8. All these things, my brethren, — "because we have known That which is from the beginning, because we are strong, because we have known the Father," — do all these, while they in a manner commend ^ knowledge, not commend charity? If we have known, let us love: for knowledge without charity saveth not. " Knowledge*^ puffeth up, charity edifieth."' If ye have a mind to confess and not love, ye begin to be like the demons. The demons confessed the Son of God, and said, "What have we to do with Thee?" " and were repulsed. Confess and embrace. For those feared for their iniquities; love ye Him that forgiveth your iniquities. But how can we love God, if we love the world? He prepareth us therefore to be inhabited by charity." There are two loves: of the world, and of God: if the love of the world inhabit, there is no way for the love of God to enter in: let the love of the world make way, and the love of God inhabit; let the better have 3 Vulg, scriho throughout, but some copies scn'fixi, representing the true reading in the Greek, eypa^a, in the last clause of V. 13, and in both clauses of v 14, 6 The Benedictine editors remark that the Vulgate does not repeat this clause, Scribo vebis, patres — a principio est, and that it is absent from the Greek. This remark applies to the Complutensian Greek text, and the edited Latin Vulgate. Of extant Gr. Mss., only Mill's Cod. Basil, 3 (Wetstein, 4), of the 15th century, omits the clause: and this, as Wetstein reports, not in v. 14, but in the preceding verse, xf>a.^ia v\xiv, Trarepes — af>xy\%.
7 Copiitionem. 8 Scientia.
'I Sed quoiitodo poterimus amare Deum, si aniamits inundum? Parat nos ergo in/iadiinri c/ian'iafe, and so Bod\. Sij. The ed. of Erasmus has, — separat nos a ckaritate Dei: " — if we love the world? It separates us from the charity of God." And so 3 Oxf. MSS. Ed. Lugdun., «■ aynatnus tiiundtim? Si atnavtus viundum, separat nos a ckaritate Dei. Parat nos cri;o inhahitare charitatem: " — if we love the world? If we love'the world, it separates, &c. He prepares us therefore to inhabit charity."— Ed. P.\r.
place. Thou lovedst the world: love not the world: when thou hast emptied thine heart of earthly love, thou shalt drink in love Divine: and thenceforth beginneth charity to inhabit thee, from which can nothing of evil proceed. Hear ye therefore his words, how he goes to work in the manner of one that makes a clearance. He comes upon the hearts of men as a field that he would occupy: but in what state does he find it? If he finds a wood, he roots it up; if he finds the field cleared, he plants it. He would plant a tree there, charity. And what is the wood he would root up? Love of the world. Hear him, the rooter up of the wood! "Love not the world," (for this comes next,) " neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the "^^ love of the Father is not in him." '3 9. Ye have heard that "if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Let not any say in his heart that this is false, brethren: God saith it; by the Apostle the Holy Ghost hath spoken; nothing more true: " If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Wouldest thou have the Father's love, that thou mayest be joint-heir with the Son? Love not the world. Shut out the evil love of the world, that thou mayest be filled with ''t the love of God. Thou art a vessel; but as yet thou art full. Pour out what thou hast, that thou mayest receive what thou hast not. Certainly,'5 our brethren are now born again of water and of the Spirit: we also some years ago were born again of water and of the Spirit. Good is it for us that we love not the world, lest the sacraments remain in us unto damnation, not as means of strengthening'^ unto salvation. That which streniithens unto salvation is, to have the root of charity, to have the "power of godliness," not "the form " only. '7 Good is the form, holy the form: but what avails the form, if it hold not the root? The branch that is cut off, is it not cast into the fire? Have the form, but in the root. But in what way are ye rooted so that ye be not rooted up? By holding charity, as saith the Apostle Paul, "rooted and grounded in charity."'^ How shall charity be rooted there, amid the overgrown wilderness of the love of the world? Make clear riddance of the woods. A mighty seed ye are about to put in: let there not be that in the field which shall choke the seed. These are the uprooting words which he hath said: " Love not the world, neither the things that 15 The newly baptized. i6 Firtnnmei'ta.
Homily II.]
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.'"
10. " For all that is in the world, is ^ the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride 3 of life,"'* three things he hath said, which ^ are not of the Father, but are 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 He abideth for ever." s Why am I not to love wliat God made? What wilt thou? Whether wilt thou love the things of time, and pass away with time; or not love the world, and live to eternity with God? The river of temporal things hurries one along: but like a tree sprung up beside the river is our Lord Jesus Christ.* He assumed flesh, died, rose again, ascended into heaven. It was His will to plant Himself, in a manner, beside the river of the things of time. Art thou rushing down the stream to the headlong deep? Hold fast the tree. Is love of the world whirling thee on? Hold fast Christ. For thee He became temporal, that thou mightest become eternal; because He also in such sort became temporal, that He remained still eternal. Something was added to Him from time, not anything went from His eternity. But thou wast born temporal, and by sin wast made temporal: thou wast made temporal by sin, He was made temporal by mercy in remitting sins. How great the dift'erence, when two are in a prison, between the criminal and him that visits him! For upon a time a person comes to his friend and enters in to visit him, and both seem to be in prison; but they differ by a wide distinction. The one, his cause presses down: the other, humanit)' has brought thither. So in this our mortal state, we were held fast by our guiltiness, He in mercy came down: He entered in unto the captive, a Redeemer not an oppressor. The Lord for us shed His blood, redeemed us, changed our hope. As yet we bear the mortality of the flesh, and take the future immortality upon trust; and on the sea we are tossed by the waves, but we have the anchor of hope already fi.xed upon the land.
11. But let us " not love the world, neither the things that are in the world. For the things that are in the world, are the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." These three are they: lest haply any man say, "The things that are in the world, God made: i.e. heaven and earth, ' I John ii. tf.
" [" Is," better omitted; also " which."]
5 '\\\v. last clause, sicut et Dens vianct in irtti-ttu)ii,'K peculiar to the Latin authorities, S. C'vprian uif Qiiir. 3, 11, i/uoiuiHio et, &c. and others in Griesbach. It is not received by Ihe Vulgate.
6 Ps. i. 3.
the sea: the sun, the moon, the stars, all the garniture of the heavens. What is the garniture of the sea? all creeping things. VVhat of the earth? animals, trees, flying creatures. These are ' in the world,' God made them. Why then am I not to love what God hath made?" Let the Spirit of God be in thee, that thou mayest see that all these things are good: but woe to thee if thou love the things made, and forsake the Maker of them! Fair are they to thee: but how much fairer He that formed them! Mark well, beloved. For by similitudes ye may be instructed: lest Satan steal upon you, saying what he is wont to say. Take your enjoyment in the creature of God; wherefore made He those things but for your enjoyment? And men drink themselves drunken, and perish, and forget their own Creator: while not temperately but lustfully they use the things created, the Creator is despised. Of such saith the apostle: " Tney worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever."' God doth not forbid thee to love* these things, howbeit, not to' set thine affections upon them for blessedness, but to approve and praise them to this end, that thou mayest love thy Creator. In the same manner, my brethren, as if a bridegroom should make a ring for his bride, and she having received the ring, should love it more than she loves the bridegroom who made the ring for her: would not her soul l)e found guilty of adultery in the very gift of the bridegroom, albeit she did but love what the bridegroom gave her? By all means let her love what the bridegroom gave: yet should she say, " This ring is enough for me, I do not wish to see his face now:" what sort of woman would she be? Who would not detest such folly? who not pronounce her guilty of an adulterous mind? Tliou lovest gold in place of the man, lovest a ring in place of the bridegroom: if this be in thee, that thou lovest a ring in place of thy bridegroom, and hast no wish to see thy bridegroom; tliat he has given thee an earnest, serves not to pledge thee to him, but to turn awaj' thy heart from him! For this the bridegroom gives earnest, that in his earnest he may himself be loved. A\'ell then, God gave thee all these things: love Him that made them. There is more that He would fain give thee, that is, His very Self that made tliese things. lUit if thou love these — wiiat though God made them — and neglect the Creator and love the workl; shall not thy love be accounteil adulterous?'"
'" Kt iiiiiiiTfris III II »(/ II III: iioiiiii' tiiiis amor iiiiiiltfrhiiis aeputtibitur f — Mss. it uiiiaveiis miiiiduiiiy iicliiiijuis ("and love 47' [Homily II.
12. For "the world" is the appellation given not only to this fabric which God made, heaven and earth, the sea, things visible and invisible: but the inhabitants of the world are called the world, just as we call a " house '^ both the walls and them that inhabit therein. And sometimes we praise a house, and find fault with the inhabitants. For we say, A good house; because it is marbled and beautifully' ceiled: and in another sense we say, A good house: no man there suffers wrong, no acts of plunder, no acts of oppression, are done there. Now we praise not the building, but those who dwell within the building: yet we call it " house," both this and that. For all lovers of the world, because by love they inhabit the world, just as those inhabit heaven, whose heart is on high while in the flesh they walk on earth: I say then, all lovers' of the world are called the world. The same have only these three things, "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, vain glory of life," For they lust to eat, drink, cohabit: to use these pleasures. Not surely, that there is no allowed measure in these things? or that when it is said. Love not these things, it means that ye are not to eat, or not to drink, or not to beget children? This is not the thing said. Only, let there be measure, because of the Creator, that these things may not bind you by your loving of them: lest ye love that for enjoyment, which ye ought to have for use. But ye are not put to the proof except when two things are propounded to you, this or that: Wilt thou righteousness or gains? I have not wherewithal to live, have not wherewithal to eat, have not wherewithal to drink. But what if thou canst not have these but by iniquity? Is it not better to love that which thou losest not, than to lose thyself by iniquity? Thou seest the gain of gold, the loss of faith thou seest not. This then, saith he to us, is " the lust of the flesh," i.e. the lusting after those things which pertain to the flesh, such as food, and carnal cohabitation, and all other such like.
13."And the lust of the eyes: " by "the lust of the eyes," he means all curiosity. Now how wide is the scope of curiosity! This it is that works in spectacles, in theatres, in sacraments of the devil, in magical arts, in dealings ^ with darkness: none other than curiosity. Sometimes it tempts even the servants of God, so that they wish as it were to work a miracle, to tempt God whether He will hear the world, thou art delinquent'"), (and so four in the Eodl. Library). Edd. Am. Bad. Er. et aniavcris Jitundtnn, amittis Creatorem qui fecit niiindum (" and love the world, thou lettest go the Creator who made the world ' 1 - Ben, I Laqueata. - ISIaleficiis, their prayers in working of miracles; it is curiosity: this is " lust of the eyes;" it "is not of the Father." If God hath given the power, do the miracle, for He hath put it in thy way to do it: for think not that those who have not done miracles shall not pertain to the kingdom of God. When the apostles were rejoicing that the demons were subject to them, what said the Lord to them? " Rejoice not in this, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." ^ j,-, tj^^^ would He have the apostles to rejoice, wherein thou also rejoicest. Woe to thee truly if thy name be not written in heaven! Is it woe to thee if thou raise not the dead? is it woe to thee if thou walk not on the sea? is it woe to thee if thou cast not out demons? If thou hast received power to do them, use it humbly, not proudly. For even of certain false prophets the Lord hath said that " they shall do signs and prodigies " '* Therefore let there be no "ambition of the world:" Ambitio sceculi, is Pride. The man wishes to make much of himself in his honors: he thinks himself great, whether because of riches, or because of some power.
14. These three there are, and thou canst find nothing whereby human cupidity can be tempted, but either by the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. By these three was the Lord tempted of the devil. 5 By the lust of the flesh He was tempted when it was said to Him, "If thou be the Son of God, speak to these stones that they become bread," when He hungered after His fast. But in what way repelled He the tempter, and taught his soldier how to fight? Mark what He said to him: " Not by bread alone doth man live, but by every word of God." He was tempted also by the lust of the eyes concerning a miracle, when he said to Him, *' Cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." He resisted the tempter, for to do the miracle, would only have been to seem either to have yielded, or to have done it from curiosity; for He wrought when He would, as God, howbeit as healing the weak. For if He had done it then. He might have been thought to wish only to do a miracle. But lest men should think this, mark what He an swered; and when the like temptation shall happen to thee, say thou also the same: " Get thee behind me, Satan; fo%it is written. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God: " that is, if I do this I shall tempt God. He 3 Luke X. 20.
4 Matt. xxiv. 24.
5 Matt. iv. i-io.
Homily III.]
said what He would have thee to say. When the enemy suggests to thee, "What sort of man, what sort of Christian, art thou? As yet hast thou done one miracle? or by thy prayers have the dead been raised, or hast thou healed the fevered? if thou wert truly of any moment, thou wouldest do some miracle: " answer and say: " It is written. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God: " therefore ' I will not tempt God, as if I should belong to God if I do a miracle, and not belong if 1 do none: and what becomes then of His words, " Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven"? By "pride of life" how was the Lord tempted? When he carried Him up to an high place, and said to Him. "All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." By the loftiness of an earthly kingdom he wished to tempt the King of all worlds: but the Lord who made heaven and earth trod the devil under foot. What great matter for the devil to be conquered by the Lord? Then what did He in the answer He made to the devil but teach thee the answer He would have thee to make? " It is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Holding these things fast, ye shall not have the concupiscence of the world: by not having concupiscence of the world, neither shall the lust of the flesh, nor the lust of the eyes, nor the pride of life, subjugate you: and ye shall make place for Charity when she cometh, that ye may love God. Because if love of the world be there, love of God will not be there, flcid fast rather the love of God, that as God is for ever and ever, so ye also may remain for ever and ever: because such is each one as is his love. Lovest thou earth? thou shalt be earth. Lovest thou God? what shall I say? thou shalt be a god? I dare not say it of myself, let us hear the Scriptures: " I have said. Ye are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High."' If then ye would be gods and sons of the Most High, " 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 the thin2;s that are 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: "^ i.e. of men, lovers of the world. "And the world passeth away, anil the lusts thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, even as God also abidetli for ever."
I Ps. Ixxxii. 6.
2 ijohn ii. 15-17.
HOMILY III.
I John II. 18-27.
" Children, it is the last hour: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us: if tiiey had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that tliey might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.' I write unto you, not because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? [He is antichrist, tliat denieth the Father and the Son.]- Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath neither the Father nor the Son: and he that acknowledgeth the Son hath both the Father antl the Son. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is tlie promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you; that ye may know that ye have an ^motion, and that the unction which ye have received of him may abide in you. And ye need not that any man teach you; because His unction teacheth you of all things," ' See sec. 5, note.
3 Umittcd in the Exposition.
[Homily III.
1. "Children/ it is the- last hour.'' In this lesson he addresses the children that they may make haste to grow, because "it is the last hour." Age or stature ^ of the body is not at one's own will. A man does not grow in respect of the flesh when he will^ any more than he is born when he will: but where the being born rests with the will, the growth also rests with the will. No man is '' born of water and the Spirit,'* except he be willing. Consequently if he will, he grows or makes increase: if he will, he decreases. What is it to grow? To go onward ^ by proficiency. What is it to decrease? To go backward*^ by deficiency. Whoso knows that he is born, let him hear that he is an infant; let him eagerly cling to the breasts of his mother, and he grows apace. Now his mother is the Church; and her breasts are the two Testaments of the Divine Scriptures. Hence let him suck the milk of all the things that as signs of spiritual truths were done in time for our eternal salvation,'' that being nourished and strengthened, he may attain to the eating of solid meat, which is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ' ' ^ Our m.ilk is Christ in His humility; our meat, the selfsame Christ equal witli the Father. With milk He nourisheth thee, that He may feed tnee with bread: for with the heart spiritually to touch Christ is to know that He is equal with the Father.
2. Therefore it was that He forbade Mary to touch Him, and said to her, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father." 9 What is this? He gave Himself to be handled by the disciples, and did He shun Mary's touch? Is not He the same that said to the doubting disciple, " Reach hither thy fingers, and feel the scars "?'° Was He at that time ascended to the Father? Then why doth He forbid Mary, and saith, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to the Father? " Or are we to say, that He feared not to be touched by men, and feared to be touched by women? The touch of Him cleanseth all flesh. To whom He willed first to be manifested, by them feared He to be handled? Was not His resurrection announced by women to the men, that so the serpent siiould by a sort of counterplot be overcome? For because he first by the woman announced death to man, there- 7 OiiDiium sacrnmentoyuin ietiifioraliter pro interna salute mostra gestpr2tm: i.e. of the historical facts of both Testaments understood in their inward and spiritual relation to Christ.
fore to men was also life announced by a woman. Then why was He unwilling to be touched, but because He would have it to be understood of that spiritual touch? The spiritual touch takes place from a pure heart. That person does of a pure heart reach Christ with his touch wiio understands Him coequal with the Father. But whoso does not yet understand Christ's Godhead, that person reaches but unto the flesh, reaches not unto the Godhead. Now what great matter is it, to reach only unto that which the persecutors reached unto, who crucified Him? But that IS the great thing, to understand the Word God with God, in the beginning, by whom all things were made: such as He would have Himself to be known when He said to Philip, "Am I so long time with you, and have ye not known me, Philip? He that seeth me, seeth also the Father.""
3. But lest any be sluggish to go forward, let him hear: " Children, it is the last hour.'' Go forward, run, grow; " it is the last hour." This same last hour is long; yet it is the last. For he has put " hour" for " the last time; " because it is in the last times that our Lord Jesus Christ is to come," But some will say. How the last times? how the last hour? Certainly antichrist will first come, and then will come the day of judgment. John perceived these thoughts: lest people should in a manner become secure, and think it was not the last hour because antichrist was to come, he said to them, "And as ye have heard that antichrist is to come, now are there come man)^ antichrists." Could it have many antichrists, except it were " the last hour "?
4. Whom, has he called antichrists? He goes on and expounds. " Whereby we know that it is the last hour." By what? Because " many antichrists are come. They went out from us;" seethe antichrists! "They went out from us:" there fdre we bewail the loss. Hear the consolation. " But they were not of us.'' All heretics, all schismatics went out from us, that is, they go out from the Church; but they would not go out, if they were of us. Therefore, before they went out they were not of us. If before they went out they were not of us, many are within, are not gone out, but yet are antichrists. We dare to say this: and why, but that each one while he is within may not be an antichrist? For he is about to describe and mark the antichrists, and we shall see them now. And each person ought to question his own conscience, whether he be an antichrist. For antichrist in our tongue means, contrary to " John xiv. 9.
Epist. 199, de Fine Scec, sec. 17.
Homily III.]
Christ.' Not, as some take it, that antichrist is to be so called because he is to come ante Christian, before Christ, i.e. Christ to come after him: it does not mean this, neither is it thus written, but Autichi istus, i.e. contrary to Christ. Now who is contrary to Christ ye already perceive from the apostle's own exposition, and understand that none can go out but antichrists; whereas those who are not contrary to Christ, can in no wise go out. For he that is not contrary to Christ holds fast in His body, and is counted therewith as a member. The members are never contrary one to another. The entire body consists of all ttie members. And what saith the apostle concerning the agreement of the members? " If one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; and if one member be glorified, all the members rejoice with it.''- If then in the glorifying of a member the other members rejoice with it, and in its suffering all the members suffer, the agreement of the members hath no antichrist. And there are those who inwardly are in such sort in the body of our Lord Jesus Christ — seeing His body is yet under cure, and the soundness will not be perfect save in the resurrection of the dead — are in such wise in the body of Christ, as bad humors. When these are vomited up, the 1 So avTiKii^i.tvo'; 2 Thess. 2, 3, and so the word seems to be interpreted by Tertull. de Prcescr. Hcur.^^ Antichristi — Christi rebelles. And this is alleged by Theophylact as the traditionalinterpretation of the Greek Church: irai'To)? 6 "I'evcrTT)? ei'acTio? we rr; aArj^eta i7Tot Ttp XptcTw at'Ti\pio"T6? e<rTt. **Certainly ' Antichrist ' is the Liar opposed to the'I'ruth, i.e. to Christ." So G-Zcumeniiis. But by earlier authorities it is taken in the sense of " false-Christ," or, one that gives himself out for Christ with denial of Jesus Christ. Thusin l\ie.Acta Martyrum: Dicit autetn.-l/'OslolHs:.Si.Sa/anus, &c. Ihide et A iitichristits Quasi-Ckrisius. " 'J"he Apostlesaith: If Satan be transfigured as an angel of light, it is no great matter if his ministers be transfigured." Whence also "Antichrist" means" seeming-Christ." And St. Hippolyt. Fortuensis tie.Antichristo^ 6, Kara ttclvto. t'fopotoOcr^at /SouAtrat 6 nkavo'; toJ vtui tou fc)eoO. "In all things the deceiver will needs make himself' like the Son of God." See Mr. Orcs'weWs Exposition o/the Parables., i. p. 372. ff.
[Anlichrist. — Huther confirms (Meyer, Com. on N. T.. 14th part, 4th German edition) Augustin's definition. "That avri expresses not substitution but antagonism is now generally and justly acknowledged;" but he adds, " 'o 6.ni\pi.tTTo<; does not mean the enemy of Christ, in general, but the (jue opposed to Christ, or the ^ opfiosition Chris/,' i.e. the enemy of Christ, wh(j, under the lying pretense of being the true Christ, endeavors to destroy the work of Christ." " One who assuming the guise of Christ, opposes Christ." (Westcott.)
When Huther remarks in reference to the view held by Neander and others, who distinguish, in the apostle's representation of Antichrist, _/'o/;« and idea, viz.:--that evil will gradually increase more and more in its contest against Christ, until it has reached its summit, when it will be completely vanquished by the power of Christ; and, as regardsy^'; w, that this highest energy of evil will appear in one person: " of this distinction Scripture gives no suggestion;" yet, as there appears an intimation of distinct and successive Antichrists (i John ii. 18, 22; 2 John vii ), and the.Antichrist of whom the Apostle's readers " had heard," had not yet come personally, Westcott's interpretation of ii. 18, seems not unreasonable: ".Antichrist may be the personification of the principle shoivn in different Antichrists; or, the person whose appearance IS prepared by these particular forms of evil."