I. 1.

Wisd.

The Son Co-eternal and of one Essence with the Father. 41 them. For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and JOHN our devices are but uncertain. Still I should like to ask our objectors, what means that which is said by the Prophet, 9, 14. Before Me there was no God formed, nor is there any after Is. 43, Me. For if the Son is younger than the Father, how, says He, Nor is there1 any after Me? Will you take away the LXX being of the Only-Begotten Himself? You either must dare this, or admit One Godhead with distinct Persons of the Father and the Son.

10.

ἔστιν

3

17.

Finally, how could the expression, All things were made by Him, be true? For if there is an age older than He, how can that2 which was before Him have been made by Him? 2☛ò, al. i See ye to what daring the argument has carried them, when once the truth has been unsettled? Why did not the Evangelist say, that He was made from things that were not, as Paul declares of all things, when he says, Who calleth Rom. 4, those things which be not as though they were; but says, Was in the beginning? This is contrary to that; and with good reason. For God neither is made 3, nor has any thing older ; 3 yínras these are words of the Greeks 1. Tell me this too: Would Heathens you not say, that the Creator beyond all comparison excels His works? Yet since that which is from things that were not is similar to them, where is the superiority not admitting of comparison? And what mean the expressions, I am the Is.44,6. first and I am the last; and, before Me was no other God Is. 43, formed? For if the Son be not of the same Essence, there is another God; and if He be not Co-eternal, He is after Him; and if He did not proceed from His Essence, clear it is that He was made. But if they assert, that these things were said to distinguish Him from idols, why do they not allow that it is to distinguish Him from idols that he says, the John17, Only True God? Besides, if this was said to distinguish Him from idols, how would you interpret the whole sentence? After Me, He says, is no other God. In saying this, He does not exclude the Son, but that "After Me there is no idol God," not that "there is no Son." Allowed, says he; what then? and the expression, Before Me was no other God formed, will you so understand, as that no idol God indeed was formed before Him, but yet a Son was formed

10.

3.

42

The Son Infinite and Eternal.

HOMIL. before Him? What evil spirit would assert this? I do not suppose that even Satan himself would do so.

IV.

ante.'

Moreover, if He be not Co-eternal with the Father, how can you say that His Life is infinite? For if it have a 1, beginning from before1, although it be endless, yet it is not infinite; for the infinite must be infinite in both directions. Heb. 7, As Paul also declared, when he said, Having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; by this expression shewing that He is both without beginning and without end. For as the one has no limit, so neither has the other. In one direction there is no end, in the other no beginning.

3.

αἰῶνος

[3.] And how again, since He is Life, was there ever when He was not? For all must allow, that Life both is always, and is without beginning and without end, if It be indeed Life, as indeed It is. For if there be when It is not, how can It be the life of others, when It even Itself is not?

2

'How then,' says one,' does Johu lay down a beginning by saying, In the beginning was? Tell me, have you attended to the In the beginning, and to the was, and do you not understand the expression, the Word was? What! Ps.90,2. when the Prophet says, From everlasting and to everlasting 2άrò rou Thou art, does he say this to assign Him limits? No, but to declare His Eternity. Consider now that the case is the same in this place. He did not use the expression as assigning limits, since he did not say, "had a beginning,” but, was in the beginning; by the word was carrying thee forward to the idea that the Son is without beginning. 'Yet observe,' says he, the Father is named with the addition of the article, but the Son without it.' What then, when the Tit. 2, Apostle says, The Great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; and again, Who is above all, God? It is true that here he has mentioned the Son, without the article; but he does the same with the Father also, at least in his Epistle to the c. 2, 6. Philippians, he says, Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; and again to the Rom. 1, Romans, Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides, it was superfluous for 3 ruxas it to be attached in that place, when close above it was

13.

Rom. 9,

5.

7.

43

I. 1.

John 4,

Attributes of the Godhead ascribed to the Son. continually attached to "the Word." For as in speaking JOHN concerning the Father, he says, God is a Spirit, and we do not, because the article is not joined to Spirit, yet deny the 24. Spiritual Nature of God; so here, although the article is not annexed to the Son, the Son is not on that account a less God. Why so? Because in saying God, and again God, he does not reveal to us any difference in this Godhead, but the contrary; for having before said, and the Word was God; that no one might suppose the Godhead of the Son to be inferior, he immediately adds the characteristics of genuine Godhead, including Eternity, (for He was, says he, in the beginning with God,) and attributing to Him the office of Creator. For by Him were all things made, and without Him was not any thing made that was made; which His Father also every where by the Prophets declares to be especially characteristic of His own Essence. And the Prophets are continually busy on this kind of demonstration, not only of itself, but when they contend against the honour shewn to idols; Let the gods perish, says one, who have not Jer. 10, made heaven and earth: and again, I have stretched out the Is. 44, heaven with My hand; and it is as declaring it to be indi- 24. cative of Divinity, that He every where puts it. And the Evangelist himself was not satisfied with these words, but calls Him Life too and Light. If now He was ever with the Father, if He Himself created all things, if He brought all things into existence, and keeps together all things, (for1ayxgothis he meant by Life,) if He enlightens all things, who so, al. senseless as to say, that the Evangelist desired to teach an inferiority of Divinity by those very expressions, by which, rather than by any others, it is possible to express its equality and not differing? Let us not then confound the creation with the Creator, lest we too hear it said of us, that they Rom. 1, served the creature rather than the Creator; for although it' be asserted that this is said of the heavens, still in speaking of the heavens he positively says, that we must not serve2 the 2 λargıúcreature, for it is a heathenish thing.

3

11.

Tsĩ,

συγκρα

25.

2

819

3 Ελλην

[4.] Let us therefore not lay ourselves under this curse. "òv For this the Son of God came, that He might rid us from this service; for this He took the form of a slave, that He might free us from this slavery; for this He was spit upon,

27.

44

Anger to be quenched betimes.

HOMIL. for this He was buffeted, for this He endured the shameful IV. death. Let us not, I entreat you, make all these things of none effect, let us not go back to our former unrighteousness, or rather to unrighteousness much more grievous; for to serve the creature is not the same thing as to bring down the Creator, as far at least as in us lies, to the meanness of the creature. For He continues being such as He is; as says Ps. 102, the Psalmist, Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail. Let us then glorify Him as we have received from our fathers, let us glorify Him both by our faith and by our works; for sound doctrines avail us nothing to salvation, if our life is corrupt. Let us then order it according to what is well-pleasing to God, setting ourselves far from all filthiness, unrighteousness, and covetousness, as strangers and foreigners and aliens to the things here on earth. If any have much wealth and possessions, let him so use them as one who is a sojourner, and who, whether he will or not, shall shortly pass from them. If one be injured by another, let him not be angry for ever, nay rather not even for a time. For the Apostle has not allowed us more than a single day for the venting of anger.

Eph. 4, 26.

Let not, says he, the sun go down upon your wrath; and with reason; for it is matter for contentment that even in so short a time nothing unpleasant take place; but if night also overtake us, what has happened becomes more grievous, because the fire of our wrath is increased ten thousand times by memory, and we at our leisure enquire into it more bitterly. Before therefore we obtain this pernicious leisure and kindle a hotter fire, he bids us arrest beforehand and quench the mischief. For the passion of wrath is fierce, fiercer than any flame; and so we need much haste to prevent the flame, and not allow it to blaze up high, for so this disease becomes a cause of many evils. It has overturned whole houses, it has dissolved old companionships, and has worked tragedies not to be remedied in a short moment of Ecclus. time. For, saith one, the sway of his fury shall be his destruction. Let us not then leave such a wild beast unbridled, but put upon him a muzzle in all ways strong, the fear of the judgment to come. Whenever a friend grieves thee, or one of thine own family exasperates thee, think of

1, 22.

I. 1.

the sins thou hast committed against God, and that by kind- JOHN ness towards him thou makest that judgment more lenient to thyself, (Forgive, saith He, and ye shall be forgiven,) and Luke 6, thy passion shall quickly skulk away1.

37.

1 δραπε

And besides, consider this, whether there has been a time rúru when thou wert being carried away into ferocity, and didst control thyself, and another time when thou hast been dragged along by the passion. Compare the two seasons, and thou shalt gain thence great improvement. For tell me, when didst thou praise thyself? Was it when thou wast worsted, or when thou hadst the mastery? Do we not in the first case vehemently blame ourselves, and feel ashamed even when none reproves us, and do not many feelings of repentance come over us, both for what we have said and done; but when we gain the mastery, then are we not proud, and exult as conquerors? For victory in the case of anger is, not the requiting evil with the like, (that is utter defeat,) but the bearing meekly to be ill treated and ill spoken of. To get the better is not to inflict but to suffer evil. Therefore when angry do not say, "certainly I will retaliate," certainly I will be revenged;" do not persist in saying to those who exhort you to gain a victory, "I will not endure that the man mock me, and escape clear." He will never mock thee except when thou avengest thyself; or if he even should mock thee, he will do so as a fool. Seek not when thou conquerest honour from fools, but consider that sufficient which comes from men of understanding. Nay, why do I set before thee a small and mean body of spectators, when I make it up of men? Look up straight to God: He will praise thee, and the man who is approved by Him must not seek honour from mortals. Mortal honour often arises from flattery or hatred of others, and brings no profit; but the decision of God is free from this inequality, and brings great advantage to the man whom He approves. This praise then let us follow after.

Will you learn what an evil is anger? Stand by while others are quarrelling in the forum. In yourself you cannot easily see the disgrace of the thing, because your reason is darkened and drunken; but when you are clear from the passion, and while your judgment is sound, view your own