Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 89
89.0 On the words of the Gospel, John x. 30, ‘I and the Father are one.’ PL 38, 769
[CXXXIX. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, John x. 30, “I and the Father are one.”
89.1 On the words of the Gospel, John x. 30, ‘I and the Father are one.’ PL 38, 769
1. Ye have heard what the Lord God, Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, born of God the Father without any mother, and born of a Virgin mother without any human father, said, “I and My Father are One.” Receive ye this, believe it in such wise that ye may attain to understand it. For faith ought to go before understanding, that understanding may be the reward of faith. For the Prophet hath said most expressly, “Unless ye believe, ye shall not understand.” What then is simply preached is to be believed; what is with exactness discussed, is to be understood. At first then to imbue your minds with faith we preach to you Christ, the Only Son of God the Father. Why is added, “The Only Son”? Because He whose Only Son He is, hath many sons by grace. All the rest then, all saints are sons of God by grace, He Alone by Nature. They who are sons of God by grace are not What the Father is. And no saint hath ever dared to say, what that Only Son saith, “I and My Father are One.” Is He not then our Father too? If He be not our Father, how say we when we pray, “Our Father, which art in heaven”? But we are sons whom He hath made sons by His Own will, not begotten as sons of His Own Nature. And in truth He hath begotten us too, but as it is said, as adopted ones, begotten by the favour of His adoption, not by Nature. And this too are we called, for that “God hath called us into the adoption of sons;” we are though adopted, men. He is called the Only Son, the Only Begotten, in that, He is That which the Father is; but we are men, The Father is God. In then that He is That which the Father is; He said, and said truly, “I and My Father are One.” What is, “are One”? Are of one Nature. What is, “are One”? Are of one Substance.
Christus quomodo Dei Patris Unicus. Dominus Deus, Jesus Christus, Filius De. unicus, natus de Deo Patre sine aliqua matre, et natus de virgine matre sine homine patre, audistis quid dixerit: Ego et Pater unum sumus. Sic accipite hoc, sic credite, ut mereamini intelligere. Fides enim debet praecedere intellectum, ut sit intellectus fidei praemium. Propheta enim apertissime dixit, Nisi credideritis, non intelligetis . Quod ergo simpliciter praedicatur, credendum est: quod subtiliter disputatur, intelligendum est. Primitus ergo ad imbuendas vestras mentes per fidem praedicamus vobis Christum Dei Patris unicum. Quare additur, Unicum? Quia cujus est Unicus multos filios habet gratia. Caeteri ergo omnes sancti filii Dei sunt gratia, solus ille natura. Qui gratia filii sunt, non sunt quod Pater. Denique nullus sanctorum ausus est dicere, quod ille Unicus ait, Ego et Pater unum sumus. Numquid non Pater est et noster? Si non est Pater noster, quomodo dicimus orantes, Pater noster qui es in coelis ? Sed nos filii sumus, quos voluntate sua filios fecit, non ex natura sua filios genuit. Genuit quidem et nos, sed quomodo dicitur, adoptatos, adoptantis generatos beneficio, non natura. Denique et hoc dicti sumus, quia vocavit nos Deus in adoptionem filiorum : homines adoptati sumus. Ille dicitur Unicus, Unigenitus; quia hoc est quod Pater: nos autem homines sumus, Deus est Pater. Quia ergo ille hoc est quod Pater, dixit, et verum dixit, Ego et Pater unum sumus? Quid est, unum sumus? Unius naturae sumus. Quid est, unum sumus? Unius substantiae sumus.
89.2 PL 38, 770
2. Peradventure, ye but imperfectly understand what “of one Substance” is. Take we pains that ye may understand it; may God assist both me who speak, and you that hear; me, that I may speak such things as are true and fit for you; and you, that before and above all things ye may believe; and then that ye may understand as best ye can. What then is “of One Substance”? Let me make use of similitudes to you, that what is imperfectly understood may be made clear by example. As, suppose, God is gold. His Son is gold also. If similitudes ought not to be given for heavenly things from things earthly, how is it written, “Now the Rock was Christ”? So then, Whatsoever the Father is, This is the Son also; as I have said, for example, “The Father is gold, the Son is gold.” For he who says, “The Son is not of the Very Substance which the Father is;” what else says he but, “The Father is gold, the Son is silver”? If the Father be gold, and the Son silver; the Only Son hath degenerated from the Father. A man begets a man; of what substance the father is who begets, of the same substance is the Son who is begotten. What is, “of the same substance”? The one is a man, and the other is a man; the one hath a soul; so hath the other a soul; the one hath a body, so hath the other a body; what one is, that is the other.
Filius Dei et Pater sunt unius substantiae. Forte minus intelligitis quid est unius substantiae. Laboremus, ut intelligatis adjuvet Deus et me loquentem, et vos audientes: me, ut ea dicam quae vera sunt et apta sunt vobis; vos autem, ante omnia et praecipue ut credatis; deinde ut quomodo potestis intelligatis. Quid est ergo, unius substantiae? Similitudines vobis adhibeam, ut quod minus intelligitur, exemplo clarescat. Utputa, aurum est Deus, aurum est et Filius ejus. De terrenis si ad coelestia non sunt dandae similitudines, quomodo scriptum est, Petra autem erat Christus ? Ergo quidquid est Pater, hoc est et Filius: sicut dixi, verbi gratia, Aurum est Pater, aurum est Filius. Nam qui dicit, Non est ipsius substantiae Filius cujus est Pater: quid aliud dicit nisi, Aurum est Pater, argentum est Filius? Si aurum est Pater, argentum est Filius; degeneravit a Patre unicus Filius. Homo hominem generat: cujus substantiae est pater qui generat, ipsius substantiae? est filius qui generatur. Quid est, ipsius substantiae, Homo est ille, homo et ille: animam habet ille, animam et ille: carnem habet ille, carnem et ille: quod est ille, hoc et ille.
89.3 PL 38, 770
3. But the Arian heresy makes answer, and says. What says it to me? “Mark what thou hast said”? What have I said? “That the Son of a man may be compared to the Son of God.” Certainly he may be compared; but not as you suppose, in strictness of expression; but for a similitude. But tell me now what you would make of this. “Do you not see,” says he, “that the father who begets is greater in age, and the son who is begotten less? How then say ye? tell me; how then say ye, that the Father and the Son, God and Christ, are equal; when ye see that when a man begets a son, the son is less, and the father greater?” Thou wise one, in eternity thou art looking for times; where there are no times, thou art looking for differences of age! When the father is greater in age, and the son less, both are in time; the one groweth, for that the other groweth old. For by nature, the man, the father, did not beget one less, by nature, as I said, but by age. Wouldest thou know, how that by nature he did not beget one less? Wait, let him grow, and he will be equal to his father. For a little boy even by growing attains to his father’s full size. Whereas you assert that the Son of God is in such wise born less, as never to grow, and by growing even to attain to His Father’s size. Now then a man’s son born of a man, is born in a better condition than the Son of God. How? Because the former grows, and attains to his father’s size. But Christ, if it is as ye say, is in such wise born less, as that He must ever remain less, and no growth of years at least is to be looked for here. Thus then you say that there is a diversity in nature. But why say you so, but because you will not believe the Son to be of the Same Substance which the Father is? Finally, first acknowledge that He is of the Same Substance, and so call Him less. Consider the case of a man, he is a man. What is his substance? He is a man. What is he whom he begets? He is less, but he is a man. The age is unequal, the nature equal. Do you then say too, “What the Father is, That is the Son, but the Son is less”? Say so, make a step forward, say, “of the Same Substance, only less;” and you will get to His being equal. For it is not a little step you take, it is not a little approach you make to the truth, of acknowledging Him equal, if you shall acknowledge Him to be of the Same Substance, though less. “But He is not of the Same Substance,” this you say. So then in that you say this, here is gold and silver; what you say is as if a man were to beget a horse. For a man is of one substance, a horse of another. If then the Son is of another substance than the Father, the Father hath begotten a monster. For when a creature, that is a woman, gives birth to anything that is not a man, it is called a monster. But that it be not a monster, he that is born is that which he is that begat him, that is, a man and a man, a horse and a horse, a dove and a dove, a sparrow and a sparrow.
Arianorum objectio. Sed respondet mihi et dicit haeresis Ariana. Quid mihi dicit? Attende quod dixisti. Quid dixi? Quia filius hominis comparandus est Filio Dei. Plane comparandus: sed non, ut putas, ad proprietatem; sed ad similitudinem. Tu autem quidvis hinc facere, dic. Non vides, dicit, quia major est pater qui genuit, et minor est filius qui generatus est? Quomodo ergo vos dicitis, dicite mihi: quomodo ergo vos dicitis quia aequales sunt Pater et Filius, Deus et Christus; cum videatis quia homo quando generat filium, minor est filius, et major est pater? Homo sapiens, in aeternitate tempora inquiris; ubi non sunt tempora, quaeris aetates, Quando major est pater, minor est filius, ambo temporales sunt: ille crescit, quia ille senescit. Nam per naturam homo pater, per naturam, ut dixi, non genuit minorem; sed per aetatem. Vis nosse quia per naturam non genuit minorem? Exspecta, crescat, et patri erit aequalis. Puer enim parvulus vel crescendo pervenit ad magnitudinem patris sui. Tu autem sic dicis minorem Dei Filium natum, ut nunquam crescat et ad sui Patris magnitudinem vel crescendo perveniat. Jam ergo filius hominis natus ex homine, meliore conditione natus est quam Filius Dei. Quomodo? Quia ipse crescit, et pervenit ad magnitudinem patris sui. Christus autem, sicut dicitis, ideo minor natus est, ut remaneat minor, et non sit exspectandus saltem aetatis accessus. Sic ergo dicis, quia est in natura diversitas. Sed quare hoc dicis, nisi quia non vis ejusdem substantiae credere Filium, cujus substantiae est Pater? Postremo prius confitere ipsius esse substantiae, et dic minorem. Attende hominem, homo est. Quae est substantia ejus? Homo est. Quid ille quem generat? Minor est, sed homo est. Aetas dispar est, aequalis natura est. Dic et tu: Quod est Pater, hoc est Filius, sed minor est Filius. Dic, fac gradum, dic ejusdem substantiae, sed minorem, et pervenis ad aequalem. Non enim parum accedis, non parum propinquas veritati, qua confitearis aequalem, si ejusdem substantiae confessus fueris et minorem. Sed non est ejusdem substantiae, hoc dicis. Ergo quia hoc dicis, Aurum est et argentum: tale est quod dicis, quale si homo generaret equum. Alterius enim substantiae est homo, alterius equus. Si ergo Filius alterius substantiae est quam Pater, monstrum generavit Pater. Quando enim creatura, id est, mulier parit quod non est homo, monstrum dicitur. Ut autem non sit monstrum, hoc est qui natus est, quod est ille qui genuit; id est, homo et homo, equus et equus, columba et columba, passer et passer.
89.4 PL 38, 771
4. To His creatures hath He given to beget that which they are. To His creatures, to mortal, earthly creatures, hath God given, hath granted to beget that which they are; and thinkest thou that He hath not been able to reserve this for Himself, He who is before all ages? Should He who hath no beginning of time, beget a son, different from That which Himself is, beget a degenerate son? Hear ye how great a blasphemy it is to say, that the Only Son of God is of another substance. Most certainly if He is so, He is degenerate. If you should say to any child of man, “Thou art degenerate,” how great an offence is it! And yet in what sense is any child of man said to be degenerate? As, for example, his father is brave, he is a poltroon and a coward. If any one sees him, and would rebuke him, as he thinks of his brave father, what does he say to him? “Get thee hence, thou degenerate one!” What is “degenerate one”? “Thy father was a brave man, and thou tremblest through fear.” He to whom this is said, is degenerate by some fault, by nature he is equal. What is, “by nature he is equal”? He is a man, which his father also is. But the one brave, the other a coward; the one bold, the other timid; yet both men. By some fault then he is degenerate, not by nature. But when you say, that the Only Son, the One Son of the Father, is degenerate, you say nought else, but that He is not What the Father is; and you do not say, that having been already born, He has become degenerate; but He was begotten so. Who can endure this blasphemy? If they could in any sort whatever see this blasphemy, they would fly from it, and become catholics.
Quanta blasphemia dicere Filium Dei alterius substantiae. Creaturis suis dedit, ut quod sunt, hoc generent. Creaturis suis dedit Deus, creaturis mortalibus, terrenis dedit, donavit, ut hoc quod sunt generent; et putas quia hoc sibi non potuit ipse servare, qui est ante saecula? Qui non habet initium temporis, generaret filium non hoc quod ipse est, generaret degenerem? Audite quanta blasphemia sit dicere, unicum Dei Filium alterius esse substantiae. Prorsus si ita est, degener est. Si dicas alicui filio hominis, Degener es; quanta injuria est? Et quomodo dicitur filius hominis degener? Utputa, pater ipsius fortis est, ille timidus et ignavus. Quicumque illum viderit, et vult corripere, attendens patrem ipsius virum fortem, quid ei dicit? Porro vade, degener. Quid est, degener? Fortis vir fuit pater tuus, et tu timore contremiscis. Ille cui hoc dicitur, vitio degener est, natura par est. Quid est, natura par est? Homo est, quod est et pater ipsius. Sed ille fortis, ille ignavus; ille audax, ille timidus: tamen homo et homo. Vitio ergo degener est, non natura. Tu quando dicis unicum Filium, unum Patris Filium degenerem esse, non aliud dicis, nisi quia non hoc est quod Pater: et non jam natus, degener factus est dicis; sed generatus est. Istam blasphemiam quis ferat? Qualibuscumque oculis si istam blasphemiam videre possent, fugerent eam, et catholici fierent.
89.5 PL 38, 772
5. But what shall I say, Brethren? Let us not be angry with them; but pray we for them, that God would give them understanding; for peradventure they were born so. What is, were born so? They receive what they hold from their parents. They prefer their birth to the truth. Let them become what they are not, that they may be able to keep what they are; that is, let them become catholics, that they may keep their nature as men; that the creation of God in them perish not, let the grace of God be added to them. For they imagine that by their outrage of the Son they honour the Father. When you say to him, “Thou blasphemest;” he answers, “Why do I blaspheme?” “In that thou sayest that the Son is not what the Father is.” And he answers me, “Yea, it is thou who blasphemest.” Why? “Because thou wouldest make the Son equal to the Father.” “I do wish to make the Son equal with the Father, but is this to make a stranger equal? The Father rejoiceth when I equal with Him His Only Son; He rejoiceth because He is not envious. And because God is not envious of His Only Son, therefore did He beget Him Such as He is Himself. Thou doest wrong both to the Son, and to the Father Himself, for whose honour thou wouldest do outrage to the Son. For in truth for this reason dost thou say that the Son is not of the Same Substance, lest thou shouldest do wrong to His Father. I will soon show thee, that thou doest wrong to both.” “How?” saith he. “If I say to any man’s son, Thou art degenerate, thou art not like thy father; degenerate, thou art not what thy father is. The son hears it, and is angry, and says, ‘Was I then born degenerate?’ The father hears it, and is more angry still. And in his anger what says he? ‘Have I then begotten a degenerate son? If I then be one thing, and I have begotten another, I have begotten a monster.’ What is it then, that whereas thou wishest to pay honour to the One by doing outrage to the Other, thou doest outrage to Both? Thou offendest the Son, but thou wilt not propitiate the Father. When thou honourest the Father by outraging the Son, thou offendest both the Son and the Father. From whom wilt thou fly? to whom wilt thou fly? When the Father is angry with thee, dost thou fly to the Son? What doth He say to thee? ‘To whom dost thou fly, to Me, whom thou hast made degenerate?’ When the Son is offended, dost thou run to the Father? He too saith to thee; ‘To whom dost thou fly, to Me who, thou hast said, have begotten a degenerate Son?’” Let this suffice for you; hold it fast, commit it to memory, inscribe it in your faith. But that ye may understand it, pour out your prayers to God, the Father and the Son, who are One.
Ariani per Filii injuriam Patrem falso honorant. Sed quid dicam, fratres? Non eis irascamur: sed pro eis oremus ut det eis Dominus intellectum; quia forte hoc nati sunt. Quid est, hoc nati sunt? Hoc acceperunt a parentibus suis, quod tenent. Praeponunt genus veritati. Fiant quod non sunt, ut possint servare quod sunt: hoc est fiant catholici, ut possint servare quod homines sunt: ut non in illis pereat Dei creatura, accedat Dei gratia. Putant enim quia Patrem honorent per contumeliam Filii. Quando illi dixeris, Blasphemas: respondet, Quare blasphemo? Quia dicis Filium non hoc esse, quod Pater est. Et ille mihi: Imo tu blasphemas. Quare? Quia aequare vis Patri Filium. Aequare volo Patri Filium, numquid extraneum? Gaudet Pater, quando illi aequo Filium unicum: gaudet, quia non invidet. Et Deus quia Filio unico non invidet, ideo hoc quod ipse est generavit. Tu et Filio facis injuriam, et ipsi Patri, in cujus honorem vis contumeliam facere Filio. Certe enim ideo dicis non esse ejusdem substantiae Filium, ne injuriam facias Patri ipsius. Ego tibi cito ostendo quia injuriam facis ambobus. Quomodo, inquit? Si dicam filio alicujus, Degener, non est similis patri tuo: degener, non hoc es quod pater. Audit illud filius, et irascitur, et dicit: Ergo degener natus sum? Audit illud pater, et plus irascitur. Iratus autem quid dicit? Ergo ego filium degenerem generavi? Ergo si aliud sum, aliud generavi, monstrum generavi. Quid est, quia cum vis uni deferre per alterius injuriam, ambobus facis injuriam? Filium offendis, sed Patrem non propitiabis. Cum de Filii contumelia honoras Patrem, et Filium offendis et Patrem. A quo fugis? ad quem fugis? Numquid irascente tibi Patre fugis ad Filium? Quid tibi dicit? Ad quem fugis, quem degenerem fecisti? Numquid offenso Filio curris ad Patrem? Dicit et ipse tibi: Ad quem fugis, quem degenerem genuisse dixisti? Sufficiat vobis; hoc tenete, hoc memoriae commendate, hoc in vestra fide conscribite. Hoc autem ut intelligatis, ad Deum Patrem et Filium, qui unum sunt, preces fundite.