by the coming of the dove John learned this, that there dwelt in the Lord a power peculiarly His own to baptize? Because it was by this power peculiar to Himself, as I have said, the peace of the Church was made secure. And yet it may be that one may have baptism apart from the dove; but that baptism apart from the dove should do him good, is impossi- ble. Consider, beloved, and understand what I say, for by this deception they mislead such of our brethren as are dull and cold. Let us be more simple and more fervent. See, say they, have I received, or have I not? I answer, Thou hast received. Well, if I have received, there is nothing which thou canst give me; I am safe, even on thine own evidence. For I affirm that I have received, and thou, too, dost confess that I have re- ceived: 1 am safe by the confession of both: what then dost thou promise me? Why wouldst thou make me a Catholic, when thou wouldst not give me anything further, seeing thou confessest that I have already received that which thou affirmest thyself to possess? But when I say, Come to me, I say that thou dost not possess, who yet confessest that I do. Why dost thou say. Come to me?
14. The dove teaches us. From the head of the Lord she answers, and says. Thou hast baptism, but the charity with which I groan thou hast not. How is this, says he, I have baptism, and have not charity? Have I the sacraments, and not charity? Do not shout: show me how can he who divides unity have charity? I, saith he, have baptism. Thou hast; but that baptism, without charity, profits thee nothing; because without charity thou art nothing. The baptism itself, even in him Avho is nothing, is not nothing. Baptism, in- deed, is something, aye, something great, for His sake, of whom it is said, "This is He that baptizeth." But lest thou shouldst fancy that that which is great can profit thee aught, if thou be not in unity, it was after He was baptized that the dove descended, as if inti- mating. If thou hast baptism, be in the dove, lest what thou hast profit thee not. Come, then, to the dove, we say; not that thou may- est begin to have what thou hadst not before, but that what thou didst have may begin to profit thee. For thou didst have baptism to destruction without; if thou shalt have it within, it begins to profit thee to salvation.
15. For not only was baptism not profitable to thee, and not also hurtful. Even holy things may be hurtful. In the good, indeed, holy things are to salvation; in the evil, to judg- ment. For we certainly know, brethren, what we receive, and what we receive is at any rate holy, and no one says that it is not: and what says. the apostle? "But he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself."' He does not say that the thing itself is bad, but that the evil man, by receiving it amis, receives the good thing which he does receive to judg- ment. Was that morsel which the Lord de- livered to Judas evil? God forbid. The physician would not give poison; it was health the physician gave; but by unworthily receiv- ing it, he who received it not being at peace, received it unto destruction. So likewise also he who is baptized. I have (baptism), says he, for myself. Thou hast it, I admit. Give good heed to what thou hast; by that very thing which thou hast thou wilt be condemned. Wherefore? Because thou hast what belongs to the dove apart from the dove. If thou hast what is the dove's in the dove, thou art safe. Suppose thyself a soldier: if thou hast thy general's mark within the lines, thou servest in safety; but if thou hast it out of bounds, not only that mark will not be of ad- vantage to thee for service, but thou wilt even be punished as a deserter. Come, then, come, and do not say, I have already, I have enough. Come; the dove is calling thee, calling thee by her sighing. My brethren, to you I say, call by groaning, not by quarrel- ing; call by praying, by invitation, by fasting; let them by your charity understand that you pity them. I doubt not, my brethren, that if they see your sorrow they will be astonished, and will come to life again. Come, then, come; be not afraid; be afraid if thou do not come; nay, be not afraid, rather bewail thy- self. Come, thou wilt rejoice if thou wilt come; thou wilt indeed groan in the tribula- tions of thy pilgrimage, but thou wilt rejoice in hope. Come where the dove is, to whom it was said, " My dove is one, the only one of her mother." Seest thou not the one dove upon the head of Christ? seest thou not the tongues throughout the whple world? It is the same Spirit by the dove and by the tongues: if by the dove the same Spirit, and by the tongues the same Spirit, then was the Holy Spirit given to the whole world, from which Spirit thou hast cut thyself off, that thou mightest clamor with the raven, not that thou mightest sigh with the dove. Come, then.
16. But thou art anxious, it may be, and sayest, I was baptized without; I fear lest therefore I am guilty, in that I was baptized without. Already thou beginnest to know what thou hast to bewail. Thou sayest truly that thou art guilty, not because of thy re- ' I Cor. xi. 29.
Tractate VI.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
45 ceiving, but because of thy receiving without. Keep then what thou hast received; amend thy receiving it without. Thou hast received what is the dove's apart from the dove. Here are two things said to thee: Thou hast receiv- ed, and. Apart from the dove thou hast received. In that thou hast received, I ap- prove; that thou hast received without, I dis- appprove. Keep then what thou hast received, it is not changed, but recognized: it is the mark of my king, I will not profane it. I will correct the deserter, not change the mark.
17. Boast not of thy baptism because I call it a real baptism. Behold, I say that it is so; the whole Catholic Church says that it is so; the dove regards it, and acknowledges it, and groans because thou hast it without; she sees therein what she may acknowledge, sees also what she may correct. It is a real baptism, come. Thou boastest that it is real, and yet wilt thou not come? What then of the wick- ed, who do not belong to the dove? Saith the dove to thee. Even the wicked, among whom I groan, who feelong not to my mem- bers, and it must needs be that I groan among them, have not they that which thou boastest of having? Have not many drunkards bap- tism? Have not many covetous? Have not rrany idolaters, and, what is worse, who are such by stealth? Do not the pagans resort, or at least did resort, publicly to idols? And now Christians secretly seek out diviners and consult astrologers. And yet these have bap- tism; but the dove groans among ravens. Why then dost thou boast in the having it? This that thou hast, the wicked man also has. Have thou humility, charity, peace; have thou the good thing which as yet thou hast not, so that the good thing which thou hast may profit thee.
18. For what thou hast, even Simon Magus had: the Acts of the Apostles are witness, that canonical book which has to be read in the Church every year. You know that every year, in the season following the Lord's Pas- sion, that book is read, wherein it is written, how the apostle was converted, and from a persecutor became a preacher;' also, how on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent in cloven tongues as of fire.^ There we read that in Samaria many believed through the preaching of Philip: and he is understood to have been either one of the apostles or one of the deacons^ for we read there that seven deacons were ordained, among whom is the name of Philip. Well, then, through the preaching of Philip the Samaritans believed; Samaria b^gan to abound in believers. This ' Acts ix 2 Acts ii.
Simon Magus was there. By his magical arts he had so befooled the people, that they fancied him to be the power of God. Im- pressed, however, by the signs which were done by Philip, he also believed; but in what manner he believed, the events that followed afterwards proved. And Simon also was bap- tized. The apostles, who were at Jerusalem, heard this. Peter and John were sent to those in Samaria; they found many baptized; and as none of them had as yet received the Holy Ghost, — in like manner as He at that time descended, so as that they on whom the Holy Spirit came should speak with tongues, for a manifest token that the nations would believe, — they laid their hands on them, praj^- ing for them, and they received the Holy Ghost, This Simon, — who was not a dove but a raven in the Church, because he sought his own things, not the things which are Jesus Christ's; whence he loved the power which was in the Christians more than the risrhte- ousness, — Simon, I say, saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the hands of the apostles (not that it was given by them, but given in answer to their prayers), and he said to them, " How much money will ye that I give you, so that by the laying on of my hands also, the Holy Ghost may be given? And Peter said unto him. Thy money perish with thee, because thou thoughtest that the gift of God was to be bought with money. '* To whom said he, " Thy money perish with thee "? Undoubtedly to one that was bap- tized. Baptism he had already; but he did not cleave to the bowels of the dove. Un- derstand that he did not; attend to the very words of the Apostle Peter, for he goes on, " Thou hast no part nor lot in this faith: for I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness." ^ The dove has no gall; Simon had, and for that reason he was separated from the bowels of the dove. Wiiat did baptism profit him? Do not therefore boast of thy baptism, as if that were of itself enough for thy salvation. Be not angry, put away thy gall, come to the dove. Here that will profit thee, which with- out not only did not profit thee, but even was prejudicial to thee.
19. Neither say, I will not come, because I was baptized without. So, begin to have charity, begin to have fruit, let there be fruit found in tiiee, and the dove will send thee within. We find this in Scripture. The ark was made of incorruptible wood. The incor- ruptible timbers are the saints, the faithful that belong to Christ. For as in the temple the living stones of which it is built are said 3 Acts viii. 5-23.
46 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate VI.
to be faithful men, so likewise the incorrupti- ble timbers are they who persevere in the faith. In that same ark, then, the timbers were in- corruptible. Now the ark is the Church, it is there the dove baptizeth; for the ark was borne on the water, the incorruptible tim.bers were baptized within. We find that certain timbers were baptized without, such as all the trees that were in the world. Nevertheless the water was the same, not another sort; all had come from heaven, or from abysses of the fountains. It was the same water in which the incorruptible timbers which were in the ark were baptized, and in which the timbers that were without were baptized. The dove was sent forth, and at first found no rest for its feet; it returned to the ark, for all was full of water, and it preferred to return rather than be rebaptized. But the raven was sent out before the water was dried up. Rebaptiz- ed, it desired not to return, and died in those waters. May God avert from us that raven's death. For why did not the raven return, unless because it was taken off by the waters? But on the other hand, the dove not finding rest for its feet, whilst the water was crying to it on every side, " Come, come, dip thyself here;" just as these heretics cry, "Come, come, here thou hast it; " the dove, finding no rest for its feet, returned to the ark. And Noah sent it out a second time, just as the ark sends you out to speak to them; and what did the dove afterwards? Because there were timbers without that were baptized, it l)rought back to the ark an olive branch. That branch had both leaves and fruit. Let there not be in thee words only, nor leaves only; let there be fruit, and thou returnest to the ark, not of thyself, the dove calls thee back. Groan ye without, that ye may call them back within.
20. Moreover, as to this fruit of the olive, if the matter be examined, you will find what it was. The fruit of the olive signifies charity. How do we prove this? Just as oil is kept down by no liquid, but bursting through all, bounds up and overtops them; so likewise- charity cannot be pressed to the bottom, but must of necessity show itself at the top. Therefore the apostle says of it, " Yet show I unto you a more excellent' way." Since we have said of oil that it overtops other liquids, in case it should not be of charity, the apostle said, " I show you a more excel- lent way," let us hear what follows. " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." Go I Superenitncntioreni, now, Donatus, and cry, "I am eloquent;'' go now, and cry, " I am learned." How far eloquent? How far learned? Hast thou spoken with the tongues of angels? Yet though thou wert to speak with the tongues of angels, not having charity, I should hear only sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. I want solidity; let me find fruit among the leaves; let there be not words merely, let them have the olive, let them return to the ark.
21. But I have the sacrament, thou wilt say. Thou sayest the truth; the sacrament is divine; thou hast baptism, and that I con- fess. But what says the apostle? "If I should know all mysteries,^ and have prophecy and all faith, so that I could remove moun- tains;'' in case thou shouldest say this, " I believe; enough for me." But what says James? " The devils believe and tremble." ^ Faith is mighty, but without charity it profits nothing. The devils confessed Christ. Ac- cordingly it was from believing, but not from loving, they said, " What have we to do with Thee?''-* They had faith, but not charity; hence they were devils. Boast not of faith; so far thou art on a level with the devils. Say not to Christ, What have I to do with Thee? For Christ's unity speaks to thee. Come, learn peace, return to the bowels of the dove. Thou hast been baptized without; have fruit, and thou returnest to the ark.
22. But sayest thou, " Why do you seek us if we are bad men? " That you may be good. The reason why we seek you is, because you are bad; for if you were not bad, we should have found you, and would not be seeking you. He who is good is already found; he who is bad is still sought after. Consequently, we are seeking you; return ye to the ark. " But I have baptism already." " Though I should know all mysteries, ^ and have pro- phecy and all faith, so as to remove moun- tains, but have not charity, I am nothing." Let me see fruit there; let me see the olive there, and thou art called back to the ark.
23. But what sayest thou? "Behold, we suffer many evils." Would that ye suffered these for Christ, not for your own honor! Hear what follows: They, indeed, boast some- times, because they do many alms, give to the poor: because they suffer afflictions: but it is for Donatus, not for Christ. Consider how thou sufferest; for if thou sufferest for Dona- tus, it is for a proud man: thwi art not in the dove if thou art suffering for Donatus. Dona- tus was not the friend of the Bridegroom; for had he been, he would have sought the glory of the Bridegroom, not his own.. See the 3 Jas. ii. 19. 5 Sacrainenta.
Tractate VI.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
47 friend of the Bridegroom saying, " This is He that baptizeth." He, for whom thou art suffering, was not the friend of the Bride- groom. Thou hast not the wedding garment; and if thou art come to the feast, thou wilt be put out of doors; nay, thou hast been cast out of doors already, and for that reason thou art wretched: return at length, and do not boast. Hear what the apostle says: ' ' Though I should distribute all my goods to the poor, and give my body to be burnt, but have not charity." See what thou dost not have. " Though," he saith, " I should give my body to be burnt; " and that, too, for the name of Christ; but since there are many who do this boastfully, not with charity, therefore, " Though I should give my body to be burnt, and have not charity, it profiteth me noth- ing."' It was by charity those martyrs, who suffered in time of persecution, did this; but these men do it of their vanity and pride; for in the absence of a persecutor, they throw themselves headlong into destruction. Come, then, that thou mayest have charity. " But we have our martyrs." What martyrs? They are not doves; hence they attempted to fly, and fell over the rock.
24. You see then, my brethren, that all things cry against them, all the divine pages, all prophecy, the whole gospel, all the aposto- lic letters, every sigh of the dove, and yet they awake not, they do not yet rouse from their sleep. But if we are the dove, let us groan, let us persevere, let us hope; God's compassion will be with you, that the fire of the Holy Spirit may glow in your simplicity; and they will come. There must be no de- spairing; pray, preach, love; the Lord is able to the utmost. Already they begin to be sensible of their shame; many have become sensible of it, and blushed; Christ will aid, that the rest also may become sensible of it. However, my brethren, at least let the chaff alone remain there; let all the grain be gathered together; let whatever has borne fruit among them return to the ark by the dove.
25. Failing everywhere else, what do they now allege against us, not finding what to say? They have taken away our houses, they have taken away our estates. They bring forward wills. " See, Gaius Seius made a grant of an estate to the church over which Faustinus presided." Of what church was Faustinas bishop? What is the church? To the church over which Faustinus presided, said he. But Faustinus presided not over a church, but over a sect. The tlove, however, is the Church. Why cry out? We have not devoured houses; let the dove have them. Let inquiry be made who the dove is, and let her have them. For you know, my brethren, that those houses of theirs are not Augustin's; and if you know it not, and imagine that I delight in the possession of them, God knows, yea, knows my judgment respecting those estates, and even what I suffer in that matter; He knows my groaning, since He has deigned to impart to me somewhat of the dove. Be- hold, there are those estates; by what right dost thou assert thy claim to them? By divine right, or by human? Let them answer: Divine right we have in the Scriptures, hu- man right in the laws of kings. By what right does every man possess what he pos- sesses? Is it not by human right? For by divine right, " The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." % The poor and the rich God made of one clay; the same earth sup- ports alike the poor and the rich. By human right, however, one says. This estate is mine, this house is mine, this servant is mine. By human right, therefore, is by right of the emperors. Why so? Because God has dis- tributed to mankind these very human rights through the emperors and kings of this world. Do you wish us to read the laws of the emperors, and to act by the estates according to these laws? If you will have your possession by human right, let us recite the laws of the emperors; let us see whether they would have the heretics possess anything. But what is the emperor to me? thou sayest. It is by right from him that thou possessest the land. Or take away rights created by emperors, and then who will dare say. That estate is mine, or that slave is mine, or this house is mine? If, however, in order to their possessing these things, men have received rights derived from kings, will ye that we read the laws, that you may be glad in having even a single garden, and impute it to nothing but the clemency of the dove that you are permitted to rem:iin in possession even there? For there are to be read well known laws, in which the emperors have directed that those who, being outside the communion of the Catholic Church, usurp to themselves the name of Christians, and are not willing in peace to worship the Author of peace, may not dare to possess anything in the name of the Church.
26. But what have we to do with the em- peror? But I have already said that we are treating of human right. And yet the ajiostle would have us obey kings, would have us honor kings, and said, " Honor the king."^ Do not say. What have I to do with the king?
48 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate VII.
as in that case, what have you to do with the possession ' It is by the rights derived from kings that possessions are enjoyed. Thou hast said, What have I to do with the king? Say not then that the possessions are thine; because it is to those same human rights, by which men enjoy their possessions, thou hast referred them. But it is with divine right I have to do, saith he. Well, let us read the Gospel; let us see how far extends the Catho- lic Church of Christ, upon whom the dove came, which taught, "This is He that bap- tizeth." In what way, then, can he possess by divine right, who says, "I baptize;" whilst the dove says, " This is He that bap- tizeth;" whilst theScripture says, " My dove is one, the only one of her mother"? Why- have you torn the dove? — nay, rather, have torn your own bowels? for while you are yourselves torn to pieces, the dove continues entire. Therefore, my brethren, if, driven from every point, they have nothing to say, I will tell them what to do; let them come to the Catholic Church, and together with us, they will have not only the earth, but Him also who made heaven and earth.
TRACTATE VIL Chapter I. 34-51.
I. We rejoice at your numbers, for you have come together with readiness and in greater numbers than we could have hoped. This it is that delights and consoles us in all the labors and dangers of this life, your love towards God, and pious zeal, and assured hope, and fervor of spirit. You heard when the psalm was read, " that the needy and poor man cries to God in this world."' For it is the voice, as you have often heard, and ought to remember, not of one man, and yet of one man; not of one, because the faithful are many — many grains groaning -amid the chaff diffused throughout the whole world — but of one, because all are members of Christ, and thus one body. This people, then, poor and needy, does not know to rejoice with the world: its grief is within, and its joy is within, where no one sees but He who listens to him who groans, and crowns him who hopes. The rejoicing of the world is vanity. With great expectation is it hoped for, and it cannot, when it comes, be held fast. For this day which is a day of rejoicing in this city to the lost, to-morrow will, of course, cease to be; nor will they themselves be the same to- morrow that they are to-day. And all things pass away, fly away, and vanish like smoke; and woe to those who love such things! For every soul follows what it loves. " All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of the Lord abideth forever." = Behold what thou must love if thou dost desire to abide for ever.
I Ps. Ixxiv. 21.
2 Isa. xl. 1-8 But thou hadst this to reply: How can I ap- prehend the word of God? " The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." ^ 2. Wherefore, beloved, let it belong to our neediness and poverty to grieve for those who seem to themselves to abound. For their joy is as that of niadmen. But as a madman rejoices for the most part in his madness, and laughs, and grieves over him who is in his senses, so let us, beloved, if we have received the medicine coming from heaven, because we all were madmen, as if made whole, because those things which we did love we do not love, — let us, I say, groan unto God for those who are yet in madness, for He is able to save them also. And there is need that they should look upon themselves and be displeas- ed with themselves: to behold they desire, and to behold themselves they have not known. For if they for a little turn their eyes upon themselves, they see • their own confusion. But until this take place, \pi our pursuits be different, let the recreations of our souls be different; our grief avails more than their joy. As far as regards the number of the brethren, it is difficult to conceive that any one of the men should have been carried away by that celebration; but as regards the number of the sisters, it grieves us, and this is a greater cause for grief, that they do not rather repair to the Church, whom if not fear, modesty at all events ought to deter from the public scene. May He see to this who sees it; and may His mercy be present to heal all. Let us who have come together feed upon the