Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 19
19 Chapter V. 19–30 PL 35, 1543
In the former discourse, so far as the subject impressed us, and so far as our poverty of understanding attained to, we have spoken by occasion of the words of the Gospel, where it is written: “The Son cannot do anything of Himself, but what He seeth the Father doing,”—what it is for the Son—that is, the Word, for the Son is the Word—“to see;” and as all things were made by the Word, how it is to be understood that the Son first sees the Father doing, and then only Himself also doeth the things which He has seen done, seeing that the Father has done nothing except by the Son. For “all things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made. We have not, however, delivered to you anything as fully explained, and that because we have not understood anything thus clearly set forth. For, indeed, speech sometimes fails even where the understanding makes way; how much more doth speech suffer defect, where the understanding has nothing perfect! Now, therefore, as the Lord gives us, let us briefly run over the passage, and even to-day complete the due task. Should there perchance remain somewhat of time or of strength, we will reconsider (so far as it may be practicable for us and with you) what it is for the Word “to see” and “to be shown to;” since, in fact, all that is here spoken is such that, if understood according to man’s sense, carnally, the soul full of vain fancies makes for us only certain images of the Father and the Son, just as of two men, the one showing, the other seeing; the one speaking, the other hearing,—all which are idols of the heart. And if now at length idols have been cast down from their own temples, how much more ought they to be cast down from Christian hearts!
2. “The Son,” saith He, “cannot do anything of Himself, but what He sees the Father doing.” This is true: hold this fast, while at the same time ye do not let slip what ye have gotten in the beginning of the Gospel, that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” and especially that “all things were made by Him.” Join this that ye have now heard to that hearing, and let both agree together in your hearts. Thus, “The Son cannot of Himself do anything, except what He seeth the Father doing,” is yet in such wise that what the Father doeth, He doeth only by the Son, because the Son is His Word: and, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;” also, “All things were made by Him.” For what things soever He doeth, the Son also doeth in like manner; not other things, but these and not in a different, but in like manner.
3. “For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth.” To that which He said above, “except what He seeth the Father doing,” seems to belong this also, “He showeth Him all things that Himself doeth.” But if the Father doth show what He doeth, and the Son cannot do except the Father hath shown, and if the Father cannot show unless He hath done, it will follow that it is not through the Son that the Father doeth all things; moreover, if we hold it fixed and unshaken, that the Father doeth all by the Son, then He shows the Son before He doeth. For if the Father doth show to the Son after He has done, that the Son may do the things shown, which being shown were already done, then doubtless something there is that the Father doeth without the Son. But the Father doeth not anything without the Son, because the Son of God is God’s Word, and all things were made by Him. It remains, then, that possibly what the Father is about to do, He shows as about to be done, that it may be done by the Son. For if the Son doeth those things which the Father showeth as already done, surely it is not by the Son that the Father hath done the things which He thus showeth. For they could not be shown to the Son unless they were first done, and the Son would not be able to do them unless they were first shown; therefore were they made without the Son. But yet it is a true thing, “All things were made by Him;” therefore they were shown before they were made. But this we said must be put off, and returned to after briefly scanning the passage, if, as we said, some portion of time and of strength should remain to us for a reconsideration of the matters deferred.
4. Attend now to a wider and more difficult question. “And greater works than these,” saith He, “will He show Him, that ye may marvel.” “Greater than these.” Greater than which? The answer readily occurs: than the cures of bodily diseases which ye have just heard: For the whole occasion of this discourse arose about the man who was thirty and eight years in infirmity, and was healed by the word of Christ; and in respect of this cure, the Lord could say, “Greater works than these He will show Him, that ye may marvel.” For there are greater, and the Father will show them to the Son. It is not “hath shown,” as of a thing past, but “will show,” of a thing future; or, is about to show. Again a difficult question arises: Why, then, is there something with the Father that has not yet been shown to the Son? Is there something with the Father that was still hid from the Son when He spoke these words? For surely, if it be “will show,” that is to say, “is about to show,” then He has not yet shown; and He is about to show to the Son at the same time as to these persons, since it follows, “that ye may marvel.” And this is a thing hard to see, how the Eternal Father doth show something, as it were in time, to the coeternal Son, who knoweth all things that are with the Father.
5. But what are the greater works? For perhaps this is easy to understand. “For as the Father,” saith He, “raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.” To raise the dead, then, are greater works than to heal the sick. But “as the Father raiseth the dead, and quickeneth them, so also the Son quickeneth whom He will.” Hence, the Father some, the Son others? But all things are by Him: therefore the Son the same persons as the Father doth; since the Son doeth not other things and in a different manner, but “these” and in “like manner.” Thus clearly it must be understood, and thus held. But keep in memory that “the Son quickeneth whom He will.” Here, too, know not only the power of the Son, but also the will. Both the Son quickeneth whom He will, and also the Father quickeneth whom He will—the Son the same persons as the Father; and hence the power of the Father and of the Son is the same, and also the will is the same. What follows then? “For the Father judgeth not any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son, that all men may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father:” this He subjoined, as rendering a reason of the foregoing sentence. A great question comes before us; give it your earnest attention. The Son quickeneth whom He will, the Father quickeneth whom He will; the Son raiseth the dead, just as the Father raiseth the dead. And further, “the Father judgeth not any man.” If the dead must be raised in the judgment, how can it be said that the Father raiseth the dead, if He judgeth not any man, since “He hath given all judgment to the Son”? But in that judgment the dead are raised; some rise to life, others to punishment. If the Son doeth all this, but the Father not, inasmuch as “He judgeth not any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son,” it will appear contrary to what has been said, viz., “As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, so also the Son quickeneth whom He will.” Consequently the Father and the Son raise together; if they raise together, they quicken together: hence they judge together. How, then, is that true, “For the Father judgeth not any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son”? Meanwhile let the questions now proposed engage your minds; the Lord will cause that, when solved, they will delight you. For so it is, brethren: every question, unless it stirs the mind to reflection, will not give delight when explained. May the Lord Himself then follow with us, in case He may perhaps reveal Himself somewhat in those matters which He foldeth up. For He foldeth up His light with a cloud; and it is difficult to fly like an eagle above every obscure mist with which the whole earth is covered, and to behold the most serene light in the words of the Lord. In case, then, He may perhaps dissipate our darkness with the heat of His rays, and deign to reveal Himself somewhat in the sequel, let us, deferring these questions, look at what follows.
6. “Whoso honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father that sent Him.” This is a truth, and is plain. Since, then, “all judgment hath He given to the Son,” as He said above, “that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father,” what if there be those who honor the Father and honor not the Son? It cannot be, saith He: “Whoso honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father that sent Him.” One cannot therefore say, I honored the Father, because I knew not the Son. If thou didst not yet honor the Son, neither didst thou honor the Father. For what is honoring the Father, unless it be in that He hath a Son? It is one thing when thou art taught to honor God in that He is God; but another thing when thou art taught to honor Him in that He is Father. When thou art taught to honor Him in that He is God, it is as the Creator, as the Almighty, as the Spirit supreme, eternal, invisible, unchangeable, that thou art led to think of Him; but when thou art taught to honor Him in that He is Father, it is the same thing as to honor the Son; because Father cannot be said if there be not a Son, as neither can Son if there be not a Father. But lest, it may be, thou honorest the Father indeed as greater, but the Son as less,—as thou mayest say to me, “I do honor the Father, for I know that He has a Son; nor do I err in the name Father, for I do not understand Father without Son, and yet the Son also I honor as the less,”—the Son Himself sets thee right, and recalls thee, saying, “that all may honor the Son,” not in a lower degree, but “as they honor the Father.” Therefore, “whoso honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father that sent Him.” “I,” sayest thou, “wish to give greater honor to the Father, less to the Son.” Therein thou takest away honor from the Father, wherein thou givest less to the Son. For, being thus minded, it must really seem to thee that the Father either would not or could not beget a Son equal to Himself: if He would not, He lacked the will; if He could not, He lacked the ability. Dost thou not therefore see that, being thus minded, wherein thou wouldst give greater honor to the Father, therein thou art reproachful to the Father? Wherefore, so honor the Son as thou honorest the Father, if thou wouldest honor both the Father and the Son.
7. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whoso heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but is passed,” not is passing now, but is already passed, “from death into life.” And mark this, “Whoso heareth my word, and”—He says not, believeth me, but—“believeth Him that sent me.” Let him hear the word of the Son, that he may believe the Father. Why heareth Thy word, and yet believeth another? When we hear any one’s word, is it not him that utters the word we believe? is it not to him who speaks we lend our faith? What, then, did He mean, saying, “Whoso heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent me,” if it be not this, because “His word is in me”? And what is “heareth my word,” but “heareth me”? So, too, “believeth Him that sent me,” because, believing Him, he believeth His word; but again, believing His word, he believeth me, because I am the Word of the Father. There is therefore peace in the Scriptures, and all things duly disposed, and in no way clashing. Cast away, then, contention from thy heart; understand the harmony of the Scriptures. Dost thou think that the Truth should speak things contrary to itself?
8. “Whoso heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but is passed from death unto life.” You remember what we laid down above, that “as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, so also the Son quickeneth whom He will.” He is beginning already to reveal Himself; and behold, even now, the dead are rising. For “whoso heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent me, hath eternal life, and will not come into judgment.” Prove that he has risen again. “But is passed,” saith He “from death unto life.” He that is passed from death unto life, has surely without any doubt risen again. For he could not pass from death to life, unless he were first in death and not in life; but when he will have passed, he will be in life, and not in death. He was therefore dead, and is alive again; he was lost, but is found. Hence a resurrection does take place now, and men pass from a death to a life; from the death of infidelity to the life of faith; from the death of falsehood to the life of truth; from the death of iniquity to the life of righteousness. There is, therefore, that which is a resurrection of the dead.
9. May He open the same more fully, and dawn upon us as He begins to do! “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is.” We did look for a resurrection of the dead in the end, for so we have believed; yea, not we looked, but are manifestly bound to look for it: for it is not a false thing we believe, when we believe that the dead will rise in the end. When the Lord Jesus, then, was willing to make known to us a resurrection of the dead before the resurrection of the dead, it is not as that of Lazarus, or of the widow’s son, or of the ruler of the synagogue’s daughter, who were raised to die again (for in their case there was a resurrection of the dead before the resurrection of the dead); but, as He says here, “hath,” says He, “eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but is passed from death into life.” To what life? To life eternal. Not, then, as the body of Lazarus: for he indeed passed from the death of the tomb to the life of men, but not to life eternal, seeing he was to die again; whereas the dead, that are to rise again at the end of the world, will pass to eternal life. When our Lord Jesus Christ, then, our heavenly Master, the Word of the Father, and the Truth, was willing to represent to us a resurrection of the dead to eternal life before the resurrection of the dead to eternal life, “The hour cometh,” saith He. Doubtless thou, imbued with a faith of the resurrection of the flesh, didst look for the hour of the end of the world, which, that thou shouldst not look for here, He added, “and now is.” Therefore He saith not this, “The hour cometh,” of that last hour, when “at the command and the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet Christ in the air: and so shall we be ever with the Lord.” That hour will come, but is not now. But consider what this hour is: “The hour cometh, and now is.” What happens in that hour? What, but a resurrection of the dead? And what kind of resurrection? Such that they who rise live for ever. This will be also in the last hour.
10. What then? How do we understand these two resurrections? Do we, it may be, understand that they who rise now will not rise then; that the resurrection of some is now, of some others then? It is not so. For we have risen in this resurrection, if we have rightly believed; and we ourselves, who have already risen, are looking for another resurrection in the end. Moreover, both now are we risen to eternal life, if we perseveringly continue in the same faith; and then, too, we shall rise to eternal life, when we shall be made equal with the angels. But let Himself distinguish and open up what we have made bold to speak; how there happens to be a resurrection before a resurrection, not of different but of the same persons; nor like that of Lazarus, but into eternal life. He will open it clearly. Hear ye the Master, while dawning upon us, and as our Sun gliding in upon our hearts; not such as the eyes of flesh desire to look upon, but on whom the eyes of the heart fervently long to be opened. To Him, then, let us give ear: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead”—you see that a resurrection is asserted—“shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.” Why hath He added, “they that hear shall live”? Why, could they hear unless they lived? It would have been enough, then, to say, “The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God.” We should immediately understand them to be living, since they could not hear unless they lived. No, saith He, not because they live they hear; but by hearing they come to life again: “Shall hear, and they that hear shall live.” What, then, is “shall hear,” but “shall obey”? For, as to the hearing of the ear, not all who hear shall live. Many, indeed, hear and do not believe; by hearing and not believing, they obey not; by not obeying, they live not. And so here, they that “shall hear” are they that “shall obey.” They that obey, then, shall live: let them be sure and certain of it, shall live. Christ, the Word of God, is preached to us; the Son of God, by whom all things were made, who, for the dispensation’s sake, surely took flesh, was born of a virgin, was an infant in the flesh, a young man in the flesh, suffering in the flesh, dying in the flesh, rising again in the flesh, ascending in the flesh, promising a resurrection to the flesh, promising a resurrection to the mind—to the mind before the flesh, to the flesh after the mind. Whoso heareth and obeyeth, shall live; whoso heareth and obeyeth not, that is, heareth and despiseth, heareth and believeth not, shall not live. Why shall not live? Because he heareth not. What is “heareth not”? Obeyeth not. Thus, then, “they that hear shall live.”
11. Turn your thoughts now to what we said had to be deferred, that it may now, if possible, be opened. Concerning this very resurrection He immediately subjoined, “For as the Father hath life in Himself, even so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.” What means that, “The Father hath life in Himself”? Not elsewhere hath He life but in Himself. His living, in fact, is in Him, not from elsewhere, nor derived from another. He does not, as it were, borrow life, nor, as it were, become a partaker of life, of a life which is not what Himself is: but “hath life in Himself,” so that the very life is to Him His very self. If I should be able yet further in some small measure to speak from this matter, by proposing examples for informing your understanding, will depend on God’s help and the piety of your attention. God lives, and the soul also lives; but the life of God is unchangeable, the life of the soul is changeable. In God is neither increase nor decrease; but He is the same always in Himself, is ever as He is: not in one way now, in another way hereafter, in some other way before. But the life of the soul is exceedingly various: it lived foolish, it lives wise; it lived unrighteous, it lives righteous; now remembers, now forgets; now learns, now cannot learn; now loses what it had learned, now apprehends what it had lost. The life of the soul is changeable. And when the soul lives in unrighteousness, that is its death; when again it becomes righteous, it becomes partaker of another life, which is not what itself is, inasmuch as by rising up to God, and cleaving to God, of Him it is justified. For it is said, “To him that believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” By forsaking God, it becomes unrighteous; by coming to Him, it is made righteous. Does it not seem to thee as it were something cold, which, when brought near the fire, grows warm; when removed from the fire, grows cold? A something dark, which, brought near the light, grows bright; when removed from the light, grows dark? Something such is the soul: God is not any such thing. Moreover, man may say that he has light now in his eyes. Let thine eyes say then, if they can, as by a voice of their own, “We have light in ourselves.” I answer: Not correctly do you say that you have light in yourselves: you have light, but in the heavens; you have light, but in the moon, in candles, if it happen to be night, not in yourselves: for, being shut, you lose what you perceive when open. Not in yourselves have you light; keep the light if you can when the sun is set: ’tis night, enjoy the light of night; keep the light when the candle is withdrawn; but since you remain in darkness when the candle is withdrawn, you have not light in yourselves. Consequently, to have light in oneself is not to need light from another. Behold, whoso understands wherein He shows that the Son is equal with the Father, when He saith, “As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son also to have life in Himself;” that there may be only this difference between the Father and the Son, that the Father hath life in Himself, which none gave Him, whilst the Son hath life in Himself which the Father gave.
12. But here also arises a cloud that must be scattered. Let us not lose heart, let us strive in earnest. Here are pastures of the mind; let us not disdain them, that we may live. Behold, sayest thou, thyself confessest that the Father hath given life to the Son, that He may have life in Himself, even as the Father hath life in Himself; that the Father not lacking, the Son may not lack; that as the Father is life, so the Son may be life; and both united one life, not two lives; because God is one, not two Gods; and this same is to be life. How, then, is the Father said to have given life to the Son? Not so as if the Son had been without life before, and received life from the Father that He might live; for if it were so, He would not have life in Himself. Behold, I was speaking of the soul. The soul exists; though it be not wise, though it be not righteous, though it be not godly, it is soul. It is one thing for it to be soul, but another thing to be wise, to be righteous, to be godly. Something there is, then, in which it is not yet wise, not yet righteous, not yet godly. Nevertheless it is not therefore nothing, it is not therefore non-life; for it shows itself to be alive by certain of its own actions, although it does not show itself to be wise, godly, or righteous. For if it were not living it would not move the body, would not command the feet to walk, the hands to work, the eyes to look, the ears to hear; would not open the mouth for speaking, nor move the tongue to distinction of speech. So, then, by these operations it shows itself to have life, and to be something which is better than the body. But does it in any wise show itself by these operations to be wise, godly, or righteous? Do not the foolish, the wicked, the unrighteous walk, work, see, hear, speak? But when the soul rises to something which itself is not, which is above itself, and from which its being is, then it gets wisdom, righteousness, holiness, which so long as it was without, it was dead, and did not have the life by which itself should live, but only that by which the body was quickened. For that in the soul by which the body is quickened is one thing, that by which the soul itself is quickened is another. Better, certainly, than the body is the soul, but better than the soul itself is God. The soul, even if it be foolish, ungodly, unrighteous, is the life of the body. But since its own life is God, just as it supplies vigor, comeliness, activity, the functions of the limbs to the body, while it exists in the body; so, in like manner, while God, its life, is in the soul, He supplies to it wisdom, godliness, righteousness, charity. Accordingly, what the soul supplies to the body, and what God supplies to the soul, are of a different kind: the soul quickens and is quickened. It quickens while dead, even if itself is not quickened. But when the word comes, and is poured into the hearers, and they not only hear, but are made obedient, the soul rises from its death to its life—that is, from unrighteousness, from folly, from ungodliness, to its God, who is to it wisdom, righteousness, light. Let it rise to Him, and be enlightened by Him. “Come near,” saith he, “to Him.” And what shall we have? “And be enlightened.” If, therefore, by “coming to” ye are enlightened, and by “departing from” ye become darkened, your light was not in yourselves, but in your God. Come to Him that ye may rise again: if ye depart from Him, ye shall die. If by coming to Him ye live, and by departing from Him ye die, your life was not in yourselves. For the same is your life which is your light. “Because with Thee is the fountain of life, and in Thy light we shall see light.”
13. Not, then, in like manner as the soul is one thing before it is enlightened, and becomes a better thing when it is enlightened, by participation of a better; not so, I say, was the Word of God, the Son of God, something else before He received life, that He should have life by participation; but He has life in Himself, and is consequently Himself the very life. What is it, then, that He saith, “hath given to the Son to have life in Himself”? I would say it briefly, He begot the Son. For it is not that He existed without life, and received life, but He is life by being begotten. The Father is life not by being begotten; the Son is life by being begotten. The Father is of no father; the Son is of God the Father. The Father in His being is of none, but in that He is Father, ’tis because of the Son. But the Son also, in that He is Son, ’tis because of the Father: in His being, He is of the Father. This He said, therefore: “hath given life to the Son, that He might have it in Himself.” Just as if He were to say, “The Father, who is life in Himself, begot the Son, who should be life in Himself.” Indeed, He would have this dedit (hath given) to be understood for the same thing as genuit (hath begotten). It is like as if we said to a person, “God hath given thee being.” To whom? If to some one already existing, then He gave him not being, because he who could receive existed before it was given him. When, therefore, thou hearest it said, “He gave thee being,” thou wast not in being to receive, but thou didst receive, that thou shouldst be by coming into existence. The builder gave to this house that it should be. But what did he give to it? He gave it to be a house. To what did he give? To this house. Gave it what? To be a house. How could he give to a house that it should be a house? For if the house was, to what did he give to be a house, when the house existed already? What, then, does that mean, “gave it to be a house”? It means, he brought to pass that it should be a house. Well, then, what gave He to the Son? Gave Him to be the Son, begot Him to be life—that is, “gave Him to have life in Himself” that He should be the life not needing life, that He may not be understood as having life by participation. For if He had life by par ticipation, He might, by losing, be without life. Do not take, nor think, nor believe this to be possible respecting the Son. Wherefore the Father continues the life, the Son continues the life: the Father, life in Himself, not from the Son; the Son, life in Himself, but from the Father. Begotten of the Father, that He might live in Himself; but the Father, not begotten, life in Himself. Nor did He beget the Son less than Himself to become equal by growth. For surely He by whom, being perfect, the times were created, was not assisted by time towards His own perfection. Before all time, He is co-eternal with the Father. For the Father has never been without the Son; but the Father is eternal, therefore also the Son co-eternal. Soul, what of thee? Thou wast dead, didst lose life; hear then the Father through the Son. Arise, take to thee life, that in Him who has life in Himself thou mayest receive the life which is not in thee. He that giveth thee life, then, is the Father and the Son; and the first resurrection is accomplished when thou risest to partake of the life which thou art not thyself, and by partaking art made living. Rise from thy death to thy life, which is thy God, and pass from death to eternal life. For the Father hath eternal life in Himself; and unless He had begotten such a Son as had life in Himself, it could not be that as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, so also the Son should quicken whom He will.
14. But what of that resurrection of the body? For these who hear and live, whence live, except by hearing? For “the friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth Him, and rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice:” not because of his own voice; that is to say, they hear and live by partaking, not by coming into being; and all that hear live, because all that obey live. Tell us something, O Lord, also of the resurrection of the flesh; for there have been those who denied it, asserting that this is the only resurrection which is wrought by faith. Of which resurrection the Lord has just now made mention, and inflamed our desire, because “the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall live.” It is not some of those who hear shall live, and others shall die; but “all that hear shall live,” because all that obey shall live. Behold, we see a resurrection of the mind; let us not therefore let go our faith of the resurrection of the flesh. And unless Thou, O Lord Jesus, declare to us this, whom shall we oppose to those who assert the contrary? For truly all sects that have undertaken to engraft any religion upon men have allowed this resurrection of minds; otherwise, it might be said to them, If the soul rise not, why speakest thou to me? What meanest thou to do in me? If thou dost not make of the worse a better, why speakest thou? If thou dost not make a righteous of the unrighteous, why speakest thou? But if thou dost make righteous of the unrighteous, godly of the ungodly, wise of the foolish, thou confessest that my soul doth rise again, if I comply with thee and believe. So, then, all those that have founded any sect, even of false religion, while they wished to be believed, could not but admit this resurrection of minds: all have agreed concerning this; but many have denied the resurrection of the flesh, and affirmed that the resurrection had taken place already in faith. Such the apostle resisteth, saying, “Of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection hath taken place already, and overthrow the faith of some.” They said that the resurrection had taken place already, but in such manner that another was not to be expected; and they blamed people who were looking for a resurrection of the flesh, just as if the resurrection which was promised were already accomplished in the act of believing, namely, in the mind. The apostle censures these. Why does he censure them? Did they not affirm what the Lord spoke just now: “The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live”? But, saith Jesus to thee, it is of the life of minds that I am hitherto speaking: I am not yet speaking of the life of bodies; but I speak of the life of that which is the life of bodies, that is, of the life of souls, in which the life of bodies exists. For I know that there are bodies lying in the tombs; I know also that your bodies will lie in the tombs. I am not speaking of that resurrection, but I speak of this; in this, rise ye again, lest ye rise to punishment in that. But that ye may know that I speak also of that, what do I add? “For as the Father hath life in Himself, even so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.” This life which the Father is, which the Son is, to what does it pertain? To the soul or to the body? It is not surely the body that is sensible of that life of wisdom, but the rational mind. For not every soul hath capacity to apprehend wisdom. A brute beast, in fact, has a soul, but the soul of the brute beast cannot apprehend wisdom. It is the human soul, then, that can perceive this life which the Father hath in Himself, and hath given to the Son to have in Himself; because that is “the true light which enlighteneth,” not every soul, but “every man coming into this world.” When, therefore, I speak to the mind itself, let it hear, that is, let it obey and live.
15. Wherefore, keep not silent, O Lord, concerning the resurrection of the flesh; lest men believe it not, and we continue reasoners, not preachers. But “as the Father hath life in Himself, even so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.” Let them that hear, understand; let them believe that they may understand; let them obey that they may live. And that they may not suppose that the resurrection is finished here, let them hear this further: “and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also.” Who hath given? The Father. To whom hath He given? To the Son; namely, to whom He gave to have life in Himself, to the same hath He given authority to execute judgment. “Because He is the Son of man.” For this is the Christ, both Son of God and Son of man. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God.” Behold, how He hath given Him to have life in Himself! But because “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” was made man of the Virgin Mary, He is the Son of man. What, therefore, hath He received as Son of man? Authority to execute judgment. What judgment? That in the end of the world. Then also there will be a resurrection, but a resurrection of bodies. So, then, God raiseth up souls by Christ, the Son of God; bodies He raiseth up by the same Christ, the Son of man. “Hath given Him authority.” He should not have this authority did He not receive it; and He should be a man without authority. But the same who is Son of God is also Son of man. For by adhering to the unity of person, the Son of man with the Son of God is made one person, and the Son of God is the same person which the Son of man is. But what characteristic it has, and wherefore, must be distinguished. The Son of man has soul and body. The Son of God, which is the Word of God, has man, as the soul has body. And just as soul having body does not make two persons, but one man; so the Word, having man, maketh not two persons, but one Christ. What is man? A rational soul, having a body. What is Christ? The Word of God, having man. I see of what things I speak, who I the speaker am, and to whom I am speaking.
16. Now hear concerning the resurrection of bodies, not me, but the Lord about to speak, on account of those who have risen again by a resurrection from death, by cleaving to life. To what life? To a life which knows not death. Why knows not death? Because it knows not mutability. Why knows not mutability? Because it is life in itself. “And hath given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man.” What judgment, what kind of judgment? “Marvel not at this” which I have said,—gave Him authority to execute judgment,—“for the hour is coming.” He does not adds “and now is:” therefore He means to make known to us a certain hour in the end of the world. The hour is now that the dead rise, the hour will be in the end of the world that the dead rise: but that they rise now in the mind, then in the flesh; that they rise now in the mind by the Word of God, the Son of God; then in the flesh by the Word of God made flesh, the Son of man. For it will not be the Father Himself that will come to judgment, notwithstanding the Father doth not withdraw Himself from the Son. How, then, is it that the Father Himself will not come? In that He will not be seen in the judgment. “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” That form which stood before the judge, will be Judge: that form will judge which was judged; for it was judged unjustly, it will judge justly. There will come the form of a servant, and that same will be apparent. For how could the form of God be made apparent to the just and to the unjust? If the judgment were to be only among the just, then the form of God might appear as to the just. But because the judgment is to be of the just and of the unjust, and that it is not permitted to the wicked to see God,—for “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,”—such a Judge will appear as may be seen by those whom He is about to crown, and by those whom He is about to condemn. Hence the form of a servant will be seen, the form of God will be hid. The Son of God will be hid in the servant, and the Son of man will be manifest, because to Him “hath He given authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man.” And because He alone will appear in the form of a servant, but the Father not, since He has not taken upon Him the form of a servant; for that reason He saith above: “The Father judgeth not any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son.” Rightly then had it been deferred, that the propounder might Himself be the interpreter. For before it was hidden; now, as I think, it is already manifest, that “He gave Him authority to execute judgment,” that “the Father judgeth not any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son:” because the judgment is to be by that form which the Father hath not. And what kind of judgment? “Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming:” not that which now is, for the souls to rise; but that which is to be, for the bodies to rise.
17. Let Him declare this more distinctly, that the heretical denier of the resurrection of the body may not find a pretext for sophistical cavil, although the meaning already shines out clearly. When it was said above, “The hour is coming,” He added, “and now is;” but just now, “The hour is coming,” He has not added, “and now is.” Let Him, however, by the open truth, burst asunder all handles, all loops and pegs of sophistical attack, all the nooses of ensnaring objections. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves.” What more evident? what more distinct? Bodies are in the graves; souls are not in the graves, either of just or of unjust. The soul of the just man was in the bosom of Abraham; the unjust man’s soul was in hell, tormented: neither the one nor the other was in the grave. Above, when He saith, “The hour is coming, and now is,” I beseech you give earnest heed. Ye know, brethren, that we get the bread of the belly with toil; with how much greater toil the bread of the mind! With labor you stand and hear, but with greater we stand and speak. If we labor for your sake, you ought to labor with us for your own sake. Above, then, when He said, “The hour is coming,” and added, “and now is,” what did He subjoin? “When the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.” He did not say, “All the dead shall hear, and they that hear shall live;” for He meant the unrighteous to be understood. And is it so, that all the unrighteous obey the gospel? The apostle says openly, “But not all obey the gospel.” But they that hear shall live, because all that obey the gospel shall pass to eternal life by faith: yet all do not obey; and this is now. But certainly, in the end, “All that are in the graves,” both the just and the unjust, “shall hear His voice, and come forth.” How is it He would not say, “and shall live”? All, indeed, will come forth, but all will not live. For in that which He said above, “And they that hear shall live,” He meant it to be understood that there is in that very hearing and obeying an eternal and blessed life, which not all that shall come forth from the graves will have. Here, then, both in the mention of graves, and by the expression of a “coming forth” from the graves, we openly understand a resurrection of bodies.
18. “All shall hear His voice, and shall come forth.” And where is judgment, if all shall hear and all shall come forth? It is as if all were confusion; I see no distinguishing. Certainly Thou hast received authority to judge, because Thou art the Son of man: behold, Thou wilt be present in the judgment; the bodies will rise again; but tell us something of the judgment itself, that is, of the separation of the evil and the good. Hear this further, then: “They that have done good into the resurrection of life; they that have done evil into the resurrection of judgment.” When above He spoke of a resurrection of minds and souls, did He make any distinction? No, for all “that hear shall live;” because by hearing, viz. by obeying, shall they live. But certainly not all will go to eternal life by rising and coming forth from the graves,—only they that have done well; and they that have done ill, to judgment. For here He has put judgment for punishment. There will also be a separation, not such as there is now. For now we are separated, not by place, but by character, affections, desires, faith, hope, charity. Now we live together with the unjust, though the life of all is not the same: in secret we are distinguished, in secret we are separated; as grain on the floor, not as grain in the granary. On the floor, grain is both separated and mixed: separated, because severed from the chaff; mixed, because not yet winnowed. Then there will be an open separation; a distinguishing of life just as of the character, a separation as there is in wisdom, so also will there be in bodies. They that have done well will go to live with the angels of God; they that have done evil, to be tormented with the devil and his angels. And the form of a servant will pass away. For to this end He had manifested Himself, that He might execute judgment. After the judgment, He shall go hence, will lead with Him the body of which He is the head, and deliver up the kingdom of God. Then will openly be seen that form of God which could not be seen by the wicked, to whose vision the form of a servant must be shown. He says also in another place on this wise: “These shall go away into everlasting burning” (speaking of certain on the left), “but the just into life eternal;” of which life He says in another place: “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” Then will He be there manifested, “who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Then He will manifest Himself, as He has promised to manifest Himself to them that love Him. For “he that loveth me,” saith He, “keepeth my commandments; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” He was present in person with those to whom He was speaking: but they saw the form of a servant, they did not see the form of God. They were being led on His own beast to His dwelling to be healed; but now being healed, they will see, because, saith He, “I will manifest myself to him.” How is He shown equal to the Father? When He says to Philip, “He that seeth me seeth my Father also.”
19. “I cannot of myself do anything: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just.” Else we might have said to Him, “Thou wilt judge, and the Father will not judge, for ‘all judgment hath He given to the Son;’ it is not, therefore, according to the Father that Thou wilt judge.” Hence He added, “I cannot of myself do anything: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.” Undoubtedly the Son quickeneth whom He will. He seeketh not His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him. Not my own, my proper will; not mine, not the Son of man’s; not mine to resist God. For men do their own will, not God’s, when they do what they list, not what God commands; but when they do what they list, so as yet to follow God’s will, they do not their own will, notwithstanding they do what they list to do. Do what thou art bidden willingly, and thus shall thou both do what thou willest, and also not do thine own will, but His that biddeth.
20. What then? “As I hear, I judge.” The Son “heareth,” and the Father “showeth” to Him, and the Son seeth the Father doing. But we had deferred these matters, in order to handle them, so far as might lie in our abilities, with somewhat greater plainness and fullness, should time and strength remain to us after finishing the perusal of the passage. If I say that I am able to speak yet further, you perhaps are not able to go on hearing. Again, perhaps, in your eagerness to hear, you say, “We are able.” Better, then, that I should confess my weakness, that, being already fatigued, I am not able to speak longer, than that, when you are already satiated, I should continue to pour into you what you cannot well digest. Then, as to this promise, which I deferred until today, should there be an opportunity, hold me, with the Lord’s help, your debtor until to-morrow.
Sermone pristino, quantum nostrum movit affectum et intelligendi paupertatem, locuti sumus, ex occasione verborum evangelicorum, ubi scriptum est, Non potest Filius a se facere quidquam, nisi quod viderit Patrem facientem, quid sit videre Filii, hoc est, videre Verbi, quia Filius Verbum: et quia per Verbum facta sunt omnia, quomodo possit intelligi quod videat Filius primo Patrem facientem, tunc demum et ipse faciat quae facta conspexerit; cum Pater nihil nisi per Filium fecerit. Omnia enim per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso factum est nihil. Non tamen explicatum aliquid diximus; sed quia nec explicatum aliquid intelleximus. Aliquando quippe sermo deficit, ubi etiam intellectus proficit; quanto magis sermo patitur defectionem, quando intellectus non habet perfectionem? Nunc itaque, quantum Dominus donat, breviter percurramus lectionem, et vel hodie expleamus debitum pensum. Si quid forte remanserit vel temporis vel virium, retractabimus, si potuerimus (quantum et a nobis et apud vos fieri potest), quid sit videre Verbi, quid demonstrari Verbo. Omnia quippe dicta sunt hic, quae si intelligantur secundum humanum sensum carnaliter, nihil aliud nobis facit anima plena phantasmatis, nisi quasdam imagines velut duorum hominum Patris et Filii, unius ostendentis; alterius videntis; unius loquentis, alterius audientis: quae omnia idola cordis sunt; quae si jam dejecta sunt de templis suis, quanto magis dejicienda sunt de pectoribus christianis?
Non potest, inquit, Filius a se facere quidquam nisi quod viderit Patrem facientem. Verum est hoc, tenete hoc: dum tamen non amittatis quod in ipsius Evangelii exordio tenuistis, quia in principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum; et praecipue quia omnia per ipsum facta sunt . Quod nunc enim audistis, conjungite illi auditui, et utrumque concordet in cordibus vestris. Sic itaque non potest Filius a se facere quidquam, nisi quod viderit Patrem facientem, ut tamen Pater ea quae facit non faciat nisi per Filium, quia Filius est ejus Verbum: et « in principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum, » et « omnia per ipsum facta sunt. Quaecumque enim ille fecerit, haec et Filius similiter facit: » non alia, sed haec; nec dissimiliter, sed similiter.
Pater enim diligit Filium, et omnia demonstrat ei quae ipse facit. Ad hoc quod supra dixit, nisi quod viderit Patrem facientem, videtur pertinere et quod omnia demonstrat ei quae ipse facit. Sed si Pater demonstrat quae facit, nec Filius potest facere nisi Pater demonstraverit, Paterque demonstrare non potest nisi fecerit; consequens erit ut non per Filium faciat omnia Pater: porro si fixum atque inconcussum tenemus quia per Filium omnia Pater facit, antequam faciat, demonstrat Filio. Nam si Pater cum fecerit demonstrat Filio, ut Filius demonstrata faciat quae demonstrata jam facta sunt; aliquid procul dubio Pater sine Filio facit. Sed non facit Pater aliquid sine Filio, quia Filius Dei Verbum Dei est, et omnia per ipsum facta sunt. Remanet igitur fortasse ut quae Pater facturus est, demonstret facienda, ut per Filium sint facta. Nam si Filius ea facit quae Pater facta demonstrat; ea quae Pater facta demonstrat, non utique per Filium fecit. Monstrari enim non possent Filio nisi facta; facere Filius non posset, nisi monstrata: ergo sine Filio facta. Sed verum est, Omnia per ipsum facta sunt: ergo antequam facta, monstrata sunt. Sed hoc diximus differendum esse, quo redeundum sit percursa lectione, si, ut diximus, aliquid vel temporis vel virium nobis remanserit, ad ea quae distulimus retractanda.
Amplius audite et difficilius: Et majora his, inquit, demonstrabit ei opera, ut vos miremini. Majora his: quibus majora? Facile occurrit, iis quas modo audistis, curationibus languorum corporalium. De isto enim qui triginta et octo annos habebat in infirmitate, et Christi verbo sanatus est, nata est hujus occasio tota sermonis: et propter hoc Dominus dicere potuit, Majora his demonstrabit ei opera, ut vos miremini. Sunt enim opera majora quam ista, et demonstrabit ea Pater Filio. Non demonstravit, tanquam de praeterito; sed demonstrabit, de futuro, hoc est, demonstraturus est. Rursus difficilis oritur quaestio. Est enim aliquid apud Patrem quod Filio nondum demonstratum sit? est aliquid apud Patrem quod adhuc latebat Filium, quando ista Filius loquebatur? Si enim demonstrabit, hoc est, demonstraturus est; nondum demonstravit; et Filio tunc demonstraturus est, quando et istis: sequitur enim, ut vos miremini. Et hoc difficile est videre, quomodo tanquam temporaliter Filio coaeterno aliqua demonstrat aeternus Pater, omnia scienti quae sunt apud Patrem.
Quae sunt tamen illa majora? Hoc enim forte facile est intelligere. Sicut enim Pater, inquit, suscitat mortuos, et vivificat; sic et Filius quos vult vivificat. Majora ergo sunt opera mortuos suscitare, quam languidos sanare. Sed sicut suscitat Pater mortuos et vivificat, sic et Filius quos vult vivificat. Alios ergo Pater, alios Filius? Sed omnia per ipsum: ipsos itaque Filius, quos et Pater; quia non alia, nec aliter, sed haec et Filius similiter facit. Ita plane intelligendum est, et ita tenendum: sed mementote quia Filius quos vult vivificat. Tenete hic ergo non solum potestatem Filii, verum etiam voluntatem. Et Filius quos vult vivificat, et Pater quos vult vivificat; et ipsos Filius quos et Pater: ac per hoc eadem Patris et Filii et potestas est et voluntas. Quid est ergo quod sequitur? Neque enim Pater judicat quemquam, sed judicium omne dedit Filio, ut omnes honorificent Filium, sicut honorificant Patrem: quod ita subjunxit, tanquam rationem reddens superioris sententiae. Multum movet, intenti estote. Filius quos vult vivificat, Pater quos vult vivificat: Filius suscitat mortuos, sicut Pater suscitat mortuos. Neque enim Pater judicat quemquam. Si in judicio suscitandi sunt mortui, quomodo Pater suscitat mortuos, si non judicat quemquam? Omne quippe judicium dedit Filio. In illo autem judicio suscitantur mortui; et resurgunt alii ad vitam, alii ad poenam: quod totum si Filius facit, Pater autem ideo non facit, quia Pater non judicat quemquam, sed omne judicium dedit Filio, contrarium videbitur ei quod dictum est, Sicut Pater suscitat mortuos et vivificat, sic et Filius quos vult vivificat. Simul ergo suscitant. Si simul suscitant, simul vivificant. Simul ergo judicant: quomodo itaque verum est, Neque enim Pater judicat quemquam, sed omne judicium dedit Filio? Moveant interim propositae quaestiones, praestabit Dominus ut solutae delectent. Ita est, fratres; omnis quaestio nisi intentum fecerit proposita, non delectabit exposita. Sequatur ergo ipse Dominus, ne forte in iis quae subnectit, aperiat se aliquantum. Subtexit enim nubilo lucem suam; et difficile est aquilae more volare super omnem nebulam qua tegitur omnis terra , et videre in verbis Domini sincerissimam lucem. Ne forte ergo calore radiorum suorum discutiat caliginem nostram, et aliquantum se in consequentibus aperire dignetur, dilatis istis sequentia videamus.
Qui non honorificat Filium, non honorificat Patrem qui misit illum. Hoc verum est et planum est. Omne quippe judicium dedit Filio, sicut supra dixit, ut omnes honorificent Filium, sicut honorificant Patrem. Quid si inveniuntur qui Patrem honorificant, et non honorificant Filium? Non potest, inquit, fieri: Qui non honorificat Filium, non honorificat Patrem qui misit illum. Non potest ergo dicere aliquis, Ego Patrem honorificabam, quia Filium non noveram. Si nondum Filium honorificabas, nec Patrem honorificabas. Quid est enim honorificare Patrem, nisi quod habeat Filium? Aliud est enim cum tibi commendatur Deus, quia Deus est; et aliud est cum tibi commendatur Deus, quia Pater est. Cum tibi quia Deus est commendatur creator tibi commendatur, omnipotens tibi commendatur, spiritus quidam summus, aeternus, invisibilis, incommutabilis tibi commendatur: cum vero tibi quia Pater est commendatur, nihil tibi aliud quam et Filius commendatur; quia Pater dici non potest, si Filium non habet; sicut nec Filius, si Patrem non habet. Sed ne forte Patrem quidem honorofices tanquam majorem, Filium vero tanquam minorem, ut dicas mihi, Honorifico Patrem, scio enim quod habeat Filium; et non erro in Patris nomine, non enim Patrem intelligo sine Filio, honorifico tamen et Filium tanquam minorem: corrigit te ipse Filius, et revocat te dicens, ut omnes honorificent Filium, non inferius, sed sicut honorificant Patrem. Qui ergo non honorificat Filium, non honorificat Patrem qui misit illum. Ego, inquis, majorem honorem volo dare Patri, minorem Filio. Ibi tollis honorem Patri, ubi minorem das Filio. Quid enim aliud tibi videtur ita sentienti, nisi quia Pater aequalem sibi Filium generare aut noluit, aut non potuit? Si noluit, invidit; si non potuit, defecit. Non ergo vides quia ita sentiendo, ubi majorem honorem vis dare Patri, ibi es contumeliosus in Patrem? Proinde sic honorifica Filium, quomodo honorificas Patrem, si vis honorificare et Patrem et Filium.
Amen, amen dico vobis, quia qui verbum meum audit, et credit ei qui misit me, habet vitam aeternam; et in judicium non venit, sed transiit, non nunc transit, sed jam transiit a morte in vitam. Et hoc attendite, Qui verbum meum audit: et non dixit, Credit mihi; sed, credit ei qui me misit. Verbum ergo Filii audiat, ut Patri credat. Quare verbum audit tuum, et credit alteri? Nonne cum verbum alicujus audimus, eidem verbum proferenti credimus, loquenti nobis fidem accommodamus? Quid ergo voluit dicere, Qui verbum meum audit, et credit ei qui misit me; nisi, quia verbum ejus est in me? Et quid est, audit verbum meum, nisi, audit me? Credit autem ei qui misit me: quia cum illi credit, verbo ejus credit: cum autem verbo ejus credit, mihi credit; quia Verbum Patris ego sum. Pax ergo in Scripturis, et omnia disposita, nequaquam rixantia. Tu abjice litem cordis tui, intellige concordiam Scripturarum. Numquid contraria sibi diceret veritas?
Qui verbum meum audit, et credit ei qui misit me, habet vitam aeternam; et in judicium non venit, sed transiit a morte in vitam. Meministis quod superius posueramus, quia sicut Pater suscitat mortuos et vivificat, sic et Filius quos vult vivificat. Incipit jam aperire se, et loqui de resurrectione mortuorum, et ecce jam resurgunt mortui. Qui enim verbum meum audit, et eredit ei qui misit me, habet vitam aeternam, et in judicium non veniet. Proba quia resurrexit. Sed transiit, inquit, a morte in vitam. Qui transiit a morte ad vitam, nullo dubitante utique resurrexit. Non enim transiret de morte ad vitam, nisi primo esset in morte, et non esset in vita: cum autem transierit, erit in vita, et non erit in morte. Mortuus ergo erat, et revixit; perierat, et inventus est . Fit proinde jam quaedam resurrectio, et transeunt homines a morte quadam ad quamdam vitam: a morte infidelitatis, ad vitam fidei; a morte falsitatis ad vitam veritatis; a morte iniquitatis, ad vitam justitiae. Est ergo et ista quaedam resurrectio mortuorum.
Aperiat illam plenius, et dilucescat nobis, ut coepit. Amen, amen dico vobis, quia venit hora, et nunc est. Nos exspectabamus in fine resurrectionem mortuorum; nam ita credidimus: imo non exspectabamus, sed plane exspectare debemus; neque enim falsum credimus in fine mortuos resurrecturos. Cum ergo vellet Dominus Jesus insinuare nobis quamdam resurrectionem mortuorum ante resurrectionem mortuorum; non sicut Lazari , vel filii illius viduae , vel filiae archisynagogi , qui resurrexerunt morituri (nam et ipsorum mortuorum quaedam resurrectio facta est ante resurrectionem mortuorum): sed sicut hic dicit, Habet, inquit, vitam aeternam; et in judicium non venit, sed transiit a morte ad vitam. Ad quam vitam? Ad aeternam. Non ergo sicut corpus Lazari: transiit enim et ille a morte sepulcri ad vitam hominum, sed non aeternam, iterum moriturus; resurrecturi autem in fine saeculi mortui, in vitam aeternam transibunt. Cum ergo vellet Dominus noster Jesus Christus, magister coelestis, Verbum Patris et Veritas, demonstrare nobis quamdam resurrectionem mortuorum in aeternam vitam, ante resurrectionem mortuorum in aeternam vitam: Venit hora, inquit. Tu procul dubio imbutus fide resurrectionis carnis, exspectabas horam illam finis saeculi, diem judicii, quam ne in isto loco exspectares, addidit, et nunc est. Quod ergo dicit, Venit hora, non dicit de illa hora novissima, ubi in jussu et in voce archangeli, et in tuba Dei Dominus ipse descendet de coelo, et mortui in Christo resurgent primo: deinde nos viventes qui reliqui sumus, simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Christo in aera, et ita semper cum Domino erimus . Veniet illa hora, sed non est nunc. Hora vero ista quae sit, advertite: Venit hora, et nunc est. Quid in ea fit? Quid, nisi resurrectio mortuorum? Et qualis resurrectio? Ut qui resurgunt, in aeternum vivant. Hoc erit et in novissima hora.
Quid igitur? quomodo intelligimus duas istas resurrectiones? Numquid forte qui nunc resurgunt, tunc non resurgent; ut aliorum fiat nunc resurrectio, aliorum tunc? Non est ita. Nam ista resurrectione, si recte credidimus, resurreximus; et nos ipsi qui jam resurreximus, alteram in fine resurrectionem exspectamus. Sed et nunc in aeternam vitam resurreximus, si in fide ipsa perseveranter manemus; et tunc in aeternam vitam resurgemus, quando Angelis coaequabimur . Ipse ergo distinguat, ipse aperiat quod loqui ausi sumus: quomodo fiat resurrectio ante resurrectionem, non aliorum et aliorum, sed eorumdem; nec talis qualis Lazari, sed in vitam aeternam. Aperiet plane. Audite dilucescentem magistrum, et illabentem cordibus nostris solem nostrum; non quem desiderant oculi carnis, sed cui aestuant aperiri oculi cordis. Ipsum ergo audiamus: Amen, amen dico vobis, quia venit hora, et nunc est, quando mortui, videte exprimi resurrectionem, quando mortui audient vocem Filii Dei, et qui audierint vivent. Quare addidit, Qui audierint vivent? Possent enim audire nisi viverent? Sufficeret ergo, Venit hora, et nunc est, quando mortui audient vocem Filii Dei. Jam nos intelligeremus viventes eos; quando nisi viverent, audire non possent. Non, inquit, quia vivunt audiunt, sed audiendo reviviscunt: audient, et qui audierint vivent. Quid est ergo, audient; nisi, obaudient? Quantum enim pertinet ad auris auditum, non omnes qui audient vivent: multi enim audiunt et non credunt; audiendo et non credendo non obaudiunt: non obaudiendo non vivunt. Itaque hic, qui audient, nihil est aliud quam qui obaudient. Qui ergo obaudierint, vivent: certi sint, securi sint, vivent. Praedicatur Christus Verbum Dei, Filius Dei, per quemfacta sunt omnia, certe dispensationis gratia assumpta carne natus ex Virgine, infans in carne, juvenis in carne, patiens in carne, moriens in carne, resurgens in carne, ascendens in carne, promittens resurrectionem carni, promittens resurrectionem menti, menti ante carnem, carni post mentem. Qui audit et obaudit, vivet: qui audit et non obaudit, id est, audit et contemnit, audit et non credit, non vivet. Quare non vivet? Quia non audit. Quid est, non audit? Non obaudit. Ergo qui audierint, vivent.
Attende nunc quod dixeramus differendum, ut nunc, si fieri potuerit, aperiatur. Subjecit continuo de hac ipsa resurrectione, Sicut enim Pater habet vitam in semetipso, sic dedit et Filio vitam habere in semetipso. Quid est, habet vitam Pater in semetipso? Non alibi habet vitam, sed in semetipso. Vivere quippe suum in illo est; non aliunde, non alienum est: non quasi mutuatur vitam, nec quasi particeps fit vitae, ejus vitae quae non est quod ipse; sed habet vitam in semetipso, ut ipsa vita sibi sit ipse. Si potuero adhuc modicum quid inde dicere, exemplis propositis ad intelligentiam vestram informandam, Domino adjuvante potero, et pietate intentionis vestrae. Vivit Deus, vivit et anima: sed vita Dei immutabilis est, vita animae mutabilis est. Deus nec proficit, nec deficit; sed est ipse semper in se, est ita ut est: non aliter nunc, aliter postea, aliter antea. Animae vero vita, valde aliter atque aliter: vivebat stulta, vivit sapiens; vivebat iniqua, vivit justa: nunc meminit, nunc obliviscitur; nunc discit, nunc discere non potest; nunc perdit quod didicerat, nunc percipit quod amiserat: mutabilis vita animae. Et cum vivit anima in iniquitate, mors ejus est: cum autem fit justa, fit particeps alterius vitae, quae non est quod ipsa, erigendo se quippe ad Deum et inhaerendo Deo, ex illo justificatur. Dictum est enim: Credenti in eum qui justificat impium, deputatur fides ejus ad justitiam . Deficiendo ab illo fit iniqua, proficiendo ad illum fit justa. Nonne videtur tibi quasi aliquid frigidum igni admotum fervescere, remotum ab igne torpescere? nonne videtur tibi quiddam tenebrosum, admotum luci clarescere, remotum a luce nigrescere? Tale quiddam est anima, non tale aliquid Deus. Potest et homo dicere, habere se lucem nunc in oculis suis. Dicant ergo quasi quadam voce propria oculi tui si possunt: Habemus lucem in nobis ipsis. Contra dicitur: Non proprie dicitis habere vos lucem in vobis ipsis: habetis lucem, sed in coelo; habetis lucem, si forte nox est, sed in luna, in lucernis, non in vobis ipsis: nam clausi amittitis, quod aperti percipitis. Non in vobis ipsis habetis lucem: sole occidente tenete lucem, si potestis: nox est, et lumine nocturno perfruimini; subducta lucerna tenete lucem: cum vero subtracta lucerna in tenebris remanetis, non lucem in vobis ipsis habetis. Hoc est ergo habere lucem in semetipso, non indigere luce ex altero. Ecce ubi, si quis intelligat, ostendit Filium aequalem Patri, ubi ait, Sicut habet Pater vitam in semetipso, sic dedit et Filio vitam habere in semetipso: ut hoc solum intersit inter Patrem et Filium, quia Pater habet vitam in semetipso, quam nemo ei dedit; Filius autem habet vitam in semetipso, quam Pater dedit.
Sed etiam hic oritur aliquod nubilum discutiendum. Non deficiamus, intenti simus: pascua mentis sunt, non fastidiamus, ut vivamus. Ecce, inquis, fateris ipse quod vitam Filio Pater dedit, ut habeat eam quidem in semetipso, sicut habet Pater vitam in semetipso, non indigens ille, non indigeat et iste; ut sit ille vita, sit et iste; et utrumque conjunctum una vita, non duae; quia unus Deus, non duo dii: et hoc ipsum sit esse vitam. Quomodo ergo dedit Filio vitam Pater? Non sic quasi ante fuerit Filius sine vita, atque ut viveret a Patre acceperit vitam: nam si hoc esset, non haberet vitam in semetipso. Ecce de anima loquebar. Est anima: etsi non sit sapiens, etsi non sit justa, anima est; etsi non sit pia, anima est. Aliud illi ergo est esse animam, aliud vero esse sapientem, esse justam, esse pium. Est ergo aliquid quo nondum est sapiens, nondum justa, nondum pia; non tamen nihil est, non tamen nulla vita est: nam ex operibus quibusdam suis ostendit se vitam, etsi non se ostendit sapientem, piam, justam. Nisi enim viveret, corpus non moveret; pedibus gressum, manibus opus, oculis intuitum, auribus auditum non imperaret; non aperiret os ad vocem, linguam ad distinctionem vocum non moveret. His itaque operibus vivere se ostendit, et esse aliquid quod sit corpore melius: sed numquid his operibus, sapientem, piam, justam se ostendit? Nonne ambulant, operantur, vident, audiunt, loquuntur et stulti, et impii, et injusti? Cum vero se erigit ad aliquid quod ipsa non est, et quod supra ipsam est, et a quo ipsa est, percipit sapientiam, justitiam, pietatem: sine quibus cum esset, mortua erat, nec vitam habebat qua ipsa viveret, sed qua corpus vivificaret. Aliud est enim in anima unde corpus vivificatur, aliud unde ipsa vivificatur. Melius quippe est quam corpus; sed melius quam ipse est Deus. Est ergo ipsa, etiamsi sit insipiens, injusta, impia, vita corporis. Quia vero vita ejus est Deus, quomodo cum ipsa est in corpore, praestat illi vigorem, decorem, mobilitatem, officia membrorum; sic cum vita ejus Deus in ipsa est, praestat illi sapientiam, pietatem, justitiam, charitatem. Aliud est ergo quod praestatur corpori de anima; aliud quod praestatur animae de Deo: vivificat, et vivificatur; mortua vivificat, si ipsa non vivificatur. Veniente itaque verbo et infuso audientibus, factisque illis non solum audientibus, sed etiam obedientibus, resurgit anima a morte sua ad vitam suam; hoc est, ab iniquitate, ab insipientia, ab impietate ad Deum suum, qui est illi sapientia, justitia, claritas. Surgat ad illum, illuminetur ab illo. Accedite, inquit, ad eum. Et quid nobis erit? Et illuminamini . Si ergo accedendo illuminamini, et recedendo tenebramini; non erat in vobis lumen vestrum, sed in Deo vestro. Accedite, ut resurgatis: si recesseritis, moriemini. Si ergo accedendo vivitis, recedendo morimini; non erat in vobis vita vestra. Ipsa est enim vita vestra, quae est lux vestra. Quoniam apud te est fons vitae, et in lumine tuo videbimus lumen .
Non ergo sicut anima aliquid aliud est antequam illuminetur, et fit melius cum illuminatur participatione melioris; ita et Verbum Dei, Filius Dei, aliquid aliud erat antequam acciperet vitam, ut participando habeat vitam: sed vitam habet in semetipso; ac per hoc ipse est ipsa vita. Quid ergo ait, Dedit Filio vitam habere in semetipso? Breviter dixerim, Genuit Filium. Neque enim erat sine vita, et accepit vitam; sed nascendo vita est. Pater vita est non nascendo; Filius vita est nascendo. Pater de nullo patre, Filius de Deo Patre. Pater quod est, a nullo est: quod autem Pater est, propter Filium est. Filius vero et quod Filius est, propter Patrem est; et quod est, a Patre est. Hoc ergo dixit, Vitam dedit Filio, ut haberet eam in semetipso; tanquam diceret, Pater qui est vita in semetipso, genuit Filium qui esset vita in semetipso. Pro eo enim quod est genuit, voluit intelligi dedit. Tanquam si cuiquam diceremus, Dedit tibi Deus esse. Cui dedit? Si alicui jam existenti dedit esse, non ei dedit esse; quia erat, antequam ei daretur, qui posset accipere. Cum ergo audis, Dedit tibi esse, non eras qui acciperes, et existendo accepisti ut esses. Dedit structor domui huic ut esset. Sed quid ei dedit? Ut domus esset. Cui dedit? Huic domui. Quid ei dedit? Ut domus esset. Quomodo potuit dare domui ut domus esset? Etenim si domus erat; cui daret, ut domus esset, quando jam domus erat? Quid est ergo, Dedit ei ut domus esset? Fecit ut domus esset. Quid ergo Filio dedit? Dedit ei ut Filius esset, genuit ut vita esset: hoc est, Dedit ei habere vitam in semetipso, ut esset vita non egens vita, ne participando intelligatur habere vitam. Si enim participando haberet vitam, posset et amittendo esse sine vita: hoc in Filio ne accipias, ne cogites, ne credas. Manet ergo Pater vita, manet et Filius vita: Pater vita in semetipso, non a Filio; Filius vita in semetipso, sed a Patre. A Patre genitus ut esset vita in semetipso: Pater vero non genitus vita in semetipso. Nec minorem Filium genuit, qui crescendo fieret aequalis. Non enim ad sui perfectionem adjutus est tempore, per quem perfectum creata sunt tempora. Ante omnia tempora Patri coaeternus est. Non enim unquam Pater sine Filio: aeternus autem Pater est; ergo coaeternus et Filius. Quid tu, anima? Mortua eras, amiseras vitam, audi Patrem per Filium. Surge, recipe vitam; ut in eo recipias vitam quam non habes in te, qui habet vitam in semetipso. Vivificat ergo te Pater, et Filius; et agitur prima resurrectio, quando resurgis ad participandam vitam quod tu non es, et participando efficeris vivens. Resurge a morte tua in vitam tuam, qui est Deus tuus; et transi a morte in vitam aeternam. Habet enim vitam aeternam Pater in semetipso; et nisi Filium talem generaret, qui haberet vitam in semetipso, non sicut Pater suscitat mortuos et vivificat, sic et Filius quos vellet vivificaret.
Quid ergo de illa resurrectione corporis? Nam isti qui audiunt et vivunt, unde, nisi audiendo, vivunt? Amicus enim sponsi stat et audit eum, et gaudio gaudet propter vocem sponsi , non propter vocem suam; hoc est, participando, non existendo audiunt et vivunt: et omnes qui audiunt, vivunt; quia omnes qui obediunt, vivunt. Dic aliquid, Domine, etiam de resurrectione carnis. Fuerunt enim qui eam negarent, et dicerent quia ista sola est resurrectio quae fit per fidem. Cujus resurrectionis modo Dominus fecit commemorationem, et inflammavit nos, quia quidam mortui audient vocem Filii Dei, et vivent. Non eorum qui audierint alii morientur, et alii vivent; sed omnes qui audierint vivent, quia omnes qui obedierint vivent. Ecce videmus resurrectionem mentis: non ergo amittamus fidem de resurrectione carnis. Et nisi tu, Domine Jesu, dixeris eam, quem opponemus contradictoribus? Omnes enim sectae, quae se aliquam religionem hominibus inserere praesumpserunt, non negaverunt istam mentium resurrectionem: ne diceretur eis, Si non resurgit anima, quare mihi loqueris? quid in me facere vis? si non facis ex deteriore meliorem, quare loqueris? si non facis ex iniquo justum, quare loqueris? si autem facis ex iniquo justum, ex impio pium, ex stulto sapientem, fateris resurgere animam meam, si tibi obtemperavero, si tibi credidero. Volentes ergo sibi credi omnes qui instituerunt alicujus etiam falsae religionis sectam, negare istam mentium resurrectionem non potuerunt; omnes de illa consenserunt: sed multi carnis resurrectionem negaverunt; dixerunt in fide jam factam esse resurrectionem. Talibus resistit Apostolus, dicens: Ex quibus est Hymenaeus et Philetus, qui circa veritatem aberraverunt, dicentes resurrectionem jam factam esse, et fidem quorumdam subvertunt . Jam factam esse resurrectionem dicebant, sed eo modo ut alia non speraretur: et reprehendebant homines qui sperabant resurrectionem carnis, velut jam resurrectio quae promissa erat, credendo impleretur in mente. Reprehendit eos Apostolus. Cur eos reprehendit? Nonne hoc dicebant quod modo Dominus loquebatur, Venit hora, et nunc est, quando mortui audient vocem Filii Dei; et qui audierint, vivent? Sed de vita mentium loquor adhuc, ait tibi Jesus: nondum loquor de vita corporum; sed loquor de vita vitae corporum, id est, de animarum, in quibus est vita corporum: nam scio esse corpora in monumentis jacentia, scio et corpora vestra in monumentis futura; nondum de illa resurrectione loquor: de ista loquor, in ista resurgite, ne ad poenam in illa resurgatis. Sed ut noveritis quia de illa loquor, quid addo? Sicut enim habet Pater vitam in semetipso, sic dedit et Filio habere vitam in semetipso. Haec vita quod Pater est, quod Filius est, ad quid pertinet? ad animam, an ad corpus? Non enim vitam illam sapientiae sentit corpus, sed mens rationalis. Nam nec omnis anima potest sentire sapientiam. Habet enim et pecus animam; sed pecoris anima non potest sentire sapientiam. Ergo anima humana potest sentire istam vitam quam habet Pater in semetipso, et dedit Filio vitam habere in semetipso; quia illud est verum lumen quod illuminat, non omnem animam, sed omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. Cum ergo ipsi menti loquor, audiat, id est obediat, et vivat.
Noli itaque, Domine, tacere de resurrectione carnis; ne non eam credant homines, et remaneamus nos argumentatores, non praedicatores. Ergo sicut habet Pater vitam in semetipso, sic dedit et Filio habere vitam in semetipso. Intelligant qui audiunt, credant ut intelligant, obediant ut vivant. Audiant adhuc aliud, ne hic finitam esse resurrectionem putent. Et dedit ei potestatem et judicium facere. Quis? Pater. Cui dedit? Filio. Cui enim dedit habere vitam in semetipso, potestatem dedit ei et judicium facere. Quia filius hominis est. Iste enim Christus, et Filius Dei et filius hominis est. In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum; hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Ecce quomodo dedit ei vitam habere in semetipso. Sed quia Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis , ex virgine Maria homo factus, filius hominis est. Proinde quia filius hominis est, quid accepit? Potestatem et judicium facere. Quod judicium? In fine saeculi: et ibi erit resurrectio mortuorum, sed corporum. Animas ergo suscitat Deus, per Christum Filium Dei: corpora suscitat Deus, per eumdem Christum filium hominis. Dedit ei potestatem. Hanc potestatem non haberet nisi acciperet, et esset homo sine potestate. Sed ipse est filius hominis, qui et Filius Dei. Haerendo enim ad unitatem personae filius hominis Filio Dei, facta est una persona, eademque Filius Dei, quae et filius hominis. Quid autem propter quid habeat, dignoscendum est. Filius hominis habet animam, habet corpus. Filius Dei, quod est Verbum Dei, habet hominem, tanquam anima corpus. Sicut anima habens corpus, non facit duas personas, sed unum hominem; sic Verbum habens hominem, non facit duas personas, sed unum Christum. Quid est homo? Anima rationalis habens corpus. Quid est Christus? Verbum Dei habens hominem. Video de quibus rebus loquar, et quis loquar, et quibus loquar.
Nunc audite de resurrectione corporum, non me, sed Dominum locuturum, propter eos qui resurrexerunt surgendo a morte, inhaerendo vitae. Cui vitae? Quae non novit mortem. Quare non novit mortem? Quia nescit mutabilitatem. Quare nescit mutabilitatem? Quia vita est in semetipso. Et potestatem dedit ei et judicium facere, quia filius hominis est. Quod judicium, quale judicium? Nolite mirari hoc, quia dixi, Dedit ei potestatem et judicium facere. Quia venit hora. Non addidit, et nunc est: ergo horam quamdam vult insinuare in fine saeculi. Hora nunc est ut resurgant mortui, hora erit in fine saeculi ut resurgant mortui: sed resurgant nunc in mente, tunc in carne; resurgant nunc in mente per Verbum Dei Filium Dei, resurgant tunc in carne per Verbum Dei carnem factum, filium hominis. Neque enim ad judicium vivorum et mortuorum Pater ipse venturus est: nec tamen recedit a Filio Pater. Quomodo ergo non ipse venturus est? Quia non ipse videbitur in judicio. Videbunt in quem pupugerunt . Forma illa erit judex, quae stetit sub judice; illa judicabit quae judicata est: judicata est enim inique, judicabit juste. Veniet ergo forma servi, et ipsa apparebit. Etenim forma Dei quomodo appareret justis et iniquis? Nam si judicium non fieret nisi inter solos justos, appareret tanquam justis forma Dei: quia vero judicium futurum est justorum et iniquorum, nec licet ut iniqui videant Deum; Beati enim mundi corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt ; talis apparebit judex, qualis videri possit et ab eis quos coronaturus est, et ab eis quos damnaturus est. Forma ergo servi videbitur, occulta erit forma Dei. Occultus erit in servo Filius Dei, et apparebit filius hominis; quia potestatem dedit ei et judicium facere, quia filius hominis est. Et quia ipse solus apparebit in forma servi, Pater autem non apparebit, quia non est indutus forma servi; ideo superius ait, Pater non judicat quemquam, sed omne judicium dedit Filio. Bene ergo dilatum est, ut ipse esset expositor qui propositor. Superius enim occultum erat; nunc jam, ut arbitror, manifestum est quia dedit ei potestatem et judicium facere, quia Pater non judicat quemquam, sed omne judicium dedit Filio: quia judicium per illam formam futurum est, quam non habet Pater. Et quale judicium? Nolite mirari hoc; quia venit hora: non ea quae nunc est, ut resurgant animae; sed quae futura est, ut resurgant corpora.
Expressius hoc dicat, ut calumniam haereticus negator resurrectionis corporis non inveniat: quanquam jam intellectus elucescat. Cum superius dictum esset, Venit hora; addidit, et nunc est: modo autem, Venit hora; non addidit, et nunc est. Tamen omnes ansas, omnes claviculas calumniarum, omnes nodos laqueorum aperta veritate disrumpat. Nolite mirari hoc; quia venit hora, in qua omnes qui in monumentis sunt. Quid evidentius? quid expressius? Corpora sunt in monumentis: animae non sunt in monumentis, nec justorum, nec iniquorum. Justi anima in sinu Abrahae fuit, iniqui anima apud inferos torquebatur : in monumento, nec illa, nec illa. Superius quando ait, Venit hora, et nunc est; obsecro, intendite. Nostis, fratres, quia ad panem ventris cum labore pervenitur; quanto magis ad panem mentis? Cum labore statis, et auditis; sed nos cum majore stamus, et loquimur. Si laboramus propter vos, collaborare non debetis propter eosdem vos? Superius ergo cum diceret, Venit hora, et adderet, et nunc est, quid subjecit? Quando mortui audient vocem Filii Dei, et qui audierint vivent. Non dixit, Omnes mortui audient, et qui audierint vivent: mortuos enim iniquos volebat intelligi. Et numquid omnes iniqui obaudiunt Evangelio? Aperte dicit Apostolus, Sed non omnes obaudiunt Evangelio . Tamen qui audiunt, vivent; quia omnes qui obaudiunt Evangelio, transient ad vitam aeternam per fidem: non tamen omnes obaudiunt, et hoc nunc est. At vero in fine, omnes qui sunt in monumentis, hoc est justi et injusti, audient vocem ejus, et procedent. Quomodo noluit dicere, et vivent? Omnes enim procedent, sed non omnes vivent. In eo quippe quod supra dixit, Et qui audierint vivent; in ipsa obauditione vitam aeternam intelligi voluit et beatam, quam non omnes habebunt qui de monumentis procedent. Jam ergo et commemoratione monumentorum, et expressione processionis de monumentis, aperte intelligimus corporum resurrectionem.
Audient omnes vocem ejus, et procedent. Et ubi judicium, si omnes audient, et omnes procedent? Quasi totum confusum est; nihil video discretum. Certe accepisti potestatem judicandi, quia filius hominis es; ecce aderis in judicio, resurgent corpora: de ipso judicio dic aliquid, hoc est de discretione malorum et bonorum. Et hoc audi: Qui bona fecerunt, in resurrectione vitae; qui mala egerunt, in resurrectionem judicii. Superius cum de resurrectione mentium et animarum loqueretur, numquid fecit discretionem? Sed omnes qui audient, vivent; quia obaudiendo vivent. At vero resurgendo et procedendo de monumentis, non omnes ad vitam aeternam ibunt, sed qui bene fecerunt: qui autem male, ad judicium. Hic enim judicium pro poena posuit. Et erit diremptio, et non qualis modo est. Nam et modo separamur non locis, sed moribus, affectibus, desideriis, fide, spe, charitate. Simul enim cum iniquis vivimus; sed non una vita est omnium: in occulto dirimimur, in occulto separamur; quomodo grana in area, non quomodo grana in horreo. Et separantur grana in area, et miscentur: separantur, cum a palea exspoliantur; miscentur, quia nondum ventilantur. Tunc aperta erit separatio, sicut morum, sic et vitae; sicut sapientiae, ita et corporum. Ibunt qui bene fecerunt, vivere cum Angelis Dei: qui male egerunt, torqueri cum diabolo et angelis ejus. Et transiet forma servi. Ad hoc enim se praesentaverat ut faceret judicium: post judicium perget hinc, ducet secum corpus cui caput est, et offeret regnum Deo . Tunc plane videbitur forma illa Dei, quae non potuit videri ab iniquis, quorum visioni forma servi exhibenda erat. Dicit et alibi sic: Ibunt isti in ambustionem aeternam (de quibusdam sinistris); justi autem in vitam aeternam : de qua alio loco dicit, Haec est autem vita aeterna, ut cognoscant te unum verum Deum, et quem misisti Jesum Christum . Tunc ibi apparebit qui cum in forma Dei esset, non rapinam arbitratus est esse aequalis Deo : tunc se ostendet quomodo se dilectoribus suis ostensurum promisit. Qui enim diligit me, ait, mandata mea custodit; et qui diligit me, diligetur a Patre meo, et ego diligam eum, et ostendam meipsum illi. Quibus loquebatur, praesens eis erat: sed formam servi videbant; formam autem Dei non videbant. Per jumentum ad stabulum ducebantur curandi, sed sanati videbunt; quia ostendam, inquit, meipsum illi. Quomodo ostenditur aequalis Patri? Cum dicit Philippo, Qui me videt, videt et Patrem meum .
Non possum ego a meipso facere quidquam: sicut audio judico, et judicium meum justum est. Quia dicturi illi eramus, Tu judicabis, et Pater non judicabit, quia omne judicium dedit Filio; non ergo secundum Patrem judicabis: adjecit, Non possum ego a meipso facere quidquam: sicut audio judico, et judicium meum justum est; quia non quaero voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus qui misit me. Certe Filius quos vult vivificat. Non quaerit voluntatem suam, sed voluntatem ejus qui misit illum. Non meam, non propriam; non meam, non filii hominis; non meam, quae resistat Deo. Faciunt enim homines voluntatem suam, non Dei, quando faciunt quod volunt, non quod jubet Deus: quando autem ita faciunt quod volunt, ut tamen sequantur voluntatem Dei, non faciunt voluntatem suam, quamvis quod volunt faciant. Volens fac quod juberis; atque ita et hoc facies quod vis, et non voluntatem tuam facies, sed jubentis.
Quid ergo? Sicut audio, ita judico. Audit Filius, et demonstrat ei Pater, et videt Filius Patrem facientem. Et ista distuleramus paulo enucleatius pro viribus pertractare, si tempus nobis peracta lectione et vires remansissent. Si dicam me posse loqui adhuc, forte vos audire jam non potestis. Item forte aviditate audiendi dicitis, Possumus. Melius est ergo ut ego infirmitatem meam fatear, quia jam fatigatus loqui non possum, quam ut vobis jam bene satiatis, adhuc infundam quod non bene digeratis. Proinde hujus promissionis quam ad hodiernum tempus, si superesset, distuleram, tenete me adjuvante Domino in crastinum debitorem.