III.

HOMIL. after accomplishing the laws of God to obtain both the good things which are here, and those which are promised, by the grace of Christ, with Whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

HOMILY IV.

JOHN i. 1.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.

WHEN children are just brought to their learning, their teachers do not give them many tasks in succession, nor do they set them once for all, but they often repeat to them the same short ones, so that what is said may be easily implanted in their minds, and they may not be vexed at the first onset with the quantity, and with finding it hard to remember, and become less active in picking up what is given them, a kind of sluggishness arising from the difficulty. And I, who wish to effect the same with you, and to render your labour easy, take by little and little the food which lies on this Divine table, and instil it into your souls. On this account I shall handle again the same words, not so as to say again the same things, but to set before you only what yet remains. Come, then, let us again apply our discourse to the introduction.

μίας.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. Why, when all the other Evangelists had begun with the Dispensation'; (for Matthew says, The Book of the oixovegeneration of Jesus Christ, the Son of David; and Luke' too relates to us in the beginning of his Gospel the events relating to Mary; and in like manner Mark dwells on the same narratives, from that point detailing to us the history of the Baptist;) why, when they began with these matters,

ver. 14.

38 Why St. John speaks immediately of the Eternal Subsistence.

HOMIL. did John briefly and in a later place hint at them, saying, the IV. Word was made Flesh; and, passing by every thing else, His conception, His birth, His bringing up, His growth, at once discourse to us concerning His Eternal Generation?

2

I will now tell you what the reason of this is. Because the other Evangelists had dwelt most on the accounts of His coming in the Flesh, there was fear lest some, being of grovelling minds, might for this reason rest in these doctrines alone, as indeed was the case with Paul of Samosata. In order, therefore, to lead away from this fondness for earth those who were like to fall into it, and to draw them up towards heaven, with good reason he commences his narrative from above, and from the eternal subsistence. For while Matthew enters upon his relation from Herod the king, Luke from Tiberius Cæsar, Mark from the Baptism of John, this Apostle, leaving alone all these things, ascends alves beyond all time or age1. Thither darting forward the imagination of his hearers to the "WAS IN THE BEGINNING," not allowing it to stay at any point, nor setting any limit, as they did in Herod, and Tiberius, and John.

And what we may mention besides as especially deserving our admiration is, that John, though he gave himself up to Ayo the higher doctrine, yet did not neglect the Dispensation; nor were the others, though intent upon the relation of this, silent as to the subsistence before the ages. With good cause; for One Spirit It was that moved the souls of all; and therefore they have shewn great unanimity in their narrative. But thou, beloved, when thou hast heard of The Word, do not endure those who say, that He is a work; nor those even who think, that He is simply a word. For many are the words of God which angels execute, but of those words none is God; they all are prophecies or commands, (for in Scripture it is usual to call the laws of God His commands, and prophecies, words; wherefore in speaking of the angels, he Ps. 103, says, Mighty in strength, fulfilling His word,) but this 20. WORD is a Being with subsistence, proceeding without affection from the Father Himself. For this, as I before said, he has shewn by the term Word. As therefore the expression, In the beginning was the Word, shews His

3 ουσία

ἐνυπό

στατος

4

προελ θοῦσα

4

5 ἀπαθῶς Eternity, so was in the beginning with God, has declared to

The Word Co-eternal with the Father.

39

J. 1.

us His Co-eternity. For that you may not, when you hear JOHN In the beginning was the Word, suppose Him to be Eternal, and yet imagine the life of the Father to differ from His by some interval and longer duration, and so assign a beginning to the Only-Begotten, he adds, was in the beginning with God; so eternally even as the Father Himself, for the Father was never without the Word, but He was always God with God, yet Each in His proper Person1,

Αποστά

011

with

3.

How then, one says, does John assert, that He was in the world, if He was with God? Because He was both with 2al.'God God and in the world also. For neither Father nor Son are God' limited in any way. Since, if there is no end of His great- Ps. 145, ness, and if of His wisdom there is no number, it is clear Ps. 147, that there cannot be any beginning in time to His Essence. 5. 3 Coun Thou hast heard, that In the beginning God made the Gen. 1, heaven and the earth; what dost thou understand from this 1. beginning? clearly, that they were created before all visible things. So, respecting the Only-Begotten, when you hear that He was in the beginning, conceive of Him as before all intelligible things, and before the ages. 4 νοητῶν

But if any one say, "How can it be that He is a Son, and yet not younger than the Father? since that which proceeds from something else needs must be later than that from which it proceeds;" we will say that, properly speaking, these are human reasonings; that he who questions on this matter will question on others yet more improper; and that areto such we ought not even to give ear. For our speech is now concerning God, not concerning the nature of men, which is subject to the sequence and necessary conclusions of these reasonings. Still, for the assurance of the weaker sort, we will speak even to these points.

πώτερα

[2.] Tell me, then, does the radiance of the sun proceed from the substance itself of the sun, or from some other purses source? Any one not deprived of his very senses needs must confess, that it proceeds from the substance itself. Yet, although the radiance proceeds from the sun itself, we cannot say that it is later in point of time than the substance of that body, since the sun has never appeared without its rays. Now if in the case of these visible and sensible bodies there has been shewn to be something which proceeds from

40 If the Son be not without a beginning, neither is the Father.

HOMIL. Something else, and yet is not after that from whence it IV. proceeds; why are you incredulous in the case of the

3.

1 διά

invisible and ineffable Nature? This same thing there takes place, but in a manner suitable to That Substance". For it Heb. 1, is for this reason that Paul too calls Him Brightness; setting forth thereby His being from Him and His Co-eternity. Again, tell me, were not all the ages, and every interval στημα created by Him? Any man not deprived of his senses must * μέσον necessarily confess this. There is no interval therefore between the Son and the Father; and if there be none, then He is not after, but Co-eternal with Him. For "before" and"after" are notions implying time, since, without age or time, no man could possibly imagine these words; but God is above times and ages.

2

But if in any case you say that you have found a beginning to the Son, see whether by the same reason and argument you are not compelled to reduce the Father also to a beginning, earlier indeed, but still a beginning. For when you have assigned to the Son a limit and beginning of existence, do you not proceed upwards from that point, and say, that the Father was before it? Clearly you do. Tell me then, what is the extent of the Father's prior subsistence? For whether you say that the interval is little, or whether you say it is great, you equally have brought the Father to a beginning. For it is clear, that it is by measuring the space that you say whether it is little or great; yet it would not be possible to measure it, unless there were a beginning on either side; so that as far as you are concerned you have given the Father a beginning, and henceforth, according to your argument, not even the Father will be without beginning. See you that the word spoken by the Saviour is true, and the saying every where discovers its force? And what John 5, is that word? It is, He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father.

23.

And I know indeed that what now has been said cannot by many be comprehended, and therefore it is that in many 3 ava- places we avoid3 agitating questions of human reasonings, because the rest of the people cannot follow such arguments, 'put off and if they could, still they have nothing firm or sure in 2 τὸ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο ἔστιν οὕτως ὡς ἐκείνῃ τῇ εὐσίᾳ πρέπον ἦν.

βαλλό.

μεθα,