Catana Glutea. COMMENTARY OK THE FOUR GOSPELS, COLLECTED OUT OF THE WORKS OF THE FATHERS S. THOMAS AQUINAS. ST. JOHN. NEW EDITION. ©xforij attü Hontion: JAMES PARKER AND CO. 1874.2.2-6 T 3éc.£ V, (i"- COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. CHAP. I. Ver. 1. In the beginning was the Word. Chrys. While all the other Evangelists begin with the chrys. Incarnation, John, passing over the Conception, Nativity, education, and growth, speaks immediately of the Eternal Joan. Generation, saying, In the beginning was the Word. Aijg. Aug. lib. The Greek word “logos” signifies both Word and Reason, q**1”* But in this passage it is better to interpret it Word; as q. 63. referring not only to the Father, but to the creation of things by the operative power of the Word; whereas Reason, though it produce nothing, is still rightly called Reason. Aug. Words by their daily use, sound, and passage out of us, Aug. have become common things. But there is a word which Tract-remaineth inward, in the very man himself; distinct from Joan. i. the sound which proceedeth out of the mouth. There is c* 8* a word, which is truly and spiritually that, which you understand by the sound, not being the actual sound. Now who- de Trin. ever can conceive the notion of word, as existing not only ]c* ^ before its sound, but even before the idea of its sound is formed, may see enigmatically, and as it were in a glass, some similitude of that Word of Which it is said, In the beginning was the Word. For when we give expression to something which we know, the word used is necessarily derived from the knowledge thus retained in the memory, and must be of the same quality with that knowledge. For a word is a thought formed from a thing which we know; which word is spoken in the heart, being neither Greek nor Latin, nor of any language, though, when we want to communicate it to others, some sign is assumed by which to express it. . . YOL. IV. B2 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. ibid. cap. Wherefore the word which sounds externally, is a sign of the 20* (X1*^ word which lies hid within, to which the name of word more truly appertains. For that which is uttered by the mouth of our flesh, is the voice of the word; and is in fact called word, with reference to that from which it is taken, when it is developed externally. Basil. This Word is not a human word. For how was there a human word in the beginning, when man received his being last of all? There was not then any word of man in the beginning, nor yet of Angels; for every creature is within the limits of time, having its beginning of existence from the Creator. But what says the Gospel? It calls the Only-Begotten Himself the Word. Chrys. But why omitting the Father, does he proceed at once to speak of the Son ? Because the Father was known Li.] §• 4. to all; though not as the Father, yet as God; whereas the Only*Begotten was not known. As was meet then, he endeavours first of all to inculcate the knowledge of the Son on those who knew Him not; though neither in discoursing on Him, is he altogether silent on the Father. And inasmuch as he was about to teach that the Word was the Only-Be-irae^v gotten Son of God, that no one might think this a passible generation, he makes mention of the Word in the first place, in order to destroy the dangerous suspicion, and shew that the Son was from God impassibly. And a second reason is, John 15, that He was to declare unto us the things of the Father. lo' But he does not speak of the Word simply, but with the addition of the article, in order to distinguish It from other words. For Scripture calls God’s laws and commandments words; but this Word is a certain Substance, or Person, an Essence, coming forth impassibly from the Father Himself. Ba T. Basil. Wherefore then Word ? Because born impassibly, the princ* m Ima£e of Him that begat, manifesting all the Father in Him-Joan. c. 3. self; abstracting from Him nothing, but existing perfect in Aug. xv. Himself. Aug. As our knowledge differs from God’s, so 22 ^xiii ) does our worc^ arises from our knowledge, differ from that Word of God, which is born of the Father’s essence; we might say, from the Father’s knowledge, the Father’s wisdom, or, more correctly, the Father Who is Knowledge, the Father Who is Wisdom. The Word of God then, the c.23 (xiv.) Only-Begotten Son of the Father, is in all things like and Basil, Horn, in princ. Joan. Chrys. Horn, in Joan. ii.VER. 1. ST. JOHN. 3 equal to the Father; being altogether what the Father is, yet not the Father; because the one is the Son, the other the Father. And thereby He knoweth all things which the Father knoweth; yet His knowledge is from the Father, even as is His being: for knowing and being are the same with Him; and so as the Father's being is not from the Son, so neither is His knowing. Wherefore the Father begat the Word equal to Himself in all things as uttering forth Himself. For had there been more or less in His Word than in Himself, He would not have uttered Himself fully and perfectly. With respect however to our own inner word, which we find, in whatever sense, to be like the Word, let us not object to see how very unlike it is also. A word is a forma- cap. 25. tion of our mind going to take place, but not yet made, and ^xv*^ something in our mind which we toss to and fro in a slippery circuitous way, as one thing and another is discovered, or occurs to our thoughts. When this, which we toss to and fro, has reached the subject of our knowledge, and been formed therefrom, when it has assumed the most exact likeness to it, and the conception has quite answered to the thing; then we have a true word. Who may not see how great the difference is here from that Word of God, which exists in the Form of God in such wise, that It could not have been first going to be formed, and afterwards formed, nor can ever have been unformed, being a Form absolute, and absolutely equal to Him from Whom It is. Wherefore in speaking of the Word of God here nothing is said about thought in God; lest we should think there was any thing revolving in God, which might first receive form in order to be a Word, and afterwards lose it, and be carried round and round again in an unformed state. Aug. Now the Word Au^r. de of God is a Form, not a formation, but the Form of all forms, a Form unchangeable, removed from accident, from Serm. 38. failure, from time, from space, surpassing all things, and existing in all things as a kind of foundation underneath, and summit above them. Basil. Yet has our outward Basil, word some similarity to the Divine Word. For our word in declares the whole conception of the mind; since what we Joan.c.3. conceive in the mind we bring out in word. Indeed our heart is as it were the source, and the uttered word the b 24 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Chrys. stream which flows therefrom. Chrys. Observe the spiritual Hom*1# wisdom of the Evangelist. He knew that men honoured most what was most ancient, and that honouring what is before every thing else, they conceived of it as God. On this account he mentions first the beginning, saying, In the begin-Orig. tom. ning was the Word. Origen. There are many significations c 16Jetsq °f ^is word beginning. For there is a beginning of a jour-Prov. 16. ney, and beginning of a length, according to Proverbs, Viilg. j>fie beginning 0f the right path is to do justice. There is Job 40,19. a beginning too of a creation, according to Job, He is the 1 chief of, beginning1 of the ways of God. Nor would it be incor-dpkim1111 re°t say, that God is the Beginning of all things. The Vulg. pre-existent material again, where supposed to be original, out of which any thing is produced, is considered as the Col. l, 18. beginning. There is a beginning also in respect of form: as where Christ is the beginning of those who are made according to the image of God. And there is a beginning Heb.5,12. of doctrine, according to Hebrews; When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you agdftn which be the first principles of the oracles of God. For there are two kinds of beginning of doctrine: one in itself, the other relative to us; as if we should say that Christ, in that He is the Wisdom and Word of God, was in Himself the beginning of wisdom, but to us, in that He was the Word c. 22. incarnate. There being so many significations then of the word, we may take it as the Beginning through Whom, i.e. the Maker; for Christ is Creator as The Beginning, in that He is Wisdom; so that the Word is in the beginning, i.e. in Wisdom; the Saviour being all these excellences at once. As life then is in the Word, so the Word is in the Beginning, that is to say, in Wisdom. Consider then if it be possible according to this signification to understand the Beginning, as meaning that all things are made according to Wisdom, and the patterns contained therein; or, inasmuch as the Beginning of the Son is the Father, the Beginning of all creatures and existencies, to understand by the text, Aug. de In the beginning was the Word, that the Son, the Word, was c T(iij *n Beginning, that is, in the Father. Aug. Or, In the Basil. beginning, as if it were said, before all things. Basil. The j rinc! Holy Ghost foresaw that men would arise, who should envy J oan.VER. 1. ST. JOHN. 5 the glory of the Only-Begotten, subverting their hearers by sophistry; as if because He were begotten, He was not; and before He was begotten, He was not. That none might presume then to babble such things, the Holy Ghost saith, In the beginning was the Word. Hilary. Years, centuries, ages, are passed over, place what beginning thou wilt in thy imagining, thou graspest it not in time, for He, from Whom it is derived, still was. Chrys. As then when our ship is near shore, cities and port pass in survey before us, which on the open sea vanish, and leave nothing whereon to fix the eye; so the Evangelist here, taking us with him in his flight above the created world, leaves the eye to gaze in vacancy on an illimitable expanse. For the words, was in the beginning, are significative of eternal and infinite essence. Aug. They sav, however, if He is the Son, He was born. We allow it. They rejoin: if the Son was born to the Father, the Father was, before the Son was born to Him. This the Faith rejects. Then they say, explain to us how the Son could be born from the Father, and yet be coeval with Him from whom He is born: for sons are born after their fathers, to succeed them on their death. They adduce analogies from nature; and we must endeavour likewise to do the same for our doctrine. But how can we find in nature a coeternal, when we cannot find an eternal? However, if a thing generating and a thing generated can be found any where coeval, it will be a help to forming a notion of coeternals. Now Wisdom herself is called in the Scriptures, the brightness of Everlasting Light, the image of the Father. Hence then let us take our comparison, and from coevals form a notion of coeternals. Now no one doubts that brightness proceeds from fire: fire then we may consider the father of the brightness. Presently, when I light a candle, at the same instant with the fire, brightness ariseth. Give me the fire without the brightness, and I will with thee believe that the Father was without the Son. An image is produced by a mirror. The image exists as soon as the beholder appears; yet the beholder existed before he came to the mirror. Let us suppose then a twig, or a blade of grass which has grown up by the water side. Is it not born with its image? If there had always been the twig, there would Hilar, ii. de Trin. c. 13. Chrys. Horn, i Aug. de verb. Dom. Serm. 38. [117.] §. 6. Wisd. 7, 26.6 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Gest. Cone. Eph. always have been the image proceeding from the twig. And whatever is from another thing, is born. So then that which generates may be coexistent from eternity with that which is generated from it. But some one will say perhaps, Well, I understand now the eternal Father, the coeternal Son: yet the Son is like the emitted brightness, which is less brilliant than the fire, or the reflected image, which is less real than the twig. Not so : there is complete equality between Father and Son. I do not believe, he says; for thou hast found nothing whereto to liken it. However, perhaps we can find something in nature by which we may understand that the Son is both coeternal with the Father, and in no respect inferior also: though we cannot find any one material of comparison that will be sufficient singly, and must therefore join together two, one of which has been employed by our adversaries, the other by ourselves. For they have drawn their comparison from things which are preceded in time by the things which they spring from, man, for example, from man. Nevertheless, man is of the same substance with man. We have then in that nativity an equality of nature ; an equality of time is wanting. But in the comparison which we have drawn from the brightness of fire, and the reflexion of a twig, an equality of nature thou dost not find, of time thou dost. In the Godhead then there is found as a whole, what here exists in single and separate parts; and that which is in the creation, existing in a manner suitable to the Creator. Ex Gestis Concilii Ephesini. Wherefore in one place divine Scripture calls Him the Son, in another the Word, in another the Brightness of the Father; names severally meant to guard against blasphemy. For, forasmuch as thy son is of the same nature with thyself, the Scripture wishing to shew that the Substance of the Father and the Son is one, sets forth the Son of the Father, born of the Father, the Only-Begotten. Next, since the terms birth and son, convey the idea of passibleness, therefore it calls the Son the Word, declaring by that name the impassibility of His Nativity. But inasmuch as a father with us is necessarily older than his son, lest thou shouldest think that this applied to the Divine nature as well, it calls the Only-Begotten the Brightness of the Father; for brightness, thoughVER. 1. ST. JOHN. 7 arising from the sun, is not posterior to it. Understand then that Brightness, as revealing the coeternity of the Son with the Father; Word as proving the impassibility of His birth, and Son as conveying His consubstantiality. Chrys. But chrys. they say that In the beginning does not absolutely express l? eternity: for that the same is said of the heaven and the[ii.]§. 2. earth : In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. Gen. 1,1. But are not made and was, altogether different ? For in like manner as the word is, when spoken of man, signifies the present only, but when applied to God, that which always and eternally is; so too was, predicated of our nature, signifies the past, but predicated of God, eternity. Origen. The Orig. verb to be, has a double signification, sometimes expressing the motions which take place in time, as other verbs do; sometimes the substance of that one thing of which it is predicated, without reference to time. Hence it is also called a substantive verb. Hilary. Consider then the world, un- Hilar, ii. derstand what is written of it. In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. Whatever therefore is created is made in the beginning, and thou wouldest contain in time, what, as being to be made, is contained in the beginning. But, lo, for me, an illiterate unlearned fisherman is indepen- mens pis-dent of time, unconfined by ages, advanceth beyond all be-ginnings. For the Word was, what it is, and is not bounded by any time, nor commenced therein, seeing It was not made in the beginning, but was. Alcuin. To refute those who inferred from Christ's Birth in time, that He had not been from everlasting, the Evangelist begins with the eternity of the Word, saying, In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. Chrys. Because it is an especial attribute of God to be chrys. eternal and without a beginning, he laid this down first: then, lest any one on hearing in the beginning was the Word, should suppose the Word Unbegotten, he instantly guarded against this; saying, And the Word was with God. Hilary. Hilar, ii. From the beginning He is with God: and though inde-de rrin* pendent of time, is not independent of an Author. Basil. Basil. Again he repeats this, was, because of men blasphemously pr°nc'# Joan. §. 48 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Orig. Horn. ii. in Joan, c. 1. 1 factum Vulg. came E. . Chrys. Horn. iii. Theoph. in loco. Hilar, ii. de Trin. c. 15. saying, that there was a time when He was not. Where then was the Word? Illimitable things are not contained in space. Where was He then? With God. For neither is the Father bounded by place, nor the Son by aught circumscribing. Origen. It is worth while noting, that, whereas the Word is said to come1 [be made] to some, as to Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, with God it is not made, as though it were not with Him before. But, the Word having been always with Him, it is said, and the Word was with God: for from the beginning it was not separate from the Father. Chrys. He has not said, was in God, but was with God : exhibiting to us that eternity which He had in accordance with His Person. Theophyl. Sabellius is overthrown by this text. For he asserts that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one Person, Who sometimes appeared as the Father, sometimes as the Son, sometimes as the Holy Ghost. But he is manifestly confounded by this text, and the Word was with God; for here the Evangelist declares that the Son is one Person, God the Father another. And the Word was God. Hilary. Thou wilt say, that a word is the sound of the voice, the enunciation of a thing, the expression of a thought: this Word was in the beginning with God, because the utterance of thought is eternal, when He who thinketh is eternal. But how was that in the beginning, which exists no time either before, or after, I doubt even whether in time at all ? For speech is neither in existence before one speaks, nor after; in the very act of speaking it vanishes; for by the time a speech is ended, that from which it began does not exist. But even if the first sentence, in the beginning was the Word, was through thy inattention lost upon thee, why disputest thou about the next; and the Word was with God? Didst thou hear it said, “In God,” so that thou shouldest understand this Word to be only the expression of hidden thoughts? Or did John say with by mistake, and was not aware of the distinction between being in and being with, when he said, that what was in the beginning, was not in God, but with God? Hear then the nature and name ofVER. 1. ST. JOHNT. 9 the Word; and the Word was God. No more then of the sound of the voice, of the expression of the thought. The Word here is a Substance, not a sound; a Nature, not an expression; God, not a nonentity. Hilary. But the title is Hilar. vii4 absolute, and free from the offence of an extraneous subject, To Moses it is said, I have given1 thee for a god to Pharaoh: Exod. 7,1. but is not the reason for the name added, when it is said, to ^ y* jg Pharaoh ? Moses is given for a god to Pharaoh, when he is made, feared, when he is entreated, when he punishes, when he b* heals. And it is one thing to be given for a god, another thing to be God. I remember too another application of the name in the Psalms, I have said, ye are gods. But ps. 82 there too it is implied that the title was but bestowed; and the introduction of, I said, makes it rather the phrase of the Speaker, than the name of the thing. But when I hear the Word was God, I not only hear the Word said to be, but perceive It proved to be, God. Basil. Thus cutting off Basil, the cavils of blasphemers, and those who ask what the .llom: 1# , in princ. Word is, he replies, and the Word was God. Theophyl. Joan. c. 4 Or combine it thus. Prom the Word being with God, it follows plainly that there are two Persons. But these two are of one Nature; and therefore it proceeds, In the Word was God: to shew that Father and Son are of One Nature, being of One Godhead. Origen. We must add too, that orig. the Word illuminates the Prophets with Divine wisdom, in that He cometh to them; but that with God He ever in princ. is, because He is Goda. For which reason he placed and the Word was with God, before and the Word was God. Ciirys. Not asserting, as Plato does, one to be intelli- chrys. gence1, the other soul2; for the Divine Nature is very dif- £ ferent from this.........But you say, the Father is called * vovs^ God with the addition of the article, the Son without it. ivf3. What say you then, when the Apostle writes, The great Tit. 2,13. God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; and again, Who isR0m.9 5. over all, God; and Grace be unto you and peace from God Rom. 1,7. a The Greek has, 7rpbs Se top Sebv equally present with God. S. Thomas 0 ®ebs icrrl Tvyxai'cov, airb tov elvai Trpus avoids the apparent tautology in the avTou, lit. “ hut with God, God is pre- original by substituting “ apud Deum sent at all times, because He is with vero est Verbum obtinere ab eo quod Him,” i.e. tvyxdpeiv and eXvou are one sit Deus,” with God. The Word, as God, is alwaysHilar, ii. de Trin. c. 16. Chrys. Horn. iv. [iii-i §• 1 vibid. 3. rb br]fu~ ovpyutbv Orig. tom. ii. in Joan, c. 4. 10 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. X. our Father; without the article ? Besides, too, it were superfluous here, to affix what had been affixed just before. So that it does not follow, though the article is not affixed to the Son, that He is therefore an inferior God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. Hilary. Whereas he had said, the Word was God, the fearfulness, and strangeness of the speech disturbed me; the prophets having declared that God was One. But, to quiet my apprehensions, the fisherman reveals the scheme of this so great mystery, and refers all to one, without dishonour, without obliterating [the Person], without reference to timeb, saying, The Same was in the beginning with God; with One Unbegotten God, from whom He is, the One Only-begotten God. Theophyl. Again, to stop any diabolical suspicion, that the Word, because He was God, might have rebelled against His Father, as certain Gentiles fable, or, being separate, have become the antagonist of the Father Himself, he says, The Same was in the beginning with God; that is to say, this Word of God never existed separate from God. Chrys. Or, lest hearing that In the beginning was the Word, you should regard It as eternal, but yet understand the Father's Life to have some degree of priority, he has introduced the words, The Same was in the beginning with God. For God was never solitary, apart from Him, but always God with God. Or forasmuch as he said, the Word was God, that no one might think the Divinity of the Son inferior, he immediately subjoins the marks of proper Divinity, in that he both again mentions Eternity, The Same was in the beginning with God; and adds His attribute of Creator, All things were made by Him. Origen. Or thus, the Evangelist having begun with those propositions, reunites them into one, saying, The Same was in the beginning with God. For in the first of the three we learnt in what the Word was, that it was in the beginning; in the second, with whom, with God; in the third who the b Since He was 1. “in the begin- nor 3. inexisting in God only, so as ring,” and 2. “God,” and 3. “with to confound or destroy the Personality. God,” He was 1. not “ in time,” nor [from S. Hil. 1. c.] 2 a word, but The Word, (see p. 8,)VER. 3. ST. JOHN. 11 Word was, God. Having, then, by the term, The Same, set before us in a manner God the Word of Whom he had spoken, he collects all into the fourth proposition, viz. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; into, the Same was in the beginning with God. It may be asked, however, why it is not said, In the beginning was the Word of God, and the Word of God was with God, and the Word of God was God? Now whoever will admit that truth is one, must needs admit also that the demonstration of truth, that is, wisdom, is one. But if truth is one, and wisdom is one, the Word which enunciates truth and developes wisdom in those who are capable of receiving it, must be One also. And therefore it would have been out of place here to have said, the Word of God, as if there were other words besides that of God, a word of angels, word of men, and so on. We do not say this, to deny that It is the Word of God, but to shew the use of omitting the word God. John himself too in the Apocalypse says, And His Name is called the Rtv. 19, Word of God. Alcuin. Wherefore does he use the sub- 13‘ stantive verb, vjas? That you might understand that the Word, Which is coeternal with God the Father, was before all time. 3. All things were made by Him. Alcuin. After speaking of the nature of the Son, he proceeds to His operations, saying, All things were made by Him, i. e. every thing, whether substance or property. Hilary. Or thus: [It is said], the Word indeed was in Hilar, ii. the beginning, but it may be that He was not before the ^e1^rin* beginning. But what saith he; All things were made by Him. He is infinite by Whom every thing, which is, was made: and since all things were made by Him, time is likewise c. Chrys. Moses indeed, in the beginning of the Old Chrys. Testament, speaks to us in much detail of the natural world, ]v‘ saying, In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth; e That is to say, The text, All For He Who made all things, made things were made by Him, makes up time, and so must have existed before for the words, in the beginning, should time, i. e. from eternity, these appear to fall short of eternity.12 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. T. Aug. 1. de Gen. ad lit. cap* 2. Aug. in Joan, tract, i. c. 11. 1 Verbum Verbi ed. Ben. Dei Aq. Aug. de Trin. i. c. 9. (vi.) Theoph. in loc. and then relates how that the light, and the firmament, and the stars, and the various kinds of animals were created. But the Evangelist sums up the whole of this in a word, as familiar to his hearers; and hastens to loftier matter, making the whole of his book to bear not on the works, but on the Maker. Atjg. Since all things were made by Him, it is evident that light was also, when God said, Let there be light. And in like manner the rest. But if so, that which God said, viz. Let there be light, is eternal. For the Word of God, God with God, is coeternal with the Father, though the world created by Him be temporal. For whereas our when and sometimes are words of time, in the Word of God, on the contrary, when a thing ought to be made, is eternal; and the thing is then made, when in that Word it is that it ought to be made, which Word hath in It neither when, or at sometime, since It is all eternal. Aug. How then can the Word of God be made, when God by the Word made all things? For if the Word Itself were made, by what other Word was It made? If you say it was the Word of the Word by Which That was made, that Word I call the Only-Begotten Son of God. But if thou dost not call It the Word of the Word1, then grant that that Word was not made, by which all things were made. Aug. And if It is not made, It is not a creature; but if It is not a creature, It is of the same Substance with the Father. For every substance which is not God is a creature; and what is not a creature is God. Theophyl. The Arians are wont to say, that all things are spoken of as made by the Son, in the sense in which we say a door is made by a saw, viz. as an instrument; not that He was Himself the Maker. And so they talk of the Son as a thing made, as if He were made for this purpose, that all things might be made by Him. Now we to the inventors of this lie reply simply : If, as ye say, the Father had created the Son, in order to make use of Him as an instrument, it would appear that the Son were less honourable than the things made, just as things made by a saw are more noble than the saw itself; the saw having been made for their sake. In like way do they speak of the Father creating the Son for the sake of the things made, as if, had He thought good to create the universe, neither would He have producedVER. 3. ST. JOHN. 13 the Son. What can be more insane than such language? They argue, however, why was it not said that the Word made all things, instead of the preposition by 1 being used ? 1 For this reason, that thou mightest not understand an Unbegotten and Unoriginate Son, a rival Godd. Chrys. If the Chrys. preposition by perplex thee, and thou wouldest learn from Scripture that the Word Itself made all things, hear David, Liv*] c- 2-Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Ps. 101. earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. That he spoke this of the Only-Begotten, you learn from the Apostle, who in the Epistle to the Hebrews applies these words to the Son. Chrys. But if you say that the prophet spoke this of Chrys. the Father, and that Paul applied it to the Son, it comes to ^ the same thing. For he would not have mentioned that as applicable to the Son, unless he fully considered that the Father and the Son were of equal dignity. If again thou dream that in the preposition by any subjection is implied, why does Paul use it of the Father? as, God is faithful, by i Cor. Whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son; and 2Cor again, Paul an Apostle by the will of God. Orlgen. Here l, l. too Valentinus errs, saying, that the Word supplied to the R^cfs.0™* Creator the cause of the creation of the world e. If this interpretation is true, it should have been written that all things had their existence from the Word through the Creator, not contrariwise, through the Word from the Creator. And without Him was not any thing made. Chrys. That you may not suppose, when he says, All Chrys things were made by Himy that he meant only the things P^inc’. Moses had spoken of, he seasonably brings in, And without Him ivas not any thing made, nothing, that is, cognizable either by the senses, or the understanding. Or thus; Lest you should suspect the sentence, All things were made by Him, to refer to the miracles which the other Evangelists had related, he adds, and without Him was not any thing made. Hilary. Or thus; That all things were made by Him, is pro- Hilar, nouncing too much, it may be said. There is an Unbegotten d The text of Aug. has “et Dei con- e Tbv tt)u oXti7)v tvapexovra ttjs yeve-ditorem,” perhaps it should be, ‘ et crews tov Koa/xov rep ^/jAovpy^. Origen Deo contrarium,’ (as before “ Patri is speaking of Heracleon, a disciple of conirarium.”) Theoph. has avriQeov. Valentinus.14 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Orig. Horn. iii. in div. loc. Aug. Quæst. Test. N.V. qu. 97. Orig. in Joh. tom. ii. c. 7. Rom A, 17. Aug. in Joh. tract, i. c. 13. 1 Cor. 8, 4. Orig. tom, ii. c. 8. Who is made of none, and there is the Son Himself begotten from Him Who is TJnbegotten. The Evangelist however again implies the Author, when he speaks of Him as Associated ; saying, without Him was not any thing made. This, that nothing was made without Him, I understand to mean the Son's not being alone, for f by whom' is one thing, € not without whom' another. Origen. Or thus, that thou mightest not think that the things made by the Word had a separate existence, and were not contained in the Word, he says, and without Him was not any thing made: that is, not any thing was made externally of Him; for He encircles all things, as the Preserver of all things. Aug. Or, by saying, without Him was not any thing made, he tells us not to suspect Him in any sense to be a thing made. For how can He be a thing made, when God, it is said, made nothing without Him ? Origen. If all things were made by the Word, and in the number of all things is wickedness, and the whole influx of sin, these too were made by the Word; which is false. Now ‘nothing' and ‘a thing which is not,' mean the same. And the Apostle seems to call wicked things, things which are not, God calleth those things which be not, as though they were. All wickedness then is called nothing, forasmuch as it is made without the Word. Those who say however that the devil is not a creature of God, err. In so far as he is the devil, he is not a creature of God; but he, whose character it is to be the devil, is a creature of God. It is as if we should say a murderer is not a creature of God, when, so far as he is a man, he is a creature of God. Aug. For sin was not made by Him; for it is manifest that sin is nothing, and that men become nothing when they sin. Nor was an idol made by the Word. It has indeed a sort of form of man, and man himself was made by the Word; but the form of man in an idol was not made by the Word: for it is written, we know that an idol is nothing. These then were not made by the Word; but whatever things were made naturally, the whole universe, were; every creature from an angel to a worm. Origen. Valentinus excludes from the things made by the Word, all that were made in the ages which he believes to have existed before the Word. This is plainly false; inasmuch as the things which he accountsVER. 4. ST. JOHN. 15 divine are thus excluded from the “ all things,” and what he deems wholly corrupt are properly ‘all things V Aug. TheAug.de folly of those men is not to be listened to, who think nothing ¡¡^£¡^25 is to be understood here as something, because it is placed at the end of the sentence1: as if it made any difference whe- 1 Vulgate ther it was said, without Him nothing was made, or, without Him was made nothing. Ortgen. If‘the word’ be taken Orig. tom. for that which is in each man, inasmuch as it was implanted11 * c* 9’ in each by the Word, which was in the beginning, then also, we commit nothing without this ‘ word* [reason] taking this word ‘nothing* in a popular sense. For the Apostle says that sin was dead without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived; for sin is not imputed when there is no law. But neither was there sin, when there was no Word, for our Lord says, If I had not come and spoken to John 15, them, they had not had sin. For every excuse is withdrawn 22, from the sinner, if, with the Word present, and enjoining what is to be done, he refuses to obey Him. Nor is the Word to be blamed on this account; any more than a master, whose discipline leaves no excuse open to a delinquent pupil on the ground of ignorance. All things then were made by the Word, not only the natural world, but also whatever is done by those acting without reason. Vuig. quod Return est .n 4. In Him was life. ipso vita erat. Bede. The Evangelist having said that every creature was Bede in made by the Word, lest perchance any one might think that 1 Joh-His will was changeable, as though He willed on a sudden to make a creature, which from eternity He had not made; He took care to shew that, though a creature was made in time, in the Wisdom of the Creator it had been from eternity arranged what and when He should create. Aug. The pas- Aug. in sage can be read thus: What was made in Him was life \ Therefore the whole universe is life: for what was there not i yu]g. made in Him? He is the Wisdom of God, as is said, In Ps. 104. Wisdom hast Thou made them all. All things therefore are made in Him, even as they are by Him. But, if whatever was made in Him is life, the earth is life, a stone is life. We must not interpret it so unsoundly, lest the sect of the16 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Origen. Horn. ii. in div. loc. ante med. Manichseans creep in upon us, and say, that a stone has life, and that a wall has life; for they do insanely assert so, and when reprehended or refuted, appeal as though to Scripture, and ask, why was it said, lhat which was made in Him was life ? Read the passage then thus : make the stop after What was made, and then proceed, In Him was life. The earth was made; but, the earth itself which was made is not life. In the Wisdom of God however there is spiritually a certain Reason after which the earth is made. This is Lifef. A chest in workmanship is not life, a chest in art is, inasmuch as the mind of the workman lives wherein that original pattern exists. And in this sense the Wisdom of God, by Which all things are made, containeth in art e all things which are made, according to that art/ And therefore whatever is made, is not in itself life, but is life in Him. Origen. It may also be divided thus: That which was made in Him; and then, was life; the sense being, that all things that were made by Him and in Him, are life in Him, and are one in Him. They were, that is, in Him; they exist as the cause, before they exist in themselves as effects. If thou ask how and in what manner all things which were made by the Word subsist in Him vitally, immutably, causally, take some examples from the created world. See how that all things within the arch of the world of sense have their causes simultaneously and harmoniously subsisting in that sun which is the greatest luminary of the world: how multitudinous crops of herbs and fruits are contained in single seeds: how the most complex variety of rules, in the art of the artificer, and the mind of the director, are a living unit, how an infinite number of lines coexist in one point. Contemplate these several instances, and thou wilt be able as it were on the wings of physical science, to penetrate with thy intellectual eye the secrets of the Word, and as far as is allowed to a human understanding, to see how all things f The passage continues thus in the Tract. “I will explain my meaning. A workman makes a chest. He first has that chest in his art; for otherwise he could not make it. The chest liow'-ever does not exist in his art, as a visible chest; it exists there invisibly, and is then brought into visible exist- ence by workmanship. The chest is then first in workmanship; but does it cease to be in art ? there it remains still, and there it will continue, the pattern of other chests, when the first visible one has rotted. Mark the distinction between a chest in ait, and a chest in workmanship. A chest,” &c.VER. 4. ST. JOHN. 17 which were made by the Word, live in Him, and were made in Him. Hilary. Or it can be understood thus. In that he had said, without Him was not any thing made, one might have been perplexed, and have asked, Was then any thing made by another, which yet was not made without Him ? if so, then though nothing is made without, all things are not made by Him: it being one thing to make, another to be with the maker. On this account the Evangelist declares what it was which was not made without Him, viz. what was made in Him. This then it was which was not made without Him, viz. what was made in Him. And that which was made in Him, was also made by Him. For all things were created in Him and by Him. Now things were made in Him, because He was born God the Creator. And for this reason also things that were made in Him, were not made without Him, viz. that God, in that He was born, was life, and He who was life, was not made life after being born. Nothing then which was made in Him, was made without Him, because He was life, in Whom they were made; because God Who was born of God was God, not after, but in that He was bornh. Chrys. Or to give another explanation. We will Chrys. not put the stop at without Him was not any thing made, as the heretics do. For they wishing to prove the Holy Ghost Joan, a creature, read, That which was made in Him, was life. But c‘1# this cannot be so understood. For first, this was not the place for making mention of the Holy Ghost. But let us suppose it was; let us take the passage for the present according to their reading, we shall see that it leads to a difficulty. For when it is said, That which was made in Him, was life; they say the life spoken of is the Holy Ghost. But this life is also light; for the Evangelist proceeds, The life was the light of men. Wherefore according to them, he calls the Holy Ghost the light of all men. But the Word mentioned above, is what he here calls consecutively, God, and Life, and Light. Now the Word was made flesh. It follows that the Holy Ghost is incarnate, not the Son. Dismissing then this reading, we adopt a more suitable one, with the follow- h i.e. the Son ever being what He Creator, in that He was, and always is, in that He is, “ Living of Living, equally the Creator, and so of all things, Perfect of Perfect,” not [as man] re- because what He was, He was always, ceiving subsequently, He was the in that He was. VOL. IV. C18 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. ing meaning: All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made which was made: there we make a stop, and begin a fresh sentence: In Him was life, ywnrbv Without Him was not any thing made which was made; i.e. which could be made. You see how by this short addition, he removes any difficulty which might follow. For by introducing without Him was not any thing made, and adding, which was made, he includes all things invisible, and excepts Brjfuovp- the Holy Spirit: for the Spirit cannot be made. To the 7ms mention of creation, succeeds that of providence. In Him was life \ As a fountain which produces vast depths of water, and yet is nothing diminished at the fountain head; so worketh the Only-Begotten. How great soever His creations be, He Himself is none the less for them. By the word life here is meant not only creation, but that providence by which the things created are preserved. But when you are told that in Him was life, do not suppose Him compounded; John 5,26. for, as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself. As then you would not call the Father compounded, so neither should you the Son. Orig.t.ii. Origen. Or thus: Our Saviour is said to be some things c. 12, 13. p[jmse]^ kjjf- for others; others again, both for Him- self and others. When it is said then, That which was made in Him was life; we must enquire whether the life is for Himself and others, or for others only; and if for others, for whom ? Now the Life and the Light are both the same Person: He is the light of men: He is therefore their life. The Saviour is called Life here, not to Himself, but to others; whose Light He also is. This life is inseparable from the Word, from the time it is added on to it. For Reason or the Word must exist before in the soul, cleansing it from sin, till it is pure enough to receive the life, which is thus ingrafted or inborn in every one who renders himself fit to receive the Word of God. Hence observe, that though the Word itself in the beginning was not made, the Beginning never having been without the Word; yet the life of men was not always in the Word. This life 1 rbv irepl tt)s TTpovoias \6yov. Life, might not be incredulous as to so he says. The Horn, continues: “ Life, many things having come from Him the Evangelist says, in order that we For as, &c.”VER. 4. ST. JOHN. 19 of men was made, in that It was the light of men; and this light of men could not be before man was; the light of men being understood relatively to men k. And therefore he says, That which was made in the Word was life; not That which was in the Word was life. Some copies read, not amiss, “That which was made, in Him is life” If we understand the life in the Word, to be He who says below, ‘ I am the John li, life/ we shall confess that none who believe not in Christ 25 5 14, live, and that all who live not in God, are dead. And the life was the light of men. Theophyl. He had said, In Him was life, that you might Theoph. not suppose that the Word was without life. Now he shews m loc* that that life is spiritual, and the light of all reasonable creatures. And the life was the light of men: i.e. not sensible, but intellectual light, illuminating the very soul. Aug. Life Aug. in of itself gives illumination to men, but to cattle not: for ^r* they have not rational souls, by which to discern wisdom; whereas man, being made in the image of God, has a rational soul, by which he can discern wisdom. Hence that life, by which all things are made, is light, not however of all animals whatsoever, but of men. Theophyl. He saith not, the Light of the Jews only, but of all men: for all of us, in so far as we have received intellect and reason, from that Word which created us, are said to be illuminated by Him. For the reason which is given to us, and which constitutes us the reasonable beings we are, is a light directing us what to do, and what not to do. Origen. We must not orig. omit to notice, that he puts the life before the light of men. non occ< For it would be a contradiction to suppose a being without life to be illuminated; as if life were an addition to illumination. But to proceed: if the life was the light of men, tom. «. meaning men only, Christ is the light and the life of men c' 16‘ only; an heretical supposition. It does not follow then, when a thing is predicated of any, that it is predicated of those only; for of God it is written, that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and yet He is not the God of those fathers only. In the same way, the light of men is c. 17. not excluded from being the light of others as well. Some k rod (puros ruv avOpdoiruv Kark r)]V itpbs avdpáirois crx^iv poovfiévou, c 220 COSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Gen, 1,26. Aug. Tr. i. c. 19. Orig. in Joan. t. ii. c. 14. Eph. 5, 8. Orig. ^ Horn. ii. in div. loc, moreover contend from Genesis, Let us make man after our Image, that man means whatever is made after the image and similitude of God. If so, the light of men is the light of any rational creature whatever. 5. And the light shineth in darkness. Aug. Whereas that life is the light of men, but foolish hearts cannot receive that light being so encumbered with sins that they cannot see it; for this cause lest any should think there is no light near them, because they cannot see it, he continues: And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. For suppose a blind man standing in the sun, the sun is present to him, but he is absent from the sun. In like manner, every fool is blind, and wisdom is present to him; but, though present, absent from his sight, forasmuch as sight is gone: the truth being, not that she is absent from him, but that he is absent from her. Origen. This kind of darkness however is not in men by nature, according to the text in the Ephesians, Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the LordK Origen. Or thus, The light shineth in the darkness of faithful souls, 1 Nicolai, for this passage which is incorrectly given, substitutes the following. (Origen, tom. ii. c. 13. in Joh.) “ Now if the life is one with the light of men, none who is in darkness lives, and none who lives is in darkness; since every one who lives is also in light, and conversely, whoever is in light, also lives. Again, as in thus discoursing on contraries, we may understand the contraries to them which are omitted, and life, and the light of men, are the subjects of our discourse; and the contrary of life is death, and the contrary of the light of men is the darkness of men: we may perceive, that whoever is in darkness, is also in death, and he who does the works of death, is certainly in darkness; whereas he who does the things which are of the light, that is, he whose works shine before men, and who is mindful of God, is not in death, as we read in Ps. vi. He is not in death who remembereth Thee. [Vulg. Quoniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui. Eng. T., In death no man remembereth Thee.] But whether men’s darkness and death are so by nature or not, is another consideration. We were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord; although we be in some degree holy and spiritual. Whosoever was sometime darkness, did, as Paul, become darkness, although being capable and framed such as to be made light in the Lord. And again, The light of men is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who manifested Himself in human nature to every rational and intelligent creature, and opened to the hearts of the faithful the mysteries of His Divinity, in Which He is equal to the Father; according to the Apostle’s saying, (Eph. 5, 8,) Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Hence the light shineth in darkness, because the whole human race, not by nature but as the desert of original sin, was in the darkness of ignorance of the truth ; but after His Birth of the Virgin, Christ shineth in the hearts of those who discern Him. But because there are some who still abide in the most profound darkness of impiety and deceit, the Evangelist adds, And the darkness comprehended it not; as though he would say, The Light,” &c.VER. 5. ST. JOHN. 21 beginning from faith, and drawing onwards to hope ; but the deceit and ignorance of undisciplined souls did not comprehend the light of the Word of God shining in the flesh. That however is an ethical meaning. The metaphysical signification of the words is as follows. Human nature, even though it sinned not, could not shine by its own strength simply; for it is not naturally light, but only a recipient of it; it is capable of containing wisdom, but is not wisdom itself. As the air, of itself, shineth not, but is called by the name of darkness, even so is our nature, considered in itself, a dark substance, which however admits of and is made partaker of the light of wisdom. And as when the air receives the sun’s rays, it is not said to shine of itself, but the sun’s radiance to be apparent in it; so the reasonable part of our nature, while possessing the presence of the Word of God, does not of itself understand God, and intellectual things, but by means of the divine light implanted in it. Thus, The light shineth in darkness: for the Word of God, the life and the light of men, ceaseth not to shine in our nature; though regarded in itself, that nature is without form and darkness. And forasmuch as pure light cannot be comprehended by any creature, hence the text: The darkness comprehended it not. Chrys. Or thus: throughout the whole chrys. foregoing passage he had been speaking of creation; then he mentions the spiritual benefits which the Word brought with it: And the life was the light of men. He saith not, the light of Jews, but of all men without exception; for not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also have come to this knowledge. The Angels he omits, for he is speaking of human nature, to whom the Word came bringing glad tidings. Origen. But they ask, why is not the Word Itself called Orig-. the light of men, instead of the life which is in the Word? We reply, that the life here spoken of is not that which ra- c. 19. tional and irrational animals have in common, but that which is annexed to the Word which is within us through participation of the primaeval Word. For we must distinguish the external and false life, from the desirable and true. We are first made partakers of life : and this life with some is light potentially only, not in act; with those, viz. who are not eager to search out the things which appertain to know-22 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. ledge: with others it is actual light, those who, as the l Cor. 12, Apostle saith, covet earnestly the best gifts, that is to say, 31. c. 14. wor(j 0f wisdom. (Ifk the life and the light of men are the same, whoso is in darkness is proved not to live, and Chrys. none who liveth abideth in darkness.) Chrys.1 Life having [ivJ cf 3. come to us> the empire of death is dissolved; a light having shone upon us, there is darkness no longer: but there re-maineth ever a life which death, a light which darkness cannot overcome. Whence he continues, And the light shineth in darkness: by darkness meaning death and error, for sensible light does not shine in darkness, but darkness must be removed first; whereas the preaching of Christ shone forth amidst the reign of error, and caused it to disappear, and Christ by dying changed death into life, so overcoming it, that those who were already in its grasp were brought back again. Forasmuch then as neither death nor error hath overcome His light, which is every where conspicuous, shining forth by its own strength; therefore Orig. he adds, And the darkness comprehended it notm. Origen. c. 20. * As the light of men is a word expressing two spiritual things, so is darkness also. To one who possesses the light, we attribute both the doing the deeds of the light, and also true understanding, inasmuch as he is illuminated by the light of knowledge: and on the other hand, the term darkness we apply both to unlawful acts, and also to that knowledge, which seems such, but is not. Now as the Father is light, and in Him is no darkness at all, so is the Saviour also. Yet, inasmuch as He underwent the similitude of our sinful flesh, it is not incorrectly said of Him, that in Him there was some darkness; for He took our darkness upon Himself, in order that He might dissipate it. This Light therefore, which was made the life of man, shines in the darkness of our hearts, when the prince of this darkness wars with the human race. This Light the darkness persecuted, as is clear k Nicolai omits this clause, as not being Origen’s, nor fitting in with what precedes and substitutes, “ which is afterwards followed by the word of knowledge, &c.” 1 Nicolai inserts from S. Chrys,, in order to make the connection clear, “ The word i life * means here not only that life which is received by creation, but that perpetual and immortal life which is prepared for us by the Providence of God.” Life having, &c; 110 i. e. could not get hold of it ; for Chrysostom adds, “ it is too strong to be contended with.’*VER. 6—8. ST. JOHN. 23 from what our Saviour and His children suffer; the darkness fighting against the children of light. But, forasmuch as God takes up the cause, they do not prevail; nor do they apprehend the light, for they are either of too slow a nature to overtake the light's quick course, or, waiting for it to come up to them, they are put to flight at its approach. We should hear in mind, however, that darkness is not always used in a bad sense, but sometimes in a good, as in Psalm xvii. He made darkness His secret place : the things Ps. 18,11. of God being unknown and incomprehensible. This darkness then I will call praiseworthy, since it tends toward light, and lays hold on it: for, though it were darkness before, while it was not known, yet it is turned to light and knowledge in him who has learned. Aug. A certain Platonist Aug. once said, that the beginning of this Gospel ought to be i ¿ copied in letters of gold, and placed in the most conspicuous place in every church. Bede. The other Evangelists de- Bede, scribe Christ as born intime; John witnesseth that He wasmloc‘ in the beginning, saying, In the beginning was the Word. The others describe His sudden appearance among men; he witnesseth that He was ever with God, saying, And the Word was with God. The others prove Him very man; he very God, saying, And the Word was God. The others exhibit Him as man conversing with men for a season; he pronounces Him God abiding with God in the beginning, saying, The Same was in the beginning with God. The others relate the great deeds which He did amongst men; he that God the Father made every creature through Him, saying, All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made. 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. Aug. What is said above, refers to the Divinity of Christ. Aug. Tr. He came to us in the form of man, but man in such sense, as n*c# 2‘24 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Aug. Tr. ii. Chrys. Horn. vi. [v.] c. 1. Mai. 3, 1. Isai. 6,1. J oho 1 > 33, Aug. Tr. ii. Aug. Tr. ii. c. 6. Orig. t. ii c. 28. that the Godhead was concealed within Him. And therefore there was sent before a great man, to declare by his witness that He was more than man. And who was this ? He was a man. Theophyl. Not an Angel, as many have held. The Evangelist here refutes such a notion. Aug. And how could he declare the truth concerning God, unless he were sent from God. Chrys. After this esteem nothing that he says as human; for he speaketh not his own, but His that sent him. And therefore the Prophet calls him a messenger, 1 send My messenger, for it is the excellence of a messenger, to say nothing of his own. But the expression, was sent, does not mean his entrance into life, but to his office. As Esaias was sent on his commission, not from any place out of the world, but from where he saw the Lord sitting upon His high and lofty throne; in like manner John was sent from the , desert to baptize; for he says, He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. Aug. What was he called ? whose name was John ? Alcuin. That is, the grace of God, or one in whom is grace, who by his testimony first made known to the world the grace of the New Testment, that is, Christ. Or John may be taken to mean to whom it is given : because that through the grace of God, to him it was given, not only to herald, but also to baptize the King of kings. Aug. Wherefore came he ? The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light. . Origen. Some try to undo the testimonies of the Prophets to Christ, by saying that the Son of God had no need of such witnesses; the wholesome words which He uttered and His miraculous acts being sufficient to produce belief; just as Moses deserved belief for his speech and goodness, and wanted no previous witnesses. To this we may reply, that, where there are a number of reasons to make people believe, persons are often impressed by one kind of proof, and not by another, and God, Who for the sake of all men became man, can give them many reasons for belief in Him. And with respect to the doctrine of the Incarnation, certain it is that some have been forced by the Prophetical writings into an admiration of Christ by the fact of soVER. 6—8. ST. JOHN. 25 many prophets having, before His Advent, fixed the place of His nativity; and by other proofs of the same kind. It is to be remembered too, that, though the display of miraculous powers might stimulate the faith of those who lived in the same age with Christ, they might, in the lapse of time, fail to do so; as some of them might even get to be regarded as fabulous. Prophecy and miracles together are more convincing than simply past miracles by themselves. We must recollect too that men receive honour themselves from the witness which they bear to God. He deprives the Prophetical choir of immeasurable honour, whoever denies that it was their office to bear witness to Christ John when he comes to bear witness to the light, follows in the train of those who went before him. Chrys. Not be- Chrys. cause the light wanted the testimony, but for the reason which John himself gives, viz. that all might believe on Him. J°b• c. l. For as He put on flesh to save all men from death; so He sent before Him a human preacher, that the sound of a voice like their own, might the readier draw men to Him. Bede. Bede He saith not, that all men should believe in him ; for cursed jer.°n, 5. be the man that trusteth in man; but, that all men through him might believe; i. e. by his testimony believe in the Light. Theophyl. Though some however might not believe, he is not accountable for them. When a man shuts himself up in a dark room, so as to receive no light from the sun’s rays, he is the cause of the deprivation, not the sun. In like manner John was sent, that all men might believe; but if no such result followed, he is not the cause of the failure. Chrys. Forasmuch however as with us, the one who wit- Chrys. nesses, is commonly a more important, a more trustworthy ^ johJ1* person, than the one to whom he bears witness, to do away c. l. with any such notion in the present case the Evangelist proceeds ; He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. If this were not his intention, in repeating the words, to bear witness of the Light, the addition would be superfluous, and rather a verbal repetition, than the explanation of a truth. Theophyl. But it will be said, that we do not allow John or any of the saints to be or ever to have been light. The difference is this: if we call any of the saints light, we put light without the article. So if asked26 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP, I. Aug. in Joan. Tr. ii. Chrys. Horn, in Joan, vii, [vi.] 1. Aug. Tract, ii. in Joh. § 7. Theopb. in loc. Chrys. Horn, viii. c. 2. whether John is light, without the article, thou mayest allow without hesitation that he is: if with the article, thou allow it not. For he is not very, original, light, but is only called so, on account of his partaking of the light, which cometh from the true Light. 9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Aug. What Light it is to which John bears witness, he shews himself, saying, That was the true Light. Chrys. Or thus; having said above that John had come, and was sent, to bear witness of the Light, lest any from the recent coming of the witness, should infer the same of Him who is witnessed to, the Evangelist takes us back to that existence which is beyond all beginning, saying, That was the true Light. Aug. Wherefore is there added, true ? Because man enlightened is called light, but the true Light is that which lightens. For our eyes are called lights, and yet without a lamp at night, or the sun by day, these lights are open to no purpose. Wherefore he adds: which lighteneth every man: but if every man, then John himself. He Himself then enlightened the person, by whom He wished Himself to be pointed out. And just as we may often, from the reflexion of the sun’s rays on some object, know the sun to be risen, though we cannot look at the sun itself; as even feeble eyes can look at an illuminated wall, or some object of that kind: even so, those to whom Christ came, being too weak to behold Him, He threw His rays upon John; John confessed the illumination, and so the Illuminator Himself was discovered. It is said, that cometh into the world. Had man not departed from Him, he had not had to be enlightened; but therefore is he to be here enlightened, because he departed thence, when he might have been enlightened. Theophyl. Let the Manichsean blush, who pronounces us the creatures of a dark and malignant creator: for we should never be enlightened, were we not the children of the true Light. Chrys. Where are those too, who deny Him to be very God ? We see here that He is called very Light. But if He lighteneth every man that cometh intoVER. 10. ST. JOHN. 27 the world, how is it that so many have gone on without light? For all have not known the worship of Christ. The answer is: He only enlighteneth every man, so far as pertains to Him. If men shut their eyes, and will not receive the rays of this light, their darkness arises not from the fault of the light, but from their own wickedness, inasmuch as they voluntarily deprive themselves of the gift of grace. For grace is poured out upon all; and they, who will not enjoy the gift, may impute it to their own blindness. Aug. Or the words, lighteneth every man, may be understood Aug. de to mean, not that there is no one who is not enlightened, g^Renfiss! but that no one is enlightened except by Him. Bede. In- c*xxv-eluding both natural and divine wisdom; for as no one can exist of himself, so no one can be wise of himself. Origen. Orig. Or thus : we must not understand the words, lighteneth every foc man that cometh into the world, of the growth from hidden seeds to organized bodies, but of the entrance into the invisible world, by the spiritual regeneration and grace, which is given m Baptism. Those then the true Light lighteneth, who come into the world of goodness, not those who rush into the world of sin. Theophyl. Or thus: the intellect Theoph. which is given in us for our direction, and which is called 111 loc' natural reason, is said here to be a light given us by God. But some by the ill use of their reason have darkened themselves. 10. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. Aug. The Light which lighteneth every man that cometh Aug. Tr. into the world, came here in the flesh; because while He j” ^gn’ was here in His Divinity alone, the foolish, blind, and unrighteous could not discern Him; those of whom it is said above, The darkness comprehended it not. Hence the text; He was in the world. Origen. For as, when a person leaves 0rig. off speaking, his voice ceases to be, and vanishes; so if the .H^p- 2, Heavenly Father should cease to speak His Word, the effect of that Word, i.e. the universe which is created in the Word, shall cease to exist. Aug. You must not suppose, however, Aug. Tr. that He was in the world in the same sense in which the c*10*28 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. earth, cattle, men, are in the world; but in the sense in which an artificer controls his own work; whence the text, And the world was made by Him. Nor again did He make it after the manner of an artificer; for whereas an artificer is external to what he fabricates, God pervades the world,. carrying on the work of creation in every part, and never absent from any part; by the presence of His Majesty He both makes and controls what is made. Thus He was in the Chrys. world, as He by Whom the world was made. Chrys. And S Joan, again, because He was in the world, but not coeval with the viii. c. I. world, for this cause he introduced the words, and the world was made by Him: thus taking you back again to the eternal existence of the Only-Begotten. For when we are told that the whole of creation was made by Him, we must be very dull not to acknowledge that the Maker existed before the Theoph. work. Theophyl. Here he overthrows at once the insane no-m oc* tion of the Manichsean °, who says that the world is the work of a malignant creature, and the opinion of the Arian, that Aug. Tr the Son of God is a creature. Aug. But what meaneth this, iil c.° 11. The world was made by Him ? The earth, sky, and sea, and all that are therein, are called the world. But in another sense, the lovers of the world are called the world, of whom he says, And the world knew Him not. For did the sky, or Angels, not know their Creator, Whom the very devils confess, Whom the whole universe has borne witness to? Who then did not know Him ? Those who, from their love of the world, are called the world; for such live in heart in the world, while those who do not love it, have their body in the Phil.3,20. world, but their heart in heaven; as saith the Apostle, our conversation is in heaven. By their love of the world, such men merit being called by the name of the place where they live. And just as in speaking of a bad house, or good house, we do not mean praise or blame to the walls, but to the inhabitants; so when we talk of the world, we mean those Chrys. who live there in the love of it. Chrys. But they who were c,T56m' the friends of God, knew Him even before His presence in the body; whence Christ saith below, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day. When the Gentiles then interrupt us with the question, Why has He come in these last times 0 So Theoph. Other copies have “ of Marcion.”VER. 11—13. ST. JOHN. 29 to work our salvation, having neglected us so long ? we reply, that He was in the world before, superintending what He had made, and was known to all who were worthy of Him; and that, if the world knew Him not, those of whom the world was not worthy knew Him. The reason follows, why the world knew Him not. The Evangelist calls those men the world, who are tied to the world, and savour of worldly things; for there is nothing that disturbs the mind so much, as this melting with the love of present things. 11. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. 12. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: 13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Chrys. When he said that the world knew Him not, chrys. he referred to the times of the old dispensation, but what follows has reference to the time of His preaching; He came unto His own. Aug. Because all things were made by Him. Aug. in Theophyl. By His owny understand either the world, orJoan*Tri Judaea, which He had chosen for His inheritance. Chrys. chrys. He came then unto His own, not for His own good, but for the good of others. But whence did He Who fills all things, and is everywhere present, come? He came out of condescension to us, though in reality He had been in the world all along. But the world not seeing Him, because it knew Him not, He deigned to put on flesh. And this manifestation and condescension is called His advent. But the merciful God so contrives His dispensations, that we may shine forth in proportion to our goodness, and therefore He will not compel, but invites men, by persuasion and kindness, to come of their own accord: and so when He came, some received Him, and others received Him not. He desires not an unwilling and forced service; for no one who comes unwillingly devotes Himself wholly to Him. Whence what follows, And His own received Him not. He here calls Hom. ix. [viii.] 1.30 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Aug. Tr. in Joan, ii. 12. Chrys. Horn, in Joan. x. [ix.] 2. Aug. Tr. ii. 13. Chrys. Horn. x. [ix.] 2. Rom. 8, 23. Chrys. Hom.x, the Jews His own, as being His peculiar people; as indeed are all men in some sense, being made by Him. And as above, to the shame of our common nature he said, that the world which was made by Him, knew not its Maker; so here again, indignant at the ingratitude of the Jews, he brings a heavier charge, viz. that His own received Him not. Aug. But if none at all received, none will be saved. For ho one will be saved, but he who received Christ at His coming; and therefore he adds, As many as received Him. Chrys. Whether they be bond or free, Greek or Barbarian, wise or unwise, women or men, the young or the aged, all are made meet for the honour, which the Evangelist now proceeds to mention. To them gave He power to become the sons of God. Aug. 0 amazing goodness! He was born the Only Son, yet would not remain so; but grudged not to admit joint heirs to His inheritance. Nor was this narrowed by many partaking of it. Chrys. He saith not that He made them the sons of God, but gave them power to become the sons of God: shewing that there is need of much care, to preserve the image, which is formed by our adoption in Baptism, untarnished: and shewing at the same time also that no one can take this power from us, except we rob ourselves of it. Now, if the delegates of worldly governments have often nearly as much power as those governments themselves, much more is this the case with us, who derive our dignity from God. But at the same time the Evangelist wishes to shew that this grace comes to us of our own will and endeavour: that, in short, the operation of grace being supposed, it is in the power of our free will to make us the sons of God. Theophyl. Or the meaning is, that the most perfect sonship will only be attained at the resurrection, as saith the Apostle, Waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. He therefore gave us the power to become the sons of God, i.e. the power of obtaining this grace at some future time. Chrys. And because in the * matter of these ineffable benefits, the giving of grace belongs to God, but the extending of faith to man, He subjoins, even to those who believe on His name. Why then declarest thou not, John, the punishment of those who received Him not ? Is it because there is no greater punishment than that,VER,. 14. ST. JOHN. 31 when the power of becoming the sons of God is offered to men, they should not become such, but voluntarily deprive themselves of the dignity? But besides this, inextinguishable fire awaits all such, as will appear clearly farther on. Aug. To be made then the sons of God, and brothers of Aug. Tr. Christ, they must of course be born; for if they are not u* 14‘ born, how can they be sons ? Now the sons of men are born of flesh and blood, and the will of man, and the embrace of wedlock; but how these are born, the next words declare: Not of bloods1; that is, the male’s and the female’s. Bloods 1 cu>«- is not correct Latin, but as it is plural in the Greek, the rs. 51,14. Deliver me from bloodguiltinessp. Aug. In that which follows, Aug. Tr Nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, the flesh u‘ 14, is put for the female; because, when she was made out of the rib, Adam said, This is now bone of my bone} and flesh of Gen. 2,23. my flesh. The flesh therefore is put for the wife, as the spirit sometimes is for the husband; because that the one ought to govern, the other to obey. For what is there worse than an house, where the woman hath rule over the man ? But these that we speak of are born neither of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. Bede. The carnal birth of men derives its origin from the embrace of wedlock, but the spiritual is dispensed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Chrys. The Evangelist makes this declaration, that Clirys. being taught the vileness and inferiority of our former birth, which is through blood, and the will of the flesh, and understanding the loftiness and nobleness of the second, which is through grace, we might hence receive great knowledge, worthy of being bestowed by Him who begat us, and after this shew forth much zeal. 14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Aug. Having said, Born of God; to prevent surprise and Aug. Tr ii 15 p Plur. in the Yulg. as in the Heb.32 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. trepidation at so great, so apparently incredible a grace, as that men should be born of God; to assure us, he says, And the Word was made flesh. Why marvellest thou then that men are born of God? Know that God Himself was Chrys. born of man. Chrys. Or thus, after saying that they were born of God, who received Him, he sets forth the cause of this honour, viz. the Word being made flesh, God’s own Son was made the Son of Man, that He might make the sons of men the sons, of God. Now when thou hearest that the Word ivas made flesh, be not disturbed, for He did not change His substance into flesh, which it were indeed impious to suppose; but remaining what He was, took upon Him the form of a servant. But as there are some who say, that the whole of the incarnation was only in appearance, to refute such a blasphemy, he used the expression was made, meaning to represent not a conversion of substance, but an assumption of real flesh. But if they say, God is omnipotent; why then could He not be changed into flesh? we reply, that a change from an unchangeable nature is Aug. de a contradiction. Aug. As our word * becomes the bodily j voice, by its assumption of that voice, as a means of developing itself externally; so the Word of God was made flesh, by assuming flesh, as a means of manifesting Itself to the world. And as our word is made voice, yet is not turned into voice; so the Word of God was made flesh, but never turned into flesh. It is by assuming another nature, not by consuming themselves in it, that our word is made voice, and the Word, flesh. Ex Gestis Conc. Eph. The discourse which we utter, which we use in conversation with each other, is incorporeal, imperceptible, impalpable; but clothed in letters and characters, it becomes material, perceptible, tangible. So too the Word of God, which was naturally invisible, becomes visible, and that comes before us in tangible form, which was by nature incorporeal. Alcuin. When we think how the incorporeal soul is joined to the body, so as that of two is made one man, we too shall the more easily receive the notion of the incorporeal Divine substance being joined to the soul in the body, in unity of person; so as that the Word is not turned into flesh, nor * See above, p. 1—3. . P. iii. Horn. Theod. Ancyr. de Nat. Dom. in Joan, h X-VER. 13. ST. JOHN, 33 the flesh into the Word; just as the soul is not turned into body, nor the body into soul. Theophyl. Apollinarius of Laodicea raised a heresy upon this text; saying, that Christ had flesh only, not a rational soul; in the place of which His divinity directed and controlled His body. Aug. If men are disturbed however by its being said that the Word was made flesh, without mention of a soul; let them know that the flesh is put for the whole man, the part for the whole, by a figure of speech; as in the Psalms, Unto Thee shall all flesh come ; and again in Romans, By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified. In the same sense it is said here that the Word was made flesh ; meaning that the Word was made man. Theophyl. The Evangelist intends by making mention of the flesh, to shew the unspeakable condescension of God, and lead us to admire His compassion, in assuming for our salvation, what was so opposite and incongenial to His nature, as the flesh: for the soul has some propinquity to God. If the Word, however, was made flesh, and assumed not at the same time a human soul, our souls, it would follow, would not be yet restored: for what He did not assume, He could not sanctify. What a mockery then, when the soul first sinned, to assume and sanctify the flesh only, leaving the weakest part untouched ! This text overthrows Nestorius, who asserted that it was not the very Word, even God, Who the Self-same was made man, being conceived of the sacred blood of the Virgin: but that the Virgin brought forth a man endowed with every kind of virtue, and that the Word of God was united to him : thus making out two sons, one born of the Virgin, i.e. man, the other born of God, that is, the Son of God, united to that man by grace, and relation, and lover. In opposition to him the Evangelist declares, that the very Word was made Man, not that the Word fixing upon a righteous man united Himself to him. Cyril. The Word uniting to Himself a body of flesh animated with a rational soul, substantially, was in- Theoph. in lue. Aug. con. Serm. Arian. c. 7. (9.) Ps. 65, 2. Rom. 3, 20. Theoph. in loc. Cyril, ad Nes.Ep.8. r The union of the two Natures in our Lord, Kara or aX€TlK"h crvv&v6‘ the very substantial Truth2, from which First Truth and Its 2 a>,T0_ Image many truths are engraven on those who treat of the aK^Qeia truth, was not made through Jesus Christ, or through any one; but only the truth which is in individuals, such as in Paul, e. g. or the other Apostles, was made through J esus Christ. Chrys. Or thus; John the Evangelist here adds chrys. his testimony to that of John the Baptist, saying, And of His fulness have we all received. These are not the words [xiii.] 1. of the forerunner, but of the disciple; as if he meant to say, We also the twelve, and the whole body of the faithful, both present and to come, have received of His fulness. Aug. But what have ye received ? Grace for grace. So Aug. that we are to understand that we have received a certain something from His fulness, and over and above this, grace c* 8- 6t 860. for grace; that we have first received of His fulness, first grace; and again, we have received grace for grace. What grace did we first receive ? Faith : which is called grace, because it is given freely3. This is the first grace then which 3 gratis the sinner receives, the remission of his sins. Again, we have grace for grace; i. e. instead of that grace in which we live by faith, we are to receive another, viz. life eternal: for life eternal is as it were the wages of faith. And thus as40 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. T. Chrys. Horn, xiv. [xiii.] sparsim. Auer, de Trin. xiii c. 21. [xix. ] faith itself is a good grace, so life eternal is grace for grace. There was not grace in the Old Testament; for the law threatened, but assisted not, commanded, but healed not, shewed our weakness, but relieved it not. It prepared the way however for a Physician who was about to come, with the gifts of grace and truth : whence the sentence which follows : For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth were made by Jesus Christ. The death of thy Lord hath destroyed death, both temporal and eternal; that is, the grace which was promised, but not contained, in the law. Chrys. Or we have received grace for grace; that is, the new in the place of the old. For as there is a justice and a justice besides, an adoption and another adoption, a circumcision and another circumcision; so is there a grace and another grace; only the one being a type, the other a reality. He brings in the words to shew that the Jews as well as ourselves are saved by grace: it being of mercy and grace that they received the law. Next, after he has said, Grace for grace, he adds something to shew the magnitude of the gift; For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth were made by Jesus Christ. John when comparing himself with Christ above had said, He is preferred before me: but the Evangelist draws a comparison between Christ, and one much more in admiration with the Jews than John, viz. Moses. And observe his wisdom. He does not draw the comparison between the persons, but the things, contrasting grace and truth to the law: the latter of which he says was given, a word only applying to an administrator; the former made, as we should speak of a king, who does every thing by his power: though in this King it would be with grace also, because that with power He remitted all sins. Now His grace is shewn in His gift of Baptism, and our adoption by the Holy Spirit, and many other things; but to have a better insight into what the truth is, we should study the figures of the old law: for what was to be accomplished in the New Testament, is prefigured in the Old, Christ at His Coming filling up the figure. Thus was the figure given by Moses, but the truth made by Christ. Aug. Or, we may refer grace to knowledge, truth to wisdom. Amongst the events, of time the highest grace is the uniting of man to God in OneVER. 18. ST. JOHN. 41 Person; in the eternal world the highest truth pertains to God the Word. 18. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Origen. Heracleon asserts, that this is a declaration of Orig. the disciple, not of the Baptist: an unreasonable supposition ; t?vi. §?*2* for if the words, Of His fulness have we all received, are the Baptist’s, does not the connection run naturally, that he receiving of the grace of Christ, the second in the place of the first grace, and confessing that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ; understood here that no man had seen God at any time, and that the Only-Begotten, Who was in the bosom of the Father, had committed this declaration of Himself to John, and all who with him had received of His fulness? For John was not the first who declared Him; for He Himself Who was before Abraham, tells us, that Abraham rejoiced to see His glory. Chrys. Chrys. Or thus; the Evangelist after shewing the great superiority Horn?*1 of Christ’s gifts, compared with those dispensed by Moses, [**“•] wishes in the next place to supply an adequate reason for the difference. The one being a servant was made a minister of a lesser dispensation: but the other Who was Lord, and Son of the King, brought us far higher things, being ever co-existent with the Father, and beholding Him. Then follows, No man hath seen God at any time, fyc. Aug. What is Aug. En. that then which Jacob said, I have seen God face to face; and that which is written of Moses, he talked with God face to [H2.] c. face; and that which the prophet Isaiah saith of himself, Gen. 32. I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne ? Greg. It is plainly 33, given us to understand here, that while we are in this mortal Greg, state, we can see God only through the medium of certain images, not in the reality of His own nature. A soul in- c. 54. fluenced by the grace of the Spirit may see God through cer- rec.'28. tain figures, but cannot penetrate into His absolute essence. And hence it is that Jacob, who testifies that he saw God, saw nothing but an Angel: and that Moses, who talked with God face to face, says, Shew me Thy way, that I may Exod.42 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Chrys. Horn. xv. [xiv.] Hosea 12, 10. Aug:. Ep. to Paulina sparsim. Matt. 5, 8. 1 John 3, 2. Greg. xviii. Moral. Aug. xii. on Gen. ad litte-ram c. 27. 2 Cor. 12, 2. Greg. xviii. Moral. c. 54?. 90. vet. xxxviii. Aug. to Paul. c. iv, know Thee: meaning that he ardently desired to see in the brightness of His own infinite Nature, Him Whom he had only as yet seen reflected in images. Chrys. If the old fathers had seen That very Nature, they would not have contemplated It so variously, for It is in Itself simple and without shape; It sits not, It walks not; these are the qualities of bodies. Whence He saith through the Prophet, / have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the Prophets; i.e. I have condescended to them, I appeared that which I was not. For inasmuch as the Son of God was about to manifest Himself to us in actual flesh, men were at first raised to the sight of God, in such ways as allowed of their seeing Him. Aug. Now it is said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; and again, When He shall appear, we shall be like unto Him, for we shall see Him as He is. What is the meaning then of the words here: No man hath seen God at any time ? The reply is easy: those passages speak of God, as to be seen, not as already seen. They shall see God, it is said, not, they have seen Him: nor is it, we have seen Him, but, we shall see Him as He is. For, No man hath seen God at any time, neither in this life, nor yet in the Angelic, as He is; in the same way in which sensible things are perceived by the bodily vision. Greg. If however any, while inhabiting this corruptible flesh, can advance to such an immeasurable height of virtue, as to be able to discern by the contemplative vision, the eternal brightness of God, their case affects not what we say. For whoever seeth wisdom, that is, God, is dead wholly to this life, being no longer occupied by the love of it. Aug. For unless any in some sense die to this life, either by leaving the body altogether, or by being so withdrawn and alienated from carnal perceptions, that he may well not know, as the Apostle says, whether he be in the body or out of the body3 he cannot be carried away, and borne aloft to that vision. Greg. Some hold that in the place of bliss, God is visible in His brightness, but not in His nature. This is to indulge in over much subtlety. For in that simple and unchangeable essence, no division can be made between the nature and the brightness. Aug. If we say, that the text, No one u hath seen u ovSels: Vulg., nemo: E. T., no man.VER. 18. ST. JOHN. 43 God at any time, applies only to men; so that, as the Apostle more plainly interprets it, Whom no man hath seen nor i Tim. can see, no one is to be understood here to mean, no one o/6, 16* men: the question may be solved in a way not to contradict what our Lord says, Their Angels do always behold the face Matt. of My Father; so that we must believe that Angels see, what l8’10* no one, i.e. of men, hath ever seen. Greg. Some however Greg, there are who conceive that not even the Angels see God. Chrys. That very existence which is God, neither Prophets, c. 54. nor even Angels, nor yet Archangels, have seen. For en- ixxviu!^ quire of the Angels; they say nothing concerning His Sub- Chrys. stance; but sing, Glory to God in the highest, and Peace on (Xiv.) l. earth to men of good will. Nay, ask even Cherubim and Luke 2, l. Seraphim; thou wilt hear only in reply the mystic melody of devotion, and that heaven and earth are full of His glory, is. 6, 3. Aug. Which indeed is true so far, that no bodily or even Aug. to mental vision of man hath ever embraced the fulness of God ; c.a7. na for it is one thing to see, another to embrace the whole of what thou seest. A thing is seen, if only the sight of it be caught; but we only see a thing fully, when we have no part of it unseen, when we see round its extreme limits. Chrys. In this complete sense only the Son and the Holy Chrys. Ghost see the Father. For how can created nature see that e0m. xv. which is uncreated? So then no man knoweth the Father as CX1V*] L the Son knoweth Him: and hence what follows, The Only-Begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. That we might not be led by the identity of the name, to confound Him with the sons made so by grace, the article is annexed in the first place; and then, to put an end to all doubt, the name Only-Begotten is introduced. Hilary. The Truth of His Nature did not seem sufficiently HfL de explained by the name of Son, unless, in addition, its pecu-liar force as proper to Him were expressed, so signifying its distinctness from all beside. For in that, besides Son, he calleth Him also the Only-Begotten, he cut off altogether all suspicion of adoption, the Nature of the Only-Begotten guaranteeing the truth of the name. Chrys. He adds, Chrys. Which is in the bosom of the Father. To dwell in the^^j^I bosom is much more than simply to see. For he who sees simply, hath not the knowledge thoroughly of that which44 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. T. Aug. in Joan. Tr. iii. c. 17. 1 secreto Chrys. Horn. xv. [xiv.] 3. Bede ki loc. Aug. Tr. iii. c. 18. he sees; but he who dwells in the bosom, knoweth every thing. When you hear then that no one knoweth the Father save the Son, do not by any means suppose that He only knows the Father more than any other, and does not know Him fully. For the Evangelist sets forth His residing in the bosom of the Father on this very account: viz. to shew us the intimate converse of the Only-Begotten, and His coeternity with the Father. Aug. In the bosom of the Father, i.e. in the secret Presence1 of the Father: for God hath not the fold x on the bosom, as we have; nor must be imagined to sit, as we do; nor is He bound with a girdle, so as to have a fold: but from the fact of our bosom being placed innermost, the secret Presence of the Father is called the bosom of the Father. He then who, in the secret Presence of the Father, knew the Father, the same hath declared what He saw. Chrys. But what hath He declared? That God is one. But this the rest of the Prophets and Moses proclaim : what else have we learnt from the Son Who was in the bosom of the Father ? In the first place, that those very truths, which the others declared, were declared through the operation of the Only-Begotten: in the next place, we have received a far greater doctrine from the Only-Begotten; viz. that God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth; and that God is the Father of the Only-Begotten. Bede. Farther, if the word declared have reference to the past, it must be considered that He, being made man, declared the doctrine of the Trinity in unity, and how, and by what acts we should prepare ourselves for the contemplation of it. If it have reference to the future, then it means that He will declare Him, when He shall introduce His elect to the vision of His brightness. Aug. Yet have there been men, who, deceived by the vanity of their hearts, maintained that the Father is invisible, the Son visible. Now if they call the Son visible, with respect to His connection with the flesh, we object not; it is the Catholic doctrine. But it is madness in them to say He was so before His incarnation; i.e. if it be true that Christ is the Wisdom of God, and the Power of God. The Wisdom of God cannot be seen by the eye. If the human word cannot be seen by the eye, how can the x Ko\7rbs, sinus, bosom, mean often, Hold of the garment on the bosom/ver. 19—23. ST. JOHN. 45 Word of God? Chrys. The text then, No man hath seen Chrys. God at any time, applies not to the Father only, but also to [Xv™‘iX.V1’ the Son: for He, as Paul saith, is the Image of the invisible God; but He who is the Image of the Invisible, must Himself also be invisible. 19. And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou ? 20. And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias ? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet ? And he answered, No. 22. Then said they unto him, Who art thou ? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. Origen. This is the second testimony of John the Baptist Orig. to Christ, the first began with, This is He of whom I spake; 1t^°^n‘ and ended with, He hath declared Him. Theofhyl. Or, c. 29. after the introduction above of John’s testimony to Christ, is preferred before me, the Evangelist now adds when the above testimony was given, And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem. Origen. The orig. Jews of Jerusalem, as being of kin to the Baptist, who was of the priestly stock, send Priests and Levites to ask him who he is; that is, men considered to hold a superior rank c. 6. to the rest of their order, by God’s election, and coming from that favoured above all cities, Jerusalem. Such is the reverential way in which they interrogate John. We read of no such proceeding towards Christ: but what the Jews did to John, John in turn does to Christ, when he asks Him, through his disciples, Art thou He that should come, or look Luke we for another? Chrys. Such confidence had they in John, ^h^‘s that they were ready to believe him on his own words : in Joan-. Horn. xvi. £xv.]46 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Aug. Tr. 4. c. 3. Orig. in Joh. tom. vi. c. 6. Acts 5. Greg. Horn, vii. in Evang. c. I. Chrys. Horn, xvi. [XV.] 1, 2. Mat. 13, 55 witness how it is said, To ask him, Who art thou ? Aug. They would not have sent, unless they had been impressed by his lofty exercise of authority, in daring to baptize. Origen. John, as it appears, saw from the question, that the Priests and Levites had doubts whether it might not be the Christ, who was baptizing; which doubts however they were afraid to profess openly, for fear of incurring the charge of credulity. He wisely determines therefore first to correct their mistake, and then to proclaim the truth. Accordingly, he first of all shews that he is not the Christ: And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. We may add here, that at this time the people had already begun to be impressed with the idea that Christ’s advent was at hand, in consequence of the interpretations which the lawyers had collected out of the sacred writings to that effect. Thus Theudas had been enabled to collect together a considerable body, on the strength of his pretending to be the Christ; and after him Judas, in the days of the taxation, had done the same. Such being the strong expectation of Christ’s advent then prevalent, the Jews send to John, intending by the question, Who art thou? to extract from him whether he were the Christ. Greg. He denied directly being what he was not, but he did not deny what he was: thus, by his speaking truth, becoming a true member of Him Whose name he had not dishonestly usurped. Chrys. Or take this explanation: The Jews were influenced by a kind of human sympathy for John, whom they were reluctant to see made subordinate to Christ, on account of the many marks of greatness about him; his illustrious descent in the first place, he being the son of a chief priest; in the next, his hard training, and his contempt of the world. Whereas in Christ the contrary were apparent; a humble birth, for which they reproach Him; Is not this the carpenter’s son ? an ordinary way of living; a dress such as every one else wore. As John then was constantly sending to Christ, they send to him, with the view of having him for their master, and thinking to induce him, by blandishments, to confess himself Christ. They do not therefore send inferior persons to him, ministers and Herodians, as they did to Christ, but Priests and Levites; and not of these an indiscriminate party, but those of Jeru-ver. 19—23. ST. JOHN. 47 salem, i. e. the more honourable ones; hut they send them with this question, to ask, Who art thou ? not from a wish to be informed, but in order to induce him to do what I have said. John replies then to their intention, not to their interrogation : And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And observe the wisdom of the Evangelist: he repeats the same thing three times, to shew John’s virtue, and the malice and madness of the Jews. For it is the character of a devoted servant, not only to forbear taking to himself his lord’s glory, but even, when numbers offer it to him, to reject it. The multitude indeed believed from ignorance that John was the Christ, but in these it was malice; and in this spirit they put the question to him, thinking, by their blandishments to bring him over to their wishes. For unless this had been their design, when he replied, I am not the Christ, they would have said, We did not suspect this; we did not come to ask this. When caught, however, and discovered in their purpose, they proceed to another question; And they asked him, What then ? Art thou Elias ? Aug. Aug. in For they knew that Elias was to preach Christ; the name of Christ not being unknown to any among the Jews ; but they did not think that He our Lord was the Christ: and yet did not altogether imagine that there was no Christ about to come. In this way, while looking forward to the future, they mistook at the present. And he said, I am not. Greg. These words gave rise to Greg, a very different question. In another place, our Lord, when j asked by His disciples concerning the coming of Elias, replied, If ye will receive it, this is Elias. But John says, Matt. I am not Elias. How is he then a preacher of the truth, if Ui 14# he agrees not with what that very Truth declares ? Origen. orig. in Some one will say that John was ignorant that he was Elias ; Jo*»1« tom, as those say, who maintain, from this passage, the doctrine of a second incorporation, as though the soul took up a new body, after leaving its old one. For the Jews, it is said, asking J ohn by the Levites and Priests, whether he is Elias, suppose the doctrine of a second body to be already certain; as though it rested upon tradition, and were part of their secret system. To which question, however, John replies, I am not Elias; not being acquainted with his own prior48 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Greg. Horn. vii. in Evang. c. 1. Luke I, 17. Orig. in Joan, tom vi. c. 7. Luke 1, 65. existence. But how is it reasonable to imagine, if John were a prophet enlightened by the Spirit, and had revealed so much concerning the Father, and the Only-Begotten, that he could be so in the dark as to himself, as not to know that his own soul had once belonged to Elias ? Greg. But if we examine the truth accurately, that which sounds inconsistent, will be found not really so. The Angel told Zacharias concerning John, He shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias. As Elias then will preach the second advent of our Lord, so John preached His first; as the former will come as the precursor of the Judge, so the latter was made the precursor of the Redeemer. John was Elias in spirit, not in person: and what our Lord affirms of the spirit, John denies of the Person: there being a kind of propriety in this; viz. that our Lord to His disciples should speak spiritually of John, and that John, in answering the carnal multitude, should speak of his body, not of his spirit. Origen. He answers then the Levites and Priests, I am nots conjecturing what their question meant; for the purport of their examination was to discover, not whether the spirit in both was the same, but whether John was that very Elias, who was taken up, now appearing again, as the Jews expected, without another births. But he whom we mentioned above as holding this doctrine of a re-incorporation, will say that it is not consistent that the Priests and Levites should be ignorant of the birth of the son of so dignified a priest as Zacharias, who was born too in his father’s old age, and contrary to all human probabilities: especially when Luke declares, that fear came on all that dwelt round about them. But perhaps, since Elias was expected to appear before the coming of Christ near the end, they may seem to put the question figuratively, Art thou he who an-nouncest the coming of Christ at the end of the world ? to which he answers, I am not. But there is in fact nothing strange in supposing that John’s birth might not have been known to all. For as in the case of our Saviour many knew Him to be born of Mary, and yet some wrongly imagined r Origen argues again against the re- Apol. pro Orig. c. 10, pp. 45, 46. ed. incorporation from this same passage, de la Hue. in Matt. 1. vii. and xiii. § 1. See Pamph.ver. 19—23. ST. JOHN. 49 that He was John the Baptist, or Elias, or one of the Pro-bhets; so in the case of John, some were not unacquainted with the fact of his being son of Zacharias, and yet some may have been in doubt whether he were not the Elias who was expected. Again, inasmuch as many prophets had arisen in Israel, but one was especially looked forward to, of whom Moses had prophesied, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him shall ye hearken: they ask him in the third place, not simply whether he is a prophet, but with the article prefixed, Art thou that Prophet ? For every one of the prophets in succession had signified to the people of Israel that he was not the one whom Moses had prophesied of; who, like Moses, was to stand in the midst between God and man, and deliver a testament, sent from God to His disciples. They did not however apply this name to Christ, but thought that He was to be a different person; whereas John knew that Christ was that Prophet, and therefore to this question, he answered, No. Aug. Or because John was more than a prophet: for that the prophets announced Him afar off, but John pointed Him out actually present. Then said they unto him, Who art thou ? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? Chrys. You see them here pressing him still more strongly with their questions, while he on the other hand quietly puts down their suspicions, where they are untrue, and establishes the truth in their place : saying, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Aug. So spoke Esaias : the prophecy was fulfilled in John the Baptist. Greg. Ye know that the only-begotten Son is called the Word of the Father. Now we know, in the case of our own utterance, the voice first sounds, and then the word is heard. Thus John declares himself to be the voice, i.e. because he precedes the Word, and, through his ministry, the Word of the Father is heard by man. Origen. Heracleon, in his discussion on John and the Prophets, infers that because the Saviour was the Word, and John the voice, therefore the whole of the prophetic order was only sound. To which we reply, that, if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who VOL. IV. E Deut 18. 15. Aug. in Joan. Tr, iv. c. 8. Chrys. Horn. xvi. [xv.] 2. Aug. Tr. iv. c. 7. Greg. Horn. vii. c. 2. Orig. in Joan. tom. vi. c. 12.50 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. T. shall prepare himself for the battle? If the voice of prophecy is nothing but sound, why does the Saviour send us John5, to it, saying, Search the Scriptures? But John calls himself 39‘ the voice, not that crieth, but of one that crieth in the wilder- John 7, ness ; viz. of Him Who stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He cries, in order that those at a distance may hear him, and understand from the loudness of the sound, the vastness of the thing spoken of. in loc. Theophyl. Or because he declared the truth plainly, while Greg. all who were under the law spoke obscurely. Greg. John hi°Ev.V11* crieth in the wilderness, because it is to forsaken and desti- c* 2* tute Judsea that he bears the consolatory tidings of a Re- O ig. deemer. Origen. There is need of the voice crying in the c°io Vii. wilderness, that the soul, forsaken by God, may be recalled to making straight the way of the Lord, following no more the crooked paths of the serpent. This has reference both to the contemplative life, as enlightened by truth, without mixture of falsehood, and to the practical, as following up the correct perception by the suitable action. Wherefore he adds, Make straight the way of the Lord, as saith the prophet Esaias. Greg. The way of the Lord is made straight to the heart, when the word of truth is heard with humility ; the way of the Lord is made straight to the heart, when the life is formed upon the precept. 24. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet ? 26. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27. He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. Orig. in v^! 13™’ Origen. The questions of the priests and Levites being Greg. Horn, vi'. in Evang, e. 2.ver. 24—28. ST. JOHN. 51 answered, another mission comes from the Pharisees: And they that were sent were of the Pharisees. So far as it is allowable to form a conjecture from the discourse itself here, I should say that it was the third occasion of John’s giving his witness. Observe the mildness of the former question, so befitting the priestly and levitical character, Who art thou ? There is nothing arrogant or disrespectful, but only what becomes true ministers of God. The Pharisees however, being a sectarian body, as their name implies, addresses the Baptist in an importunate and contumelious way. And they said, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, neither Elias, neither that Prophet? not caring about information, but only wishing to prevent him baptizing. Yet the very next thing they did, was to come to John’s baptism. The solution of this is, that they came not in faith, but hypocritically, because they feared the people. Chrys. Or, those Chrys. very same priests and Levites were of the Pharisees, and, ^i™'vX)V2 because they could not undermine him by blandishments, began accusing, after they had compelled him to say what he was not. And they asked him, saying, Why baptizest thou theni if thou art not the Christ, neither Elias, neither that Prophet ? As if it were an act of audacity in him to baptize, when he was neither the Christ, nor His precursor, nor His proclaimer, i. e. that Prophet. Greg. A saint, even Greg, when perversely questioned, is never diverted from the pur-suit of goodness. Thus John to the words of envy opposes Evang. the words of life: John answered them, saying, I indeed baptize with water. Origen. For how would the question, Oiig. Why then baptizest thou, be replied to in any other way, than Jon^vE* by setting forth the carnal nature of his own baptism ? <*• 15. Greg. John baptizeth not with the Spirit, but with water; Greg, not being able to remit sins, he washes the bodies of the baptized with water, but not their souls with pardon. Why Evang. then doth he baptize, when he doth not remit sins by baptism? To maintain his character of forerunner. As his birth preceded our Lord’s, so doth his baptism precede our Lord’s baptism. And he who was the forerunner of Christ in His preaching, is forerunner also in His baptism, which was the imitation of that Sacrament. And withal he announces the mystery of our redemption, saying that He, the e 252 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Chrys. xv i. 3. Aug. Tr. iv. c. 9. in loc. Orig. in Joan, tom. vi. c. 15. Redeemer, is standing in the midst of men, and they know it not: There standeth one among you, whom ye know not: for our Lord, when He appeared in the flesh, was visible in body, but in majesty invisible. Chrys. One among you. It was fitting that Christ should mix with the people, and be one of the many, shewing every where His humility. Whom ye know not; i. e. not, in the most absolute and certain sense; not, who He is, and whence He is. Aug. In His low estate He was not seen; and therefore the candle was lighted. Theopryl. Or it was, that our Lord was in the midst of the Pharisees; and they not knowing Him. For they thought that they knew the Scriptures, and therefore, inasmuch as our Lord was pointed out there, He was in the midst of them, i. e. in their hearts. But they knew Him not, inasmuch as they understood not the Scriptures. Or take another interpretation. He was in the midst of them, as mediator between God and man, wishing to bring them, the Pharisees, to God. But they knew Him not. Origen. Or thus; Having said, I indeed baptize with water, in answer to the question, Why baptizest thou then ?—to the next, If thou be not Christ? he replies by declaring the pre-existent substance of Christ; that it was of such virtue, that though His Godhead was invisible, He was present to every one, and pervaded the whole world; as is conveyed in the words, There standeth one among you. For He it is, Who hath diffused Himself through the whole system of nature, insomuch that every thing which is created, is created by Him; all things were made by Him. WThence it is evident that even those who enquired of John, Why baptizest thou then? had Him among them. Or, the words, There standeth one among you, are to be understood of mankind generally. For, from our character as rational beings, it follows that the words exists in the centre of us, because the heart, which is the spring of motion within us, is situated in the centre of the body. Those then who carry the word within them, but are ignorant of its nature, and the source and beginning and the way in which it resides in them; these, hearing the word within them, know it not. But John recognised Him, and re- s i. e. the \oyos iv avdpwirois, reason; the word which is the image of the Word.ver. 24—28. ST. JOHN. 53 proached the Pharisees, saying, Whom ye know not. For, though expecting Christ's coming, the Pharisees had formed no lofty conception of Him, but supposed that He would only be a holy man: wherefore he briefly refutes their ignorance, and the false ideas that they had of His excellence. He saith, standeth; for as the Father standeth, i. e. exists without variation or change, so standeth the Word ever in the work of salvation, though It assume flesh, though It be in the midst of men, though It stand invisible. Lest any one however should think that the invisible One Who cometh to all men, and to the universal world, is different from Him Who was made man, and appeared on the earth, he adds, He that cometh after me, i, e. Who will appear after me. The after however here has not the same meaning that it has, when Christ calls us after Him; for there we are told to follow after Him, that by treading in His steps, we may attain to the Father; but here the word is used to intimate what should follow upon John’s teaching; for he came that all may believe, having by his ministry been fitted gradually by lesser things, for the reception of the perfect Word. Therefore he saith, He it is Who cometh after me. Chrys. As if he said, Do not think that every thing is contained in my baptism; for if my baptism were perfect, another would not come after me with another baptism. This baptism of mine is but an introduction to the other, and will soon pass away, like a shadow, or an image. There is one coming after me to establish the truth: and therefore this is not a perfect baptism; for, if it were, there would be no room for a second: and therefore he adds, Who is made before me: i. e. is more honourable, more lofty. Greg. Made before me, i. e. preferred before me. He comes after me, that is, He is born after me; He is made before me, that is, He is preferred to me. Chrys. But lest thou shouldest think this to be the result of comparison, he immediately shews it to be a superiority beyond all comparison; Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose: as if he said, He is so much before me, that I am unworthy to be numbered among the lowest of His attendants: the unloosing of the sandal being the very lowest kind of service. Aug. To have pronounced himself worthy even of unloosing His shoe’s Chrys. Horn. xvi. (al. xv.) 3. Greg. Horn. vii. in Ev. c 3. Chrys. Horn. xvi. (al. xv.) 3. Aug. Tr. iv.54 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. latchet, he would have been thinking too much of himself. .. Greg. Or thus: It was a law of the old dispensation, that, in Ev. * if a man refused to take the woman, who of right came to c* 3# him, to wife, he who by right of relationship came next to be the husband, should unloose his shoe. Now in what character did Christ appear in the world, but as Spouse of the John 3, Holy Church? John then very properly pronounced him-29# self unworthy to unloose this shoe’s latchet: as if he said, I cannot uncover the feet of the Redeemer, for I claim not the title of spouse, which I have no right to. Or the passage may be explained in another way. We know that shoes are made out of dead animals. Our Lord then, when He came in the flesh, put on, as it were, shoes; because in His Divinity He took the flesh of our corruption, wherein we had of ourselves perished. And the latchet of the shoe, is the seal upon the mystery. John is not able to unloose the shoe’s latchet; i. e. even he cannot penetrate into the mystery of the Incarnation. So he seems to say: What wonder that He is preferred before me, Whom, being born after me, I contemplate, yet the mystery of Whose birth I comprehend Orig. not. Orig. The place has been understood not amiss thus inJoan. by a certain person1; I am not of such importance, as that 1 Hera- for my sake He should descend from this high abode, and Chrys take uPon Him, as it were a shoe. Chrys. John hav- Hom. ing preached the thing concerning Christ publicly and with becoming liberty, the Evangelist mentions the place of His in Joan, preaching: These things were done in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. For it was in no house or corner that John preached Christ, but beyond Jordan, in the midst of a multitude, and in the presence of all whom he had baptized. Some copies read more correctly Bethabara: for Bethany was not beyond Jordan, or in the desert, but near Jerusalem. Gloss. Or we must suppose two Bethanies; one over Jordan, the other on this side, not far from Jerusalem, the Bethany where Lazarus was raised from the dead. Chrys. Chrys. He mentions this too for another reason, viz. that Hom. xvn. ag jje wag reiating events which had only recently happened, he might, by a reference to the place, appeal to the testimony of those who were present and saw them. Alcuin. The meaning of Bethany is, house of obedience; by whichver. 29—31. ST. JOHN. 55 it is intimated to ns, that all must approach to baptism, through the obedience of faith. Orig. Bethabara means Orig. house of preparation; which agreeth with the baptism of Him, who was making ready a people prepared for the Lord. Jordan, again, means, “ their descent.” Now what is this c. 25. river but our Saviour, through Whom coming into this earth et se^‘ all must be cleansed, in that He came down not for His own sake, but for theirs. This river it is which separateth the lots given by Moses, from those given by Jesus; its streams make glad the city of God. As the serpent lies hid in the a, 29. Egyptian river, so doth God in this; for the Father is in the Son. Wherefore whosoever go thither to wash themselves, lay aside the reproach of Egypt, are made meet to Joshua receive the inheritance, are cleansed from leprosy, are made 5’ 9* capable of a double portion of grace, and ready to receive 2 Kings the Holy Spirit; nor doth the spiritual dove light upon any ^¿^gs other river. John again baptizes beyond Jordan, as the 2, 9. precursor of Him Who came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming to him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for He was before me. 31. And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. Origen. After this testimony, Jesus is seen coming to Orig. John, not only persevering in his confession, but also advanced in goodness : as is intimated by the second day. Wherefore it is said, The next day John seeth Jesus coming to him. Long before this, the Mother of Jesus, as soon as she had conceived Him, went to see the mother of John then pregnant; and as soon as the sound of Mary's salutation reached the ears of Elisabeth, John leaped in the womb: but now the Baptist himself after his testimony seeth Jesus coming. Men56 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. T. are first prepared by hearing from others, and then see with their own eyes. The example of Mary going to see Elisabeth her inferior, and the Son of God going to see the Baptist, should teach us modesty and fervent charity to our inferiors. What place the Saviour came from when He came to the Baptist we are not told here; but we find it in Matthew, Matt. 3, Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to Chrys. be baptized of him. Chrys. Or; Matthew relates directly Hom. xvii. Christ's coming to His baptism, John His coming a second (al. xvi.) suksequent to His baptism, as appears from what fol- lows : I saw the Spirit descending, The Evangelists have divided the periods of the history between them; Matthew passing over the part before John's imprisonment, and hastening to that event; John chiefly dwelling on what took place before the imprisonment. Thus he says, The next day John seeth Jesus coming to him. But why did He come to him the next day after His baptism ? Having been baptized with the multitude, He wished to prevent any from thinking that He came to John for the same reason that others did, viz. to confess His sins, and be washed in the river unto repentance. He comes therefore to give John an opportunity of correcting this mistake; which John accordingly did correct; viz. by those words, Behold the Lamb of Gocl} which taketh away the sin of the world. For He Who was so pure, as to be able to absolve other men's sins, evidently could not have come thither for the sake of confessing His own; but only to give John an opportunity of speaking of Him. He came too the next day, that those who had heard the former testimonies of John, might hear them again more plainly; and other besides. For he saith, Behold^ the Lamb of God9 signifying that He was the one of old sought after, and reminding them of the prophecy of Isaiah, and of the shadows of the Mosaic law, in order that through the figure he might Aug. Tr. the easier lead them to the substance. Aug. If the Lamb lv' * ‘ of God is innocent, and John is the lamb, must he not be innocent ? But all men come of that stock of which David Ps. 51, 5. sings sorrowing, Behold, I was conceived in wickedness. He then alone was the Lamb, who was not thus conceived; for He was not conceived in wickedness, nor in sin did His mother bear Him in her womb, Whom a virgin conceived,ver. 29—31. ST. JOHN. 57 a virgin brought forth, because that in faith she conceived, and in faith received. Origen. But whereas five kinds Orig. of animals are offered in the temple, three beasts of the field, a calf, a sheep, and a goat; and two fowls of the air, et seq. a turtle dove and a pigeon; and of the sheep kind three are introduced, the ram, the ewe, the lamb; of these three he mentions only the lamb; the lamb, as we know, being offered in the daily sacrifice, one in the morning, and one in the evening. But what other daily offering can there be, that can be meant to be offered by a reasonable nature, except the perfect Word, typically called the Lamb ? This sacrifice, which is offered up as soon as the soul begins to be enlightened, shall be accounted as a morning sacrifice, referring to the frequent exercise of the mind in divine things; for the soul cannot continually apply to the highest objects because of its union with an earthly and gross body. By this Word too, Which is Christ the Lamb, we shall be able to reason on many things, and shall in a manner attain to Him in the evening, while engaged with things of the body*. But He Who offered the lamb for a sacrifice, was God hid in human form, the great Priest, He who saith below, Mo man taketh it John 10, [My life) from Me, but I lay it down of Myself: whence this 18, name, the Lamb of God: for He carrying our sorrows, and Isaiah taking away the sins of the whole world, hath undergone 2 death, as it were baptism. For God suffers no fault to pass 24. uncorrected; but punishes it by the sharpest discipline. ^ke 12, Theophyl. He is called the Lamb of God, because God the in loc. Father accepted His death for our salvation, or, in other words, because He delivered Him up to death for our sakes. For just as we say, This is the offering of such a man, meaning the offering made by him; in the same sense Christ is 1 Christ the Word is our real daily sacrifice. He carries on within us what is outwardly typified by the Mosaic ritual. As in the Jewish temple the day began with the one continual sacrifice which was carried on by others in their tir-n through the day, (vid. Orig. vi. c. 34,) till at last the evening sacrifice put a close to all sacred services: so in our minds a sacrifice is offered up to God when the Word (from Whom our word, i. e. reason, is derived) lights up spiritual thoughts, and this is still continued in the Christian, even although by reason of the infirmity of the flesh, he cannot always abide in meditation on the Divinest things, yet is, in Christ, engaged on many useful things; and so also when He comes even to the things of the body, in themselves a sort of evening and night to the soul, still doing them also in Christ, he closes all in Christ.58 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. 1 Vulg. Ecce repeated. Greg. Moral, viii. c. 32. Theopli, in loc. Aug. Tr. iv. c. 10, 11. Orig. tom. vi. c. 36. Theoph. in loc. called the Lamb of God Who gave His Son to die for our salvation. And whereas that typical lamb did not take away any man's sin, this one hath taken away the sin of the whole world, rescuing it from the danger it was in from the wrath of God. Behold Him 1 Who taketh away the sin of the world: he saith not, who will take, but, Who taketh away the sin of the world; as if He were always doing this. For He did not then only take it away when He suffered, but from that time to the present, He taketh it away; not by being always crucified, for He made one sacrifice for sins, but by ever washing it by means of that sacrifice. Greg. But then only will sin be entirely taken away from the human race, when our corruption has been turned to a glorious incorruption. We cannot be free from sin, so long as we are held in the death of the body. Theophyl. Why does he say the sin of the world, not sins? Because he wished to express sin universally : just as we say commonly, that man was cast out of paradise; meaning the whole human race. Gloss. Or by the sin of the world is meant original sin, which is common to the whole world: which original sin, as well as the sins of every one individually, Christ by His grace remits. Aug. For He Who took not sin from our nature, He it is Who taketh away our sin. Some say, We take away the sins of men, because we are holy; for if he, who baptizes, is not holy, how can he take away the other's sin, seeing he himself is full of sin ? Against these reasoners let us point to the text; Behold Him Who taketh away the sin of the world; in order to do away with such presumption in man towards man. Origen. As there was a connection between the other sacrifices of the law, and the daily sacrifice of the lamb, in the same way the sacrifice of this Lamb has its reflexion in the pouring out of the blood of the Martyrs, by whose patience, confession, and zeal for goodness, the machinations of the ungodly are frustrated. Theophyl. John having said above to those who came from the Pharisees, that there stood one among them whom they knew not, he here points Him out to the persons thus ignorant: This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me. Our Lord is called a man, in reference to His mature age, being thirty years old when He was bap-ver. 29—31. ST. JOHN. 59 tized : or in a spiritual sense, as the Spouse of the Church; in which sense St. Paul speaks, I have espoused you to one 2 Cor. husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. * Aug. He cometh after me. because He was born after me : He Aug- J Tr. iv. is made before me, because He is preferred to me. Greg. He Greg/ explains the reason of this superiority, in what follows: For Hom. vii. He was before me; as if his meaning was; And this is the c# 3# * reason of His being superior to me, though born after me, viz. that He is not circumscribed by the time of His nativity. He Who was born of His mother in time, was begotten of His Father out of time. Theophyl. Attend, O Arius. He Theoph. saith not, He was created before me, but He was before me. m oc* Let the false sect of Paul of Samosata attend. They will see that He did not derive His original existence from Mary; for if He derived the beginning of His being from the Virgin, how could He have been before His precursor? it being evident that the precursor preceded Christ by six months, according to the human birth. Chrys. That he might not Chrys. seem however to give his testimony from any motive of (ai. Xvi.) 2. friendship or kindred, in consequence of his being related to our Lord according to the flesh, he says, I knew Him not. John could not of course know Him, having lived in the desert. And the miraculous events of Christ’s childhood, the journey of the Magi, and such like, were now a long time past; John having been quite an infant, when they happened. And throughout the whole of the interval, He had been absolutely unknown: insomuch that John proceeds, But that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I aome baptizing with water. (And hence it is clear that the miracles said to have been performed by Christ in His childhood, are false and fictitious. For if Jesus had performed miracles at this early age, he would not have been unknown to John, nor would the multitude have wanted a teacher to point Him out.) Christ Himself then did not want baptism; nor was that washing for any other reason, than to give a sign beforehand of faith in Christ. For John saith not, in order to change men, and deliver from sin, but, that He should be made manifest in Israel, have I come baptizing. But would it not have been lawful for him to preach, and bring crowds together, without baptizing ? Yes: but this60 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. was the easier way, for he would not have collected such num-Aug. Tr. bers, had he preached without baptizing. Aug. Now when 13 C*l2f our Lord became known, it was unnecessary to prepare a way for Him; for to those who knew Him, He became His own way. And therefore John’s baptism did not last long, but Tr. v. c. 5. only so long as to shew our Lord’s humility. Our Lord received baptism from a servant, in order to give us such a lesson of humility as might prepare us for receiving the grace of baptism. And that the servant’s baptism might not be set before the Lord’s, others were baptized with it; who after receiving it, had to receive our Lord’s baptism : whereas those who first received our Lord’s baptism, did not receive the servant’s after. 32. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. 33. And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Chrys. Chrys. John having made a declaration, so astonishing ^Lxvf.)^.his hearers, viz. that He, whom he pointed out, did of Himself take away the sins of the world, confirms it by a reference to the Father and the Holy Spirit. For John might be asked, How did you know Him ? Wherefore he replies beforehand, By the descent of the Holy Spirit: And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Aug. de heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. Aug. This was not however the first occasion of Christ’s receiving the unction of the Holy Spirit: viz. Its descent upom Him at His baptism; wherein He condescended to prefigure His body, the Church, wherein those who are baptized receive pre-eminently the Holy Spirit. For it would be absurd to suppose that at thirty years old, (which was His age, whenver. 32—34. ST. JOHN. 61 He was baptized by John,) He received for tbe first time tbe Holy Spirit: and that, when He came to that baptism, as He was without sin, so was He without the Holy Spirit. For if even of His servant and forerunner John it is written, He shall he filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb; if he, though sprung from his father’s seed, yet received the Holy Ghost, when as yet he was only formed in the womb; what ought we to think and believe of Christ, whose very flesh had not a carnal but spiritual conception ? Aug. We do not attribute to Christ only the possession of Aug. d® a real body, and say that the Holy Spirit assumed a false Q^ris-appearance to men’s eyes: for the Holy Spirit could no tiano, c. more, in consistency with His nature, deceive men, than could 24‘ ^22*^ the Son of God. The Almighty God, Who made every creature out of nothing, could as easily form a real body of a dove, without the instrumentality of other doves, as He made a real body in the womb of the Virgin, without the seed of the male. Aug. The Holy Ghost was made to ap- Aug. pear visibly in two ways: as a dove, upon our Lord at His t/vE1* baptism; and as a flame upon His disciples, when they were sparsim. met together: the former shape denoting simplicity, the latter fervency. The dove intimates that souls sanctified by the Spirit should have no guile; the fire, that in that simplicity there should not be coldness. Nor let it disturb thee, that the tongues are cloven; fear no division; unity is assured to us in the dove. It was meet then that the Holy Spirit should be thus manifested descending upon our Lord; in order that every one who had the Spirit might know, that he ought to be simple as a dove, and be in sincere peace with the brethren. The kisses of doves represent this peace. Ravens kiss, but they tear also; but the nature of the dove is most alien to tearing. Ravens feed on the dead, but the dove eats nothing but the fruits of the earth. If doves moan in their love, marvel not that He Who appeared in the likeness of a dove, the Holy Spirit, maketh intercession /or Rom. 8, us with groanings that cannot be uttered. The Holy Spirit 26* however groaneth not in Himself, but in us: He maketh us to groan. And he who groaneth, as knowing that, so long as he is under the burden of this mortality, he is absent from the Lord, groaneth well: it is the Spirit that hath taught himCant. 6,9. Matt. 28, 19. Greg. M oral, liv. (90.) John 14, 17. Chrys. JJom.xvii. (al. xvi.) 2. in Joan. Aug. Tr. v. c. i. G2 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. to groan. But many groan because of earthly calamities; because of losses which disquiet them, or bodily sicknesses which weigh heavily on them: they groan not, as doth the dove. What then could more fitly represent the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of unity, than the dove ? as He saith Himself to His reconciled Church, My dove is one. What could better express humility, than the simplicity and moaning of a dove? Wherefore on this occasion it was that there appeared the very most Holy Trinity, the Father in the voice which said, Thou art My beloved Son; the Holy Spirit in the likeness of the dove. In that Trinity the Apostles were sent to baptize, i.e. in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Greg. He saith, Abode upon Him: for the Holy Spirit visits all the faithful; but on the Mediator alone does He abide for ever in a peculiar manner; never leaving the Son’s Humanity, even as He proceeds Himself from the Son’s Divinity. But when the disciples are told of the same Spirit, He shall dwell with you, how is the abiding of the Spirit a peculiar sign of Christ? This will appear if we distinguish between the different gifts of the Spirit. As regards those gifts which are necessary for attaining to life, the Holy Spirit ever abides in all the elect; such are gentleness, humility, faith, hope, charity: but with respect to those, which have for their object, not our own salvation, but that of others, He does not always abide, but sometimes withdraws, and ceases to exhibit them; that men may be more humble in the possession of His gifts. But Christ had all the gifts of the Spirit, uninterruptedly always. Chrys. Should any however think that Christ really wanted the Holy Spirit, in the way that we do, he corrects this notion also, by informing us that the descent of the Holy Ghost took place only for the purpose of manifesting Christ: And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me} Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him} the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. Aug. But who sent John? If we say the Father, we say true; if we say the Son, we say true. But it would be truer to say, the Father and the Son. How then knew he not Him, by Whom he was sent ? For if he knew not Him, by Whom hever. 32—34. ST. JOHN. 63 wished to be baptized, it was rash in him to say, I have need to he baptized by Thee. So then he knew Him; and why saith he, 1 knew Him not ? Chrys. When he saith, I knew chrys. Him not, he is speaking of time past, not of the time of his baptism, when he forbad Him, saying, I have need to be bap- 3. in Joan. tized of Thee. Aug. Let us turn to the other Evangelists, who Aug. Tr. relate the matter more clearly, and we shall find most satis- gp^ factorily, that the dove descended when our Lord ascended sim* from the water. If then the dove descended after baptism, but John said before the baptism, I have need to be baptized of Thee, he knew Him before His baptism also. How then said he, I knew Him not, but He which sent me to baptize ? Was this the first revelation made to John of Christ’s person, or was it not rather a fuller disclosure of what had been already revealed ? John knew the Lord to be the Son of God, knew that He would baptize with the Holy Ghost: for before Christ came to the river, many having come together to hear John, he said unto them, He that cometh Matt. 3, after me is mightier than I: He shall baptize you with the 11b Holy Ghost and with fire. What then? He did not know that our Lord (lest Paul or Peter might say, my baptism, as we find Paul did say, my Gospel,) would have and retain to Himself the power of baptism, the ministering of it however passing to good and bad indiscriminately. What hindrance is the badness of the minister, when the Lord is good? So then we baptize again after John’s baptism ; after a homicide’s we baptize not: because John gave his own baptism, the homicide gives Christ’s; which is so holy a sacrament, that not even a homicide’s ministration can pollute it. Our Lord could, had He so willed, have given power to any servant of His to give baptism as it were in His own stead; and to the baptism, thus transferred to the servant, have imparted the same power, that it would have had, when given by Himself. But this He did not choose to do; that the hope of the baptized might be directed to Him, Who had baptized them; He wished not the servant to place hope in the servant. And again, had He given this power to servants, there would have been as many baptisms as servants; as there had been the baptism of John, so should we have had the baptism of Paul and of Peter. It is by this power then, which Christ re-64 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. T. tains in His own possession exclusively, that the unity of the Cant. 6, 9. Church is established; of which it is said, My dove is one. A man may have a baptism besides the dove; but that any Chrys. besides the dove should profit, is impossible. Chrys. The ¡>l°xvf)3* Father having sent forth a voice proclaiming the Son, the Holy Spirit came besides, bringing the voice upon the head of Christ, in order that no one present might think that what was said of Christ, was said of John. But it will be asked: How was it that the Jews believed not, if they saw the Spirit ? Such sights however require the mental vision, rather than the bodily. If those who saw Christ working miracles were so drunken with malice, that they denied what their own eyes had seen, how could the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove overcome their incredulity? Some say however that the sight was not visible to all, but only to John, and the more devotional part. But even if the descent of the Spirit, as a dove, was visible to the outward eye, it does not follow that because all saw it, all understood it. Zacharias himself, Daniel, Ezechiel, and Moses saw many things, appearing to their senses, which no one else saw : and therefore John adds, And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God. He had called Him the Lamb before, and said that He would baptize with the Spirit; but Aug. Tr. he had nowhere called Him the Son before. Aug. It was Joan11 necessary that the Only Son of God should baptize, not an adopted son. Adopted sons are ministers of the Only Son: but though they have the ministration, the Only one alone has the power. 35. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples ; 36. And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God ! chrys. Chrys. Many not having attended to John’s words at Mom. first, he rouses them a second time: Again the next day xvii!) r1* after John stood, and two of his disciples. Bede. John Bede. stood, because he had ascended that citadel of all excel-Vigil*. Sh lences* from which no temptations could cast him down : his And. disciples stood with him, as stout-hearted followers of theirver 35, 36. ST. JOHN. 65 master. Chrys. But wherefore went he not all about, Clirys. preaching in every place of Judsea; instead of standing near xviii.*(al. the river, waiting for His coming, that he might point Him XV11*) c* 2* out? Because he wished this to be done by the works of Christ Himself. And observe how much greater an effort was produced; he struck a small spark, and suddenly it rose into a flame. Again, if John had gone about and preached, it would have seemed like human partiality, and great suspicion would have been excited. Now the Prophets and Apostles all preached Christ absent; the former before His appearance in the flesh, the latter after His assumption. But He was to be pointed out by the eye, not by the voice only; and therefore it follows: And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! Theophyl. Looking he saith, as if signifying by his looks his love and admiration for Christ. Aug. John was the Aug. friend of the Bridegroom; he sought not his own glory, but JrgVii* bare witness to the truth. And therefore he wished not his disciples to remain with him, to the hindrance of their duty to follow the Lord; but rather shewed them whom they should follow, saying, Behold the Lamb of God. Chrys. Chrys. He makes not a long discourse, having only one object be-fore him, to bring them and join them to Christ; knowing in Joan, that they would not any further need his witness. John c. 2. does not however speak to his disciples alone, but publicly in the presence of all. And so, undertaking to follow Christ, through this instruction common to all, they remained thenceforth firm, following Christ for their own advantage, not as an act of favour to their master x. John does not exhort: he simply gazes in admiration on Christ, pointing out the gift y He came to bestow, the cleansing from sin : and the mode in which this would be accomplished: both of which the word Lamb testifies to. Lamb has the article affixed to it, as a sign of pre-eminence. Aug. Por He alone Aug. Tr. and singly is the Lamb without spot, without sin; not be- V11* c* cause His spots are wiped off, but because He never had x rbu bidd(TKa\ov, i. e. John. In the Cat. is substituted “propter gratiam Christi.” y r^v Scopeb.v ¿’ %v crvveylvtTO teal VOL. IV. rbv rpoirov rov KaQapfxov, The Cat. has “ prseparationem propter quam venit et modum preparationis.” Perhaps it should be “ purgationis.” F66 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. c. 6. Bede. Horn. 1, Bede. Horn, in Vigil. S. And. Chrys. Horn. xviii. 1 et sq, a spot. He alone is the Lamb of God, for by His blood alone can men be redeemed. This is the Lamb whom the wolves fear; even the slain Lamb, by whom the lion was slain. Bede. The Lamb therefore he calls Him; for that He was about to give us freely His fleece, that we might make of it a wedding garment; i. e. would leave us an example of life, by which we should be warmed into love. Alcuin. John stands in a mystical sense, the Law having ceased, and Jesus comes, bringing the grace of the Gospel, to which that same Law bears testimony. Jesus walks, to collect disciples. Bede. The walking of Jesus has a reference to the economy of the Incarnation, by means of which He has condescended to come to us, and give us a pattern of life. 37. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye ? They said unto Him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest Thou ? 39. He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day : for it was about the tenth hour. 40. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Alcuin. John having borne witness that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the disciples who had been hitherto with him, in obedience to his command, followed Jesus: And the two disciples heard him speak, and they follovjed Jesus. Chrys. Observe; when he said, He that cometh after me is made before me, and, Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose, he gained over none; but when he made mention of the economy, and gave his discourse a humbler turn, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, then his disciples followed Christ. For many persons are less influenced by the thoughts of God's greatness and majesty, than when they hear of His being man's Helper and Friend; or anything pertaining tover. 37—40. ST. JOHN. G7 the salvation of men. Observe too, when John says, Behold the Lamb of God, Christ says nothing. The Bridegroom stands by in silence; others introduce Him, and deliver the Bride into His hands; He receives her, and so treats her that she no longer remembers those who gave her in marriage. Thus Christ came to unite to Himself the Church; He said nothing Himself; but John, the friend of the Bridegroom, came forth, and put the Bride’s right hand in His; i.e. by his preaching delivered into His hands men’s souls, whom receiving He so disposed of, that they returned no more to John. And observe farther; As at a marriage the maiden goes not to meet the bridegroom, (even though it be a king’s son who weds a humble handmaid.) but he hastens to her; so is it here. For human nature ascended not into heaven, but the Son of God came down to human nature, and took her to His Father’s house. Again; there were disciples of John who not only did not follow Christ, but were even enviously disposed toward Him; but the better part heard, and followed; not from contempt of their former master, but by his persuasion; because he promised them that Christ would baptize with the Holy Ghost. And see with what modesty their zeal was accompanied. They did not straightway go and interrogate Jesus on great and necessary doctrines, nor in public, but sought private converse with Him; for we are told that Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? Hence we learn, that when we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us opportunities enough of improvement. Christ asks the question, not because He needed to be told, but in order to encourage familiarity and confidence, and shew that He thought them worthy of His instructions. Theophyl. Observe then, that it was upon those who fol- in loc lowed Him, that our Lord turned His face and looked upon them. Unless thou by thy good works follow Him, thou shalt never be permitted to see His face, or enter into His dwelling. Alcuin. The disciples followed behind His back, in order to see Him, and did not see His face. So He turns round, and, as it were, lowers His majesty, that they might be enabled to behold His face. Origen. Perhaps it is not ?r^g‘2t9om‘ without a reason, that after six testimonies John ceases to f 268 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Chrys. Horn, xviii. in Joan, sparsim. Orig. tom. ii. c. 29. Chrys. Horn, xviii. (aL xvii.) 3. Matt. 8, 20. Aug. Tr. vii. c. 9. bear witness, and Jesus asks seventhly, What seek ye ? Chrys. And besides following Him, their questions shewed their love for Christ; They said unto Him, Rabbi, {which is, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest Thou ? They call Him, Master, before they have learnt anything from Him; thus encouraging themselves in their resolution to become disciples, and to shew the reason why they followed. Ori-gen. An avowal, befitting persons who came from hearing John’s testimony. They put themselves under Christ’s teaching, and express their desire to see the dwelling of the Son of God. Alcuin. They do not wish to be under His teaching for a time only, but enquire where He abides; wishing an immediate initiation in the secrets of His word, and afterwards meaning often to visit Him, and obtain fuller instruction. And, in a mystical sense too, they wish to know in whom Christ dwells, that profiting by their example they may themselves become fit to be His dwelling. Or, their seeing Jesus walking, and straightway enquiring where He resides, is an intimation to us, that we should, remembering His Incarnation, earnestly entreat Him to shew us our eternal habitation. The request being so good a one, Christ promises a free and full disclosure. He saith unto them, Come and see: that is to say, My dwelling is not to be understood by words, but by works; come, therefore, by believing and working, and then see by understanding. Origen. Or perhaps come, is an invitation to action; see, to contemplation. Chrys. Christ does not describe His house and situation, but brings them after Him, shewing that He had already accepted them as His own. He says not, It is not the time now, to-morrow ye shall hear if ye wish to learn; but addresses them familiarly, as friends who had lived with Him a long time. But how is it that He saith in another place, The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head ? when here He says, Come and see where I live ? His not having where to lay His head, could only have meant that He had no dwelling of His own, not that He did not live in a house at all: for the next words are, They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day. Why they stayed the Evangelist does not say: it being obviously for the sake of His teaching. Aug. What a blessedYETI. 41, 42. ST. JOHN. 69 day and night was that! Let us too build up in our hearts within, and make Him an house, whither He may come and teach us. Theophyl. And it was about the tenth hour. The Evangelist mentions the time of day purposely, as a hint both to teachers and learners, not to let time interfere with their work. Chrys. It shewed a strong desire to chrys. hear Him, since even at sunset they did not turn from Him. To sensual persons the time after meals is unsuitable for any grave employment, their bodies being overloaded with food. But John, whose disciples these were, was not such an one. His evening was a more abstemious one than our mornings. Aug. The number here signifies the law, which was com- Aug. Tr. posed of ten commandments. The time had come when the vn* c* 10-law was to be fulfilled by love, the Jews, who acted from fear, having been unable to fulfil it, and therefore was it at the tenth hour that our Lord heard Himself called, Rabbi; none but the giver of the law is the teacher1 of the law. i magis-Chrys. One of the two which heard John speak and followed ter Uim was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Why is the other Hom!* name left out ? Some say, because this Evangelist himselfxviii- 3* was that other. Others, that it was a disciple of no eminence, and that there was no use in telling his name any more than those of the seventy-two, which are omitted. Alcuin. Or it would seem that the two disciples who followed Jesus were Andrew and Philip. 41. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, He said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. Chrys. Andrew kept not our Lord’s words to himself; chrys. but ran in haste to his brother, to report the good tidings : ^om. Se first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him) We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. Bede. This is truly to find the Lord; viz. to have Bede, fervent love for Him, together with a care for our brother’s y^mgm Andr.70 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Chrys. Horn, xix. (al. xviii.) 1. Aug. Tr. vii. c. 13. Ps. 44 (45.) # 1 partici-pibus Chrys.' Horn. xix. 1, 2. Bede. Horn. i. Temp. Hier, in Vig. s. Andr. salvation. Chrys. The Evangelist does not mention what Christ said to those who followed Him; but we may infer it from what follows. Andrew declares in few words what he had learnt, discloses the power of that Master Who had persuaded them, and his own previous longings after Him. For this exclamation, We have found, expresses a longing for His coming, turned to exultation, now that He was really come. Aug. Messias in Hebrew, Christus in Greek, TTnctus in Latin. Chrism is unction, and He had a special unction, which from Him extended to all Christians, as appears in the Psalm, God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows1. All holy persons are partakers with Him ; but He is specially the Holy of Holies, specially anointed. Chrys. And therefore he said not Messias, but the Messias. Mark the obedience of Peter from the very first; he went immediately without delay, as appears from the next words: And he brought him to Jesus. Nor let us blame him as too yielding, because he did not ask many questions, before he received the word. It is reasonable to suppose that his brother had told him all, and sufficiently fully; but the Evangelists often make omissions for the sake of brevity. But, besides this, it is not absolutely said that he did believe, but only, He took him to Jesus ; i.e. to learn from the mouth of Jesus Himself, what Andrew had reported. Our Lord begins now Himself to reveal the things of His Divinity, and to exhibit them gradually by prophecy. For prophecies are no less persuasive than miracles ; inasmuch as they are pre-eminently God's work, and are beyond the power of devils to imitate, while miracles may be phantasy or appearance : the foretelling future events with certainty is an attribute of the incorruptible nature alone: And when Jesus beheld him, He said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. Bede. He beheld him not with His natural eye only, but by the insight of His Godhead discerned from eternity the simplicity and greatness of his soul, for which he was to be elevated above the whole Church. In the word Peter, we must not look for any additional meaning, as though it were of Hebrew or Syriac derivation; for the Greek and Latin word Peter, has thever. 41, 42. ST. JOHN. 71 same meaning as Cephas; being in both languages derived from petra. He is called Peter on account of the firmness of his faith, in cleaving to that Pock, of which the Apostle speaks, And that Rock was Christ; which secures those who l Cor. trust in it from the snares of the enemy, and dispenses 10’ 4# streams of spiritual gifts. Aug. There was nothing very Aug. Tr. great in our Lord saying whose son he was, for our Lord V11‘c* 14‘ knew the names of all His saints, having predestinated them before the foundation of the world. But it was a great thing for our Lord to change his name from Simon to Peter. Peter is from petra, rock, which rock is the Church : so that the name of Peter represents the Church. And who is safe, unless he build upon a rock ? Our Lord here rouses our attention: for had he been called Peter before, we should not have seen the mystery of the Bock, and should have thought that he was called so by chance, and not providentially. God therefore made him to be called by another name before, that the change of that name might give vividness to the mystery. Chrys. He changed the name too to Chrys. shew that He was the same who had done so before in the Iiom;, XIX* ^cll* Old Testament; who had called Abram Abraham, Sarai xviii. 2.) Sarah, Jacob Israel. Many He had named from their birth, as Isaac and Samson; others again after being named by their parents, as were Peter, and the sons of Zebedee. Those whose virtue was to be eminent from the first, have names given them from the first; those who were to be exalted afterwards, are named afterwards. Aug. The account Aug. here of the two disciples on the Jordan, who follow Christ Evlmg.'c. (before he had gone into Galilee) in obedience to John’s “• testimony; viz. of Andrew bringing his brother Simon to Jesus, who gave him, on this occasion, the name of Peter; disagrees considerably with the account of the other Evangelists, viz. that our Lord found these two, Simon and Andrew, fishing in Galilee, and then bid them follow Him : unless we understand that they did not regularly join our Lord when they saw Him on the Jordan; but only discovered who He was, and full of wonder, then returned to their occupations. Nor must we think that Peter first received his name on the occasion mentioned in Matthew, when our Lord says, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will Matt. 16, 18.72 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. I build My Chwrch; but rather when our Lord says, Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. Alcuin. Or perhaps He does not actually give him the name now, but only fixes beforehand what He afterwards gave him when He said, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build My Church. And while about to change his name, Christ wishes to shew that even that which his parents had given him, was not without a meaning. For Simon signifies obedience, Joanna grace, Jona a dove : as if the meaning was; Thou art an obedient son of grace, or of the dove, i.e. the Holy Spirit; for thou hast received of the Holy Spirit the humility, to desire, at Andrew's call, to see Me. The elder disdained not to follow the younger; for where there is meritorious faith, there is no order of seniority. 43. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me. 44. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Chrys. After gaining these disciples, Christ proceeded to X1X* convert others, viz. Philip and Nathanael: The day follow-ing, Jesus would go forth into Galilee. Alcuin. Leaving, that is, Judaea, where John was baptizing, out of respect to the Baptist, and not to appear to lower his office, as long as it continued. He was going to call a disciple, and wished to go forth into Galilee, i. e. to a place of “ transition" or “ revelation," that is to say, that as He Himself increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man, and as He suffered and rose again, and entered into His glory: sover. 43—46. ST. JOHN. 73 He would teach His followers to go forth, and increase in virtue, and pass through suffering to joy. He findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me, Every one follows Jesus who imitates His humility and suffering, in order to be partaker of His resurrection and ascension. Chrys. Ob- Chrys. serve, He did not call them, before some had of their own xx°™‘ accord joined Him: for had He invited them, before any had joined Him, perhaps they would have started back : but now having determined to follow of their own free choice? they remain firm ever after. He calls Philip, however, because he would be known to Him, from living in Galilee. But what made Philip follow Christ? Andrew heard from John the Baptist, and Peter from Andrew; he had heard from no one; and yet on Christ saying, Follow Me, was persuaded instantly. It is not improbable that Philip may have heard John : and yet it may have been the mere voice of Christ which produced this effect. Theophyl. For the voice of Christ sounded not like a common voice to some, that is, the faithful, but kindled in their inmost soul the love of Him. Philip having been continually meditating on Christ, and reading the books of Moses, so confidently expected Him, that the instant he saw, he believed. Perhaps too he had heard of Him from Andrew and Peter, coming from the same district; an explanation which the Evangelist seems to hint at, when he adds, Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter, Chrys. The power of Christ Chrys. appears by His gathering fruit out of a barren country. For from that Galilee, out of which there ariseth no prophet, He takes His most distinguished disciples. Alcuin. Bethsaida means house of hunters. The Evangelist introduces the name of this place by way of allusion to the characters of Philip, Peter, and Andrew, and their future office, i. e. catching and saving souls. Chrys. Philip is not only Chrys. persuaded himself, but begins preaching to others: Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph, See how zealous he is, and how constantly he is meditating on the books of Moses, and looking for Christ’s coming. That Christ was coming he had known before ; but he did not know that this was the74 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. Christ, of whom Moses and the Prophets did write: he says this to give credibility to his preaching, and to shew his zeal for the Law and the Prophets, and how that he had examined them attentively. Be not disturbed at his calling our Lord the Son of Joseph ; this was what He was sup-Aug. Tr. posed to be. Aug. The person to whom our Lord's mother vii. c. 15. betrothed. The Christians know from the Gospel, that He was conceived and born of an undefiled mother. He adds the place too, of Nazareth. Theophyl. He was bred up there: the place of His birth could not have been known generally, but all knew that He was bred up in Nazareth. And Nathanael said unto Him, Can there any good thing Aug. Tr. come out of Nazareth. Aug. However you may understand lg* if15’ these words, Philip's answer will suit. You may read it either as affirmatory, Something good can come out of Nazareth ; to which the other says, Come and see: or you may read it as a question, implying doubt on Nathanael's part, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ? Come and see. Since either way of reading agrees equally with what follows, we must enquire the meaning of the passage. Nathanael was well read in the Law, and therefore the word Nazareth (Philip having said that he had found Jesus of Nazareth) immediately raises his hopes, and he exclaims, Something good can come out of Nazareth. He had searched the Scriptures, and knew, what the Scribes and Pharisees could not, that the Saviour was to be expected thence. Alcuin. He Who alone is absolutely holy, harmless, undefiled; of Whom Isaiah the Prophet saith, There shall come forth a rod out of the ’ * stem of Jesse, and a branch (.Nazarceus) shall grow out of his roots. Or the words may be taken as expressing doubt, Chrys. and asking the question. Chrys. Nathanael knew from the Hom. xx. gcripfcures^ that Christ was to come from Bethlehem, accord-Micah5 2. ing to the prophecy of Micah, And thout Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,—out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel. On hearing of Nazareth, then, he doubted, and was not able to reconcile Philip's tidings with prophecy. For the Prophets call Him a Nazarene, only in reference to His education and mode of life. Observe, however, the discretion and gentleness with which he communicates his doubts. He does not say, Thou deceivest me,ver. 47—51. ST. JOHN. 75 Philip; but simply asks the question, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ? Philip too in turn is equally discrete. He is not confounded by the question, but dwells upon it, and lingers in the hope of bringing him to Christ: Philip saith unto him, Come and see. He takes him to Christ, knowing that when he had once tasted of His words and doctrine, he will make no more resistance. 47. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile ! 48. Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me ? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49. Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God ; Thou art the King of Israel. 50. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou ? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. Chets. Nathanael, in difficulty as to Christ coming out Chrys of Nazareth, shewed the care with which he had read the Hon), xix. Scriptures : his not rejecting the tidings when brought him, shewed his strong desire for Christ’s coming. He thought that Philip might be mistaken as to the place. It follows, Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile ! There was no fault to be found with him, though he had spoken like one who did not believe, because he was more deeply read in the Prophets than Philip. He calls him guileless, because he had said nothing to gain favour, or gratify malice. Aug. Au^ Tr< What meaneth this, In whom is no guile? Had he no sinpvii. c. i9. Was no physician necessary for him? Far from it. No one76 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. I. was ever born, of a temper not to need the Physician. It is guile, when we say one thing, and think another. How then was there no guile in him? Because, if he was a sinner, he confessed his sin; whereas if a man, being a sinner, pretends to be righteous, there is guile in his mouth. Our Lord then commended the confession of sin in Nathanael; He did not pronounce him not a sinner. Theophyl. Nathanael however, notwithstanding this praise, does not acquiesce immediately, but waits for further evidence, and asks, Chrys. Whence knowest Thou me? Chrys. He asks as man, Jesus Hom. xx angwers as Q0d : Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee> when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee: not having beheld him as man, but as God discerning him from above. I saiv thee, He says, that is, the character of thy life, when thou wast under the fig tree: where the two, Philip and Nathanael, had been talking together alone, nobody seeing them ; and on this account it is said, that on seeing him a long way off, He said, Behold an Israelite indeed; whence it appears that this speech was before Philip came near, so that no suspicion could attach to Christ’s testimony. Christ would not say, I am not of Nazareth, as Philip told you, but of Bethlehem; in order to du.i(rpri‘ avoid an argument: and because it would not have been TxiyoyP sufficient proof, had He mentioned it, of His being the Christ. He preferred rather proving this by His having been present Aug. Tr. at their conversation. Aug. Has this fig tree any meaning? vn. c. 21. rea(j q£ Qne tree which was cursed, because it had only leaves, and no fruit. Again, at the creation, Adam and Eve, after sinning, made themselves aprons of fig leaves. Fig leaves then signify sins; and Nathanael, when he was under the fig tree, was under the shadow of death: so that our Lord seemeth to say, 0 Israel, whoever of you is without guile, O people of the Jewish faith, before that I called thee by My Apostles, when thou wert as yet under the shadow Greg. of death, and sawest Me not, I saw thee. Greg. When cJxxxviii*.* ^ou was^ under the fig tree, I saw thee; i.e. when thou (59.) wast yet under the shade of the law, I chose thee. Aug. Semi. 40. Nathanael remembered that he had been under the fig tree, (122.) where Christ was not present corporeally, but only by His spiritual knowledge. Hence, knowing that he had beenver. 47—51. ST. JOHN. 77 alone, he recognised our Lord’s Divinity. Chrys. That our chrys. Lord then had this knowledge, had penetrated into his mind, Hom* xx* had not blamed but praised his hesitation, proved to Nathanael that He was the true Christ: Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel: as if he said, Thou art He who was expected, Thou art He who was sought for. Sure proof being obtained, he proceeds to make confession; herein shewing his devotion, as his former hesitation had shewn his diligence. Id. Many when they read this passage, are Hom. xxi. perplexed at finding that, whereas Peter was pronounced ^al*xx*)1# blessed for having, after our Lord’s miracles and teaching, confessed Him to be the Son of God, Nathanael, who makes the same confession before, has no such benediction. The reason is this. Peter and Nathanael both used the same words, but not in the same meaning. Peter confessed our Lord to be the Son of God, in the sense of very God; the latter in the sense of mere man; for after saying, Thou art the Son of God, he adds, Thou art the King of Israel; whereas the Son of God was not the King of Israel only, but of the whole world. This is manifest from what follows. For in the case of Peter Christ added nothing, but, as if his faith were perfect, said, that He would build the Church upon his confession; whereas Nathanael, as if his confession were very deficient, is led up to higher things : Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou ? Thou shalt see greater things than these. As if He said, What I have just said has appeared a great matter to thee, and thou hast confessed Me to be King of Israel; what wilt thou say when thou seest greater things than these ? What that greater thing is He proceeds to shew : And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. See how He raises him from earth for a while, and forces him to think that Christ is not a mere man : for how could He be a mere man, whom angels ministered to ? It was, as it were, saying, that He was Lord of the Angels; for He must be the King’s own Son, on whom the servants of the King descended and ascended; descended at His crucifixion, ascended at78 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. CHAP. I. Aug. in Verb. Dom. Gen. 28, 12. Aug. Tr. vii. in Joan, c. 23. 2 Cor. 12, 2. 1 Cor. 3, 2. c. 17. His resurrection and ascension. Angels too before this came and ministered unto Him, and angels brought the glad tidings of His birth. Our Lord made the present a proof of the future. After the powers He had already shewn, Nathanael would readily believe that much more would follow. Aug. Let us recollect the Old Testament account. Jacob saw in a dream a ladder reaching from earth to heaven; the Lord resting upon it, and the angels ascending and descending upon it. Lastly, Jacob himself understanding what the vision meant, set up a stone, and poured oil upon it. When he anointed the stone, did he make an idol? No: he only set up a symbol, not an object of worship. Thou seest here the anointing; see the Anointed also. He is the stone which the builders refused. If Jacob, who was named Israel, saw the ladder, and Nathanael was an Israelite indeed, there was a fitness in our Lord telling him Jacob’s dream; as if he said, Whose name thou art called by, his dream hath appeared unto thee: for thou shalt see the heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. If they descend upon Him, and ascend to Him, then He is both up above and here below at the same time; above in Himself, below in His members. Aug. Good preachers, however, who preach Christ, are as angels of God; i.e. they ascend and descend upon the Son of man; as Paul, who ascended to the third heaven, and descended so far even as to give milk to babes. He saith, We shall see greater things than these; because it is a greater thing that our Lord has justified us, whom He hath called, than that He saw us lying under the shadow of death. For had we remained where He saw us, what profit would it have been ? It is asked why Nathanael, to whom our Lord bears such testimony, is not found among the twelve Apostles. We may believe, however, that it was because he was so learned, and versed in the law, that our Lord had not put him among the disciples. He chose the foolish, to confound the world. Intending to break the neck of the proud, He sought not to gain the fisherman through the orator, but by the fisherman the emperor. The great Cyprian was an orator; but Peter was a fisherman before him; and through him not only the orator, but the emperor, believed.CHAP. II. 1. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee ; and the mother of Jesus was there : 2. And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. 3. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. 4. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee ? Mine hour is not yet come. Chrys. Our Lord being known in Galilee, they invite Him to a marriage: And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Alcuin. Galilee is a province; Cana a village in it. Chrys. They invite our Lord to the marriage, not as a great person, but merely as one they knew, one of the many; for which reason the Evangelist says, And the mother of Jesus was there. As they invited the mother, so they invited the Son: and therefore, Jesus was called} and His disciples to the marriage: and He came, as caring more for our good, than His own dignity. He who disdained not to take upon Him the form of a servant, disdained not to come to the marriage of servants. Aug. Let the proud man blush to see the humility of God. Lo, among other things, the Son of the Virgin comes to a marriage; He Who, when He was with the Father, instituted marriage. Bede. His condescension in coming to the marriage, and the miracle He wrought there, are, even considering them in the letter only, a strong confirmation of the faith. Therein too are condemned the errors of Tatian, Marcion, and others who detract from the honour of marriage. For if the undefiled bed, and the marriage celebrated with due chastity, partook at all of sin, our Lord would never have Chrys. Horn. xxi. (al. xx.) 1, Chrys. Horn, xxi. 1. Augr. In Verb. Dom. Serm. xli. Bede. Horn. 2d. Sund. after Epiph.80 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. II. come to one. Whereas now, conjugal chastity being good, the continence of widows better, the perfection of the virgin state best, to sanction all these degrees, but distinguish the merit of each, He deigned to be born of the pure womb of the Virgin; was blessed after birth by the prophetic voice of the widow Anna; and now invited in manhood to attend the celebration of a marriage, honours that also by the presence of Aug. Tr. His goodness. Aug. What marvel, if He went to that house vm. c. 4. a marriage, Who came into this world to a marriage. For here He has His spouse whom He redeemed with His own blood, to whom He gave the pledge of the Spirit, and whom He united to Himself in the womb of the Virgin. For the Word is the Bridegroom, and human flesh the bride, and both together are one Son of God and Son of man. That womb of the Virgin Mary is His chamber, from which He Ps. 19, 5. went forth as a bridegroom. Bede. Nor is it without some in^oc mysterious allusion, that the marriage is related as taking place on the third day. The first age of the world, before the giving of the Law, was enlightened by the example of the Patriarchs; the second, under the Law, by the writings of the Prophets; the third, under grace, by the preaching of the Evangelists, as if by the light of the third day; for our Lord had now appeared in the flesh. The name of the place too where the marriage was held, Cana of Galilee, which means, desire of migrating, has a typical signification, viz. that those are most worthy of Christ, who burn with devotional desires, and have known the passage from vice to virtue, from earthly to eternal things. The wine was made to fail, to give our Lord the opportunity of making better; that so the glory of God in man might be brought out of its hiding-place: And when they wanted wine, the mother of Chrys. Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. Chrys. But how Hom. xxi. came into mother’s mind to expect so great a thing from her Son ? for He had done no miracles as yet: as we read afterwards, This beginning of miracles did Jesus. His real nature, however, was beginning now to be revealed by John, and His own conversations with His disciples; besides that His conception, and the circumstances of His birth, had from the first given rise to high expectations in Luke 2, her mind: as Luke tells us, His mother kept all these say-VER. 1—4 ST. JOHN. 81 ings in her heart. Why then did she never ask Him to work a miracle before ? Because the time had now come that He should be made known. Before He had lived so much like an ordinary person, that she had not had the confidence to ask Him. But now that she heard that John had borne witness to Him, and that He had disciples, she asks Him confidently. Alcuin. She represents here the Synagogue, which challenges Christ to perform a miracle. It was customary with the Jews to ask for miracles. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Aug. Some who derogate from the Gospel, and say Aug. Tr. that Jesus was not born of the Virgin Mary, try to draw an vm*c* argument for their error from this place; for, how, say they, could she be His mother to whom He said, What have I to do with thee? Now who is it who gives this account, and on whose authority do we believe it? The Evangelist John. But he himself says, The mother of Jesus was there. Why should he say it, unless both were true. But did He therefore come to the marriage to teach men to despise their mother? Chrys. That He greatly venerated His mother, we Chrys. know from St. Luke, who tells us that He was subject unto His parents. For where parents throw no obstacle in the way of God’s commands, it is our duty to be subject to them; but when they demand any thing at an unseasonable time, or cut us off from spiritual things, we should not be deceived into compliance. Aug. To mark a distinction between His God- Aug. de head and manhood, that according to His manhood He was slnu.°i;xn given to His disciples. Hear Paul, Our conversation is in Phil. 3, heaven. If the man Paul walked upon earth, and had his 20* conversation in heaven; shall not the God of heaven and earth be able to be in heaven and earth ? Chrys. That too Chrys. which seemeth very lofty is still unworthy of His vastness. j For He is not in heaven only, but everywhere, and filleth all things. But for the present He accommodates Himself to the weakness of His hearer, that by degrees He may convert him. 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. 15. That whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life. VOL. IV. i114 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. III. Clirys. Horn, xxvii. 1. Aug. de Pecc. mer. et Remiss, c. xxxii. in loc. Chrys. Horn, xxvii. 2. Chrys. Having made mention of the gift of baptism, He proceeds to the source of it, i.e. the cross: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man he lifted up. Bede. He introduces the teacher of the Mosaic law, to the spiritual sense of that law; by a passage from the Old Testament history, which was intended to be a figure of His Passion, and of man’s salvation. Aug. Many dying in the wilderness from the attack of the serpents, Moses, by commandment of the Lord, lifted up a brazen serpent: and those who looked upon it were immediately healed. The lifting up of the serpent is the death of Christ; the cause, by a certain mode of construction, being put for the effect. The serpent was the cause of death inasmuch as he persuaded man into that sin, by which he merited death. Our Lord, however, did not transfer sin, i.e. the poison of the serpent, to His flesh, but death; in order that in the likeness of sinful flesh, there might be punishment without sin, by virtue of which sinful flesh might be delivered both from punishment and from sin. Theophyl. See then the aptness of the figure. The figure of the serpent has the appearance of the beast, but not its poison : in the same way Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh, being free from sin. By Christ’s being lifted up, understand His being suspended on high, by which suspension He sanctified the air, even as He had sanctified the earth by walking upon it. Herein too is typified the glory of Christ: for the height of the cross was made His glory : for in that He submitted to be judged, He judged the prince of this world ; for Adam died justly, because he sinned; our Lord unjustly, because He did no sin. So He overcame him who delivered Him over to death, and thus delivered Adam from death. And in this the devil found himself vanquished, that he could not upon the cross torment our Lord into hating His murderers: but only made Him love and pray for them the more. In this way the cross of Christ was made His lifting up, and glory. Chrys. Wherefore He does not say, ‘ The Son of man must be suspended/ but lifted up, a more honourable term, but coming near the figure. He uses the figure to shew that the old dispensation is akin to the new, and to shew on His hearers’ account that HeVER. 16--18. ST. JOHN. 115 suffered voluntarily: and that His death issued in life. Aug. Aug. As then formerly he who looked to the serpent that was c. n. ‘ lifted up, was healed of its poison, and saved from death; so now he who is conformed to the likeness of Christ's death by faith and the grace of baptism, is delivered both from sin by justification, and from death by the resurrection : as He Himself saith; That whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. What need then is there that the child should be conformed by baptism to the death of Christ, if he be not altogether tainted by the poisonous bite of the serpent? Chrys. Observe; He alludes to the Chrys. Passion obscurely, in consideration to His hearer; but the 2 fruit of the Passion He unfolds plainly; viz. that they who believe in the Crucified One should not perish. And if they who believe in the Crucified live, much more shall the Crucified One Himself. Aug. But there is this difference be-Aug. Tr. tween the figure and the reality, that the one recovered from X11‘c*11' temporal death, the other from eternal. 16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. 18. He that believeth on Him is not condemned : but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Chrys. Having said, Even so must the Son of man be lifted up, alluding to His death; lest His hearer should be cast down by His words, forming some human notion of Him, and thinking of His death as an evil1, He corrects this by 1 aw-saying, that He who was given up to death was the Son of ¿“^ruc-God, and that His death would be the source of life eternal; tion,^ So God loved the world, that He gave His only begotten 110n sa_’ Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, butlLltarem-have everlasting life; as if He said, Marvel not that I must be lifted up, that you may be saved: for so it seemeth good i £116 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. III. Hilar, vi. de Trin. c. 40. in loc« 1 Ed. Nicolai. to the Father, who hath so loved you, that He hath given His Son to suffer for ungrateful and careless servants. The text, God so loved the world, shews intensity of love. For great indeed and infinite is the distance between the two. He who is without end, or beginning of existence, Infinite Greatness, loved those who were of earth and ashes, creatures laden with sins innumerable. And the act which springs from the love is equally indicative of its vastness. For God gave not a servant, or an Angel, or an Archangel, but His Son. Again, had He had many sons, and given one, this would have been a very great gift; but now He hath given His Only Begotten Son. Hilary. If it were only a creature given up for the sake of a creature, such a poor and insignificant loss were no great evidence of love. They must be precious things which prove our love, great things must evidence its greatness. God, in love to the world, gave His Son, not an adopted Son, but His own, even His Only Begotten. Here is proper Sonship, birth, truth : no creation, no adoption, no lie: here is the test of love and charity, that God sent His own and only begotten Son to save the world. Theophyl. As He said above, that the Son of man came down from heaven, not meaning that His flesh did come down from heaven, on account of the unity of person in Christ, attributing to man what belonged to God : so now conversely what belongs to man,-He assigns to God the Word. The Son of God was impassiblebut being one in respect of person with man, who was passible, the Son is said to be given up to death; inasmuch as He truly suffered, not in His own nature, but in His own flesh. From this death follows an exceeding great and incomprehensible benefit: viz. that whosoever believeth in Him should not per-ishy but have everlasting life. The Old Testament promised to those who obeyed it, length of days : the Gospel promises life eternal, and imperishable. Bede K Note here, that the same which he before said of the Son of man, lifted up on the cross, he repeats of the only begotten Son of God: viz. That whosoever believeth in Him, fyc. For the same our Maker and Redeemer, who was Son of God before the world was, was made at the end of the world the Son of man; so that He who by the power of His Godhead had created usVER. 16—18. ST. JOHN. 117 to enjoy the happiness of an endless life, the same restored us to the life we have lost by taking our human frailty upon Him. Alcuin. Truly through the Son of God shall the world have life, for for no other cause came He into the world, except to save the world. God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Aug. For why is He called the Saviour Aug. Tr. of the world, but because He saves the world? The phy-X11‘c* 12# sician, so far as his will is concerned, heals the sick. If the sick despises or will not observe the directions of the physician, he destroys himself. Chrys. Because however He chrys. says this, slothful men in the multitude of their sins, and Ho™: , excess of carelessness, abuse God's mercy, and say, There is no hell, no punishment; God remits us all our sins. But let us remember, that there are two advents of Christ; one past, the other to come. The former was, not to judge but to pardon us: the latter will be, not to pardon but to judge us. It is of the former that He says, I have not come to judge the world. Because He is merciful, instead of judgment, He grants an internal remission of all sins by baptism; and even after baptism opens to us the door of repentance, which had He not done all had been lost; for all have R0m. s, sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Afterwards, however, there follows something about the punishment of unbelievers, to warn us against flattering ourselves that we can sin with impunity. Of the unbeliever He says, ' he is judged already.'—But first He says, He that believeth on Him is not judged. He who believeth, He says, not who enquires. But what if his life be impure? Paul very strongly declares that such are not believers : They confess, he says, xit. i. ib\ that they know God, but in works deny Him. That is to say, Such will not be judged for their belief, but will receive a heavy punishment for their works, though unbelief will not be charged against them. Alcuin. He who believes on Him, Aug. Tr. and cleaves to Him as a member to the head, will not be xu- c# 12, condemned. Aug. What didst thou expect Him to say of him who believed not, except that he is condemned? Yet mark His words: He that believeth not is condemned already. The Judgment hath not appeared, but it is already given. For the Lord knows who are Ilis; who are awaiting the113 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. III. Chrys. crown, and who the fire. Chrys. Or the meaning is, that xxviii l disbelief itself is the punishment of the impenitent; inasmuch as that is to be without light, and to be without light is of itself the greatest punishment. Or He is announcing what is to be. Though a murderer be not yet sentenced by the Judge, still his crime has already condemned him. In like manner, he who believes not, is dead, even as Adam, on the Greg. l. day that he ate of the tree, died. Greg. Or thus: In the xxvi. Mor. * ... c xxvii. last judgment some perisli without being judged, of whom m it is here said, He that believeth not is condemned already. For the day of judgment does not try those who for unbelief are already banished from the sight of a discerning judge, are under sentence of damnation ; but those, who retaining the profession of faith, have no works to shew suitable to that profession. For those who have not kept even the sacraments of faith, do not even hear the curse of the Judge at the last trial. They have already, in the darkness of their unbelief, received their sentence, and are not thought worthy of being convicted by the rebuke of Him whom they had despised. Again; For an earthly sovereign, in the government of his state, has a different rule of punishment, in the case of the disaffected subject, and the foreign rebel. In the former case, he consults the civil law; but against the enemy he proceeds at once to war, and repays his malice with the punishment it deserves, without regard to law, inasmuch as he who never submitted to law, has no claim to suffer by the law. Alcuin. He then gives the reason why he who believeth not is condemned, viz. because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. For in this name alone is there salvation. God hath not many sons who can pUg# deer Save ’ ^ w^orn He saves is the Only Begotten. Aug. et Rem. * Where then do we place baptized children ? Amongst those l. i. c. 33. wj1Q be]ieve. This is acquired for them by the virtue of the Sacrament, and the pledges of the sponsors. And by this same rule we reckon those who are not baptized, among those who believe not. 19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.VER. 19—21 ST. JOHN. 119 20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometli to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Alcuin. Here is the reason why men believed not, and why they are justly condemned; This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world. Chrys. As if He said, So chrys. far from their having sought for it, or laboured to find it, ° ° ' * xxviii. 2. light itself hath come to them, and they have refused to admit it: Men loved darkness rather than light. Thus He leaves them no excuse. He came to rescue them from darkness, and bring them to light; who can pity him who does not choose to approach the light when it comes unto him ? Bede. He calls Himself the light, whereof the Evangelist Bede, speaks, That was the true light; whereas sin He calls dark- J,11 Joc# ness. Chrys. Then because it seemed incredible that man chrys. should prefer darkness to light, He gives the reason of the 2 infatuation, viz., that their deeds were evil. And indeed had He come to Judgment, there had been some reason for not receiving Him; for he who is conscious of his crimes, naturally avoids the judge. But criminals are glad to meet one who brings them pardon. And therefore it might have been expected that men conscious of their sins would have gone to meet Christ, as many indeed did; for the publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus. But the greater part being too cowardly to undergo the toils of virtue for righteousness’ sake, persisted in their wickedness to the last; of whom our Lord says, Every one that doeth evil hateth the light. He speaks of those who choose to remain in their wickedness. Alcuin. Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light; i.e. he who is resolved to sin, who delights in sin, hateth the light, which detects his sin. Aug. Because they Aug. dislike being deceived, and like to deceive, they love light for ^onf. c.^ discovering herself, and hate her for discovering them. Wherefore it shall be their punishment, that she shall manifest them against their will, and herself not be manifest unto them. They love the brightness of truth, they hate her dis-120 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CIIAP. HI. crimination; and therefore it follows, Neither cometh to the Chrys. light, that his deeds should be reproved. Chrys. No one re-xxvii! 2. proves a Pagan, because his own practice agrees with the character of his gods; his life is in accordance with his doctrines. But a Christian who lives in wickedness all must condemn. If there are any Gentiles whose life is good, I know them not. But are there not Gentiles? it may be asked. For do not tell me of the naturally amiable and honest; this is not virtue. But shew me one who has strong passions, and lives with wisdom. You cannot. For if the announcement of a kingdom, and the threats of hell, and other inducements, hardly keep men virtuous when they are so, such calls will hardly rouse them to the attainment of virtue in the first instance. Pagans, if they do produce anything which looks well, do it for vain-glory’s sake* and will therefore at the same time, if they can escape notice, gratify their evil desires as well. And what profit is a man’s sobriety and decency of conduct, if he is the slave of vainglory? The slave of vain-glory is no less a sinner than a fornicator; nay, sins even oftener, and more grievously. However, even supposing there are some few Gentiles of good lives, the exceptions so rare do not affect my argument. Bede. Morally too they love darkness rather than light, who when their preachers tell them their duty, assail them with calumny. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds Chrys. maV be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Chrys. ^°vTii 3 ®"e ^oes n0^ say ^ose w^° are brought up under the Gospel, but of those who are converted to the true faith from Paganism or Judaism. He shews that no one will leave a false religion for the true faith, till he first resolve Aug. de to follow a right course of light. Aug. He calls the works e^Rerniss' bim w^° comes tbe light, wrought in God; meaning 1. i. c. 53. that his justification is attributable not to his own merits, Aug. Tr. but to God’s grace. Aug. But if God hath discovered all xn. 13,14. nien’s works to be evil, how is it that any have done the truth, and come to the light, i.e. to Christ? Now what He saith is, that they loved darkness rather than light; He lays the stress upon that. Many have loved their sins, many have confessed them. God accuseth thy sins; if thou accusever. 22—26. ST. JOHN. 121 them too, thou art joined to God. Thou must hate thine own work, and love the work of God in thee. The beginning of good works, is the confession of evil works, and then thou doest the truth: not soothing, not flattering thyself. And thou art come to the light, because this very sin in thee, which displeaseth thee, would not displease thee, did not God shine upon thee, and His truth shew it unto thee. And let those even who have sinned only by word or thought, or who have only exceeded in things allowable, do the truth, by making confession, and come to the light by performing good works. For little sins, if suffered to accumulate, become mortal. Little drops swell the river: little grains of sand become an heap, which presses and weighs down. The sea coming in by little and little, unless it be pumped out, sinks the vessel. And what is to pump out, but by good works, mourning, fasting, giving and forgiving, to provide against our sins overwhelming us ? 22. After these things came Jesus and His disciples into the land of Judaea; and there He tarried with them, and baptized. 23. And John also was baptizing in iEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there : and they came and were baptized. 24. For John was not yet cast into prison. 25. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to Him. Chrys. Nothing is more open than truth, nothing bolder; chrys. it neither seeks concealment, or avoids danger, or fears the snare, or cares for popularity. It is subject to no human weakness. Our Lord went up to Jerusalem at the feasts, not from ostentation or love of honour, but to teach the people His doctrines, and shew miracles of mercy. After the festival He visited the crowds who were collected at the122 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. III. Chrys. Horn, xxix. ], Aug. Tr. xiii. c. 4. Hierom. Ep. c. xxiii. ad Evang. Chrys. Horn. xxix. 1, Jordan. After these things came Jesus and His disciples into the land of Judaea; and there He tarried with them, and baptized. Bede. After these things, is not immediately after His dispute with Nicodemus, which took place at Jerusalem; but on his return to Jerusalem after some time spent in Galilee. Alcuin. By Judaea are meant those who confess, whom Christ visits; for wherever there is confession of sins, or the praise of God, thither cometh Christ and His disciples, i.e. His doctrine and enlightenment; and there He is known by His cleansing men from sin; And there He tarried with them, and baptized. Chrys. As the Evangelist says afterwards, that Jesus baptized not but His disciples, it is evident that he means the same here, i. e. that the disciples only baptized. Aug. Our Lord did not baptize with the baptism wherewith He had been baptized; for He was baptized by a servant, as a lesson of humility to us, and in order to bring us to the Lord’s baptism, i.e. His own; for Jesus baptized, as the Lord, the Son of God. Bede. John still continues baptizing, though Christ has begun; for the shadow remains still, nor must the forerunner cease, till the truth is manifested. And John also was baptizing in AEnon, near to Salim. AEnon is Hebrew for water; so that the Evangelist gives, as it were, the derivation of the name, when he adds, For there was much water there. Salim is a town on the Jordan, where Melchisedec once reigned. Jerome. It matters not whether it is called Salem, or Salim; since the Jews very rarely use vowels in the middle of words; and the same words are pronounced with different vowels and accents, by different readers, and in different places. And they came, and were baptized. Bede. The same kind of benefit which catechumens receive from instruction before they are baptized, the same did John’s baptism convey before Christ’s. As John preached repentance, announced Christ’s baptism, and drew all men to the knowledge of the truth now made manifest to the world: so the ministers of the Church first instruct those who come to the faith, then reprove their sins; and lastly, drawing them to the knowledge and love of the truth, offer them remission by Christ’s baptism. Chrys. Notwithstanding the disciples of Jesus baptized, John did not leave off till his imprison-ver. 22—26. ST. JOHN. 123 ment; as the Evangelist’s language intimates, For John was not yet cast into prison. Bede. He evidently here is relating what Christ did before John’s imprisonment; a part which has been passed over by the rest, who commence after John’s imprisonment. Aug. But why did John bap- Aug. Tr. tize ? Because it was necessary that our Lord should be X111, c* baptized. And why was it necessary that our Lord should be baptized ? That no one might ever think himself at liberty to despise baptism. Chrys. But why did he go on chrys. baptizing now ? Because, had he left off, it might have been attributed to envy or anger: whereas, continuing to baptize, he got no glory for himself, but sent hearers to Christ. And he was better able to do this service, than were Christ’s own disciples; his testimony being so free from suspicion, and his reputation with the people so much higher than theirs. He therefore continued to baptize, that he might not increase the envy felt by his disciples against our Lord’s baptism. Indeed, the reason, I think, why John’s death was permitted, and, in his room, Christ made the great preacher, was, that the people might transfer their affections wholly to Christ, and no longer be divided between the two. For the disciples of John did become so envious of Christ’s disciples, and even of Christ Himself, that when they saw the latter baptizing, they threw contempt upon their baptism, as being inferior to that of John’s; And there arose a question from some of John’s disciples with the Jews about purifying. That it was they who began the dispute, and not the Jews, the Evangelist implies by saying, that there arose a question from John’s disciples, whereas he might have said, The Jews put forth a question. Aug. The Aug. Tr. Jews then asserted Christ to be the greater person, and His xm*c* 8* baptism necessary to be received. But John’s disciples did not understand so much, and defended John’s baptism. At last they come to John to solve the question: And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, behold, the Same baplizeth. Chrys. Chrys. Meaning, He, Whom thou baptizedst, baptizeth. They did xx°x#*2. not say expressly, Whom thou baptizedst, for they did not wish to be reminded of the voice from heaven, but, He Who was with thee, i. e. Who was in the situation of a disciple,124 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. TIT. Chrys. Horn, xxix. 2, Aug. Tr. xiii. c. 9. who was nothing more than any of us, He now separateth Himself from thee, and baptizeth. They add, To Whom thou barest witness; as if to say, Whom thou shewedst to the world, W7hom thou madest renowned, He now dares to do as thou dost. Behold, the Same baptizeth. And in addition to this, they urge the probability that John's doctrines would fall into discredit. All men come to Him. Alcuin. Meaning, Passing by thee, all men run to the baptism of Him Whom thou baptizedst. 27. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. 29. He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom : but the friend of the Bridegroom, which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30. He must increase, but I must decrease. Chrys. John, on this question being raised, does not rebuke his disciples, for fear they might separate, and turn to some other school, but replies gently, John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven; as if he said, No wonder that Christ does such excellent works, and that all men come to Him; when He Who doeth it all is God. Human efforts are easily seen through, are feeble, and short-lived. These are not such: they are not therefore of human, but of divine originating. He seems however to speak somewhat humblyk of Christ, which will not surprise us, when we consider that it was not fitting to tell the whole truth, to minds prepossessed with such a passion as envy. He only tries for the present to alarm them, by shewing that they are attempting impossible things, and fighting against God. Aug. Or perhaps John is speaking here of himself: I am a mere man, and have k Referring to, “ A man can receive nothing,” &c. ver. 27.ver. 27—30. ST. JOHN. 125 received all from heaven, and therefore think not that, because it has been given me to be somewhat, I am so foolish as to speak against the truth. Chrys. And see; the very Chrys. argument by which they thought to have overthrown Christ, To Whom thou barest witness, he turns against them ; Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ; as if he said, If ye think my witness true, ye must acknowledge Him more worthy of honour than myself. He adds, But that I was sent before Him; that is to say, I am a servant, and perform the commission of the Father which sent me; my witness is not from favour or partiality; I say that which was given me to say. Bede. Who art thou then, since thou art not the Christ, and who is He to Whom thou bearest witness? John replies, He is the Bridegroom; I am the friend of the Bridegroom, sent to prepare the Bride for His approach: He that hath the Bride, is the Bridegroom. By the Bride he means the Church, gathered from amongst all nations; a Virgin in purity of heart, in perfection of love, in the bond of peace, in chastity of mind and body; in the unity of the Catholic faith; for in vain is she a virgin in body, who continueth not a virgin in mind. This Bride hath Christ joined unto Himself in marriage, and redeemed with the price of His own Blood. Theophyl. Christ is the spouse of every soul; the wedlock, wherein they are joined, is baptism; the place of that wedlock is the Church; the pledge of it, remission of sins, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost; the consummation, eternal life; which those who are worthy shall receive. Christ alone is the Bridegroom : all other teachers are but the friends of the Bridegroom, as was the forerunner. The Lord is the giver of good; the rest are the despisers of His gifts. Bede. His Bride therefore our Lord committed to His friend, i.e. the order of preachers, who should be jealous* of her, not for themselves, but for Christ; The friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom?s voice. Aug. As if He said, She is not Ang.Tr. My spouse. But dost thou therefore not rejoice in thexm,c*12 marriage? Yea, I rejoice, he saith, because I am the friend of the Bridegroom. Chrys. But how doth he who said chrys. above, Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose, call Ho,i!: 0 7 * vxviii. 2,126 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. III. Aug. Tr. xiii. Chrys. Horn, xxix. 3. Rom. 10, 17. Aug. Tr. xiv. c. 3. himself a friend? As an expression not of equality, but of excess of joy: (for the friend of the Bridegroom is always more rejoiced than the servant,) and also, as a condescension to the weakness of his disciples, who thought that he was pained at Christ’s ascendancy. For he hereby assures them, that so far from being pained, he was right glad that the Bride recognised her Spouse. Aug. But wherefore doth he stand ? Because he falleth not, by reason of his humility. A sure ground this to stand upon, Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. Again; He standeth and heareth Him. So then if he falleth, he heareth Him not. Therefore the friend of the Bridegroom ought to stand and hear, i.e. to abide in the grace which he hath received, and to hear the voice in which he rejoiceth. I rejoice not, he saith, because of my own voice, but because of the Bridegroom’s voice. I rejoice; I in hearing, He in speaking; I am the ear, He the Word. For he who guards the bride or wife of his friend, takes care that she love none else; if he wish to be loved himself in the stead of his friend, and to enjoy her who was entrusted to him, how detestable doth he appear to the whole world! Yet many are the adulterers I see, who would fain possess themselves of the spouse who was bought at so great a price, and who aim by their words at being loved themselves instead of the Bridegroom. Chrys. Or thus; the expression, which standeth, is not without meaning, but indicates that his part is now over, and that for the future he must stand and listen. This is a transition from the parable to the real subject. For having introduced the figure of a bride and bridegroom, he shews how the marriage is consummated, viz. by word and doctrine. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And since the things he had hoped for had come to pass, he adds, This my joy therefore is fulfilled; i.e. The work which I had to do is finished, and nothing more is left, that I can do. Theo-phyl. For which cause I rejoice now, that all men follow Him. For had the bride, i.e. the people, not come forth to meet the Bridegroom, then I, as the friend of the Bridegroom, should have grieved. Aug. Or thus; This my joy is fulfilled, i.e. my joy at hearing the Bridegroom’s voice. I have my gift; I claim no more, lest I lose that which Iver. 27—BO. ST. JOHN. 127 have received. He who would rejoice in himself, hath sorrow; but he who would rejoice in the Lord, shall ever rejoice, because God is everlasting. Bede. He rejoiceth at hearing the Bridegroom’s voice, who knows that He should not rejoice in his own wisdom, but in the wisdom which God giveth him. Whoever in his good works seeketh not his own glory, or praise, or earthly gain, but hath his affections set on heavenly things; this man is the friend of the Bridegroom. Chrys. He next dismisses the motions of envy, chrys. not only as regards the present, but also the future, saying, He must increase, but I must decrease: as if he said, My office hath ceased, and is ended; but His advanceth. Aug. Aug. Tr. What meaneth this, He must increase ? God neither in- 4*5*c* creases, nor decreases. And John and Jesus, according to the flesh, were of the same age: for the six months difference between them is of no consequence. This is a great mystery. Before our Lord came, men gloried in themselves ; He came in no man’s nature, that the glory of man might be diminished, and the glory of God exalted. For He came to remit sins upon man’s confession: a man’s confession, a man’s humility, is God’s pity, God’s exaltation. This truth Christ and John proved, even by their modes of suffering: John was beheaded, Christ was lifted up on the cross. Then Christ was born, when the days begin to lengthen; John, when they begin to shorten. Let God’s glory then increase in us, and our own decrease, that ours also may increase in God. But it is because thou under-standest God more and more, that He seemeth to increase in thee: for in His own nature He increaseth not, but is ever perfect: even as to a man cured of blindness, who beginneth to see a little, and daily seeth more, the light seemeth to increase, whereas it is in reality always at the fall, whether he seeth it or not. In like manner the inner man maketh advancement in God, and it seemeth as if God were increasing in him ; but it is he himself that decreaseth, falling from the height of his own glory, and rising in the glory of God. Theophyl. Or thus; As, on the sun rising, the light of the other heavenly bodies seems to be extinguished, though in reality it is only obscured by the greater light: thus the forerunner is said to decrease; as if lie128 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. III. Chrys. Horn. XXX. 1. Chys. Horn. XXX. 1. were a star hidden by the sun. Christ increases in proportion as He gradually discloses Himself by miracles; not in the sense of increase, or advancement in virtue, (the opinion of Nestorius,) but only as regards the manifestation of His divinity. 31. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 32. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; Chrys. As the worm gnaws wood, and rusts iron, so vainglory destroys the soul that cherishes it. But it is a most obstinate fault. John with all his arguments can hardly subdue it in his disciples: for after what he has said above, he saith yet again, He that cometh from above, is above all: meaning, Ye extol my testimony, and say that the witness is more worthy to be believed, than He to Whom he bears witness. Know this, that He Who cometh from heaven, cannot be accredited by an earthly witness. He is above all; being perfect in Himself, and above comparison. The-ophyl. Christ cometh from above, as descending from the Father; and is above all, as being elected in preference to all. Alcuin. Or, cometh from above; i.e. from the height of that human nature which was before the sin of the first man. For it was that human nature which the Word of God assumed: He did not take upon Him man’s sin, as He did his punishment. He that is of the earth is of the earth; i.e. is earthly, and speaketh of the earth3 speaketh earthly things. Chrys. And yet he was not altogether of the earth; for he had a soul, and partook of a spirit, which was not of the earth. What means he then by saying that he is of the earth ? Only to express his own worthlessness, that he is one born on the earth, creeping on the ground, and not to be compared with Christ, Who cometh from above. Speaketh of the earthy does not mean that he spoke from his own understanding; but that, in comparison with Christ’s doctrine, he spoke of the earth: as if he said, My doctrine is meanver. 31, 32. ST. JOHN. 129 and humble, compared with Christ’s; as becometh an earthly teacher, compared with Him, in Whom are hid all the Col. 2,3. treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Aug. Or, speaketh of Aug. Tr. the earth, he saith of the man, i. e. of himself, so far as he xn‘ c* speaks merely humanly. If he says ought divine, he is enlightened by God to say it: as saith the Apostle; Yet 1 Cor. not I, but the grace of God which was with me, John then, so far as pertains to John, is of the earth, and speaketh of the earth : if ye hear ought divine from him, attribute it to the Enlightener, not to him who hath received the light. Chrys. Having corrected the bad feeling of his disciples, Chrys. he comes to discourse more deeply upon Christ. Before j this it would have been useless to reveal the truths which could not yet gain a place in their minds. It follows therefore, He that cometh from heaven. Gloss. . That is, from the Father. He is above all in two ways; first, in respect of His humanity, which was that of man before he sinned: secondly, in respect of the loftiness of the Father, to Whom He is equal. Chrys. But after this high and solemn men- Chrys. tion of Christ, his tone lowers; And what He hath seen and xxx.i. heard, that He testifieth. As our senses are our surest channels of knowledge, and teachers are most depended on who have apprehended by sight or hearing what they teach, John adds this argument in favour of Christ, that, what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth : meaning that every thing which He saith is true. I want, saith John, to hear what things He, Who cometh from above, hath seen and heard, i.e. what He, and He alone, knows with certainty. Theo-phyl. When ye hear then, that Christ speaketh what He saw and heard from the Father, do not suppose that He needs to be taught by the Father; but only that that knowledge, which He has naturally, is from the Father. For this reason He is said to have heard, whatever He knows, from the Father. Aug. But what is it, which the Son hath heard Aug. Tr. xiv. c. 7. from the Father ? Hath He heard the word of the Father ? Yea, but He is the Word of the Father. When thou con-ceivest a word, wherewith to name a thing, the very conception of that thing in the mind is a word. Just then as thou hast in thy mind and with thee thy spoken word; even so God uttered the Word, i.e. begat the Son. Since then VOL. IV. K130 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. III. Chrys. Mom. XXX. 1 Aug. Tr. xiv. c. 8. Chuys. Horn, xxx. 2. the Son is the Word of God, and the Son hath spoken the Word of God to us, He hath spoken to us the Father’s word. What John said is therefore true. 32. —and no man receiveth His testimony. 33. He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34. For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God : for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. 35. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Chrys. Having said, And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth, to prevent any from supposing, that what he said was false, because only a few for the present believed, he adds, And no man receiveth His testimony ; i.e. only a few, for He had disciples who received His testimony. John is alluding to the unbelief of his own disciples, and to the insensibility of the Jews, of whom we read in the beginning of the Gospel, He came unto His own} and His own received Him not. Aug. Or thus: There is a people reserved for the wrath of God, and to be condemned with the devil; of whom none receiveth the testimony of Christ. And others there are ordained to eternal life. Mark how mankind are divided spiritually, though as human beings they are mixed up together: and John separated them by the thoughts of their heart, though as yet they were not divided in respect of place, and looked on them as two classes, the unbelievers and the believers. Looking to the unbelievers, he saith, No man receiveth His testimony. Then turning to those on the right hand he saith, He that hath received His testimony, hath set to his seal. Chrys. i.e. hath shewn that God is true. This is to alarm them: for it is as much as saying, no one can disbelieve Christ without convicting God, Who sent Him, of falsehood : inasmuch as He speaks nothing butver. 32—36. ST. JOHN 131 what is of the Father. For He, it follows, Whom God hath sent, speaheth the words of God. Alcuin, Or, Hath put to his seal, i.e. hath put a seal on his heart, for a singular and special token, that this is the true God, Who suffered for the salvation of mankind. Aug. What is it, that God is Aug. Tr. true, except that God is true, and every man a liar ? For X1V' c* 8‘ no man can say what truth is, till he is enlightened by Him Who cannot lie. God then is true, and Christ is God. Wouldest thou have proof? Hear His testimony, and thou wilt find it so. But if thou dost not yet understand God, thou hast not yet received His testimony. Christ then Himself is God the true, and God hath sent Him; God hath sent God, join both together; they are One God. For John saith, Whom God hath sent, to distinguish Christ from himself. What then, was not John himself sent by God? Yes; but mark what follows, For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. To men He giveth by measure, to His only Son He giveth not by measure. To one man is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge : one has one thing, another another; for measure implies a kind of division of gifts. But Christ did not receive by measure, though He gave by measure. Chrys. By Chrys. Spirit here is meant the operation of the Holy Spirit. He xlx!^. wishes to shew that all of us have received the operation of the Spirit by measure, but that Christ contains within Himself the whole operation of the Spirit. How then shall He be suspected, Who saith nothing, but what is from God, and the Spirit? For He makes no mention yet of God the Word, but rests His doctrine on the authority of the Father and the Spirit. For men knew that there was God, and knew that there was the Spirit, (although they had not right belief about His nature;) but that there was the Son they did not know. Aug. Having said of the Son, God giveth Aug. Tr. not the Spirit by measure unto Him; he adds, The Father loveth the Son, and farther adds, and hath given all things into His hand; in order to shew that the Father loveth the Son, in a peculiar sense. For the Father loveth John, and Paul, and yet hath not given all things into their hands. But the Father loveth the Son, as the Son, not as a master his servant: as an only, not as an adopted, Son. Wherein 2132 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. VER. 32—36. fore He hath given all things into His hand; so that, as great as the Father is, so great is the Son; let us not think then that, because He hath deigned to send the Son, any one inferior to the Father has been sent. • Theophyl. The Father then hath given all things to the Son in respect of His divinity; of right, not of grace. Or; He hath given all things into His hand, in respect of His humanity: inasmuch as He is made Lord of all things that are in heaven, and that are in earth. Alcuin. And because all things are in His hand, the life everlasting is too : and therefore it follows, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. Bede. We must understand here not a faith in words only, but Chrys. a faith which is developed in works. Chrys. He means not xxxi"’i. here, that to believe on the Son is sufficient to gain ever- Matt. 7. lasting life, for elsewhere He says, Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. And the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is of itself sufficient to send into hell. But we must not think that even a right belief on Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is sufficient for salvation ; for we have need of a good life and conversation. Knowing then that the greater part are not moved so much by the promise of good, as by the threat of punishment, he concludes, But he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him. See how He refers to the Father again, when He speaketh of punishment. He saith not, the wrath of the Son, though the Son is judge; but maketh the Father the judge, in order to alarm men more. And He does not say, in him, but on him, meaning that it will never depart from him; and for the same reason He says, shall not see life, i.e. to shew that Aug. Tr. He did not mean only a temporary death. Aug. Nor does xiv. c. 13 jje say} wrajfo 0j? qq$ cometh to him, but, abideth on him. For all who are born, are under the wrath of God, which the first Adam incurred. The Son of God came without sin, and was clothed with mortality: He died that thou mightest live. Whosoever then will not believe on the Son, on him abideth the wrath of God, of which the Apostle Eph. 2, 3. speaks, We were by nature the children of wrathCHAP. IV. 1. When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2. (Though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples,) 3. He left Judsea, and departed again into Galilee. 4. And He must needs go through Samaria. 5. Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. Gloss. 1 The Evangelist, after relating how John checked i The the envy of his disciples, on the success of Christ’s teach- nearest . . . passage mg, comes next to the envy of the Pharisees, and Christ S is one of retreat from them. When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard, fyc, Aug. Truly had the Pharisees' Tr. knowledge that our Lord was making more disciples, and xv-c* 2* baptizing more than John, been such as to lead them heartily to follow Him, He would not have left Judsea, but would have remained for their sake : but seeing, as He did, that this knowledge of Him was coupled with envy, and made them not followers, but persecutors, He departed thence. He could too, had He pleased, have stayed amongst them, and escaped their hands; but He wished to shew His own example to believers in time to come, that it was no sin for a servant of God to fly from the fury of persecutors. He did it like a good teacher, not out of fear for Himself, but for our instruction. Chrys. He did it too to pacify the envy of chrys. men, and perhaps to avoid bringing the dispensation of the incarnation into suspicion. For had He been taken and134 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. IV. escaped, the reality of His flesh would have been doubted. Aug. Tr. Aug. It may perplex you, perhaps, to be told that Jesus xv’ c* 3* baptized more than John, and then immediately after, Though Jesus Himself baptized not. What? Is there a mistake Chrys. made, and then corrected ? Chrys. Christ Himself did not xxxi! 1. baptize, but those who reported the fact, in order to raise the envy of their hearers, so represented it as to appear that non occ. Christ Himself baptized. The reason why He baptized not 16/e ’ Himself, had been already declared by John, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Now He had not yet given the Holy Spirit: it was therefore fitting that He should not baptize. But His disciples baptized, as an efficacious mode of instruction; better than gathering up believers here and there, as had been done in the case of Simon and his brother. Their baptism, however, had no more virtue than the baptism of John; both being without the grace of the Spirit, and both having one object, viz. Aug.Tr. that of bringing men to Christ. Aug. Or, both are true; xv. c. 3. for jesus both baptized, and baptized not. He baptized, in that He cleansed: He baptized not, in that He dipped not. The disciples supplied the ministry of the body, He ver. 33. the aid of that Majesty of which it was said, The Same is He which baptizeth. Alcuin. The question is often asked, whether the Holy Ghost was given by the baptism of the c. 7. disciples; when below it is said, The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. We reply, that the Spirit was given, though not in so manifest a way as He was after the Ascension, in the shape of fiery tongues. For as Christ Himself in His human nature ever possessed the Spirit, and yet afterwards at His baptism the Spirit descended visibly upon Him in the form of a dove; so before the manifest and visible coming of the Holy Spirit, all Aug. Ad saints might possess the Spirit secretly. Aug. But we must Ep^xvUi”1 believe that the disciples of Christ were already baptized themselves, either with John’s baptism, or, as is more probable, with Christ’s. For He who had stooped to the humble service of washing His disciples’ feet, had not failed to administer baptism to His servants, who would thus be en-Chrys. abled in their turn to baptize others. Chrys. Christ on Sixi. 2. withdrawing from Judsea, joined those whom He was withVER. 1--6. ST. JOHN. 135 before, as we read next, And departed again into Galilee. As the Apostles, when they were expelled by the Jews, went to the Gentiles, so Christ goes to the Samaritans. But, to deprive the Jews of all excuse, He does not go to stay there, but only takes it on His road, as the Evangelist implies by saying, And He must needs go through Samaria. Samaria receives its name from Somer, a mountain there, so called from the name of a former possessor of it. The inhabitants of the country were formerly not Samaritans, but Israelites. But in process of time they fell under God’s wrath, and the king of Assyria transplanted them to Babylon and Media ; placing Gentiles from various parts in Samaria in their room. God however, to shew that it was not for want of power on His part that He delivered up the Jews, but for the sins of the people themselves, sent lions to afflict the barbarians. This was told the king, and he sent a priest to instruct them in God’s law. But not even then did they wholly cease from their iniquity, but only half changed. For in process of time they turned to idols again, though they still worshipped God, calling themselves after the mountain, Samaritans. Bede. He must needs pass through Samaria; because that country lay between Judaea and Galilee. Samaria was the principal city of a province of Palestine, and gave its name to the whole district connected with it. The particular place to which our Lord went is next given; Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar. Chrys. chrys. It was the place where Simeon and Levi made a great Ho™* *** ^ xxx]» 2. slaughter for Dinah. Theophyl. But after the sons of Jacob had desolated the city, by the slaughter of the Sychem-ites, Jacob annexed it to the portion of his son Joseph, as we read in Genesis, I have given to thee one portion above Qen# thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite 48> 22« with my sword, and with my bow. This is referred to in what follows, Near to the place of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Aug. It was a well. Every Aug> Tr well is a spring, but every spring is not a well. Any water xv* c*5* that rises from the ground, and can be drawn for use, is a spring : but where it is ready at hand, and on the surface, :t is called a spring only; where it is deep and low down, it136 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. IV. Chrys. Hom. xxxi. 3, Aug. Tr. xv. c. 6. Chrys. Hom. xxx. 3. Aug. Tr. xv. c. 7, is called a well, not a spring. Theophyl. But why does the Evangelist make mention of the parcel of ground, and the well? First, to explain what the woman says, Our father Jacob gave us this well; secondly, to remind you that what the Patriarchs obtained by their faith in God, the Jews had lost by their impiety. They had been supplanted to make room for Gentiles. And therefore there is nothing new in what has now taken place, i.e. in the Gentiles succeeding to the kingdom of heaven in the place of the Jews. Chrys. Christ prefers labour and exercise to ease and luxury, and therefore travels to Samaria, not in a carriage, but on foot; until at last the exertion of the journey fatigues Him; a lesson to us, that so far from indulging in superfluities, we should often even deprive ourselves of necessaries : Jesus therefore being wearied with His journey,