inference from that which you love. Some one of you is fond of money. Can I find any one, think you, who is not so? Yet from this very thing which he loves he may understand my meaning. He is afraid of loss: why is he so? Because he loves money. In the same measure that he loves money, is he afraid of losing it. So, then, some one is found to be a lover of righteousness, who at heart is much more afraid of its loss, who dreads more being stripped of his righteous- ness, than thou of thy money. This is the fear that is clean — this [the fear] that endur- eth for ever. It is not this that love makes away with, or casteth out, but rather embraces it, and keeps it with it, and possesses it as a companion. For we come to the Lord that we may see Him face to face. And there it is this pure fear that preserves us; for such a fear as that does not disturb, but reassure.
The adulterous woman fears the coming of her husband, and the chaste one fears her husband's departure.
8. Therefore, as, according to one kind of temptation, "God tempteth not any man:'' but according to another, " The Lord your God tempteth you;'' and according to one kind of fear, "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; "' l)ut according to another, " tae fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; " — so also, in this passage, according to one kind of judgment, " the Father ludgeth no man. but hath committed all judgment unto the Son;" and according to another, '' I," said He, " seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth."
9. This point may also be solved from the word itself. Thou hast jienal judgment spoken of in the Gospel: '* He that believeth not is judged^ already;" and in another place, " The hour is coming, when those who are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have ilone good, unto the resurrection of life; ami they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judg- ment."' You see how He has jiut judgment for condemnation ami inniishment. And yet if judgment were always to be taken for con- demnation, should we ever have heard in the ^Jiiificatiis. John iii. 18.
Jutiiiiiim. John v. 1%..■■».
24; THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate XI. III.
psalm, " Judge me, O God "? In the former place, judgment is used In the sense of inflict- ing pain; here, it is used in the sense of discernment.' How so? Just because so expounded by him who says, " Judge me, O God." For read, and see what follows. What is this "Judge me, O God," but just what he adds, " and discern^ my cause against an unholy nation "? ^ Because then it was said, " Judge me, O God, and discern [the true merits of] my cause against an unholy nation;" similarly now said the Lord Christ, "I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth." How is there " one that seeketh and judgeth "? There is the Father, who discerns and distinguishes between my glory and yours. For ye glory in the spirit of this present world. Not so do I, who say to the Father, " Father, glorify Thou me with that glory which I had with Thee be- fore the world was." * What is " that glory "? One altogether different from human infla- tion. Thus doth the Father judge. And so to "judge" is to "discern."' And what does He discern? The glory of His Son from the glory of mere men; for to that end is it said, " God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fel- lows. "^ For not because He became man is He now to be compared with us. We, as men, are sinful, He is sinless; we, as men, in- herit from Adam both death and delinquency. He received from the Virgin mortal flesh, but no iniquity. In fine, neither because 7ve wish it are we born, nor as long as we wish it do we live, nor in the way that we wish it do we die: but He, before He was born, chose of whom He should be born; at His birth He brought about the adoration of the Magi; He grew as an infant, and showed Himself God by His miracles, and surpassed man in His weakness. Lastly, He chose also the manner of His death, that is, to be hung on the cross, and to fasten the cross itself on the foreheads of believers, so that the Christian may say, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." * On the very cross, when He pleased, He made His body be taken down, and departed; in tlie very sepulchre, as long as it pleased Him, He lay; and, when He pleased, He arose as from a bed. So, then, brethren, in respect to His very form as a servant (for rvho can speak of that other form as it ought to be spoken of, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the