In the first place mark the similitude itself. Just as the person whom something is burning saith, I cannot bear it, I cannot away with it, and draws back; so those persons 9 I John ii. 10.
Ps. cxxi. 6.
Homily I.]
who cannot bear some things in the Church, and withdraw themselves either from the name of Christ or from the Church, are taking scandal. For see how those took scandal as from the sun, those carnal ones to whom Christ preached of His flesh, saying, " He that eateth not the flesh of the Son of Man and drinketh His blood, shall have no life in him."' Some seventy persons - said, "This is an hard saying," and went back from Him, and there remained the twelve. All those the sun burnt, and they went back, not being able to bear the force of the Word. There remained therefore' the twelve. And lest haply men should imagine that they confer a benefit upon Christ by believing on Christ, and not that the benefit is conferred by Him upon them: when the twelve were left, the Lord said to them, "Will ve also go?" That ye may know that I am necessary to 5'ou, not ye to me. But those whom the sun had not burnt, answered by the voice of Peter: " Lord, Thou hast the word ^ of eternal life; whither shall we go }" But who are they that the Church as the moon burneth by night? They that have made schisms. Hear the very word used in the apostle: "Who is offended, and I burn not?"-* Li what sense then is it, that there is no scandal or occasion of stumbling in him that loveth his brother? Because he that loveth his brother, beareth all things for unity's sake; because it is in the unity of charity that brotherly love exists. Some one, I know not who, offendeth thee: whether it be a bad man, or as thou supposest a bad man, or as thou pretendest a bad man: and dost thou desert so many good men? What sort of brotherly love is that which hath appeared in theses persons? While they accuse the Africans, they have deserted the whole world! What, were there no saints in tiie whole world? Or was it possible they should be condemned by you unheard? But oh! if ye loved your brethren, tliere would be none occasion of stuml)ling in you. Hear thou the Psalm, what it saith: " Great peace have they ' John vl. 54-69.
2 So in Epist. 173, sec. 30, AuRustin writes, Attendis enim et siefie repctis, sic tit audio, qtiod in li;'iingelio script ii in est recessisse a Domino septuagintn disi ipiilrs i:tetcris<jtie duodecini qui rftnanserant /uisse responsuin, Numquid et vos vultis abire? The notion entertained by some of the Ancients and, as it seems, by St. Aujjustin, that the disciples who took o.Tense at our Lord's discourse in the synavjoijue of C.ipernaum were the Seventy, may have been derived from the Hypotyposes of St. Clem. Alex. (comp. Kuseb. H. K. i. 12) or one of the Clementines. (Thus S. Kpiphanius lleer. ji, p. 186, 188, relates from some such authority, that the Kvangehsts.Mark and Luke were of the number of the Seventy, and of those who were offended; an<l that they were reclaimed to the faith, the one by St. I'eier, the other by St. Paul.) Hut the notion, from whatever quarter it came, seems to have no foundation in Scripture, since it is sufficiently evident that the mission of the Seventy, Luke x. i, was subsequent to the first miracle of fecdin'.;, John vi.; Luke ix, 12.
that love Thy law, and there is to them none occasion of stumbling."" Great peace it saith there is for them that love the law of God, and that is why there is to them none occasion of stumbling. Those then who take scandal, or, occasion of stumbling, destroy peace. And of whom saith he that they take not and make not occasion of stumbling? They that love God's law. Consequently they are in charity. But some man will say, " He said it of them that love God's law, not of the brethren." Hear thou what the Lord saith: "A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another."' What is the Law but commandment? Moreover, how is it they do not take occasion of stumbling, but because they forbear one another? As Paul saith, " Forbearing one another in lov^e, studying to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." ^ And to show that this is the law of Christ, hear the same apostle commending tnis very law. " Bear ye one another's burdens," saith he, "and so shall ye fulfill the law of Christ." ' 12. "For he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth." '° A srreat thing, my brethren: mark it, we beseech you. " He that hateth his brother walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes." What so blind as these who hate their brethren? For that ye may know that they are blind, they have stumbled at a Mountain. I say the same things often, that they may not slip out of your memory. The Stone which was "cutout of the Mountain without hands," is it not Christ, who came of the kingdom of the Jews, without the work of man?" Has not that Stone broken in pieces all the kingdoms of the earth, that is, all the dominations of idols and demons? Has not that Stone grown, and become a great mountain, and filled the whole earth? Do we point with the finger to this Mountain in like manner as the moon on its third day '-is pointed out to men? For example, when they wish people to see the new moon, they say, Lo, the moon! lo, where it is! and if there be some there who are not sharpsighted, and say. Where? then the finger is put forth that they may see it. Sometimes when they are ashamed to be thought blind, " Supra, Hom. in Ev. iv. 4; I)an. ii. 34. 35.
'-' Luna tertia: i.e. the moon at its first appearance: for the first phasis in.Africa as in E>;ypt usually took place on the third day after conjunction. See the passages cileil from Cieminus in the. L'ranolog. vii. 39, H. Iforapoll, Ifieroglyph. i. 66, in Mr. (Ireswell's Dissertatiotts on the Harmony 0/ the Gospels, \o\. i. p. 323, note.
[Homily II.
[Homily II.
they say they have seen what they have not seen. Do we in this way point out the Church, my brethren? Is it not open? Is it not manifest? Has it not possessed all nations? Is not that fulfilled which so many years before was promised to Abraham, that in his seed should all nations be blessed? ' It was promised to one believer, and the world is filled with thousands of believers. Behold here the mountain filling the whole face of the earth! Behold the city of which it is said, " A city set upon a mountain cannot be hid! " ^ But those stumble at the mountain, and when it is said to them, Go up; " There is no mountain," say they, and dash their heads against it sooner than seek a habitation there. Esaias was read yesterday; whosoever of you was awake not with his eyes only but with his ear, and not the ear of the body but the ear of the heart, noted this; "In the last days shall the mountain of the house of the Lord be manifest, prepared upon the top of the mountains.'' ^ What so manifest as a mountain? But there are even mountains unknown, because they are situated in one part of the earth. Which of you I Gen. xxii. i8.
= Matt. V. 14.
3 Is. ii. 2.
knows Mount Olympus? Just as the people who dwell there do not know our Giddaba. These mountains are in different parts of the earth. But not so that Mountain, for it hath filled the whole face of the earth, and of it is said, " Prepared upon the top of the mountains.'' It is a Mountain above the tops of all mountains. "And," saith he, "to it shall be gathered all nations." Who can fail to be aware of this Mountain? Who breaks his head by stumbling against it? Who is ignorant of the city set upon a mountain? But marvel not that it is unknown by these who hate the brethren, because they walk in darkness and know not whither they go, because the darkness hath blinded their eyes. They do not see the Mountain; I would riot have thee marvel; they have no eyes. How is it they have no eyes? Because the darkness hath blinded them. How do we prove this? Because they hate the brethren, in that, while they are offended at Africans,, they separate themselves from the whole earth: in that they do not tolerate for the peace of Christ those whom they defame, and do tolerate for the sake of Donatus* those whom they condemn.
4 See on Ps. xxxvii. Ser. 2 HOMILY II.
I John II. 12-17.
" I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven through His name. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, children, because ye have known the Father. I write' unto you, fathers, jzfecause ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever (even as God also abideth for ever).
I. All things that are read from the Holy Scriptures in order to our instruction and salvation, it behoves us to hear with earnest heed. Yet most of all must those things be commended to our memory, which are of most force against heretics; whose insidious designs cease not to circumvent all that are weaker and more negligent. Remember that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ both died for us, and rose again; died, to wit. for our offenses, rose again for our justification. =" Even as ye have just heard concerning the 2 Rom. iv. 25.
Homily II.]
two disciples whom He met with in the way, how " their eyes were holden that they should not know Him:"' and He found them despairing of the redemption that was in Christ, and deeming that now He had suffered and was dead as a man, not accounting that as Son of God He ever liveth; and deeming too that He was so dead in the flesh as not to come to life again, but just as one of the prophets: as those of you who were attentive have just now heard their own words. Then '' He opened to them the Scriptures, beginning at Moses, '^ and going through all the prophets, showing them that all He had suffered had been foretold, lest they should be more staggered if the Lord should rise again, and the more fail to believe Him, if these things had not been told before concerning Him. For the firmness of faith is in this, that all things which came to pass in Christ were foretold. The disciples, then, knew Him not, save "in the breaking of bread." And truly he that eateth and drinketh not judgment to himself in the breaking of bread doth know Christ.- Afterward also those eleven ''tliought they saw a spirit." He o-ave Himself to be handled by them, who also gave Himself to be crucified; to be crucified by enemies, to be handled by friends: yet the Physician of all, both of the ungodliness of those, and. of the unbelief of these. For ye heard when the Acts of the Apostles were read, how many thousands of Christ's slayers believed. ^ If those believed afterwards who had killed, should not those believe who for a little u'hile doubted? And yet even in regard of them, (a thing which ye ought especially to observe, and to commit to your memory, because that which shall make us strong against insidious errors, God has been pleased to put in the Scriptures, against which no man dares to speak, who in any sort wishes to seem a Christian), when He had given Himself to be handled by them, that did not suffice Him, but He would also confirm by means of the Scriptures the heart of them that believe: for He looked forward to us who should be afterwards; seeing that in Him we have nothing that we can handle, but have that which we may read. For if those believed only because they held and handled, what shall we do? Now, Christ is ascended into heaven; He is not to come save at the end, to judge the quick and the dead. "Whereby shall we believe, but by that whereby it was His will that even those who handled Him should be confirmed? For He opened to them the Scriptures and showed them that it behoved Christ to sufter, and that all things should be fulfilled which were written of Him in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms. He embraced in His discourse the whole ancient text of the Scriptures. All that there is of those former Scriptures tells of Christ; but only if it find ears. He also " opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures." Whence we also must pray for this, that He would open our understanding.
2. But what did the Lord show written of Him in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms? What did He show? Let Himself say. The evangelist has put this briefly, that we might know what in all that great compass of the Scriptures we ought to believe and to understand. Certainly there are many pages, and many books; the contents of them all is this which the Lord briefly spake to His disciples. What is this? That " it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day." Thou hast it now concerning the Bridegroom, that " it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again:" the Bridegroom has been set forth to us. Concerning the Bride, let us see what He saith; that thou, when thou knowest the Bridegroom and the Bride, mayest not without reason come to the marriage. For every celebration is a celebration of marriage: the Church's nuptials are celebrated. The King's Son is about to marry a wife, and that King's Son is Himself a King: and the guests frequenting the marriage are themselves the Bride. Not, as in a carnal marriage, some are guests, and another is she that is married; in the Church they that come as guests, if they come to good purpose, become the Bride. For all the Church is Christ's Bride, of which the beginning and first fruits is the flesh of Christ: there was the Bride joined to the Bridegroom in the flesh. \\'ith good reason when He would betoken that same flesh. He brake bread, and witli good reason "in the breaking of bread," the eyes "of the disciples were opened, and they knew Him." Well then, what did the Lord say was written of Him in the Law and Prophets and Psalms?
1'hat " it bchovet.1 Christ to suffer.
Had He not added, "and to rise again," well might those mourn whose eyes were holden; but "to rise again" is also foretold. And wherefore this? Why did it behove Christ to suffer and to rise again? Because of that Psalm which we especially commended to your attention on the fourth day, the first station, of last week.^ Why did it!)ehove ' Luke xxiv. 13-28.
" I Cor. xi. 29.
3 Acts ii.,(i.
4Tertull. liejejiin.^ sec. 14; tie Orixt., sec. 14.
[HOMILV II.
Christ to suffer and to rise again? For this reason: "All the ends of the earth shall be reminded and converted unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Him."' For that ye may know that it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again; in this place also what hath He added, that after setting forth the Bridegroom He might also set forth the Bride? "And that there be preached," saith He, " in His name, repentance and remission of sins throughout all nations, beginning at Jerusalem/' Ye have heard, brethren; hold it fast. Let no man doubt concerning the Church, that it is " throughout all nations:" let no man doubt that it began at Jerusalem, and hath filled all nations. We know the field where the Vine is planted: but when it is grown we know it not, because it has taken up the whole. Wlience did it begin? "At Jerusalem." Whither has it come? To "all nations." A few remain: it shall possess all. In the mean time, while it is taking possession of all, it has seemed good to the Husbandman to cut off some unprofitable branches, and they have made heresies and schisms. Let not the branches that are cut off induce you to be cut off: rather exhort ye them that are cut off that they be graffed in again. It is manifest that Christ hath suffered, is risen again, and is ascended into heaven: made manifest also is the Church, because there is " preached in His name repentance and remission of sins throughout all nations." Whence did it begin? "Beginning at Jerusalem." The man hears this; foolish and vain, and (how shall I express it?) worse than blind! so great a mountain, and he does not see it; a candle set upon a candlestick, and he shuts his eyes against it!.
3. When we say to them, If ye be Catholic Christians, communicate with that Church from which the Gospel is spread abroad over the whole earth: communicate with that Jerusalem:^ when this we say to them, they make answer to us, we do not communicate with that city where our King was slain, where our Lord was slain: as though they hate the city where our Lord was slain. The Jews slew Him whom they found on earth, these scorn ^ Him that sitteth in heaven! Which are the worse; those who despised Him because they thought Him man, or those who scorn the sacraments of Him whom now they confess to be God? But they hate, forsooth, the city in which their Lord was slain! Pious men, and merciful! they much grieve that Christ was slain, and in men they slay I Ps. xxii. 27. 2 S. Aug. Ep. c. Donat. de Unit, Eccl. sec. 26. 3 Sttpra^ Horn, in Ev. xi. sec. 13.
Christ! But He loved that city, and pitied it: from it He bade the preacning of Him begin, " beginning at Jerusalem." He made there the beginning of the preaching of His name: and thou shrinkest back with horror from having communion with that city! ■* No marvel that being cut off thou hatest the root. What said He to His disciples? " Sit ye stiil in the city, because I send my promise ^ upon you." Behold what the city is that they hate! Haply they would love it, if Christ's murderers dwelt in it. For it is manifest that all Christ's murderers, i.c.^ the Jews, are expelled from that city.* Tnat v/hich had in it them that were fierce against Christ, hath now them that adore Christ. Therefore do these men hate it, because Christians are in it. There was it His will that His disciples should tarry, and there that He should send to them the Holy Ghost. Where had the Church its. commencement, but where the Holy Ghost came from heaven, and filled the hundred and twenty sitting in one place? That number twelve was made tenfold. They sat, an hundred and twenty persons, and the Holy Ghost came, "and filled the whole place, and there came a sound, as it were the rushing of a mighty wind, and there were cloven tongues like as of fire." Ye have heard the Acts of the Apostles: this was the lesson read today: ^ " They began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." And all who were on the spot. Jews who were come from divers nations, recognised each his own tongue, and marvelled that those unlearned and ignorant men had on the sudden learned not one or two tongues, but the tongues of all nations whatsoever. There, then, where all tongues sounded, there was it betokened that all tongues should believe. But these men, who much love Christ, and therefore refuse to communicate with /the city which killed Christ, so honor Christ as to afiirm that He is left to two tongues, the Latin and the Punic, i.e. African. Christ possess only two tongues! For there are but these two tongues on the side of Donatus, more they have not. Let us awake, my bretnren, let us rather see the gift of the Spirit of God, and let us believe the tilings spoken before concerning Him, and let us see fulfilled the things spoken before in the Psalm: "There are neither speeches nor discourses,^ but their voices are heard among them.^ And lest haply the case 4 [The words. " Jerusalem, the city," the preacher appears, in this passage, to use interchangeably and sometimes confusedly for the Church — e.g.^ "all Christ's murderers are expelled from that city." meaning that such are not in the Church. — J. H. M.]
5 Acts i. 15; ii. 1-12. * flnarr. in Ps. Ixii. sec. 18; Ixiv. sec. i.
7 The Acts of the Apostles were read in the seven weeks from Easter to Pentecost. Supra, Horn, in Ev. vi. sec. 18.
Homily II.]
4/1 be so that the tongues themselves came to one place, and not rather that the gift of Cnrist came to all tongues, hear what follows: "Into all the earth is their sound gone out, and unto the ends of the world their words." Wnerefore this? Because "in the sun hath He set His tabernacle," i.e., in the open light. His tabernacle, His flesh: His tabernacle, His Church: in the sun " it is set; not in the night, but in the day. But why do those not acknowledge it? Return to the lesson at the place wliere it ended yesterday, and see why they do not acknowledge it: " He that hateth his brother, walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.'' For us then, let us see what follows, and not be in darkness.. How shall we not be in darkness? If we love the brethren. How is it proved that we love the brotherhood? By this, that we do not rend unity, that we hold fast charity.
4. " I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you through His name."' Tnerefore, "little children," = because in forgiveness of sins ye have your birth. But through whose name are sins forgiven? Through Augustin's? No, therefore neither through the name of Donatus. Be it thy concern to see who is Augustin, or who Donatus: no, not through the name of Paul, not through the name of Peter. For to them that divided unto themselves the Church, and out of unity essayed to make parties, the mother charity in the apostle travailing in birth with her little ones, exposeth her own bowels, with words doth as it were rend her breasts, bewaileth her children whom she seetn borne out dead, recalleth unto the one Name them that would needs make them many names, repelleth them from the love of her that Ciirist may be loved, and saith, "Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"^ What saith he? " I would not that ye be mine, that so ye may be with me: be ye witli me; all we are His who died for us, who was crucified for us": wiience here also it is said, "Your sins are forgiven you through His name," not tiirough the name of any man.
5. "I write unto you, fatliers."-* Why first sons? " Because your sins are forgiven you through His name," and yc are regenerated into a new life, therefore sons. Why fathers? " Because ye have known Him that is from the beginning: " for the beginning hath relation unto fatherhood. Christ new in flesh, but ancient in Godhead. How ancient think we? how many years old? Think we, of greater age^ than His mother? Assuredly of greater age than His mother, for "all things were made by Hirh."* If all things, then did the Ancient make the very mother of whom the New should be born. Was He, think we, before His mother only? Yea, and before His mother's ancestors is His antiquity. The ancestor of His mother was Abranam; and the Lord saith, " Before Abraham I am.'' ' Before Abraham, say we? The heaven and earth, ere man was, were made. Before these was the Lord, nay rather also is. For right well He saith, not. Before Abraham I was, but, " Before Abraham I AM." For that of which one says, "was," is not; and that of which one says, "will be," is not yet: He knoweth not other than to be. As God, He knoweth "to be:" "was," and "will be," He knoweth not. It is one day there, but a day that is for ever and ever. That day 3'esterday and to-morrow do not set in the midst between them: for when the 'yesterday' is ended, the ' to-day ' begins, to be finished by the coming ' to-morrow.' That one day there is a day without darkness, without night, without spaces, without measure, without hours. Call it what thou wilt: if thou wilt, it is a day; if thou wilt, a year; if thou wilt, years. For it is said of this same, "And thy years shall not fail." ^ But when is it called a day? When it is said to the Lord, " To-day have I begotten Thee."' From the eternal Father begotten, from eternity begotten, in eternity begotten: with no beginning, no bound, no space of breadth; because He is what is, because Himself is " He that Is." This His name He told to Moses: "Thou shalt say unto them. He that Is hath sent me unto you."'° Why speak then of "before Abraham "? why, before Noe? why, before Adam? Hear the Scripture: "Before the day-star have I begotten Thee."" In fine, before heaven and earth. Wherefore? Because "all things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made." '= By this know ye the "fathers:" for they become fathers by acknowledging "That which is from the beginning."
6. " I write unto you, young men." There are sons, are fathers, are young men: sons, because begotten; fathers, because they acknowledge the Beginning; why young men? " Because ye have overcome the wicked one." In the sons, birtli: in the fathers, antiquity: in the young men, strength. If the wicked one is "overcome" by the young men, he 7 lohn viii. 58. 10 Ex. iii. 14.
[Homily II.
fights with us. Fights, but not conquers.' Wherefore? Because we are strong, or because He is strong in us who in the hands of the persecutors was found weak? He hath made us strong, who resisted not His persecutors. " For He was crucified of weakness, but He liveth by the power of God." ^ 7. "I write 3 unto you,'' children."' 5 Whence children? " Because ye have known the Father. I write unto you fathers:" he enforceth this, and repeateth/ " Because ye have known Him that is from the beginning.'' Remember that ye are fathers: if ye forget "Him that is from the beginning," ye have lost your fatherhood. " I write unto you, young men." Again and again consider that ye are young men: fight, that ye may overcome: overcome, that ye may be crowned: be lowly, that ye fall not in the fight. " I write unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one."