Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 85
85.0 On the words of the Gospel, John ix. 4 and 31, ‘We must work the works of him that sent me,’ etc. Against the Arians. And of that which the man who was born blind and received his sight said, ‘We know that God heareth not sinners.’ PL 38, 746
85.1 On the words of the Gospel, John ix. 4 and 31, ‘We must work the works of him that sent me,’ etc. Against the Arians. And of that which the man who was born blind and received his sight said, ‘We know that God heareth not sinners.’ PL 38, 746
1. The Lord Jesus, as we heard when the Holy Gospel was being read, opened the eyes of a man who was born blind. Brethren, if we consider our hereditary punishment, the whole world is blind. And therefore came Christ the Enlightener, because the devil had been the Blinder. He made all men to be born blind, who seduced the first man. Let them run to the Enlightener, let them run, believe, receive the clay made of the spittle. The Word is as it were the spittle, the Flesh is the earth. Let them wash the face in the pool of Siloa. Now it was the Evangelist’s place to explain to us what Siloa means, and he said, “which is by interpretation, Sent.” Who is This That is Sent, but He who in this very Lesson said, “I am come to do the works of Him That sent Me.” Lo, Siloa, wash the face, be baptized, that ye may be enlightened, and that ye who before saw not, may see.
Caecitas omnium hominum a nativitate. Dominus Jesus, sicut audivimus cum sanctum Evangelium legeretur, aperuit oculos homini qui caecus erat natus. Fratres, si attendamus haereditariam poenam nostram, totus mundus caecus est. Ideo venit Christus illuminator, quia diabolus fuerat excaecator. Omnes caecos nasci fecit, qui primum hominem decepit. Currant ad illuminatorem, currant, credant, accipiant lutum de saliva factum. Saliva quasi Verbum est, terra caro est. Lavent faciem in piscina Siloae. Pertinuit autem ad Evangelistam exponere nobis quid significet Siloa, et ait, Quod interpretatur missus. Quis est ipse missus, nisi qui dixit in ipsa lectione, Ego, inquit, veni, ut faciam opera ejus qui me misit? Ecce Siloa; lavate faciem, baptizamini, ut illuminemini, et videatis qui ante non videbatis.
85.2 PL 38, 746
2. Lo, first open your eyes to that which is said; “I am come,” saith He, “to do the works of Him That sent Me.” Now here at once stands forth the Arian, and says, “Here you see that Christ did not His Own works, but the Father’s who sent Him.” Would he say this, if he saw, that is, if he had washed his face in Him who was sent, as it were in Siloa? What then dost thou say? “Lo,” says he, “Himself said it.” What said He? “I am come to do the works of Him That sent Me.” Are they not then His Own? No. What then is that which the Siloa Himself saith, the Sent Himself, the Son Himself, the Only Son Himself, whom thou complainest of as degenerate? What is that He saith, “All things that the Father hath are Mine.” You say that He did the works of Another, in that He said, “I must do the works of Him That sent Me.” I say that the Father had the things of another: I am speaking according to your principles. Why would you object to me that Christ said, “I am come to do His works” as if, “not Mine own but ‘His That sent Me’”?
Locus ab Arianis calumniose usurpatus. Ecce primum ad hoc quod dictum est, oculos aperite: Ego, inquit, veni ut faciam opera ejus qui me misit. Jam hic existit Arianus, et dicit: Ecce videtis quia Christus non fecit opera sua, sed Patris qui eum misit. Nunquam hoc diceret, si videret, hoc est, si in ipso qui missus est, tanquam in Siloa, faciem lavaret. Quid ergo dicis? Ecce, inquit, ipse dixit. Quid dixit? Veni, ut faciam opera ejus qui me misit. Non ergo sua? Non. Et quid est quod ait ipse Siloa, ipse missus, ipse Filius, ipse Unicus quem tu quereris esse degenerem? Quid est quod ait, Omnia quae habet Pater, mea sunt ? Tu dicis quia opera aliena faciebat; quia dixit, Faciam opera ejus qui me misit. Ego dico quia Pater res alienas habebat; secundum cor tuum loquor. Unde mihi vis praescribere quia dixit Christus, Veni, ut faciam opera ejus, quasi non mea, sed ejus qui misit me?
85.3 PL 38, 746
3. I ask Thee, O Lord Christ, resolve the difficulty, put an end to the contention. “All things,” saith He, “that the Father hath are Mine.” Are they then not the Father’s, if they are Thine? For He doth not say, “All things that the Father hath He hath given unto Me;” although, if He had said even this, He would have shown His equality. But the difficulty is that He said, “All things that the Father hath are Mine.” If you understand it aright, All things that the Father hath, are the Son’s; all things that the Son hath, are the Father’s. Hear Him in another place; “All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine.” The question is finished, as to the things which the Father and the Son have: they have them with one consent, do not thou introduce dissension. What He calleth the works of the Father, are His Own works; for, “Thine too are Mine,” for He speaketh of the works of That Father, to whom He said, “All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine.” So then, My works are Thine, and Thy works are Mine. “For what things soever the Father doeth;” Himself hath said, the Lord hath said, the Only-Begotten hath said, the Son hath said, the Truth hath said. What hath He said? “What things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son in like manner.” Signal expression! signal truth! signal equality. “All things that the Father doeth, these doeth the Son also.” Were it enough to say, “All things that the Father doeth, these doeth the Son also”? It is not enough; I add, “in like manner.” Why do I add, “in like manner”? Because they who do not understand, and who walk with eyes not yet open, are wont to say, “The Father doeth them by way of command, the Son of obedience, therefore not in like manner.” But if in like manner, as the One, so the Other; so what things the One, the same the Other.
Opera Patris et Filii eadem. Interrogo te, Domine Christe, solve quaestionem, fini contentionem. Omnia, inquit, quae habet Pater, mea sunt. Ergo Patris non sunt, si tua sunt? Non enim ait, Omnia quae habet Pater, dedit mihi: quamvis si et hoc dixisset, aequalitatem ostendisset. Sed molestum est quod dixit, Omnia quae habet Pater, mea sunt. Si intelligas, Omnia quae habet Pater, Filii sunt; omnia quae habet Filius, Patris sunt. Audi illum alio loco: Omnia mea tua sunt, et tua mea sunt. Finita est quaestio, de his quae habet Pater et Filius: concordes habent, tu noli litigare. Opera Patris quae dicit opera sua; quia et tua mea sunt: quia illius Patris dicit opera, cui dixit, Omnia mea tua sunt, et tua mea sunt. Ergo opera mea tua sunt, et opera tua mea sunt. Quaecumque enim Pater facit: ipse dixit, Dominus dixit, Unigenitus dixit, Filius dixit, Veritas dixit. Quid dixit? Quaecumque Pater facit, haec et Filius facit similiter . Magna expressio, magna veritas, magna aequalitas. Omnia quae Pater facit, haec facit et Filius. Sufficeret, Omnia quae Pater facit, haec facit et Filius. Non sufficit; addo, similiter. Quare addo, similiter? Quia solent dicere non intelligentes, et nondum apertis oculis ambulantes, solent dicere: Pater fecit jubendo, Filius obsequendo; ergo dissimiliter. Si autem similiter, quomodo ille, sic ille: sic quae ille, haec iste.
85.4 PL 38, 747
4. “But,” says he, “the Father commands, that the Son may execute.” Carnal indeed is thy conceit, but without prejudice to the truth, I grant it to you. Lo, the Father commands, the Son obeys; is the Son therefore not of the same Nature, because the One commands, and the Other obeys? Give me two men, father and son; they are two men: he that commands is a man; he that obeys is a man; he that commands and he that obeys have one and the same nature. Does not he that commands, beget a son of his own nature? Does he who obeys, by obeying lose his nature? Now take for the present, as you thus take two men, the Father commanding, the Son obeying, yet God and God. But the first two together are two men, the Latter together is but One God; this is a divine miracle. Meanwhile if you would that with you I acknowledge the obedience, do you first with me acknowledge the Nature. The Father begat That which Himself is. If the Father begat ought else than what Himself is, He did not beget a true Son. The Father saith to the Son, “From the womb before the day-star, I begat Thee.” What is, “before the day-star”? By the day-star times are signified. So then before times, before all that is called “before;” before all that is not, or before all that is. For the Gospel does not say, “In the beginning God made the Word;” as it is said, “In the beginning God made the Heaven and the earth;” or, “In the beginning was the Word born;” or, “In the beginning God begat the Word.” But what says it? “He was, He was, He was.” You hear, “He was;” believe. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So often do ye hear, “Was:” seek not for time, for that He always “was.” He then who always was, and was always with the Son, for that God is able to beget without thee; He said to the Son, “From the womb before the day-star I begat Thee.” What is from the womb? Had God a womb? Shall we imagine that God was fashioned with bodily members? God forbid! And why said He, “From the womb,” but that it might be understood that He begat Him of His Own Substance? So then from the womb came forth That which Himself was who begat. For if He who begat was one thing, and another came forth out of the womb; it were a monster, not a Son.
Filius Dei consubstantialis et coaeternus Patri. Sed jubet Pater, inquit, ut faciat Filius. Carnaliter quidem sapis, sed sine praejudicio veritatis, cedo tibi. Ecce Pater jubet, Filius obsequitur: numquid ideo non est ejus naturae Filius, quia ille jubet, ille obsequitur? Da mihi duos homines, patrem et filium: homines sunt duo; qui jubet, homo est; qui obsequitur, homo est: qui jubet et qui obsequitur, unam habent eamdemque naturam. Numquid ille qui jubet, non de natura sua genuit filium? Numquid ille qui obsequitur, obsequendo naturam perdidit? Accipe ergo interim, quomodo accipis duos homines, Patrem jubentem, Filium obsequentem, tamen Deum et Deum. Sed simul isti duo sunt homines, simul ille unus Deus: hoc est divinum miraculum. Interim si vis ut tecum agnoscam obsequium, prius mecum agnosce naturam. Hoc genuit Pater, quod ipse est. Si aliud genuit Pater, quam quod est ipse, non verum genuit Filium: Pater dicit ad Filium Ex utero ante luciferum genui te . Quid est, ante luciferum? Per luciferum significantur tempora. Ergo ante tempora, ante omne quod ante dicitur; ante omne quod non est, vel ante omne quod est. Non enim ait Evangelium, In principio fecit Deus Verbum; quomodo dixit, In principio fecit Deus coelum et terram : aut, In principio natum est Verbum; aut, In principio Deus genuit Verbum, Sed quid ait? Erat, erat, erat. Audis Erat, crede. In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum . Toties audis, Erat; noli quaerere tempus, quia semper erat. Ille ergo qui semper erat, et cum Filio semper erat, quia potens est Deus sine tempore generare; ille dixit ad Filium, Ex utero ante luciferum genui te. Quid est, Ex utero? Deus habuit uterum? Putabimus Deum per membra corporalia esse dispositum? Absit. Et quare dixit, Ex utero, nisi ut intelligeretur de sua substantia genuisse? Ergo ex utero hoc processit, quod erat ipse qui genuit. Nam si aliud erat qui genuit, aliud autem ex utero processit; monstrum est, non Filius.
85.5 PL 38, 748
5. Therefore let the Son do the works of Him That sent Him, and the Father also do the works of the Son. “At all events,” you say, “the Father wills, the Son executes.” Lo, I show, that the Son willeth, and the Father executeth. Do you say, “where dost thou show this?” I show it at once. “Father, I will.” Now here if I had a mind to cavil, lo, the Son commandeth, and the Father executeth. What wilt Thou? “That where I am, they may be also with Me.” We have escaped, there shall we be, where He is; there shall we be, we have escaped. Who can undo the “I Will” of the Almighty? You hear the will of His power, hear now the power of His will. “As the Father” saith He “raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.” “Whom He will.” Say not, The Son quickeneth them, whom the Father commandeth Him to quicken. “He quickeneth whom He will.” So then whom the Father will, and whom Himself will: because where there is One Power, there is One Will. Let us then in a heart blind no more hold fast that the Nature of the Father and the Son is One and the Same; because the Father is very Father, the Son is very Son. What He is, That did He beget: because the Begotten was not degenerate.
Ut Filius opera Patris, sic Pater opera Filii facit. Ergo faciat Filius opera ejus qui misit eum, faciat et Pater opera Filii. Certe voluit Pater, efficit Filius. Ecce ostendo quia vult Filius, et facit Pater. Ubi ostendis, inquis? Modo ostendo. Pater, volo. Jam ego si calumniari vellem, ecce Filius jubet, et Pater facit. Quid vis? Ut ubi ego sum, et illi sint mecum . Evasimus, illic erimus ubi est ille: illic erimus, evasimus. Quis delet Omnipotentis Volo? Audis voluntatem potestatis, audi et potestatem voluntatis. Sicut Pater, inquit, suscitat mortuos, et vivificat; sic et Filius quos vult, vivificat . Quos vult. Ne dicas, Illos vivificat Filius, quos jubet Pater ut vivificet. Quos vult vivificat. Ergo quos vult Pater, et quos vult ipse; quia ubi est una potestas, una voluntas est. Habeamus ergo in corde non caeco, Patris et Filii unam eamdemque naturam: quia verus est Pater, verus est Filius. Quod est, hoc genuit; quia genitus non degeneravit.
85.6 PL 38, 748
6. There is a something in the words of that man who was blind, which may cause perplexity, and peradventure make many who understand them not aright despair. For he said amongst the rest of his words, the same man whose eyes were opened, “We know that God heareth not sinners.” What shall we do, if God heareth not sinners? Dare we pray to God if He heareth not sinners? Give me one who may pray: lo, here is One to hear. Give me one who may pray, sift thoroughly the human race from the imperfect to the perfect. Mount up from the spring to the summer; for this we have just chanted. “Thou hast made summer and spring;” that is, “Those who are already spiritual, and those who are still carnal hast Thou made;” for so the Son Himself saith, “Thine Eyes have seen My imperfect being.” That which is imperfect in My Body, Thine Eyes have seen. And what then? Have they who are imperfect hope? Undoubtedly they have. Hear what follows; “And in Thy Book shall all be written.” But perhaps, Brethren, the spiritual pray and are heard, because they are not sinners? What then must the carnal do? What must they do? Shall they perish? Shall they not pray to God? God forbid! Give me that publican in the Gospel. Come, thou publican, stand forth, show thy hope, that the weak may not lose hope. For behold the publican went up with the Pharisee to pray, and with face cast down upon the ground, standing afar off, beating his breast, he said, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. And he went down justified rather than the Pharisee.” Said he true or false, who said, “Be merciful to me a sinner”? If he said true, he was a sinner; yet was he heard and justified. What then is that, that thou whose eyes the Lord opened didst say, “We know that God heareth not sinners”? Lo, God doth hear sinners. But wash thou thy inferior face, let that be done in thy heart, which hath been done in thy face; and thou wilt see that God doth hear sinners. The imagination of thine heart hath deceived thee. There is still something for Him to do to thee. We see that this man was cast out of the synagogue; Jesus heard of it, came to him, and said to him, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” And He said, “Who is He, Lord, that I should believe on Him?” He saw, and did not see; he saw with the eyes, but as yet with the heart he saw not. The Lord said to him, “Thou both seest Him,” that is, with the eyes; “and He that talketh with thee is He. He then fell down, and worshipped Him.” Then washed he the face of his heart.
Peccatorum etiam orationes exaudiri. Nescio quid potest movere in verbis illius qui caecus erat, et forte multos non bene intelligentes facit desperare. Ait enim inter caetera sua verba, idem cui oculi aperti sunt: Scimus quia peccatores Deus non exaudit. Quid facimus, si peccatores Deus non exaudit? Audemus rogare Deum, si peccatores non exaudit? Date mihi qui roget, ecce est qui exaudiat. Date qui roget, discutite genus humanum ab imperfectis ad perfectos. Ascende a verno ad aestatem: hoc enim cantavimus, Aestatem et vernum tu fecisti . Id est, jam spirituales et adhuc carnales tu fecisti; quia et ipse Filius dicit, Imperfectum meum viderunt oculi tui. Imperfectum quod est in corpore meo, viderunt oculi tui. Et quid deinde? Habent spem qui imperfecti sunt? Habent plane. Audi quod sequitur: Et in libro tuo omnes scribentur . Sed forte, fratres, spirituales rogant et exaudiuntur, quia non sunt peccatores. Quid faciunt carnales? quid faciunt? Peribunt? Deum non rogabunt? Absit. Da mihi illum Publicanum. Veni, Publicane, sta in medio, ostende tuam spem, ne infirmi perdant spem. Ecce enim ascendit Publicanus cum Pharisaeo orare, et dejecta facie in terram dicebat, longe stans, tundens pectus: Domine, propitius esto mihi peccatori. Et descendit justificatus magis, quam ille Pharisaeus . Qui dixit, Propitius esto mihi peccatori: verum dixit, an falsum? Si verum dixit, peccator erat; et exauditus est, et justificatus est. Quid est ergo quod dixisti tu, cui Dominus oculos aperuit, Scimus quia peccatores Deus non exaudit? Ecce peccatores Deus exaudit. Sed lava interiorem faciem tuam, fiat in corde, quod factum est in facie tua; et videbis quia peccatores Deus exaudit. Fefellit te imaginatio cordis tui. Adhuc est quod tibi faciat. Certe projectus est iste de synagoga: audivit, venit ad eum, et dixit ei, Tu credis in Filium Dei? Et ille: Quis est, Domine, ut credam in eum? Videbat, et non videbat: videbat oculis, sed adhuc corde non videbat. Ait illi Dominus: Et vides eum, hoc est, oculis: et qui loquitur tecum, ipse est. Tunc prostratus adoravit eum. Tunc lavit faciem cordis.
85.7 PL 38, 749
7. Apply yourselves then earnestly to prayer, ye sinners: confess your sins, pray that they may be blotted out, pray that they may be diminished, pray that as ye increase, they may decrease: yet do not despair, and sinners though ye be, pray. For who hath not sinned? Begin with the priests. To the priests it is said, “First offer sacrifices for your own sins, and so for the people.” The sacrifices convicted the priests that if any one should call himself righteous and without sin, it might be answered him, “I look not at what thou sayest, but at what thou offerest; thine own victim convicteth thee. Wherefore dost thou offer for thine own sins, if thou have no sins? Dost thou in thy sacrifice lie unto God?” But peradventure the priests of the ancient people were sinners; of the new people are not sinners. Of a truth, Brethren, for that God hath so willed, I am His priest; I am a sinner; with you do I beat the breast, with you I ask for pardon, with you I hope that God will be merciful. But peradventure the Holy Apostles, those first and highest leaders of the flock, shepherds, members of The Shepherd, these peradventure had no sin. Yes, indeed, even they had, they had indeed; they are not angry at this, for they confess it. I should not dare. First hear the Lord Himself saying to the Apostles, “In this manner pray ye.” As those other priests were convicted by the sacrifices, so these by prayer. And amongst the other things which He commanded them to pray for, He appointed this also, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.” What do the Apostles say? Every day they pray for their debts to be forgiven them. They come in debtors, they go out absolved, and return debtors to prayer. This life is not without sin, that as often as prayer is made, so often should sins be forgiven.
Nullus hic sine peccato. Incumbite ergo orationibus, peccatores; confitemini peccata vestra, orate ut deleantur, orate ut minuantur, orate ut vobis proficientibus ipsa deficiant: tamen nolite desperare, et peccatores orate. Quis enim non peccavit? A sacerdotibus incipe. Sacerdotibus dixit, Prius offerte sacrificia pro peccatis vestris, et sic pro populo . Sacrificia convincebant sacerdotes: ut si quis se justum et sine peccato diceret, responderetur ei, Non attendo quod loqueris, sed quid offeras; victima tua convincit te. Quare offers pro peccatis tuis, si nulla habes peccata? An in sacrificio mentiris Deo? Sed forte sacerdotes veteris populi peccatores erant, novi populi non sunt peccatores. Certe, fratres, quia Deus voluit, sacerdos ipsius sum, peccator sum, vobiscum pectus tundo, vobiscum veniam rogo, vobiscum Deum propitium spero. Sed forte Apostoli sancti, primi, summi arietes gregis, pastoris membra pastores, forte ipsi non habebant peccatum. Vere habebant et ipsi, habebant: non irascuntur, quia confitentur. Ego non auderem. Primum ipsum Dominum audi dicentem Apostolis, Sic orate. Quomodo illi sacerdotes sacrificiis convincebantur, sic isti oratione. Sic orate. Et inter caetera quae jussit orare, et hoc posuit: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris . Quid dicunt Apostoli? Quotidie sibi debita petunt dimitti. Debitores intrant, absoluti exeunt, et ad orationem debitores redeunt. Ista vita non est sine peccato, ut quoties oratur, toties peccata dimittantur.
85.8 PL 38, 749
8. But what shall I say? Peradventure when they learnt the prayer, they were still weak. Some one, perhaps, will say this. When the Lord Jesus taught them that prayer, they were yet babes, weak, carnal; they were not yet spiritual, who have no sin. What then, Brethren? When they became spiritual, did they cease to pray? Then Christ ought to have said, “Pray in such wise now;” and to have given them, when spiritual, another prayer. It is one and the same. He who gave it is One and the Same; use it then in prayer in the Church. But we will take away all controversy, when you say the Holy Apostles were spiritual, up to the time of the Lord’s Passion they were carnal; this you must say. And indeed, the truth is, as He was hanging, they were in alarm, and the Apostles then despaired when the robber believed. Peter dared to follow, when the Lord was led to suffering, he dared to follow, who came to the house, and was wearied in the palace, and stood at the fire, and was cold; he stood at the fire, he was frozen with a chilling fear. Being questioned by the maid-servant, he denied Christ once; being questioned a second time, he denied Him; being questioned a third time, he denied Him. God be thanked, that the questioning ceased; if the questioning had not ceased, long would the denial have been repeated. So then after He rose again, then He confirmed them, then did they become spiritual. Had they at that time then no sin? The Apostles spiritual, wrote spiritual epistles, they sent them to the Churches; “they had no sin.” This you say. I do not believe you, I ask themselves. Tell us, O holy Apostles, after the Lord rose again, and confirmed you with the Holy Ghost sent from heaven; did ye cease to have sin? Tell us, I pray you. Let us hear, that sinners may not despair, that they may not leave off to pray to God, because they are not without sin. Tell us. One of them saith. And who? He whom the Lord loved the most, and who lay on the Lord’s Breast, and drank in the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven which he was to pour forth again. Him I ask; “Have ye sin or not?” He maketh answer and saith, “If we shall say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Now it is the same John who said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” See ye what heights he had passed, that he could reach to the Word! Such an one, and so great, who like an eagle soared above the clouds, who in the serene clearness of his mind saw, “In the beginning was the Word;” he hath said, “If we shall say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we shall confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Therefore pray ye.
Apostoli etiam post Christi resurrectionem peccato obnoxii. Sed quid dicam? Illi forte quando didicerunt orationem, adhuc infirmi erant. Forte dicet hoc aliquis: Quando illos docuit orationem Dominus Jesus, adhuc parvuli erant, infirmi erant, carnales erant; nondum erant spirituales, qui non habent peccatum. Quid ergo, fratres, facti spirituales orare cessarunt? Debuit ergo Christus dicere, Modo talia orate, et dare spiritualibus alteram orationem. Una est, ipsa est, ipse est qui dedit: ipsam ergo orate in Ecclesia. Sed tollamus controversiam: quando dicis spirituales esse sanctos Apostolos, quo usque pateretur Dominus carnales erant; hoc es dicturus. Denique quod verum est, illo pendente trepidaverunt, et tunc desperaverunt Apostoli, quando credidit latro. Petrus ausus est sequi, quando Dominus ad passionem ductus est, ausus est sequi, qui ad domum pervenit, et in atrio fatigatus est, ad ignem stabat, et friguit: ad ignem stetit, timore frigido congelavit. Interrogatus ab ancilla, negavit Christum semel: interrogatus iterum, negavit: interrogatus tertio, negavit . Deo gratias, quia cessavit interrogatio: si non cessaret interrogatio, diu repeteretur negatio. Ergo posteaquam surrexit, tunc eos confirmavit, tunc facti sunt spirituales. Jam ergo non habebant peccatum? Spirituales Apostoli scribebant spirituales Epistolas, Ecclesiis mittebant: non habebant peccatum, hoc dicis. Non tibi credo, ipsos interrogo. Dicite, sancti Apostoli, posteaquam surrexit Dominus, et confirmavit vos Spiritu sancto misso de coelo, cessastis habere peccatum? Dicite nobis, obsecro. Audiamus, ne desperent peccatores, ne desinant rogare Deum, quia non sunt sine peccato. Dicite nobis. Ait unus ipsorum. Et quis? Quem Dominus amplius diligebat, et qui super pectus Domini discumbebat , et regni coelorum quod ructuaret secretum bibebat. Ipse eum interrogo: Habetis peccatum, an non? Respondet, et dicit: Si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos decipimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Joannes autem ille est, qui dixit: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum . Videte quanta transcenderat, ut perveniret ad Verbum. Talis ac tantus, qui volavit sicut aquila super nubes, qui mentis serenitate cernebat, In principio erat Verbum: ipse dixit, Si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos decipimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Si autem confessi fuerimus peccata nostra, fidelis et justus est, ut dimittat nobis peccata nostra, et mundet nos ab omni iniquitate . Ergo orate.