9. Already, then, John knew this, and he knew the Lord. What then did the dove teach? What did He desire to teach by means of the dove — that is, by means of the Holy Spirit thus coming to teach who had sent him to whom He said, "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He''? Who is this He? The Lord? I know. But didst thou already know this, that the same Lord having the power to baptize, was not to give that power to any servant, but to retain it to Himself, so that all who were baptized by the ministration of the servant, should not impute their baptism to the servant, but to the Lord? Didst thou already Know this? I did not know this: so what did He say tome? " Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit de- scending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." He does not say, " He is the Lord;" He does not say, " He is the Christ;" He does not say, " He is God;" He does not say, "He is Jesus;" He does not say, " He is the One who was born of the Virgin Mary, after thee, before thee.'' This He does not say, for this John did already know. But what did he not know? That this great authority of baptism the Lord Himself was to have, and to I Matt.
2 I Cor. i. 16.
3 Matt. iii. 15.
Tractate V.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
35 retain to Himself, whether present in the earth or absent in body in the heaven, and present in majesty; lest Paul should say, my baptism; lest Peter should say, my baptism. There- fore see, give heed to the words of the apos- tles. None of the apostles said, my baptism. Although there was one gospel of all, yet thou findest that they said, my gospel: thou dost not find that they say, my baptism.
10. This, then, my brethren, John learned. What John learned by means of the dove let us also learn. For the dove did not teach John without teaching the Church, the Church to which it was said, "My dove is one."' Let the dove teach the dove; let the dove know what John learned by the dove. The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. But this which John learned in the dove, where- fore did he learn it in the dove? For it be- hoved him to learn, and perhaps it did not so much behove him to learn as to learn by the dove. What shall I say, my brethren, con- cerning the dove? ox when will faculty of tongue or heart suffice to speak as I wish? And, perchance, my wish falls short of my duty in speaking; even if I were able to speak as I wish, how much less am I able to speak as I ought? I could wish to hear one better than myself speak this, rather than speak of it to you.
11. John learns to know Him whom he knew; but he learns in Him with regard to what he did not know; with regard to what he did know, he does not learn. And what did he know? The Lord. What did he not know? That the power of the Lord's baptism was not to pass from the Lord to any man, but that the ministration of it plainly would do so; the power from the Lord to no one, the ministration both to good and bad. Let not the dove shrink from the ministration of the bad, but have regard to the power of the Lord. What injury does a bad servant do to you where the Lord is good? What impedi- ment can the malicious herald put in your way if the judge is well-disposed? John learned by means of the dove this. What is it that he learned? Let him repeat it himself. " The same said unto me,'' saith he, " Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding on Him, this is He wliich baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." Let not those seducers deceive thee, O dove, who say, We baptize. Acknowledge, dove, what the dove has taught: " This is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." By means of the dove we are taught that this is He; and dost thou think that thou art baptized by his authority by whose ministration thou art bap- tized? If thou thinkest this, thou art not as yet in the body of the dove; and if thou art not in the body of the dove, it is not to be wondered at that thou hast not simplicity; for by means of the dove, simplicity is chiefly designated.
12. Wherefore, my brethren, by the simpli- city of the dove did John learn that " This is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost," unless to show that these are not doves who have scattered the Church? Hawks they were, and kites. The dove does not tear. And thou seest that they hold us up to hatred, for the persecutions, as they call them, which they have suffered. Bodily persecutions, indeed, if they are to be so called, they have suffered, since these were the scourges of the Lord, plainly administering temporal correc- tion, lest He should have to condemn them eternally, if they did not acknowledge it and amend themselves. They truly persecute the Church who persecute by means of deceit; they strike the heart more heavily who strike with the sword of the tongue; they shed blood more bitterly who, as far as they can, slay Christ in man. They seem to be in fear, as it were, of the judgment of the authorities. What does the authority do to thee if thou art good? but if thou art evil, fear the authority; " For he beareth not the sword in vain," - saith the apostle. Draw not the sword where- with thou dost strike Christ. Christian, what dost thou persecute in a Christian? What did the Emperor persecute, in thee? He persecuted the flesh; thou in a Christian per- secutest the Spirit. Thou dost not slay the flesh..\nd, nevertheless, they do not spare the flesh; as many as they were able, they slew with the sword; they spared neither tlieir own nor strangers. This is known to all. The authority is hated because it is legitimate; he acts in a hated manner who acts according to the law; he acts without incurring hatred who acts contrary to the laws. Give heed, each one of you, my brethren, to what the Christian possesses. His humanity he has in common with many, his Christianity tlistin- guishes him from many, and his Christianity belongs to him more strictly than his hu- manity. For, as a Cliristian, he is renewed after the image of God, by whom man was made after the image of God; ' but as a man he might be bad, he might be a pagan, he might be an idolater. This thou dost perse- cute in the Cin-istian, which is his better part; for this by whii:h he lives thou wishest to take away from hiiu. For he lives tempo- » Cant. vi. 8.
- Rom.xiii. 4.
- Col. iii. 10.
36 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate V.
rally according to the spirit of life, by which his body is animated, but he lives for eternity according to the baptism which he received from the Lord; thou wishest to take this away from him which he received from the Lord, this thou wishest to take away from him by which he lives. Robbers, with regard to those whom they wish to despoil, have the purpose to enrich themselves and to deprive their vic- tims of all that they have; but thou takest from him, and with thee there will not be anything more, for there does not accrue more to thee because thou takest from him. But, truly, they do the same as those who take away the natural life: they take it away from another, and yet they themselves have not two lives.
13. What, then, dost thou wish to take away? What displeases thee in the man whom thou wishest to rebaptize? Thou art not able to give what he already has, but thou makest him deny what he has. What greater cruelty did the pagan persecutor of the Church commit? Swords were stretched out against the martyrs, wild beasts were let loose, fires were applied: for what purpose these thinos? In order that the sufferer might be induced to say, I am not a Chris- tian. What dost thou teach him whom thou wishest to rebaptize, unless that he first say, I am not a Christian? For the same purpose for which the persecutor put forth the flame, thou puttest forth the tongue; thou dost by seducing what he did not do by slaying. And what is it thou dost give, and to whom art thou to give it? If he tells thee the truth, and does not lie, seduced by thee, he will say, I have. Thou askest, Hast thou bap- tism? I have, he says. As long as he says, I have, thou sayest, I will not give. And do not give, for that which thou wishest to give cannot cleave to me; because what I received cannot be taken away from me. But wait, nevertheless; let me see what thou wouldest teach me. Say, he said, in the first place, I have not. But this I have; if I shall say, I have not, I lie; for what I have I have. Thou hast not, he says. Teach me that I have it not. An evil man gave it to thee. If Christ is evil, an evil man did give it to me. Christ, he says, is not evil; but Christ did not give it to thee. Who then gave it to me? Reply, I know that I received it from Christ. He who gave it to thee, he says, was not Christ, but some traditor. I shall see to it who was the minister; I shall see who was the herald. Concerning the official, I do not dispute; I give heed to the Judge: and, perchance, in thy objection to the official, thou speakest falsely. But I decline to discuss it; let the Lord of both, decide the cause of His own official. If, perhaps, I were to ask for proof, thou couldst give none; indeed, thou liest; it has been proved that thou wert not able to give proof. But I do not place my case on this, lest from my zealous defense of innocent men thou infer that I have placed my hope even on innocent men. Let the men be what they may, I received from Christ, I was bap- tized by Christ. No, he says; not Christ, but that bishop baptized thee, and that bishop communicates to them. By Christ I have been baptized, I know. How dost thou know? The dove taught me, which John saw. O evil kite, thou mayest not tear me from the bowels of the dove. I am numbered among the members of the dove, because what the dove taught, this I know. Thou sayest to me. This man or that baptized thee: by means of the dove it is said to me and to thee, " This is He which baptizeth. " Which shall I believe, the kite or the dove?
14. Tell me certainly, that thou mayest be confounded by that lamp by which also were ' the former enemies confounded, who were like to thee, the Pharisees, who, when they questioned the Lord by what authority He did those things: "I also," said He, "will ask you this question. Tell me, the baptism of John, whence is it? from heaven, or of men? '^ And they, who were preparing to spread their wiles, were entangled by the question, and began to debate with them- selves, and say, " If we shall answer. It is from heaven. He will say unto us. Wherefore did ye not believe him? " For John had said of the Lord, " Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!"' Why then do you inquire by what authority I act? O wolves, what I do, I do by the authority of the Lamb. But that you may know the Lamb, why do you not believe John, who said, " Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the workl "? They, then, knowing what John had /said regarding the Lord, said among themselves, '■' If we shall say that John's baptism is from heaven, He will say unto us, Wherefore then did ye not believe him? If we shall say, It is of men, the people will stone us; for they hold John as a prophet." Hence, they feared men; hence, they were confounded to confess the truth. Darkness replied with darkness; liut they were overcome by the ligiit. For what did they reply? " We know not; " regarding that which they knew, they said, "We know not." And the Lord said, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." "^^ ' John i. 29.
Tractate V.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
t I-! J/ And the first enemies were confounded. How? By the lamp. Who was the lamp? John. Can we prove that he was the lamp? We can prove it; for the Lord says: " He was a burning and a shining lamp."' Can we prove also that the enemies were confounded by him? Listen to the psalm: " I have pre- pared," he says, "a lamp for my Christ. His enemies I will clothe with shame." ^ 15. As yet, in the darkness of this life, we walk by the lamp of faith: let us hold also to the lamp John, and let us confound by him the enemies of Christ; indeed, let Christ Himself confound His own enemies by His own lamp. Let us put the question which the Lord put to the Jews, let us ask and say, "The baptism of John, whence is it? from heaven, or of men?" What will they say? Mark, if they are not as enemies confounded by the lamp. What will they say? If they shall say, Of men, even their own will stone them; but if they shall say. From heaven, let us say to them. Wherefore, then, did ye not»believe him? They perhaps say, We believe him. Wherefore, then, do you say that you baptize, when John says, "This is He which baptizeth "? But it behoveth, they say, the mmisters of so great a Judge who baptize, to be righteous. And I also say, and all say, that it behoveth the ministers of so great a Judge to be righteous; let the minis- ters, by all means, be righteous if they will; but if they will not be righteous who sit in the seat of Moses, my Master made me safe, of whom His Spirit said, " This is He which baptizeth.'' How did He make me safe? " The scribes and the Pharisees," He sctys, "sit in Moses' seat: what they say, do; but what they do, that do not ye: for they say, and do not."^ If the minister is righteous, I reckon him with Paul. I reckon him with Peter; with those I reckon righteous minis- ters: because, in truth, righteous ministers seek not their own glory; for they are minis- ters, they do not wish to be thought judges, they abhor tliat one should place his hope on them; therefore, I reckon the righteous min- ister with Paul. For what does Paul say? " I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. Neither is he that plant- eth anything, nor he that watereth; but God who giveth the increase.'' •• But he who is a proud minister is reckoned with the devil; but the gift of Christ is not contaminated, which flows through him pure, which passes through him liquid, and comes to the fertile earth. Suppose that he is stony, that he cannot from water rear fruit; even through ' John V. j5.
the Stony channel the water passes, the water passes to the garden beds; in the stony chan- nel it causes nothing to grow, but neverthe- less it brings much fruit to the gardens. For the spiritual virtue of the sacrament is like the light: both by those who are to be en- lightened is it received pure, and if it passes through the impure it is not stained. Let the ministers be by all means righteous, and seek not their own glory, but His glory whose ministers they are; let them not say, The baptism is mine; for it is not theirs. Let them give heed unto John. Behold, John was full of the Holy Spirit; and he had his baptism from heaven, not from men; but how long had he it? He said himself, "Prepare ye the way for the Lord. "^ But when the Lord was known. Himself became the way; there was no longer need for the baptism of John to prepare the way for the Lord.
16. What, however, are they accustomed to say against us? " Behold, after John, bap- tism was given." For before that question was properly treated in the Catholic Church, many erred in it, both great and good men; but because they were members of the dove, they did not cut themselves off, and in their case that happened which the apostle said, "If in any thing ye are otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."* Whence those who separated themselves became unteachable. What then are they wont to say? Behold, after John baptism was given; after heretical baptism is it not to be given? because certain who had the baptism of John were commanded by Paul to be bap- tized,' for they had not the baptism of Christ. Why then, say they, dost thou exaggerate the merit of John, and, as it were, underrate the misery of heretics? I also grant to you that the heretics are wicked; but the heretics gave the baptism of Christ, which baptism John did not give.
17. I go back to John, and say, " This is he which baptizeth." For John is better than a heretic, just as John is better than a drunk- ard, as John is better than a murderer. If we ought to baptize after the worse because the apostles baptized after the better, whoso- ever among them were baptized by a drunk- ard,— I do not say by a murderer, I do not say. by the satellite of some wicked man, I do not say by the robber of other men's goods, I do not say by the oppressor of orphans, or a separater of married persons; I speak of none of these; I speak of what happens every year, of wliat happens every day; I speak of what all are called to, even in 5 John i. 23.
6 I'hil III. 15.
7 Acts xix. 3-5.
;8 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate V.
this city, when it is said to them, Let us play the part of the irrational, let us have pleasure, and on such a day as this of tlie calends of January we ought not to fast: these are the things I speak of, these trifling everyday pro- ceedings;— when one is baptized by a drunk- ard, who is better? John or the drunkard? Reply, if thou canst, that the drunkard is better than John! This thou wilt never ven- ture to do. Do you then, as a sober man^ baptize after thy drunkard. For if the apostles baptized after John, how much more ought the sober to baptize after the drunkard? Or dost thou say, the drunkard is in unity with me? Was not John then, the friend of the Bridegroom, in unity with the Bridegroom? J 8. But I say to thee thyself, whoever thou art, Art thou better than John? Thou wilt not venture to say: I am better than John. Then let thine own baptize after thee if they are better. For if baptism was ad- ministered after John, blush that baptism is not administered after thee. Thou wilt say. But I have and teach the baptism of Christ. Acknowledge, then, now the Judge, and do not be a proud herald. Thou givest the bap- tism of Christ, therefore baptism is not ad- ministered after thee: after John it was administered, because he gave not the bap- tism of Christ, but his own; for he had in such manner received it that it was his own. Thou art then not better than John: but the baptism given through thee is better than that of John; for the one is Christ's, but the other is that of John. And that which was given by Paul, and that which was given by Peter, is Christ's; and if baptism was given by Judas it was Christ's. Judas gave baptism and after Judas baptism was not repeated; John gave baptism, and baptism was repeated after John: because if baptism was given by Judas, it was the bap- tism of Christ; but that which was given by John, was John's baptism. We prefer not Judas to John; but the baptism of Christ, even when given by the hand of Judas, we prefer to the baptism of John, rightly given even by the hand of John. For it was said of the Lord before He suffered, that He bap- tized more than John; then it was added: " Howbeit, Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples," ' He, and not He: He by power, they by ministry; they performed the service of baptizing, the power of baptizing remained in Christ. His disciples, then, baptized, and Judas was still among his dis- ciples: and were those, then, whom Judas baptized not again baptized; and those whom John baptized were they again baptized?
' John iv. I, 2.
Plainly there was a repetition, but not a repe- tition of the same baptism. For those whom John baptized, John baptized; those whom Judas baptized, Christ baptized. In like man- ner, then, they whom a drunkard baptized, those whom a murderer baptized, those whom an adulterer baptized, if it was the baptism of Christ, were baptized by Christ. I do not fear the adulterer, the drunkard, or the mur- derer, because I give heed unto the dove, through whom it is said to me, " This is He which baptizeth," 19. But, my brethren, it is madness to say that — I will not say Judas — but that any man was better than he of whom it was said, that "Among those that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Bap- tist." '^ No servant then is preferred to him; but the baptism of the Lord, even when given through an evil servant, is preferred to the baptism even of a servant who was a friend. Listen to the sort of persons whom the Apos- tle Paul mentions, false brethren, preaching the word of God through envy, and what he says of them: "And I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. "^ They proclaimed Christ, through envy indeed, but still they proclaimed Christ. Consider not the why, but the whom: through envy is Christ preached to thee. Behold Christ, avoid envy. Do not imitate the evil preacher, but imitate the Good One who is preached to thee. Christ then was preached by some out of envy. And what is envy? A shocking evil. By this evil was the devil cast down; this malignant pest it was which cast him down; and certain preachers of Christ were possessed by it, whom, nevertheless, the apostle permitted to preach. Wherefore? Because they preached Christ But he who envies, hates; and he who hates, what is said concerning him? Listen to the Apostle John: " He who hateth his brother is a murderer."'* Behold, after John baptism was given, after a/iriurderer baptism was not given; because John gave his own baptism, the murderer gave the baptism of Christ. That sacrament is so sacred that not even the ministration of a murderer pollutes it.
20. I do not reject John, but rather I be- lieve John. \\\ what do I believe John? Li that which he learned through the dove? What did he learn through the dove? " This is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." Now therefore, brethren, hold this fast and impress it upon your hearts; for if I would more fully explain to-day. Wherefore through the dove? time fails. For I have, I think, to 2 Matt.
3 Phil. i. 15-1S.
4 I John ill. 15.
Tractate VI.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
39 some extent made plain to you, holy brethren, that a matter which had to be learned was in- stilled into John by means of the dove, a matter with regard to Christ which John did not know, although he already knew Christ; but why it behoved this matter to be pointed out by means of the dove, I would say, were it possible to say it briefly: but because it would take long to say, and I am unwilling to burden you, since I have been helped by your prayers to perform my promise; with the re- newed help of your pious attention and good wishes, it will likewise become clear to you, wherefore John with regard to that matter which he learned regarding the Lord, namely, that it is " He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost," and that to none of His servants had he transferred the power of baptizing — why this it became him not to learn except through the dove.
TRACTATE VI.
Chapter I. 32, ^^.
1. I Confess to you, holy brethren, I was afraid the cold would have made you cold in assembling yourselves together; but since you prove by this, your crowded assembly, that you are fervent in spirit, I doubt not that you have also prayed for me, that I may pay you what I owe. For I promised you in the name of Christ that, as the shortness of the time prevented us from expounding it before, I would to-day discuss why God was pleased to manifest the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove. That this may be explained, this day has dawned on us; and I perceive that from eagerness to hear, and pious devotion, you have come together in greater number than usual. May God, by our mouth, fulfill your expectation. For your coming together is of your love; but love of what? If of us, even that is well; for we desire to be loved by you, but not in ourselves. Because we love you in Christ, do you love us in Christ in return, and let our love mutually sigh towards God; for the note of the dove is a sighing or moaning.
2. Now if the dove's note is a moaning, as we all know it to be, and doves moan in love, hear what the apostle says, and wonder not that the Holy Ghost willed to be manifested in the form of a dove: ' ' For what we should pray for as we ought," says he, "we know not; but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings whicli cannot be uttered. ''' What then, my brethren? shall we say this, that the Spirit groans where He has perfect and eter- nal blessedness with the Father and the Son ' For the Holy Spirit is God, even as the Son of God is God, and the Father God. I have said "God" thrice, but not three Gods; for in- deed it is God t/in'ce rather than three Gods; ' Rom. viii. 26.