Ez. 1,9. different kinds, added; Tlieir ivings were joined one to anotJier. For the wings of living creatures are joined one to another; because though the things which they do are different, yet the voices and the virtues of the Saints are united together in one and the same sense. And though one may be a man, from doing all things rationally, another, who is bold in suffering, may be a lion, from not feai'ing the adversities of the world; another, from offering himself through abstinence as a living victim, may be a calf; another, from soaring on high on the wing of contemplation, may be an eagle; yet do they touch each other with their wings, whilst they fly, because they are united to each other by the confession of their words, and the accordance of their virtues. But because it belongs to the power of God alone both to join together in the preach- ing of the faith those who were sent at different times, and to unite in brightness of intention those that were endued with dissimilar virtues, it is rightly said; Wilt thou be able to join together the shining stars., the Pleiades'^ As if He said. As I, Who alone fill all things, and Who by filling the minds of the Elect join them in a sense of unity.
72. But by Arcturus, which illumines the night season in its orbit, and never sets, is designated, not the doings of the Saints separately manifested, but the whole Church together, which suffers indeed weariness, but yet does not incline to fall from its own proper position, which endures a circle of toils, but hastens not to set together with time. For Arc- Three stars and four^ above by lunts, Faith and Works. 353 turns comes not with the niglit season to tlie lowest part of Book the heavens, but even wliile it is revolving itself, night is ^^^^r brought to a close. Because doubtless, while Holy Church is shaken with numberless tribulations, the shade of the present life comes to an end; and the rfight passes by, as it continues stationary, because while the Church remains in her own original condition, the lift) of this mortal state passes away. There is in Arcturus a point for us to observe more carefully. For it revolves with seven stars, and at one time raises three to the highest point, and depresses four to the lowest; at one time raises four on high, and depresses three below. Ploly Church also, when she preaches at one time to unbelievers the knowledge of the Trinity, and at another the four virtues, that is, prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice, to believers, changes, as it were, by a kind of rotation in its preaching, the appearance of its position. For when she strips of confidence in their own doings those who boast of their own works, and exalts faith in the Trinity, what else does Arcturus, but elevate three stars, and depress four? And when she forbids some, who have no good works, to presume on their faith, and orders them to work out more earnestly the things which are commanded, what else does Arcturus do, but raise up four stars, and bring down three? Let us see how it elevates three, and depresses four. Behold it is said by Paul to those who were priding themselves on their works in opposition to faith; If Abraham were justified Rom. 4, by works he hath glory, but not before God. For what saitJi the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Let us see how it elevates four and depresses three. Behold it is said by James to those that were boasiinsr of faith in oi^position to works; As theJ^mes body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is ' dead also, Arcturus therefore revolves, because Holy Church turns herself on different sides with skill in preaching, according to the minds of her hearers. Arcturus revolves, because she is whirled round in the tribulations of this night.
But the Lord breaks up at last this circuit of Arcturus, because He turns the labours of the Church into rest. Then does He also more entirely join the Pleiades, when He destroys the orbit of Arcturus, because all the Saints are then doubtless joined to each other even in outward appearance, VOL. HI. A a 354 North risuxj stars the Law, Eastern the Gospel. Job38, wlion Holy Cliuicli at llie cud of lljis world is released from Myst 31 those labours which she now endures. Let Ilirn say then; IVllt thou be able to join lofjether the shining stars the Pleiades, or wilt thou be able to break up the circuit of Arctu- rus? Thou understandcst As 1, Myself, Who tlicn unite the life of the Saints even in outward ai)])earance, when 1 bodily dissolve the circuit of the Church Universal. And what man is ignorant that this is the act of Divine power alone? But let man, in order that he may know what he. is himself, be constantly reminded what it is that God alone can effect. 73. We have still some other meaning to give of the stars the Pleiades, and Arcturus. For the Pleiades rise from the East, but Arcturus on the side of the North. But wherever Arcturus turns itself in its circle, it presents to view the Pleiades; and when the light of the day is now approaching, the order of its stars is extended. By Arcturus, then, which rises in the quarter of the cold, can be designated the Law; but by the Pleiades, which rise from the East, the grace ol the New Testament. For the Law had, as it were, come from the North, which used to alarm those subject to it with such asperity of rigor. For while it was ordering some to be stoned for their faults, others to be punished by the death of the sword, it was, like a frozen region, far removed, as it were, from the light of charity, rather nipping the seeds of its precepts with cold, than nourishing them with warmth, Peter had shuddered at the weight of this oppression, when Acts 15, saying; WJty tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck oj the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able tc hear? Nor is it any wonder that the Old Testament is sel forth by the seven stars of xA.rcturus, because both the seventh day was held in veneration under the Law, and the vows of the appointed sacrifice were extended through the whole week. But the Pleiades, which themselves are also seven, as we have before said, point out the more plainly the grace of the New Testament, the more clearly we all see, that by it the Holy Spirit enlightens His faithful ones with the light of the sevenfold gift. Wherever there- fore Arcturus turns, it presents the Pleiades to view", because by every thing the Old Testament says, the works of the New Testament are announced. For under the text of the letter it conceals the mystery of prophecy. And Arcturus The seven Gijls joined in C/irisf, the Law relaxed. 355 inclines itself, as it were, and points them out, because while Book XXIX it bends itself to the spiritual sense, the light of sevenfold ' grace, which is signified thereby, is laid open. And as the light of day approaches, the order of its stars is extended, because after the Truth became known to us by Itself, It released the precepts of the letter from carnal observance.
74. But our Redeemer, coming in the flesh, joined to- gether the Pleiades; because lie possessed the operations of the sevenfold Spirit all at once, and abiding in Himself. Of Whom it is said by Isaiah: Tliere shall come forth a rod out ^^- ^^» of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall grow up from his roof, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understandinff, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, aiid of godliness, and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill Him. Of Whom Zechariah says; Upon one stone are seven eyes. And again, Zech. 3, And on the golden candlestick seveti lamps. But no man ever i^^ 4 2.
possessed all the operations of the Holy Spirit at once, except the sole Mediator between God and man. Whose 1 Tim.
is the same Spirit, W^ho proceedeth from the Father^ before i 'see all ages. It is well said, therefore. Upon one stone are^,^^^^\ seven eyes. For, for this Stone to have seven eyes, is to of the possess at once in operation every virtue of the Spirit of 3^^ sevenfold grace. For one receives prophecy, another know- ledge, another virtues, another kinds of tongues, another the interpretation of tongues, according to the distribution of the Holy vSpirit. But no one attains to the possession of all the gifts of the same Spirit. But our Creator, in taking our weakness, because He taught us that by the power of His God- head He possessed all the virtues of the Holy Spirit at once, doubtless joined together the shining Pleiades. But whilst He joins the Pleiades, He breaks up the circuit of Arcturus. Because, when He made it known that He, having become Man, possessed all the operations of the Holy Spirit, He loosened in the Old Testament the burden of the letter, that each of the faithful may now understand that in the liberty of the Spirit, which he used, amid so many dangers, to serve with fear. Let blessed Job therefore hear; Wilt thou be able to Join together the shining stars the Pleiades? As if it were openly said. Thou canst indeed possess the light of certain virtues, but art thou able to exercise at once all the operations of the Holy Spirit? Behold Me, therefore, uniting 3.5(> AnIichrisI f/ieir shir lluil rcfus(* tlie Morning Star. J(ji{38,i])c Pluiades in all Nirtiics, and bo kt'|)t from boasting lliyself Myst.
32 -— of'a few only. Hear w hal is said, Or uilt f/toii be able to break tlie circuit of Arcturus^ As if it were openly said to liim; Even if thou tliysclf now understandest what is riglit, canst thou do away by thy power, even in the hearts of others, the labour of grosser understanding? Consider Me therefore, who correcl the follies of the carnal, whilst I manifest my- self in the foolishness of ihe flesh, that thou mayest the more bring down these, vvliich thou countest the mightinesses of thy virtues, the more thou canst not apprehend even the footsteps of My weakness. But, because, in the very mystery of the Lord's Incarnation, the light of truth is manifested to some, but the hearts of others are darkened by an offence; it is lightly subjoined; Ver. 3*2. Dost thou bring forth the morning star at its time, and dost thou make the evening star to lise over ihe sons of earth? xxxiii. 75. For the Father brought forth the morning star in his Gai.4,4. season, because, as it is written; When ihe fulness of the time was come, God sent His Son born of a woman, made under ihe Law, to redeem them that are under the Law. Who being born of a Virgin, appeared as the morn- ing star, amid the darkness of our night, because, having put to flight the obscurity of sin, He announced to us the eternal morn. But He made Himself known as the morning star, because He arose in the morn from death, and overcame, by the brightness of His light, the hideous darkness of our Itev.22,i^oi*tality. Who^ is well called by John; The bright and / n f "corning star. For, appearing alive after death. He became Mss. our morning star; because while He furnished us in His ^"'" own person an instance of resurrection. He pointed out what light comes after. But the Lord makes the evening star to rise over the sons of earth, because He permits Antichrist to hold sway over the unbelieving hearts of the Jews, as their desert demands. And they are therefore justly subjected byi the Lord to this evening star, because they chose of their! own accord to be the sons of earth. For by seeking after earthly, and not heavenly things, they were so blinded as not to behold the brightness of our morning star; and while they seek for the evening star to rule over them, they are John.5, plunged in the eternal night of subsequent damnation. Hence the Lord says in the Gospel, / came in My Fathers name, Preachers, 3Iorning Stdr to soifie, Ereninij to others. 307 and ye received Me not; another v:ill come in his own name, hook and him ye will receive. Hence Paul says; Because they ^^V^' receive not the love of the truth, that they mvjht he *«^^<^j2Thess for this cause God shall send them the operation of error y'^^^-^'^- that they should believe a lie, that they all might be judged who belitved not the truth, but consented to iniquity. The evening star therefore would never rise over them, if they had wished to be the sons of heaven. But while they seek after visible things, having lost the light of the heart, they are in darkness under the prince of night.
76. But if we examine this in a moral sense, we find how Mor. it is daily occurring; because both the morning star doubt- less rises on the Elect, and the evening star, by God's permission, rules over the reprobate. For there is one and the same word of God in the mouth of the preacher. But while these hear it with joy, and those with envy, they change for themselves the brightness of the morning star into the darkness of the evening. Whilst these humbly receive the voice of holy preaching, they open, as it were, tlie eyes of the heart to the light of the star. But whilst those feel envy at one who advises them well, and seek not the cause of their salvation, but the glory of boasting, when the evening of their iniquity bursts forth, they close their eyes in the sleep of death. By a secret sentence, therefore, he who is the morning star to elect, is the evening star to reprobate hearers. Because by that holy exhortation, with which the good come back to life, the reprobate perish more fatally in sin. Whence it is well said by Paul; We are u?ito2CoT.2, God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and^^' in them that perish, to the one the savour of death unto death, but to the other the savour of life unto life. He saw then that his word, by which he beheld some roused from their iniquity, and others on the contrary lulled to sleep in their iniquity, was both the morning and the evening star to its hearers. And because this takes place by the secret judgment of God, which cannot be comprehended by men in this life, he rightly there subjoined; And who is sufficient for these things? As if he were saying; We are sufficient indeed to consider that these things occur, but we are not sufficient to investigate why they occur. Whence also, the Lord in this place, because He had said that the morning star is broup^ht fordi for some, but that the evening star rises 358 Course of God's Judffmcnis hidden from our eyes. Job 38, for otliovs, tliat man mij^lit nol dare to scan tlie secret judg MOR.
— -^^— ments of God, innnediately subjoins Vcr. 33. Knowest thou the course of heaven, and wilt thou set down the reason thereof on the earth? xxxiii. 77. To know the course of heaven, is to see the secret predestinations of the heavenly disposals. But to set down the reason thereof on the earth is to lay open before tlie hearts of men the causes of such secrets. To set down, namely, the reason of heaven on the earth, is either to examine the mysteries of the heavenly judgments, by con- sideration, or to make them manifest in words. Which cer- tainly no one can do who is placed in this life. For, to pass from little to greater things, who can understand what is the secret reason, that a just man frequently returns from a trial, not only unavenged, but even punished besides, and that his wicked adversary escapes, not only without punishment, but even victorious? Who can understand why one man, who plots for the deaths of his neighbours, survives, and another, who would be likely to preserve the lives of many, dies? One man, who is only eager to do hurt, attains the height of power, another only desires to defend the injured, and yet he himself is lying under oppression. One man wishes for leisure, and is involved in innumerable occu- pations, another wishes to be engaged in employments, and is compelled to be disengaged. One beginning badly is drawn on from worse to worse, even to the end of his life; another beginning well, proceeds through a long period of time to the increase of his merits. But, on the other hand, one, who is an evil liver, is spared for a long time, in order that he may improve; but another seems to be living pro- perly, but continues in this life till he breaks out into evil ways. One, who has been born in the eiTor of unbelief, perishes in his error; another, who has been born in the soundness of the Catholic faith, is perfected in the soundness of the Catholic faith. But, on the other hand, one, who has come forth from the womb of a Catholic Mother, is swallowed up, at the close of his life, in the gulph of eiTor, but another terminates his life in Catholic piety, who, born in misbelief, had sucked in the poison of error with his mother's milk. One both wishes, and is able, to aim at the loftiness of holy living; another is neither willing nor able. One wishes, and is not able; another is able, and is not willing. Who then Cases etiumeralcd. Practical inference. 359 can examine into these secrets of the heavenly juclguients? Book Who can understand the secret balance of hidden equity??-^~-* For no one attains to understand these recesses of secret judgments. Let this be said then to a man, that he may learn his own ignorance; let him know his own ignorance, that he may fear; let him fear, that he may be humbled; let him be humbled, that he may not trust in himself; let him trust not in himself, that he may seek for the assistance of his Creator, and that he who is dead from trusting in himself, may seek the assistance of his Maker, and live. Let the righteous man, then, who knows himself indeed, but who still knows not those things which are above him, hear the words, Knowest thou the course of heaven, and wilt thou set down the reason thereof upon the earth? That is, Dost thou comprehend the secret courses of the heavenly judg- ments, or art thou able to disclose them to the ears of men? Blessed Job therefore is questioned concerning his investi- gation of the incomprehensible judgments, as if it were plainly said to him. All things which thou sulferest, thou oughtest to endure the more patiently, the more, in thy ignorance of heavenly secrets, thou knowest not why thou suff'erest them.
St. (treofory speaks here of our Lord as IMan, and therefore naturally mentions only the Procession from The Father. Elsewhere he uses the same lancruasre with the later Latin Church very distinctly, thoug^h there is nothing to shew that he does it in any sense which the more candid Greeks would not allow. We have had already in INIor. i. §. 30. p. 48. the expression, " He bestowed, the Holy Spirit, Which proceeds from Him- self, upon the hearts of His disciples;" and in Mor. xxvii. §. 34. p. 224, an implication to the same effect. In Dial. ii. near the end. Ben. p. 275. Lat. 27G, we have, " Whereas it is acknowledged that the Paraclete Spirit ever proceeds from the Father and the Son, why saith the Son, that He will depart, that He may come \A^ho never departs from the Son?" which stands at present in the Greek, " ever proceeds from the Father, and abides in the Son." John Diaconus accuses the Greeks of having falsified Pope Zachary's version. See also p. 375 of this volume. Horn, in Ev. xxvi, p. 1554. B. he has, "Although ' to be sent' may also be under- stood after the nature of the Godhead. For thereby is the Son said to be sent by the Father, in that He is begotten (geueratur) of the Father.
For the Holy Spirit also. Who being coequal with the Father and the Son, yet was not Incarnate, the same Son dedareth Himself to send, saying: fPlien the Comforter is comCy fVhotu I ivill send unto you from the Father. (John 15, 26.) For if to be sent must be understood merely to be Incarnate, the Holy Spirit doubtless would by no means be said to be sent, who was not at all Incarnate. But His ' being sent' is the very Pro- cession whereby He proceeds from the Father and the Son. As (herefor*' n(>o \oic.
the Spirit is 8ai<l to bo h«;iiL because lie pro<ee<lM; to alsu is the.Son not unfidy s;ii(l to be scut l)ecuuse He i.s beg-otten." • Which is quoted hy 'riieoibilfiis, iti tlie 8tli cejitury, uinl could not Iiuve l)een interpolated Ijy simjdy Juhling- of * And the S(jn,' as the cont(.'xt requires tlio-'e words, 1st. Augustine uses sometimes rather tlie (ireek, S(jmetimes rather th«! Latin way of speakinc?; the two, fairly underst jod, not being contradictory. See Enchiridion, §..'J Tr. p. 90. (where the reading is doubtful) and note g.
Tertullian, against Praxeas, c. iv. has, * 1 consi'ler the Spirit not to he other- wlience than from the Father, hy the Scm:' and c. viii. ' The '^[)irit is Third from God and (qu. ' of,' cv for, el.^) the Son, as the fruit is of (ex) the tree, third from the root, and the stream, of (ex) the river, third I'rom the Fountain, and the point, of (ex) the ray, third from the sun.' Similarly St. Athanasius explains Ps. 36, 9. In 'J hy Lhjh*. shall tve see LigJity because * the Son in the Father, is the Fountain of the Spirit.' De Inc. et contr. Ar. §. 9. Ben. p 877- St. Hilary De Trin. viii. 20. allows liberty of language as to whether the Spirit is of the Father or the Son, but says that His very Procession from the Father is * receiving that which is the Son's,' by which he seems to mean, participation of that essence which is already the Son's. This doctrine is what the Greeks would allow, but one which seems also to bear out the Latin form of expression, and to be in fact what is commonly meant by those who make use of it. Thus Petavius De Trin. vii. 3. §. 8, on a passage of St. Cyr. Al. Thes. c. 34. t. V. p. 345. " When therefore the Holy Ghost, become within us, makes us conformed to God, and proceeds from the Father and the Son; it is plain that It is of the Divine Essence (or Substance), Essentially (or substantially) in It and from It proceeding. As in fact is the breath that flows forth from the mouth of man, to use a poor illustration." " This Procession of the Holy Spirit," says Petavius, '• can be supposed no other than that Essential, in which He is said to proceed from the Father and the Son, i» Ilar^oj xa) T/ow, as he presently explains it, ' Essentially from It proceeding,' making it the same to proceed from the Father and the Son, as to proceed from the Essence of the Father and the Son.'' He cites other passages of St. Cyril. St. Leo seems to imply the same doc- trine, Ser. 2 de Pentec. where, in explaining John xvi. 13, he says, " What the Spirit receives, the Father giving, the Son gives."
The doctrine of St. Basil was a subject of dispute in the Council of Florence, the question turning much on the reading of a pas.'sage in book 3, against Eunomius, §. 1, in which according to some copies the Spirit is said to ' have His Being of the Son.' The Benedictines argue that this must have been his meaning, at any rate, from the argument at the end of book 2, against Eunomius ascribing the Spirit to the Sou only^ as His crea- ture, whereas He is truly the Spirit of the Father and the Son. He also in other places speaks of the Holy Spirit as related to the Son as the Son is to the Father; not, of course, strictly. De Sp. S. §. 43, t. iii. p. 36.