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| Opinion: This French cardinal may have been part of the ‘smoke of Satan’ detected by Pope Paul VI |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-26-2022, 08:46 AM - Forum: Vatican II and the Fruits of Modernism
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This French cardinal may have been part of the ‘smoke of Satan’ detected by Pope Paul VI
While a priest and a seminarian talked about Cardinal Eugène Tisserant and the evil role he arguably played at the Second Vatican Council,
there arose 'white-colored smoke' from a point on the carpet.
![[Image: ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdnancy.fr%2Fimagesa...f=1&nofb=1]](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdnancy.fr%2Fimagesarticles%2Ftisserant.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)
Maike Hickson
Fri Feb 25, 2022
(LifeSiteNews) — The following is an article about an incident that took place in 1993 in Brazil. Two men—a priest and a seminarian who is today a priest—give testimony under oath that, while they talked about one specific cardinal—Cardinal Eugène Tisserant—and the evil role he arguably played at the Second Vatican Council, saying some of his comments were “satanic,” there arose “white-colored smoke” from a point on the carpet that then went up to their faces. The two men could not find a natural cause for this incident and thus decided to write a careful testimony about it.
As one Vatican expert commented to LifeSiteNews: “So these two men were talking essentially about the fact that the ‘smoke of Satan had entered the Temple of God’ (in the famous words of Pope Paul VI), when smoke came up from the floor.” He saw it as a symbolic incident.
On June 29, 1972, on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and seven years after the conclusion of the Council, Pope Paul VI stated: “There is the feeling that ‘through some crack the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God.’”
Let us first ask who were these two men who witnessed this stunning, above-mentioned incident with the smoke? While we may not reveal the name of the respected priest who wrote the report because he wishes to remain anonymous, we can mention the second witness: Dr. Ingo Dollinger, a priest who was at the time the rector of the Institutum Sapientiae in Anápolis, Brazil. He himself, moreover, had helped to found this theological-philosophical institute aimed at forming future Catholic priests.
Dr. Dollinger is known to many Catholics because he confirmed to me in 2016 an earlier story about what Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had told him before 2000. Cardinal Ratzinger had told him that the Third Secret of Fatima was about a warning not to open a Council (a “bad Council”) and not to alter the holy liturgy (a “bad liturgy”). When the Vatican then published its specific version of the Third Secret in June of 2000, but it did not mention either of these things, Dr. Dollinger right away visited Ratzinger after his Mass at St. Peter’s and asked him about it. The German cardinal only quickly admitted that they did not publish everything.
Dr. Dollinger died in 2017. Bishop Athanasius Schneider—one of Dr. Dollinger’s former students at the Institutum Sapientiae—traveled to Germany in order to celebrate the Requiem Mass for his beloved teacher. Dr. Dollinger was a spiritual son of St. Padre Pio, who heard Dr. Dollinger’s confessions dozens of times. Padre Pio had also told Dr. Dollinger that he would have to suffer much at the end of his life, which turned out to be true.
Most importantly, it was Dr. Dollinger who in 1983, after the promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law that explicitly omitted condemning Freemasonry, went to Cardinal Ratzinger (then the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) and convinced him to make the well-known 1983 decree Declaratio de associationibus massonicis, which was officially published and promulgated on November 26, 1983, and which says that Freemasonry and the Catholic Church are incompatible. Dollinger himself had previously participated in the official discussions about Freemasonry at the German Bishops’ Conference conducted with the United Grand Lodges of Germany, which took place from 1974 to 1980, and thus was an expert in the matter.
In 2016, after the publication of Dr. Dollinger’s story about the Third Secret, Pope Benedict XVI publicly denied it and claimed never to have spoken with Dr. Dollinger about Fatima. But many Catholics think that there might be more to Dr. Dollinger’s side of the story than Benedict’s version, since there is an abundance of evidence and sources showing that prominent churchmen have revealed elements of the Third Secret—most prominently that the apostasy predicted will start at the top—none of which are to be found, however, in the official 2000 version of the Third Secret. In addition, the key actors involved in the publication of the Third Secret – Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Cardinal Angelo Sodano – have both been accused by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò as having promoted the homosexual network within the Church. That is to say, these prelates might not be the most trustworthy witnesses.
Finally, LifeSiteNews recently spoke with someone who was in close contact with Dr. Dollinger in 2000, and Dr. Dollinger called that person immediately after he spoke with Cardinal Ratzinger and told him the cardinal’s response.
We shall leave it up to our readers to decide which witness they believe to be more trustworthy here.
The testimony of Dr. Dollinger and the seminarian is itself a credible testimony. It stems directly from the archive of Dr. Dollinger. The second signatory of this document is also known to us and has a good standing in the Catholic Church.
The document reads as follows:
AM+DG
Declaration
On November 18 (eighteen) 1993 (nineteen hundred ninety-three), about 9:30 h (nine-thirty), in the morning, we—Dr. Dollinger, our rector, and I, XXX—talked in the rectorate of this faculty—Institutum Sapientiae / Anápolis—about themes, discussing a possible rebellion against the Holy Father John XXIII, of blessed memory, concerning his initial instructions on how to execute the work of the Second Vatican Council. When we spoke about a possible “rebellion,” which was led by Cardinal Tisserant with the support of his sectarians, at the moment, in which we discussed his [Tisserant’s] comments which denounced the first instructions of the Pope as “tyrannical instructions” which could not be accepted under any circumstances, and when we described these comments as perverse and even satanic, as I myself called them, followed by Father Rector, there arose from one spot on the carpet, which was lying in the space between the chairs on which we were sitting, a trail of white-colored smoke which went up to the height of our faces, visible in a completely clear manner—which enables me to exclude the possibility of an optical deception—and without leaving a perceptible odor. After we carefully examined that very carpet and the other corners of the room for possible causes of this phenomenon, we did not find anything. What happened on that morning and what has been described here above we, Fr. Dollinger and I, witness under oath.
Anápolis, March 5, 1994
(signed) Ingo Dollinger and XXX
Original testimony to the apparition.
In order to explain the background of these comments made by two faithful Catholic men, let us consider what Cardinal Tisserant had done during the Second Vatican Council that could justify such a harsh condemnation of his role, especially since there are some other prelates at that Council, for example Cardinal Josef Frings, Cardinal Leo Joseph Suenens, and Cardinal Achille Liénart, who are generally better known as the driving and progressivist forces among the Council Fathers.
One could point to two key aspects of the history of the Council where Cardinal Tisserant had played an important and clearly negative role.
First, at the beginning of the Council, on October 13, 1962, Tisserant played his part in the famous well-planned insurrection of the modernist faction of the Council Fathers under the guidance of Cardinals Achille Liénart, Josef Frings, Franz König, and Julius Döpfner, who were all part of the German-French group of effective revolutionaries.
On October 13, when the Council Fathers assembled for the first working session, it had been planned that they would vote for certain members of the commissions. The list had been put together by the Roman Curia who had been tasked with the preparation, over the course of three years, of those preparatory documents (schemata) that should be further discussed and then voted upon by the Council Fathers. It was therefore natural that the same members of the preparatory commissions would be presented to the Council Fathers as the potential new members of the Council Commissions, so as to have well informed members to continue the work of the prepared documents. As it turned out, however, not only did the Council Fathers under the well-planned leadership of Liénart dismiss this first list of possible candidates, but they also later dismissed the entire set of prepared documents in order to introduce novel ideas and actionable concepts.
To return to the October 13 event, Cardinal Tisserant was the presider over this first session, since he was the dean of the council presidents. When he started to present the schedule of the day, Cardinal Liénart raised his voice and asked permission to speak. This was against the rules of the day, as they did not foresee a discussion among the Council Fathers. Even though Tisserant declined this request, the French cardinal grabbed the microphone and proceeded to read aloud, in Latin, a prepared document, in which he requested a delay of the voting process so that the Council Fathers could first get to know better the candidates for the commissions and so that the episcopal conferences could come up with their own recommendations. Cardinal Frings stood up to second Liénart, adding that he also spoke in the name of Cardinals Döpfner and König. Professor de Mattei describes this incident in his own 2012 book on the Council, The Second Vatican Council: An Unwritten Story, and calls it “the break with council procedures.”[1] He points out that Tisserant, after the intervention of the two cardinals, closed the session and moved it to October 16, thus giving in to their request. As an additional detail, Dr. Rolf Weibel, a Swiss theologian and scholar of the Council, writes that Tisserant did so after consulting with the fellow Council Presidents who sat with him at the table.[2] Weibel also recounts how Pope John XXIII subsequently told Liénart: “You did well to say aloud what you were thinking because for this reason I have called the bishops to the Council.”[3]
As described in more detail in our article about Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and his role during the Council, delaying the vote of the commission members to October 16 gave the progressivist camp enough time to organize their own list of preferred members. De Mattei quotes here the modernist Cardinal Leo Joseph Suenens: “This was indeed a brilliant and dramatic turn of events, an audacious infringement of existing regulations! … To a large extent, the future of the council was decided at that moment. John XXIII was very pleased.”[4]
Professor de Mattei insists that the intervention of Liénart and Frings on October 13 was not a spontaneous event. Another Italian historian and expert of the Council, Andrea Riccardi, points to a certain collaboration between Liénart and Tisserant, as well. The following quote from Riccardi is also important in light of the document signed by Dr. Dollinger:
Quote:Cardinal Lienart was certainly not the only one of the fathers who was looking for an immediate change in the election procedure. According to some, after the Mass, Tisserant, dean of the cardinals and conciliar president that day, suggested to [the general secretary of the Council, Archbishop Pericle] Felici, that the voting be postponed and that the episcopal conferences draw up their own lists. Cardinal [A. G.] Cicognani, Secretary of State, when consulted on the subject, declared himself in favor of an immediate vote, and Felici sided with Cicognani. When Tisserant communicated Felici’s position to Lienart, the annoyed Bishop of Lille decided to speak, followed by Frings, who had close ties with the elderly French cardinal.[5]
So here, Tisserant’s active involvement in the rebellious incident is shown. Even though Riccardi insists that this event was “no plot,” but, rather, merely a “concrete initiative,” he reveals that there was yet another French cardinal involved. The historian states:
Quote:His [Liénart’s] decision to intervene was strengthened by the opinion of Cardinal Lefebvre [not to be confused with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre], who asked him to speak in order at least to ward off any immediate elections and who provided him with a Latin translation of a petition, which Liénart would not have been able to improvise in that language.[6]
Yet another scholar of the Second Vatican Council will help us further to understand Cardinal Tisserant’s role during the opening session of the Council. Romano Amerio, in his 1996 book Iota Unum, quotes the French academician, Jean Guitton—a lay participant at the Council and a friend of the later Pope Paul VI. Amerio writes:
Quote:When showing Guitton a painting made from a photograph, which depicted Tisserant himself and six other cardinals, the Dean of the Sacred College [Tisserant] said: “This picture is historic, or rather, symbolic. It shows the meeting we had before the opening of the council, when we decided to block the first session by refusing to accept the tyrannical rules laid down by John XXIII.”[7]
It is striking that Tisserant uses here the expression “tyrannical rules,” which is similar to the expression used by Dr. Dollinger and his interlocutor in 1993—“tyrannical instructions”—thus making it possible that these two men were aware of the Guitton quote. As other quotes in this article show, it seems that Pope John XXIII encouraged the rebellious initiatives and behavior, against his own instructions, or at least against the instructions as prepared by his curial members.
A churchman who wishes to remain anonymous commented on this essay of mine with the following words:
Quote:“As the sources now show more and more, Pope John XXIII was ultimately not as naive as he is usually portrayed, but quite clever. He played along with satisfaction with the game of Cardinal Tisserant and Liénart and Co., that is, with the revolution on October 13, 1962.”
After we have established here that Cardinal Tisserant played a shady and unforthright role at the beginning of the Council, and before we proceed to discuss the second crucial event of the Council at which Tisserant played a major role, let us point out only in passing that Tisserant also was involved in the piercing moment on October 30, 1962, in which the head of the Holy Office, Cardinal Ottaviani, was humiliated in a symbolic way in front of the entire council assembly. Cardinal Alfrink on that day simply turned off Ottaviani’s microphone after he had exceeded the established speaking time, even though Ottaviani was the second most influential man in the Vatican after the pope himself. Let us review what Fr. Wiltgen has to say about the incident where he mentions Tisserant’s role in this painful incident:
Quote:On October 30, the day after his seventy-second birthday, Cardinal Ottaviani addressed the Council to protest against the drastic changes which were being suggested in the Mass. “Are we seeking to stir up wonder, or perhaps scandal, among the Christian people, by introducing changes in so venerable a rite, that has been approved for so many centuries and is now so familiar? The rite of Holy Mass should not be treated as if it were a piece of cloth to be refashioned according to the whim of each generation.” Speaking without a text, because of his partial blindness, he exceeded the ten-minute time limit which all had been requested to observe. Cardinal Tisserant, Dean of the Council Presidents, showed his watch to Cardinal Alfrink, who was presiding that morning. When Cardinal Ottaviani reached fifteen minutes, Cardinal Alfrink rang the warning bell. But the speaker was so engrossed in his topic that he did not notice the bell, or purposely ignored it. At a signal from Cardinal Alfrink, a technician switched off the microphone. After confirming the fact by tapping the instrument, Cardinal Ottaviani stumbled back to his seat in humiliation. The most powerful cardinal in the Roman Curia had been silenced, and the Council Fathers clapped with glee.[8]
Let us now pass over to the second major role that Tisserant played with regard to the Council, and which was his active role in assuring the Communists that the Council would not speak in a condemnatory way about Communism. Professor de Mattei gives a detailed account of how Tisserant, on behalf of Pope John XXIII, secretly met, away from Rome, in August of 1962 with the Russian Orthodox Archbishop of Yaroslavl, Nikodim, in Metz, France. At that secret meeting, the two men agreed that the patriarchate of Moscow would welcome an invitation from the pope to participate at the Second Vatican Council, while at the same time the pope promised that the Council would not issue any adversely critical statements against Communism. De Mattei also points out that Nikodim was a KGB agent.[9]
Moreover, Dr. Robert Hickson shows in an essay that this secret agreement has raised many questions. Were the Council Fathers ever informed about this secret agreement, and was this Council thus truly inspired by the Holy Ghost if one of the most pressing pastoral questions of the time—after all, innumerable Catholics were imprisoned in Communist countries—were to be effectively excluded even before the start of the Pastoral Council?
As Romano Amerio puts it, “the agreement had a powerful, albeit silent, effect on the course of the council when requests for a renewal of the condemnation of communism were rejected in order to observe this agreement to say nothing about it.”[10] And being an expert of the council documents, the author continues by saying that:
Quote:the council refrained from condemning communism, and in its Acta the very word, which had been so frequent in papal documents up to that moment, does not occur. The great gathering made specific statements about totalitarianism, capitalism, and colonialism, but hid its opinion on communism inside its generic judgment on totalitarian ideologies.[11]
Importantly, de Mattei reports, Cardinal Tisserant not only played a major role at this controversial—and consequential—secret meeting in Metz, but he also tried to influence the Council and its discussions on Communism away from any criticism of this dictatorial system. For example, at the Council he himself voted against a document condemning Communism.[12] The Italian historian then describes a conversation between Tisserant and Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, in which Tisserant recounted the outcome of the secret meeting in Metz in 1962: “Moscow demanded that no one speak against communism in the council, and Rome agreed,” were Tisserant’s words, adding that it was “possible to speak against materialism and atheism without mentioning communism; in this way the council, which deals only with religion, could accomplish its mission perfectly.”[13]Further revealing his own support of such disloyalty toward those Catholics suffering under Communism, Tisserant then even made a demeaning remark about the heroic victim of Communism, Cardinal Mindszenty, calling him a “pauvre imbecile” (a poor imbecile).
These few examples of how Cardinal Tisserant acted before and during the Council—clearly promoting the agenda of the progressivist wing within the Catholic Church—seem to justify the comments made by Dr. Dollinger and his interlocutor in 1993, even if one might disagree that Tisserant himself played a leading subversive role. The extraordinary phenomenon of the smoke coming up from the carpet can at least be taken as a symbolic confirmation that, indeed, Pope Paul VI was somehow right when he publicly said that “the smoke of Satan has entered the Temple of God.”
***
[1] Roberto de Mattei, The Second Vatican Council: An Unwritten Story (Fitzwilliam, NH: Loreto Publications, 2012), 177–179.
[2] There are slight variations of this incident, but always with Tisserant’s involvement. Fr. Ralph Wiltgen writes in his book The Rhine Flows into the Tiber: The Unknown Council: “After hurried consultation with Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, who as first of the Council Presidents was conducting the meeting, Archbishop Felici announced that the Council Presidency had acceded to the request of the two cardinals. The meeting was adjourned until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 16” (New York City: Hawthorn Books, 1967, 16–17).
[3] Rolf Weibel, “Die bleibende Aktualität des Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzils (III),” kirchenzeitung.ch, undated, https://www.kirchenzeitung.ch/article/di...s-iii-7055
[4] De Mattei, The Second Vatican Council, 179.
[5] Andrea Riccardi, “The Tumultuous Opening Days of the Council,” in History of Vatican II, vol II, ed. Giuseppe Alberigoand Joseph A. Komonchak (Leuven: Peeters, 1997), 30–31.
[6] Ibid, 31.
[7] Romano Amerio, Iota Unum: A Study of Changes in the Catholic Church in the 20th Century (Kansas City: Sarto House, 1996), 87. The English quote of Guitton has been provided by Amerio who first quoted it in French. We used the English translation for the sake of our readers. Amerio also provides the source of the quote by Guitton: J. Guitton, Paul VI secret (Paris: Desclée De Brouwer, 1979), 123.
[8] Wiltgen, The Rhine Flows into the Tiber, 28–29. It is always striking to me how the Council Fathers, with their applause, at different times could show such malice. Dr. Robert Hickson once described in an essay another painful applause in the Council Hall.
[9] De Mattei, The Second Vatican Council, 149.
[10] Amerio, Iota Unum, 76.
[11] Ibid.
[12] De Mattei, The Second Vatican Council, 153.
[13] Ibid., 154.
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| Macron tells French farmers: Ukraine war will weigh on you, and it will last |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-26-2022, 08:20 AM - Forum: Global News
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Macron tells French farmers: Ukraine war will weigh on you, and it will last
Reuters [Emphasis mine]| February 26, 2022
PARIS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The war in Ukraine, and heavy sanctions Western powers have taken against Russia, will have long-lasting and serious consequences for the French farming sector, the European Union's biggest, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.
"If you ask me to share one conviction with you this morning, it is that this crisis is here to stay, this war is here to stay," Macron told the Paris farm show on Saturday.
Trade restrictions resulting from EU sanctions on Russia will weigh on French exports such as wine and grains, Macron said, while a further rise in energy prices will hit livestock farming.
"We are building a resilience plan," Macron said, adding measures would be taken to protect farmers from cost pressures and compensate lost revenues.
A surge in commodity prices in the past year has benefited grain producers but squeezed livestock farmers for whom grain feed is a major cost. The government announced at the end of January a 270 million euro ($304 million) relief package for the pork sector.
The crisis in Ukraine is increasing volatility in agricultural markets, with Paris wheat futures hitting a record high on Thursday. Farmers are also worried the crisis could exacerbate supply tensions in fertilisers and disrupt the spring growing season for crops.
The annual Paris farm show, the Salon de l'Agriculture, is a major occasion in France and, coming less than two months before the first round of presidential elections, has drawn the major candidates.
French commentators long expected Macron could use his presence at the show to officially announce he will be running for a second term, a fact nobody in France doubts.
But international crises, above all Russia's invasion in Ukraine, have thwarted the president's calendar several times.
While Macron spent over 12 hours at the Salon's last edition in 2020, trying to reassure farmers over the impact of Brexit and a reform of the EU's farm policy, he only spoke on Saturday for about 15 minutes.
($1 = 0.8875 euros)
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| Canada Clears World’s First Plant-Based Covid Vaccine |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-25-2022, 06:55 PM - Forum: COVID Vaccines
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Canada Clears World’s First Plant-Based Covid Vaccine
Unit of Mitsubishi, Philip Morris crafted the shot with Glaxo
Vaccine may generate $1 billion in sales, Mitsubishi CEO says
![[Image: 800x-1.jpg]](https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iEAUFPtjbmJ8/v0/800x-1.jpg)
Medicago Inc.’s greenhouse.
Bloomberg | February 24, 2022
The world’s first plant-derived Covid-19 vaccine was cleared for use in Canada, creating a novel immunization to combat the virus from a unit of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. and Philip Morris International.
The vaccine named Covifenz was jointly developed by Medicago Inc., a biopharma company owned by Mitsubishi Chemical and Philip Morris and based in Quebec City, and GlaxoSmithKline Plc. It will be available for adults aged 18 to 64, Medicago and Glaxo said in a statement Thursday.
The approval gives people who are hesitant to take currently available vaccines made by Pfizer Inc., AstraZeneca Plc and Moderna Inc. another option. Many countries are struggling to raise vaccination rates and are requiring citizens to be immunized to get into restaurants, shopping malls trains and planes.
The company hopes Covifenz will generate about $1 billion a year eventually, Mitsubishi Chemical’s Chief Executive Officer Jean-Marc Gilson said in an interview last week. The vaccine is easier to transport and store than rival mRNA shots, such as those from Pfizer and Moderna, since it doesn’t need to be kept at ultra-low temperatures, he said.
Covifenz is made from proteins, grown in plants, that look like the virus that causes Covid-19 to the human immune system, according to Medicago’s website. The vaccine also uses Glaxo’s pandemic adjuvant, a substance that boosts the immune system’s response.
Medicago has a contract with the Canadian government to supply up to 76 million doses of the vaccine and is in talks with other countries about potential agreements, Chief Executive Officer Takashi Nagao has said. The immunization was granted fast-track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2021.
The vaccine demonstrated 71% efficacy against multiple variants of the virus in December, Medicago said. It was 75% effective against the highly-infectious delta variant and nearly 89% effective against the gamma variant first identified in Brazil. The omicron variant wasn’t circulating when the trial was conducted, and the company is planning future tests against that strain.
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| “How Dare You! Bishop Williamson / the SSPX has never said that!” |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-25-2022, 01:40 PM - Forum: True vs. False Resistance
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Excerpt from The Recusant #57 - Lent 2022
“How Dare You! Bishop Williamson / the SSPX has never said that!” Well, take a look…
Question 1 (Grace in the New Mass)
“There are cases where even the Novus Ordo Mass can be attended with an effect of building one’s Faith instead of losing it. … Be very careful with the Novus Ordo … But, exceptionally, if you’re watching and praying, even there you may find the grace of God. If you do, make use of it in order to sanctify your soul.” (Bishop Williamson, public conference in Mahopac, New York, USA 28/06/15)
“Therefore I will not say every single person must stay away from every single Novus Ordo Mass. If they can trust their own judgement that attending this Mass will do more good than harm spiritually.” (As above)
“The Novus Ordo Mass may have been allowed by God to make it easier for Catholics to leave the Faith if they wanted to, but not impossible to keep it if they wanted to.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 438, December 2015)
“As an essential part of the subjective and ambiguous religion, the Novus Ordo Mass can be what you make of it. A priest can celebrate it decently, a Catholic can attend it devoutly.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 447, Feb. 2016)
“But don’t say that there’s no good in it at all and that there can be no grace passed attending the Novus Ordo Mass.” (Bishop Williamson, public conference in Emmett, Kansas, USA 18/09/16)
Various SSPX priests have preached that the New Mass only gives a trickle of grace, or less grace compared to the Traditional Mass - i.e. not none! (See, for instance, Recusant 22, p.38)
Question 2 (The Indult Mass)
“Therefore, in my opinion, be content to attend the least contaminated Tridentine Mass that there is anywhere near you.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 505, March 2017)
Various SSPX priests are happy to tell people to go to the indult Mass - whereas the old SSPX used to tell people to stay away. The District Superior of Great Britain, Fr. Robert Brucciani, even helped out in a Novus Ordo/Indult parish last year. Compare with Archbishop Lefebvre: “Availing ourselves of the Indult is tantamount to putting ourselves into a state of contradiction because at the same time that Rome gives the Fraternity of St. Peter, for example, or Le Barroux Abbey and other groups authorization to say the Mass of All Time, they also require young priests to sign a profession of faith in which the spirit of the Council must be accepted.” (Archbishop Lefebvre, sermon at Friedrichshafen, 29th April 1990)
“…‘After all, they are celebrating the Tridentine Mass, they are not as bad as everyone says’ – but they are betraying us! Betraying us! They are shaking hands with the Church’s destroyers. They are shaking hands with people holding modernist and liberal ideas condemned by the Church. So they are doing the devil’s work. … One cannot both shake hands with modernists and keep following Tradition. Not possible. Not possible.” (Archbishop Lefebvre, address to his priests, 6th September 1990)
Question 3 (Mass Every Sunday vs. Less Frequently)
Most, almost all, Fake Resistance Masses are every Sunday, and out-of-the-way once-a-month Mass locations are unheard-of, much like the modern SSPX (See, Recusant 56, pp.54 & 55, for instance). The Resistance priests who stayed true to Archbishop Lefebvre, like the old SSPX tend to spread themselves thinly and widely, whereas the Fake Resistance, like the modern SSPX don’t see the need: after all, as far as they are concerned you can just go to the Indult Mass, or even the New Mass, instead. Contrast with the attitude of Archbishop Lefebvre: “If someone asks me: ‘I only have Mass of St. Pius V once a month. So what should I do on the other Sundays? Should I go to the New Mass if I do not have the Mass of St. Pius V?’ … I
would say to them: Listen, I cannot advise you to go to something which is evil. I would not go myself because I would not want to take in this atmosphere ... So I advise you not to go.” (Archbishop Lefebvre, Spiritual Conference at Écône, 25th June 1981)
“We understand quite well what troubles you may experience in the circumstances in which you are living, without a good Mass … In fact, in such a case Monseigneur Lefebvre recommends rather to stay at home and pray the rosary in the family and to read the old Mass in the missal…” (Reply to a personal letter to Archbishop Lefebvre, 27th April 1980 - see Recusant 40 p.10)
Question 4 (Holy Office Condemnations)
“The Poem of the Man-God [real title: “The Gospel As Revealed to Me”] runs into tremendous opposition. I think it’s the devil, quite honestly. And I think the devil was in the Holy Office at that time. … The Index has been abolished, yes. I read it and I don’t bother too much about - I don’t know all the background details. I get so much out of it myself that I’m not worried about it, you know.” (Bishop Williamson, public conference in St. Mary’s, Kansas, USA 26/05/2016)
Evidence abounds of the modern SSPX tolerating and even promoting the condemned “Divine Mercy” devotion and the condemned writings of the bogus seer Sr. Faustina (see, for instance, Recusant 29, p.36)
Question 5 (Get Out of the Conciliar Church!)
“Therefore, it seems to me, if James is convinced that to save his soul he must stay in the Newchurch, I need not hammer him to get out of it.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 348, March 2014)
“I do not say to everybody inside the Novus Ordo, priests and laity, I don’t say: ‘You’ve got to get out!’ (Bishop Williamson, public conference in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada 5/11/14)
“[Traditional Catholics who] have had to put a distance between themselves and the mainstream Church … have exposed themselves to the opposite danger of an isolation leading to a sectarian and even pharisaical spirit, disconnected from reality.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 438, November 2015)
“The Novus Ordo people have souls. If they have souls, then the Mother of God wants to save them and Almighty God wants to save them, Our Lord Jesus Christ wants to save them. … You know, I mean Heaven has got all these souls to look after and try to get to heaven, not just those souls who make their way to Tradition.” (Bishop Williamson, public conference in Veneta, Oregon, USA 19/09/16)
Priests defecting from the conciliar church to the SSPX used once to be fairly common and was still happening in the late 1990s/early 2000s. In England, for instance Fr. Alan Rolf left his diocese and joined the SSPX twenty years ago. Now, however, that has become something unheard-of, despite the SSPX having lots of contact with parish priests. None of them ever leave and renounce Vatican II or the conciliar church. Why? Surely it is because the modern SSPX offers tea-and-sympathy but doesn’t dare encourage such priests to take the fateful step, for fear of upsetting the conciliar bishops with whom they are trying so hard to be friends. Like the modern SSPX, Bishop Williamson’s house in Broadstairs has become a place for all
sorts of priests, both from the modern SSPX and the conciliar church, to drop in for tea and a chat. None of them are ever encouraged to leave, quite the contrary, they are positively encouraged to stay where they are. Finally, like the modern SSPX, it is interesting to notice that Bishop Williamson no longer talks of the “conciliar church.”
Question 6 (Novus Bogus “Miracles”)
“Facts are stubborn - as long as they are facts. If readers doubt that the eucharistic miracle of 1996 in Buenos Aires is a fact, let them undertake their own research…” [We did! See Recusant 34] (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 437, November 2015)
“However, these [Novus Ordo] miracles – always assuming they are authentic – have lessons also for the Catholics of Tradition … ” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 438, December 2015)
The modern SSPX also accepts the highly dubious Novus Ordo “miracles” and promotes them to the faithful. See, for instance: sspx.org/en/news-events/news/new-eucharistic-miracle-poland
Question 7 (The Faithful’s Right to Know Where their Shepherds Stand)
Concerning its dealings with modern Rome in 2012, the SSPX famously said: “Ultimately from this modern spirit of an unbalanced desire for information and an insistence on a “right to know”, souls will be led away from Christ’s peace ... Non‐SSPX members [i.e. the laity] do not have a strict right to be kept informed about the internal affairs of the SSPX, which is a religious congregation.” (Article on sspx.org “The Need to Know versus Peace of Soul” Jan. 2014, available at: https://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/%E2%80%9Cneed%E2%80%9D-know-all-vs-peacesoul-3073 - See also Recusant 6, p.28)
In keeping with the modern SSPX saying that the faithful no right to know whether their shepherds now accept Vatican II or not, or whether they are seeking to compromise with modern Rome, the Fake Resistance priests and bishops likewise treat the faithful as though they have no right to know where they stand. Bishop Zendejas does not allow anyone to record any of his sermons and his Blue Paper newsletter stopped being publicly visible shortly after its heterodoxies were exposed in late 2015, to give just one example. Fr Paul Morgan has never once published the date, time or address of any of his Masses, to give another and is marketed as an “independent” priest in some quarters despite being at virtually every Bishop Williamson function for the past three or four years. Is he a Bishop Williamson priest? If not, why is he always with him? If he is, why has he not said so loud and clear, and where is his defence of the Williamsonist teachings outlined above? Secrecy and the Fake Resistance go together like hand in glove. These pages recently carried a picture of the chapel in Kansas owned outright by the Fake Resistance: it has no hint on the outside that it even is a chapel.
Was this ever the approach of Archbishop Lefebvre? Was this the attitude of the old SSPX? “We believe that it is very important to pray, to sanctify ourselves, but not in silence. We have the duty not only to uphold the Faith with the heart unto justification, but also to profess it with the mouth unto salvation (see Rom. X, 10). We have the duty to profess the true Faith loudly, even if one day God requires of us the supreme sacrifice of martyrdom.” (Fr. Francois Laisney, The Angelus, December 1986)
“Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.
But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father.” (Mt. 10:32-33)
Question 8 (Creation vs. Evolution)
The modern SSPX has been promoting a book by one of its priests, Fr Paul Robinson, in which he denies the Noaic flood and spreads dangerously heterodox ideas such as the ‘Big Bang,’ the bogus so-called ‘fossil record’ and the Billions-of-Years timeline. Fr Hewko, Fr. Rafael OSB, and The Recusant, (see, for instance Recusant 46) have taken a clear stand against this. What has been heard from the Fake Resistance and from Bishop Williamson in particular? Why has there so far been not one Eleison Comments dedicated to this question? Could it be that he too is compromised by some of the same modern bogus “scientific” ideas?
Question 9 (Errors of Vatican II vs. interpretation of Vatican II)
“The Novus Ordo Mass, like Vatican II which it followed, is ambiguous. … But as ambiguity is precisely open to two interpretations, so the Novus Ordo Mass does not absolutely exclude the old religion.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 437, November 2015)
“In the days of the Council, the teaching of novelties about humanism (man-centred Church) were opposed and then silenced by more or less honest means and men, but adherents thereof have since been installed in key positions of power during the post-Conciliar period.” (Fr. Gerardo Zendejas, The Blue Paper 300, November 2015)
Contrast with Archbishop Lefebvre who described the Council not merely as “ambiguous” but as “poison,” “cancer,” “satanic,” “a schismatic council,” “the greatest disaster since the founding of the Church,” “a betrayal” and “a new religion.” (For a list of many quotes of Archbishop Lefebvre condemning Vatican II see thecatacombs.org here).
Question 10 (Archbishop Lefebvre is Right, Then and Now!)
“For this reason we hold firmly to all that has been believed and practiced by the Church of all time in her Faith, morals, worship, catechetical instruction, priestly formation and institutions [i.e. seminaries, monasteries, priories, ‘classic congregations,’ structures...]” (Archbishop Lefebvre, 1974 Declaration)
“It is not clear that the present need is to rebuild a classic Congregation or Seminary. Both may be somehow out-dated. … But God is God, and for the salvation of souls tomorrow it may be that he will no longer resort to the classical Congregation or seminary of yesterday.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 278, November 2012)
“In the early 21st century there seems to me to be just not enough Catholic straw left to make a Catholic brick like the SSPX of the late 20th century.” (Bishop Williamson, Eleison Comments 311, June 2013)
“Don’t be under any illusion: it’s not going to be me who puts together a new SSPX. No way! The time for that is over. Put away your toys everybody and get with it. Grow up!” (Bishop Williamson, public conference, St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada 05/11/14)
“Without the Pope you can't be Catholic in any way. ... In our time, authority is dissolved. So, to structure a resistance with authority and obedience and superiors, don’t hope for it. … The time for structures is past. What, what's he saying? The time for structures is yesterday!”
(Bishop Williamson, public sermon in Brazil, 19/03/16)
“Today the situation is so bad that I don’t think a structure or organisation, I, my opinion is that a structure or an organisation can’t be put together. It’s too late.” (Bishop Williamson, public sermon in St Paul, Minnesota, USA 29/05/16)
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| Order Out Of Chaos: How The Ukraine Conflict Is Designed To Benefit Globalists |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-25-2022, 01:04 PM - Forum: General Commentary
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Order Out Of Chaos: How The Ukraine Conflict Is Designed To Benefit Globalists
ZH [Emphasis mine.] | FEB 24, 2022
Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us,
Within the next couple of months it is likely that there will be direct US military involvement in Ukraine, with Russia now openly supporting and recognizing separatist groups in the Donbass region on the eastern edge of the country and apparently moving to aid them militarily in separation. This is not the first time Russia has sent military units into Ukraine, but it is the first time since 2014 and the annexation of Crimea that the threat of military action has been overt rather than covert.
When conflict erupts, you are going to see a swarm of media stories in western nations trying to outline the complexity of the relationship between Russia and Ukraine since the fall of the Soviet Union, while ignoring certain inconvenient truths. You will see many of these stories construct a narrative which then oversimplifies the situation and paints Russia as the monstrous aggressor. The goal will be to convince the public that our involvement in Ukraine is a moral and geopolitical necessity. There will be attempts to gain American favor and a call for US boots on the ground. Joe Biden will be at the forefront of this push.
The surface trigger for the confrontation is obviously rooted in the 2009 decision by western powers and Ukrainian officials to consider the country for membership in NATO. Most of Russia’s actions when dealing with Ukraine can be owed to NATO involvement in the region, including the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014. Strategically, it makes sense. Imagine if Mexico suddenly announced it was joining a military alliance with China and that Chinese military assets were going to be transferred near the US southern border? It probably would not end well.
To be sure, Russia has a history of hypocritical behavior when it comes to its involvement in the affairs of its neighbors. For example, only a few months ago Kazakhstan was facing mass protests which the government claimed were caused by “foreign manipulation.” Zero proof was presented to justify this assertion. However, the claim was enough to rationalize the deployment of 2300 Russian troops over the border to shut down the protests.
In reality, citizens of Kazakhstan were angry over a spike in inflation and high gas prices which continue to grind down the middle class and those in poverty (sound familiar?). In 2019, only 4% of the population lived under the official poverty line. In 2020, that number exploded to 14% of the population. Accurate numbers are difficult to find for 2021, but it is likely that poverty levels are now closer to 16%-20%. The reasons for civil unrest were obvious and justified, but the protesting Kazakhs were accused of being pawns of foreign enemies. As I have noted in many articles lately, this is a typical strategy of corrupt governments trying to retain power when the people rise up and rebel for legitimate reasons.
Again, imagine if the Canadian government under Trudeau asked for US military assistance in scattering the trucker protests against his draconian vaccine mandates? We need to look at these decisions in context in order to grasp how insane they really are.
Ironically, Russia is happy to support the unrest of separatists in Ukraine while also helping to silence unrest in Kazakhstan. Keep this pattern in mind because it will help in understanding how events surrounding Russia reflect a global trend that might effect Americans in the future.
The diplomatic mess between Ukraine and Russia can be blamed in part on both sides, and it’s this kind of historical ambiguity where globalists tend to thrive. The fog of war helps to obscure establishment activities and often it is hard for people to see who is truly benefiting from the chaos until it’s too late. It is my belief that the Ukraine problem is at least partially engineered and that it is designed as a first domino in a chain of intended crises.
I don’t think there is anything unique to the Ukraine conflict for the globalists; they could have just as easily tried to initiate a regional war in Taiwan, North Korea, Iran, etc. There are numerous powder keg countries that they have been cultivating for a couple of decades. We should not hyperfocus on who is to blame between Ukraine or Russia, we should focus on the effects that will result from any major regional disaster and how the globalists exploit such catastrophes to further the agenda of total centralization of power.
The Ukraine scenario could be easily defused if both sides took some basic diplomatic measures, but this is not going to happen. NATO officials could take a step back from their pursuit of adding Ukraine to the ranks. The US could stop pouring cash and weaponry into Ukraine to the tune of $5.4 billion since 2014. Over 90 tons of military equipment has been sent to the country in 2022 alone. Russia could stop sending covert special operations units into the Donbass and be more willing to come to the table to discuss diplomatic solutions. The reason these things do not happen is because they are not allowed to happen by the power brokers behind the curtain.
We are all aware of the globalist influences behind US and NATO leaders, we present the undeniable evidence of this on a regular basis. Biden’s penchant for globalist institutions is well known. But what about Russia?
There are some in the alternative media and the liberty movement who falsely believe that Russia is anti-globalist – Nothing could be further from the truth. As with many political leaders Putin will sometimes use anti-globalists rhetoric, but his relationships tell another story. In Putin’s first autobiography, titled ‘First Person’, he discusses with fondness his first encounter with New World Order globalist Henry Kissinger as a member of the FSB (formerly the KGB). As Putin rose through the political ranks he maintained a steady friendship with Kissinger and to this day they have regular lunches and Kissinger has been an adviser to multiple branches of the Kremlin.
It doesn’t stop there, though. Putin and the Kremlin have also kept a steady dialogue with the World Economic Forum, the project of the now notorious globalist Klaus Schwab. In fact, only last year Russia announced it was joining the WEF’s “Fourth Industrial Revolution Network” which focuses on economic socialization, Artificial Intelligence, the “internet of things” and a host of other globalist interests which will all lead to worldwide technocracy and tyranny.
Again, the Russian government is NOT anti-globalist. This claim is nonsense and always has been. I would attribute the fantasy of Russian opposition to a steady stream of propaganda and what I call the False East/West Paradigm – The fraudulent notion that the globalist agenda is a purely Western or American agenda and that countries like China and Russia are opposed to it. If you look at the close interactions between the east and the globalists, this idea completely falls apart.
It’s important to understand that most conflicts between the East and the West are engineered conflicts and the leaders of BOTH SIDES are not really at odds with each other. Rather, these wars are Kabuki Theater; they are wars of convenience to achieve covert ends while mesmerizing the masses with moments of terror and calamity. For anyone who has doubts about this, I highly recommend they read the thoroughly researched and evidenced works of professional historian and economist Antony Sutton, who quite accidentally stumbled onto the facts surrounding the globalist conspiracy and went on to expose their habit of playing both sides of nearly every war over the past century from the Bolshevik Revolution to WWII and onward.
The strategy of order out of chaos is nothing new, it’s something the globalists have been doing for a very long time. The number of open revelations post-Covid about the ‘Great Reset’ that globalists have publicly admitted to is so staggering that their plans can no longer be denied. Any skeptics at this point should be suspected of having a single digit IQ.
So, now that we have established the reality of globalist involvement in both the west and in Russia, we need to ask ourselves how they benefit from initiating a crisis between these powers over Ukraine? What do they get out of it?
As I have noted in recent articles, it appears to me that Ukraine is a Plan B attempt to conjure more smoke and mirrors where the covid pandemic failed to satisfy the Great Reset plan. As Klaus Schwab and the WEF has constantly asserted, they saw the pandemic as the perfect “opportunity” to force the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the world. As globalist Rahm Emanual once opined in the wake of the 2008 economic crash:
Quote:“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.”
The WEF is an old hand at this tactic. Klaus Schwab also used the same exact language right after the credit crash of 2008 as he has used after the spread of covid, always trying to sell global governance as the solution to every disaster:
Quote:“What we are experiencing is the birth of a new era, a wake-up call to overhaul our institutions, our systems and, above all, our thinking, and to adjust our attitudes and values to the needs of a world which rightly expects a much higher degree of responsibility and accountability,” he explained. “If we recognize this crisis as being really transformational, we can lay the fundaments for a more stable, more sustainable and even more prosperous world.”
– Klaus Schwab on the Global Redesign Initiative, 2009
Schwab jumped the gun back then just as he jumped the gun in 2020 when he declared the Great Reset an inevitability in the face of covid. The globalists must have expected a much higher death rate from the virus because they were practically dancing in the streets, elated over the amount of power they could steal in the name of “protecting the public from a global health threat.” If you look at the WEF and Gates Foundation simulation of a covid pandemic, Event 201 which was held only two months before the REAL THING happened, they clearly expected covid to do way more damage, predicting an initial death tally of 65 million. This never happened; it isn’t even close.
It’s hard to say why an obvious bioweapon like covid failed to do the job. Viruses tend to mutate rapidly in the wild and behave differently than they do in a lab setting. I would even consider the possibility of divine intervention. Whatever the reason, the globalists did not get what they wanted and now they need yet another crisis to oil the gears of the Reset machine. With the already tiny death rate of covid now dropping even further with the Omicron variant and half the states of the US in full defiance of the vax mandates it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world asks why they are still under medical authoritarianism?
War in Ukraine and the mere threat of that war expanding beyond the region could accomplish a number of things covid has not. It provides an ongoing cover for the stagflationary collapse which is now in full swing in the US, the supply chain problems that continue globally as well as the destabilization of the European economy. In particular, the EU is strongly reliant on Russian natural gas in order to heat homes and maintain its economy. Russia has strangled natural gas supplies to Europe in the past and they will do it again. Russian oil exports also fill demand gaps globally, and these exports will be strangled by sanctions or by the Kremlin deliberately cutting supplies to certain nations.
War is always a distraction from economic sabotage. Even though the seeds of financial crashes are often planted and watered well in advance by central banks, the banks never get the blame because international conflicts conveniently take center stage. By extension, economic crisis causes mass poverty, mass desperation, and mass hysteria, and globalists will say that these dangers require an international solution that they will happily provide in the form of centralization.
In the US and in many other western nations which have a large number of people still defending individual freedom, the globalists clearly want to use tensions with Russia as a means to silence public dissent over authoritarian policies. Already I am seeing numerous instances of establishment officials and leftists on social media suggesting that liberty activists are “pawns of the Russians” and that we are being used to “divide and conquer.” This is nonsense backed by nothing, but they are trying out the narrative anyway to see if it sticks.
I have no doubt that any rebellion in the US against the globalists will be blamed on foreign interference. As mentioned earlier, the last thing the elites want is movements of free people obstructing the Reset in the name of liberty. We witnessed this in Canada where Trudeau announced unilateral emergency powers against the trucker protests, giving himself totalitarian levels of control. Even the Russian government has intervened in such public actions to prevent any kind of activist momentum. Biden will try to do the same thing, and war, even a smaller regional war, gives him a rationale to oppress dissent in the name of public security.
Interestingly, martial law in the US is also much easier to legally and historically justify for the government as long as it is done in response to the invasion of a foreign enemy. The Russian influence narrative may very well be in preparation for martial law within America. Whether or not this actually succeeds is another matter.
The consequences of a shooting event in Ukraine will be far reaching well beyond a distraction for the American public; my intent here is not to suggest only Americans will be affected. My point is that there are certain places in the world that are naturally resistant to the globalist scheme, and freedom minded Americans are a primary obstacle. If there is a large scale rebellion against the Great Reset, it’s going to start here. The globalists know this as well, which is why the US will undoubtedly be centrally involved in the Ukraine quagmire.
While the event would be disastrous for Ukrainians and probably many Russians, there are deeper and more dangerous underlying threats intended for the US and a war in Ukraine acts as an effective scapegoat for many of them.
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| St. Ambrose: Concerning Repentance |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-25-2022, 09:36 AM - Forum: Fathers of the Church
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Introduction.
These two books were written against the Novatian heresy, which took its name, and to a considerable extent its form, from Novatus, a priest of the Church of Carthage, and Novatian, schismatically consecrated bishop at Rome. It was the outcome of a struggle which had long existed in the Church upon the question of the restitution to Church privileges of those who had fallen into grievous sin, and the possibility of their repentance.
The severest ground was taken by the Novatians, who were condemned successively by many councils, which maintained the power of the Church to admit those guilty of any sin whatsoever to repentance, and prescribed various rules and penalties applicable to different cases. The heresy, however, lasted for some time, becoming weaker in the fifth century, and gradually fading away as a separate body with a distinctive name. Novatianism, in the tests which it used, its efforts after a perfectly pure communion, its crotchetty interpretations of Scripture, and many other features, presents a striking parallel to many modern sects. [See Dict. Chr. Biog., Blunt, Sects and heresies, Ceillier, II. 427, etc.]
St. Ambrose, in writing against the Novatians, seems to have had some recent publication of theirs in his mind, which is now unknown. He begins by commending gentleness, a quality singularly wanting in the sect; speaks of the power committed to the Church of forgiving the greatest sins, and points out how God is more inclined to mercy than to severity, and refutes the arguments of the Novatians based on certain passages of holy Scripture. In the second book, after urging the necessity of careful and speedy repentance, and the necessity of confessing one's sins, St. Ambrose meets the Novatian arguments based on Heb. vi. 4-6, from which they inferred the impossibility of restoration; and on St. Matthew 12:31-32, our Lord's words concerning sin against the Holy Spirit.
As regards the date of this treatise, it must have been somewhat before the exposition of Ps. xxxvii., which refers to it, but there is nothing else which can be taken as a certain guide. Possibly the Benedictine Editors are right in assigning it to about a.d. 384.
Some few persons, probably on doctrinal grounds, have been led to question the authorship of this treatise, but it is quoted by St. Augustine, and there has never been any real doubt on the subject.
Chapter 1
St. Ambrose writes in praise of gentleness, pointing out how needful that grace is for the rulers of the Church, and commended to them by the meekness of Christ. As the Novatians have fallen away from this, they cannot be considered disciples of Christ. Their pride and harshness are inveighed against.
1. If the highest end of virtue is that which aims at the advancement of most, gentleness is the most lovely of all, which does not hurt even those whom it condemns, and usually renders those whom it condemns worthy of absolution. Moreover, it is the only virtue which has led to the increase of the Church which the Lord sought at the price of His own Blood, imitating the lovingkindness of heaven, and aiming at the redemption of all, seeks this end with a gentleness which the ears of men can endure, in presence of which their hearts do not sink, nor their spirits quail.
2. For he who endeavours to amend the faults of human weakness ought to bear this very weakness on his own shoulders, let it weigh upon himself, not cast it off. For we read that the Shepherd in the Gospel Luke 15:5 carried the weary sheep, and did not cast it off. And Solomon says: Be not overmuch righteous; Ecclesiastes 7:17 for restraint should temper righteousness. For how shall he offer himself to you for healing whom you despise, who thinks that he will be an object of contempt, not of compassion, to his physician?
3. Therefore had the Lord Jesus compassion upon us in order to call us to Himself, not frighten us away. He came in meekness, He came in humility, and so He said: Come unto Me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Matthew 11:28 So, then, the Lord Jesus refreshes, and does not shut out nor cast off, and fitly chose such disciples as should be interpreters of the Lord's will, as should gather together and not drive away the people of God. Whence it is clear that they are not to be counted among the disciples of Christ, who think that harsh and proud opinions should be followed rather than such as are gentle and meek; persons who, while they themselves seek God's mercy, deny it to others, such as are the teachers of the Novatians, who call themselves pure.
4. What can show more pride than this, since the Scripture says: No one is free from sin, not even an infant of a day old; and David cries out: Cleanse me from my sin. Are they more holy than David, of whose family Christ vouchsafed to be born in the mystery of the Incarnation, whose descendant is that heavenly Hall which received the world's Redeemer in her virgin womb? For what is more harsh than to inflict a penance which they do not relax, and by refusing pardon to take away the incentive to penance and repentance? Now no one can repent to good purpose unless he hopes for mercy.
Chapter 2
The assertion of the Novatians that they refuse communion only to the lapsed agrees neither with the teaching of holy Scripture nor with their own. And whereas they allege as a pretext their reverence for the divine power, they really are contemning it, inasmuch as it is a sign of low estimation not to use the whole of a power entrusted to one. But the Church rightly claims the power of binding and loosing, which heretics have not, inasmuch as she has received it from the Holy Spirit, against Whom they act presumptuously.
5. But they say that those should not be restored to communion who have fallen into denial of the faith. If they made the crime of sacrilege the only exception to receiving forgiveness, they would be acting harshly indeed, and, as it would seem, would be in opposition to the divine utterances only, while consistent with their own assertions. For when the Lord forgave all sins, He made an exception of none. But since, as it were after the fashion of the Stoics, they think that all sins are equal in gravity, and assert that he who has stolen a common fowl, as they say, no less than he who has smothered his father, should be for ever excluded from the divine mysteries, how can they select those guilty of one special offense, since even they themselves cannot deny that it is most unjust that the penalty of one should extend to many?
6. They affirm that they are showing great reverence for God, to Whom alone they reserve the power of forgiving sins. But in truth none do Him greater injury than they who choose to prune His commandments and reject the office entrusted to them. For inasmuch as the Lord Jesus Himself said in the Gospel: Receive the Holy Spirit: whosesoever sins you forgive they are forgiven unto them, and whosesoever sins you retain, they are retained, John 20:22-23 who is it that honours Him most, he who obeys His bidding or he who rejects it?
7. The Church holds fast its obedience on either side, by both retaining and remitting sin; heresy is on the one side cruel, and on the other disobedient; wishes to bind what it will not loosen, and will not loosen what it has bound, whereby it condemns itself by its own sentence. For the Lord willed that the power of binding and of loosing should be alike, and sanctioned each by a similar condition. So he who has not the power to loose has not the power to bind. For as, according to the Lord's word, he who has the power to bind has also the power to loose, their teaching destroys itself, inasmuch as they who deny that they have the power of loosing ought also to deny that of binding. For how can the one be allowed and the other disallowed? It is plain and evident that either each is allowed or each is disallowed in the case of those to whom each has been given. Each is allowed to the Church, neither to heresy, for this power has been entrusted to priests alone. Rightly, therefore, does the Church claim it, which has true priests; heresy, which has not the priests of God, cannot claim it. And by not claiming this power heresy pronounces its own sentence, that not possessing priests it cannot claim priestly power. And so in their shameless obstinacy a shamefaced acknowledgment meets our view.
8. Consider, too, the point that he who has received the Holy Ghost has also received the power of forgiving and of retaining sin. For thus it is written: Receive the Holy Spirit: whosesoever sins you forgive, they are forgiven unto them, and whosesoever sins you retain, they are retained. John 20:22-23 So, then, he who has not received power to forgive sins has not received the Holy Spirit. The office of the priest is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and His right it is specially to forgive and to retain sins. How, then, can they claim His gift who distrust His power and His right?
9. And what is to be said of their excessive arrogance? For although the Spirit of God is more inclined to mercy than to severity, their will is opposed to that which He wills, and they do that which He wills not; whereas it is the office of a judge to punish, but of mercy to forgive. It would be more endurable, Novatian, that you should forgive than that you should bind. In the one case you would assume the right as one who rarely offended; in the other you would forgive as one who had fellow-feeling with the misery of sin.
Chapter 3
To the argument of the Novatians, that they only deny forgiveness in the case of greater sins, St. Ambrose replies, that this is also an offense against God, Who gave the power to forgive all sins, but that of course a more severe penance must follow in case of graver sins. He points out likewise that this distinction as to the gravity of sins assigns, as it were, severity to God, Whose mercy in the Incarnation is overlooked by the Novatians.
10. But they say that, with the exception of graver sins, they grant forgiveness to those of less weight. This is not the teaching of your father, Novatian, who thought that no one should be admitted to penance, considering that what he was unable to loose he would not bind, lest by binding he should inspire the hope that he would loose. So that your father is condemned by your own sentence, you who make a distinction between sins, some of which you consider that you can loose, and others which you consider to be without remedy. But God does not make a distinction, Who has promised His mercy to all, and granted to His priests the power of loosing without any exception. But he who has heaped up sin must also increase his penitence. For greater sins are washed away by greater weeping. So neither is Novatian justified, who excluded all from pardon; nor are you, who imitate and, at the same time, condemn him, for you diminish zeal for penance where it ought to be increased, since the mercy of Christ has taught us that graver sins must be made good by greater efforts.
11. And what perversity it is to claim for yourselves what can be forgiven, and, as you say, to reserve to God what cannot be forgiven. This would be to reserve to oneself the cases for mercy, to God those for severity. And what as to that saying: Let God be true but every man a liar, as it is written, That You might be justified in Your words, and overcome when You are judged? Romans 3:4 In order, then, that we may recognize that the God of mercy is rather prone to indulgence than to severity, it is said: I desire mercy rather than sacrifice. Hosea 6:6 How, then, can your sacrifice, who refuse mercy, be acceptable to God, since He says that He wills not the death of a sinner, but his correction? Ezekiel 18:32
12. Interpreting which truth, the Apostle says: For God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Romans 8:3-4 He does not say in the likeness of flesh, for Christ took on Himself the reality not the likeness of flesh; nor does He say in the likeness of sin, for He did no sin, but was made sin for us. Yet He came in the likeness of sinful flesh; that is, He took on Him the likeness of sinful flesh, the likeness, because it is written: He is man, and who shall know Him? He was man in the flesh, according to His human nature, that He might be recognized, but in power was above man, that He might not be recognized, so He has our flesh, but has not the failings of this flesh.
13. For He was not begotten, as is every man, by intercourse between male and female, but born of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin; He received a stainless body, which not only no sins polluted, but which neither the generation nor the conception had been stained by any admixture of defilement. For we men are all born under sin, and our very origin is in evil, as we read in the words of David: For lo, I was conceived in wickedness, and in sin did my mother bring me forth. Therefore the flesh of Paul was a body of death, as he himself says: Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24 But the flesh of Christ condemned sin, which He felt not at His birth, and crucified by His death, so that in our flesh there might be justification through grace, in which before there had been pollution by guilt.
14. What, then, shall we say to this, except that which the Apostle said: If God is for us, who is against us? He who spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how has He not with Him also given us all things? Who shall lay a charge against the elect? It is God Who justifies, who is he that shall condemn? It is Christ Who died, yea, Who also rose again, Who is at the right hand of God, Who also makes intercession for us. Romans 8:31-35 Novatian then brings charges against those for whom Christ intercedes. Those whom Christ has redeemed unto salvation Novatian condemns to death. Those to whom Christ says: Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am gentle, Matthew 11:29 Novatian says, I am not gentle. On those to whom Christ says: You shall find rest for your souls, for My yoke is pleasant and My burden is light, Matthew 11:30 Novatian lays a heavy burden and a hard yoke.
Chapter 4
St. Ambrose proceeds with the proof of the divine mercy, and shows by the testimony of the Gospels that it prevails over severity, and he adduces the instance of athletes to show that of those who have denied Christ before men, all are not to be esteemed alike.
15. Although what has been said sufficiently shows how inclined the Lord Jesus is to mercy, let Him further instruct us with His own words, when He would arm us against the assaults of persecution. Fear not, He says, those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear Him Who can cast both body and soul into hell. Matthew 10:28 And farther on: Every one, therefore, who shall confess Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father, Who is in heaven, but he who shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father, Who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33
16. Where He says that He will confess, He will confess every one. Where He speaks of denying, He does not speak of denying every one. For, whereas in the former clause He says, Every one who shall confess Me, him will I confess, we should expect that in the following clause He would also say, Every one who shall deny Me. But in order that He might not appear to deny every one, He concludes: But he who shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny. He promises favour to every one, but He does not threaten the penalty to every one. He makes more of that which is merciful. He makes less of what is penal.
17. And this is written not only in that book of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, which is written according to Matthew, but it is also to be read in that which we have according to Luke, Luke 12:8-9 that we might know that neither had thus related the saying by chance.
18. We have said that it is thus written. Let us now consider the meaning. Every one, He says, who shall confess Me, that is to say, of whatever age, of whatever condition he may be, who shall confess Me, he shall have Me as the Rewarder of his confession. Whereas the expression is, every one, no one who shall confess is excluded from the reward. But it is not said in like manner, Every one who shall deny shall be denied, for it is possible that a man overcome by torture may deny God in word, and yet worship Him in his heart.
19. Is the case the same with him who denies voluntarily, and with him whom torture, not his own will, has led to denial? How unfit were it, since with men credit is given for endurance in a struggle, that one should assert that it had no value with God! For often in this world's athletic contests the public crown together with the victors even the vanquished whose conduct has been approved, especially if perchance they have seen that they lost the victory by some trick or fraud. And shall Christ suffer His athletes, whom He has seen to yield for a moment to severe torments, to remain without forgiveness?
20. Shall not He take account of their toil, Who will not cast off for ever even those whom He casts off? For David says: God will not cast off for ever, and in opposition to this shall we listen to heresy asserting, He does cast off for ever? David says: God will not for ever cut off His mercy from generation to generation, nor will He forget to be merciful. This is the prophet's declaration, and there are those who would maintain a forgetfulness of mercy on God's part.
Chapter 5
The objection from the unchangeableness of God is answered from several passages of Scripture, wherein God promises forgiveness to sinners on their repentance. St. Ambrose also shows that mercy will be more readily accorded to such as have sinned, as it were, against their will, which he illustrates by the case of prisoners taken in war, and by language put into the mouth of the devil.
21. But they say that they make these assertions in order not to seem to make God liable to change, as He would be if He forgave those with whom He was angry. What then? Shall we reject the utterances of God and follow their opinions? But God is not to be judged by the statements of others, but by His own words. What mark of His mercy have we more ready at hand than that He Himself, through the prophet Hosea, is at once merciful as though reconciled to those whom in His anger He had threatened? For He says: O Ephraim, what shall I do unto you, or what shall I do unto you, O Judah? Your kindness, etc. Hosea 6:4 And further on: How shall I establish you? I will make you as Admah, and as Zeboim. Hosea 11:8 In the midst of His indignation He hesitates, as it were, with fatherly love, doubting how He can give over the wanderer to punishment; for although the Jew deserves it, God yet takes counsel with Himself. For immediately after having said, I will make you as Admah and as Zeboim, which cities, owing to their nearness to Sodom, suffered together in like destruction, He adds, My heart is turned against Me, My compassion is aroused, I will not do according to the fierceness of Mine anger. Hosea 11:8
22. Is it not evident that the Lord Jesus is angry with us when we sin in order that He may convert us through fear of His indignation? His indignation, then, is not the carrying out of vengeance, but rather the working out of forgiveness, for these are His words: If you shall turn and lament, you shall be saved. He waits for our lamentations here, that is, in time, that He may spare us those which shall be eternal. He waits for our tears, that He may pour forth His goodness. So in the Gospel, having pity on the tears of the widow, He raised her son. He waits for our conversion, that He may Himself restore us to grace, which would have continued with us had no fall overtaken us. But He is angry because we have by our sins incurred guilt, in order that we may be humbled; we are humbled, in order that we may be found worthy rather of pity than of punishment.
23. Jeremiah, too, may certainly teach when he says: For the Lord will not cast off for ever; for after He has humbled, He will have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies, Who has not humbled from His whole heart nor cast off the children of men. Lamentations 3:31-32 This passage we certainly find in the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and from it, and from what follows, we note that the Lord humbles all the prisoners of the earth under His feet, Lamentations 3:34 in order that we may escape His judgment. But He does not bring down the sinner even to the earth with His whole heart Who raises the poor even from the dust and the needy from the dunghill. For He brings not down with His whole heart Who reserves the intention of forgiving.
24. But if He brings not down every sinner with His whole heart, how much less does He bring down him with His whole heart who has not sinned with his whole heart! For as He said of the Jews: This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, Isaiah 29:13 so perhaps He may say of some of the fallen: They denied Me with their lips, but in heart they are with Me. It was pain which overcame them, not unfaithfulness which turned them aside. Matthew 15:8 But some without cause refuse pardon to those whose faith the persecutor himself confessed up to the point of striving to overcome it by torture. They denied the Lord once, but confess Him daily; they denied Him in word, but confess Him with groans, with cries, and with tears; they confess Him with willing words, not under compulsion. They yielded, indeed, for a moment to the temptation of the devil, but even the devil afterwards departed from those whom he was unable to claim as his own. He yielded to their weeping, he yielded to their repentance, and after making them his own lost those whom he attached when they belonged to Another.
25. Is not the case such as when any one carries away captive the people of a conquered city? The captive is led away, but against his will. He must of necessity go to foreign lands, does not willingly make the journey; he takes his native land with him in his heart, and seeks an opportunity to return. What then? When any such return, does any one urge that they should not be received; with less honour indeed, but with readier will, that the enemy may have nothing with which to reproach them? If you pardon an armed man who was able to fight, do you not pardon him in whom faith alone waged the battle?
26. If we were to enquire what is the opinion of the devil concerning those who have fallen after this sort, would he not probably reply: This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me? For how can he be with me who does not depart from Christ? Without any cause do they appear to honour me who keep the doctrine of Jesus, and I thought that they would teach mine. They condemn me all the more when they forsake me after trial. Indeed Jesus is more glorified in these, when He receives them on their return to Him. All the angels rejoice, for in heaven there is greater joy over one sinner that repents, than over ninety and nine just persons who need not repentance. I am triumphed over in heaven and on earth. Christ loses nothing when they who came to me with weeping return with longing to the Church, and I am in danger even as regards my own, who will learn that in reality there is nothing here where men are led on by present rewards, but that there must be very much there where groans and tears and fasts are preferred to my feasts.
Chapter 6
The Novatians, by excluding such from the banquet of Christ, imitate not indeed the good Samaritan, but the proud lawyer, the priest, and the Levite who are blamed in the Gospel, and are indeed worse than these.
27. Do you then, O Novatians, shut out these? For what is it when you refuse the hope of forgiveness but to shut out? But the Samaritan did not pass by the man who had been left half dead by the robbers; he dressed his wounds with oil and wine, first pouring in oil in order to comfort them; he set the wounded man on his own beast, on which he bore all his sins; nor did the Shepherd despise His wandering sheep.
28. But you say: Touch me not. You who wish to justify yourselves say, He is not our neighbour, being more proud than that lawyer who wished to tempt Christ, for he said Who is my neighbour? He asked, you deny, going on like that priest, like that Levite passing by him whom you ought to have taken and tended, and not receiving them into the inn for whom Christ paid the two pence, whose neighbour Christ bids you to become that you might show mercy to him. For he is our neighbour whom not only a similar condition has joined, but whom mercy has bound to us. You make yourself strange to him through pride, in vain puffing up yourself in your carnal mind, and not holding the Head. Colossians 2:18 For if you held the Head you would consider that you must not forsake him for whom Christ died. If you held the Head you would consider that the whole body, by joining together rather than by separating, grows unto the increase of God Colossians 2:19 by the bond of charity and the rescue of a sinner.
29. When, then, you take away all the fruits of repentance, what do you say but this: Let no one who is wounded enter our inn, let no one be healed in our Church? With us the sick are not cared for, we are whole, we have no need of a physician, for He Himself says: They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Chapter 7
St. Ambrose, addressing Christ, complains of the Novatians, and shows that they have no part with Christ, Who wishes all men to be saved.
30. So, then, Lord Jesus, come wholly to Your Church, since Novatian makes excuse. Novatian says, I have bought a yoke of oxen, and he puts not on the light yoke of Christ, but lays upon his shoulders a heavy burden which he is not able to bear. Novatian held back Your servants by whom he was invited, treated them contemptuously and slew them, polluting them with the stain of a reiterated baptism. Send forth, therefore, into the highways, and gather together good and bad, Luke 14:21 bring the weak, the blind, and the lame into Your Church. Command that Your house be filled, bring in all unto Your supper, for You will make him whom You shall call worthy, if he follow You. He indeed is rejected who has not the wedding garment, that is, the vestment of charity, the veil of grace. Send forth I pray You to all.
31. Your Church does not excuse herself from Your supper, Novatian makes excuse. Your family says not, I am whole, I need not the physician, but it says: Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved. Jeremiah 17:14 The likeness of Your Church is that woman who went behind and touched the hem of Your garment, saying within herself: If I do but touch His garment I shall be whole. Matthew 9:21 So the Church confesses her wounds, but desires to be healed.
32. And You indeed, O Lord, desire that all should be healed, but all do not wish to be healed. Novatian wishes not, who thinks that he is whole. You, O Lord, say that You are sick, and feel our infirmity in the least of us, saying: I was sick and you visited Me. Matthew 25:36 Novatian does not visit that least one in whom You desire to be visited. You said to Peter when he excused himself from having his feet washed by You: If I wash not your feet, you will have no part with Me. John 13:8 What fellowship, then, can they have with You, who receive not the keys of the kingdom of heaven, saying that they ought not to remit sins?
33. And this confession is indeed rightly made by them, for they have not the succession of Peter, who hold not the chair of Peter, which they rend by wicked schism; and this, too, they do, wickedly denying that sins can be forgiven even in the Church, whereas it was said to Peter: I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven. Matthew 16:19 And the vessel of divine election himself said: If you have forgiven anything to any one, I forgive also, for what I have forgiven I have done it for your sakes in the person of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:10 Why, then, do they read Paul's writings, if they think that he has erred so wickedly as to claim for himself the right of his Lord? But he claimed what he had received, he did not usurp that which was not due to him.
Chapter 8
It was the Lord's will to confer great gifts on His disciples. Further, the Novatians confute themselves by the practices of laying on of hands and of baptism, since it is by the same power that sins are remitted in penance and in baptism. Their conduct is then contrasted with that of our Lord.
34. It is the will of the Lord that His disciples should possess great powers; it is His will that the same things which He did when on earth should be done in His Name by His servants. For He said: You shall do greater things than these. He gave them power to raise the dead. And whereas He could Himself have restored to Saul the use of his sight, He nevertheless sent him to His disciple Ananias, that by his blessing Saul's eyes might be restored, the sight of which he had lost. Acts 9:17 Peter also He bade walk with Himself on the sea, and because he faltered He blamed him for lessening the grace given him by the weakness of his faith. Matthew 14:31 He Who Himself was the light of the world granted to His disciples to be the light of the world through grace. Matthew 5:14 And because He purposed to descend from heaven and to ascend there again, He took up Elijah into heaven to restore him again to earth at the time which should please Him. And being baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, He foreshadowed the Sacrament of Baptism at the hands of John. Matthew 3:11
35. And in fine He gave all gifts to His disciples, of whom He said: In My Name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall do well. Mark 16:17-18 So, then, He gave them all things, but there is no power of man exercised in these things, in which the grace of the divine gift operates.
36. Why, then, do you lay on hands, and believe it to be the effect of the blessing, if perchance some sick person recovers? Why do you assume that any can be cleansed by you from the pollution of the devil? Why do you baptize if sins cannot be remitted by man? If baptism is certainly the remission of all sins, what difference does it make whether priests claim that this power is given to them in penance or at the font? In each the mystery is one.
37. But you say that the grace of the mysteries works in the font. What works, then, in penance? Does not the Name of God do the work? What then? Do you, when you choose, claim for yourselves the grace of God, and when you choose reject it? But this is a mark of insolent presumption, not of holy fear, when those who wish to do penance are despised by you. You cannot, forsooth, endure the tears of the weepers; your eyes cannot bear the coarse clothing, the filth of the squalid; with proud eyes and puffed-up hearts you delicate ones say with angry tones, Touch me not, for I am pure.
38. The Lord said indeed to Mary Magdalene, Touch Me not, John 20:17 but He Who was pure did not say, because I am pure. Do you, Novatian, dare to call yourself pure, while, even if you were pure as regards your acts, you would be made impure by this saying alone? Isaiah says: O wretched that I am, and pricked to the heart; for that being a man, and having unclean lips, I dwell also in the midst of a people having unclean lips, Isaiah 6:5 and do you say, I am clean, when, as it is written, not even an infant of a day old is pure? David says, And cleanse me from my sin, whom for his tender heart the grace of God often cleansed; are you pure who are so unrighteous as to have no tenderness, as to see the mote in your brother's eye, but not to consider the beam which is in your own eye? For with God no one who is unjust is pure. And what is more unjust than to desire to have your sins forgiven you, and yet yourself to think that he who entreats you ought not to be forgiven? What is more unjust than to justify yourself in that wherein you condemn another, while you yourself are committing worse offenses?
39. Then, too, the Lord Jesus when about to consecrate the forgiveness of our sins replied to John, who said: I ought to be baptized by You, and You come to me? Suffer it now, for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness. Matthew 3:14-15 And the Lord indeed came to a sinner, though indeed He had no sin, and desired to be baptized, having no need of cleansing; who, then, can tolerate you, who think there is no need for you to be cleansed by penance, because you say you are cleansed by grace, as though it were now impossible for you to sin?
Chapter 9
By collating similar passages with 1 Samuel 3:25 , St. Ambrose shows that the meaning is not that no one shall intercede, but that the intercessor must be worthy as were Moses and Jeremiah, at whose prayers we read that God spared Israel.
40. But you say, It is written: If a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? First of all, as I already said before, I might allow you to make that objection if you refused penance to those only who denied the faith. But what difficulty does that question produce? For it is not written, No one shall entreat for him; but, Who shall entreat? that is to say, the question is, Who in such a case can entreat? The entreaty is not excluded.
41. Then you have in the fifteenth Psalm: Lord, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle, or who shall rest upon Your holy hill? It is not that no one, but that he who is approved shall dwell there, nor does it say that no one shall rest, but he who is chosen shall rest. And that you may know that this is true, it is said not much later in the twenty-fourth Psalm: Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in His holy place? The writer implies, not any ordinary person, or one of the common sort, but only a man of excellent life and of singular merit. And that we may understand that when the question is asked, Who? It does not imply no one, but some special one is meant, after having said Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? the Psalmist adds: He that has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lift up his mind unto vanity. And elsewhere it is said: Who is wise and he shall understand these things? Hosea 14:10 And in the Gospel: Who is the faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord shall set over His household to give them their measure of wheat in due season? Luke 12:42 And that we may understand that He speaks of such as really exist, the Lord added: Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He comes shall find so doing. Luke 12:43 And I am of opinion that where it is said, Lord, who is like You? it is not meant that none is like, for the Son is the image of the Father.
42. We must then understand in the same manner, Who shall entreat for him? as implying: It must be some one of excellent life who shall entreat for him who has sinned against the Lord. The greater the sin, the more worthy must be the prayers that are sought. For it was not any one of the common people who prayed for the Jewish people, but Moses, Exodus 32:31 when forgetful of their covenant they worshipped the head of the calf. Was Moses wrong? Certainly he was not wrong in praying, who both merited and obtained that for which he asked. For what should such love not obtain as that of his when he offered himself for the people and said: And now, if You will forgive their sin, forgive; but if not, blot me out of the book of life. Exodus 32:32 We see that he does not think of himself, like a man full of fancies and scruples, whether he may incur the risk of some offense, as Novatian says he dreads that he might, but rather, thinking of all and forgetful of himself, he was not afraid lest he should offend, so that he might rescue and free the people from danger of offense.
43. Rightly, then, is it said: Who shall entreat for him? It implies that it must be such an one as Moses to offer himself for those who sin, or such as Jeremiah, who, though the Lord said to him, Pray not for this people, Jeremiah 7:16 and yet he prayed and obtained their forgiveness. For at the intercession of the prophet, and the entreaty of so great a seer, the Lord was moved and said to Jerusalem, which had meanwhile repented for its sins, and had said: O Almighty Lord God of Israel, the soul in anguish, and the troubled spirit cries unto You, hear, O Lord, and have mercy. And the Lord bids them lay aside the garments of mourning, and to cease the groanings of repentance, saying: Put off, O Jerusalem, the garment of your mourning and affliction. and clothe yourself in beauty, the glory which God has given you forever. Baruch 5:1
Chapter 10
St. John did not absolutely forbid that prayer should be made for those who sin unto death, since he knew that Moses, Jeremiah, and Stephen had so prayed, and he himself implies that forgiveness is not to be denied them.
44. Such intercessors, then, must be sought for after very grievous sins, for if any ordinary persons pray they are not heard.
45. So that point of yours will have no weight, which you take from the Epistle of John, where he says: He who knows that his brother sins a sin not unto death, let him ask, and God will give him life, because he sinned not unto death. There is a sin unto death: not concerning it do I say, let him ask. 1 John 5:16 He was not speaking to Moses and Jeremiah, but to the people, who must seek another intercessor for their sins; the people, for whom it is sufficient they entreat God for their lighter faults, and consider that pardon for weightier sins must be reserved for the prayers of the just. For how could John say that graver sins should not be prayed for, when he had read that Moses prayed and obtained his request, where there had been wilful casting off of faith, and knew that Jeremiah also had entreated?
46. How could John say that we should not pray for the sin unto death, who himself in the Apocalypse wrote the message to the angel of the Church of Pergamos? You have there those that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to put a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So have you also them that hold the doctrines of the Nicolaitans. Repent likewise, or else I will come to you quickly. Revelation 2:14-16 Do you see that the same God Who requires repentance promises forgiveness? And then He says: He that has ears let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna. Revelation 2:17
47. Did not John himself know that Stephen prayed for his persecutors, who had not been able even to listen to the Name of Christ, when he said of those very men by whom he was being stoned: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge? Acts 7:60 And we see the result of this prayer in the case of the Apostle, for Paul, who kept the garments of those who were stoning Stephen, not long after became an apostle by the grace of God, having before been a persecutor.
Chapter 11
The passage quoted from St. John's Epistle is confirmed by another in which salvation is promised to those who believe in Christ, which refutes the Novatians who try to induce the lapsed to believe, although denying them pardon. Furthermore, many who had lapsed have received the grace of martyrdom, while the example of the good Samaritan shows that we must not abandon those in whom even the faintest amount of faith is still alive.
48. Since, then, we have spoken of the general Epistle of St. John, let us enquire whether the writings of John in the Gospel agree with your interpretation. For he writes that the Lord said: God so loved this world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that every one that believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 If, then, you wish to reclaim any one of the lapsed, do you exhort him to believe, or not to believe? Undoubtedly you exhort him to believe. But, according to the Lord's words, he who believes shall have everlasting life. How, then, will you forbid to pray for him, who has a claim to everlasting life? Since faith is of divine grace, as the Apostle teaches where he speaks of the differences of gifts, for to another is given faith by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:9 And the disciples say to the Lord: Increase our faith. Luke 17:5 He then who has faith has life, and he who has life is certainly not shut out from pardon; that every one, it is said, that believes in Him should not perish. Since it is said, Every one, no one is shut out, no one is excepted, for He does not except him who has lapsed, if only afterwards he believes effectually.
49. We find that many have at length recovered themselves after a fall, and have suffered for the Name of God. Can we deny fellowship with the martyrs to these to whom the Lord Jesus has not denied it? Do we dare to say that life is not restored to those to whom Christ has given a crown? As, then, a crown is given to many after they have lapsed, so, too, if they believe, their faith is restored, which faith is the gift of God, as you read: Because unto you it has been granted by God not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer in His behalf. Philippians 1:29 Is it possible that he who has the gift of God should not have His forgiveness?
50. Now it is not a single but a twofold grace that every one who believes should also suffer for the Lord Jesus. He, then, who believes receives his grace, but he receives a second, if his faith be crowned by suffering. For neither was Peter without grace before he suffered, but when he suffered he received a second gift. And many who have not had the grace to suffer for Christ have nevertheless had the grace of believing on Him.
51. Therefore it is said: That every one that believes in Him should not perish. Let no one, that is, of whatever condition, after whatever fall, fear that he will perish. For it may come to pass that the good Samaritan of the Gospel may find some one going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, that is, falling back from the martyr's conflict to the pleasures of this life and the comforts of the world; wounded by robbers, that is, by persecutors, and left half dead; that good Samaritan, Who is the Guardian of our souls (for the word Samaritan means Guardian), may, I say, not pass by him but tend and heal him.
52. Perchance He therefore passes him not by, because He sees in him some signs of life, so that there is hope that he may recover. Does it not seem to you that he who has fallen is half alive if faith sustains any breath of life? For he is dead who wholly casts God out of his heart. He, then, who does not wholly cast Him out, but under pressure of torments has denied Him for a time, is half dead. Or if he be dead, why do you bid him repent, seeing he cannot now be healed? If he be half dead, pour in oil and wine, not wine without oil, that may be the comfort and the smart. Place him upon your beast, give him over to the host, lay out two pence for his cure, be to him a neighbour. But you cannot be a neighbour unless you have compassion on him; for no one can be called a neighbour unless he have healed, not killed, another. But if you wish to be called a neighbour, Christ says to you: Go and do likewise. Luke 10:37
Chapter 12
Another passage of St. John is considered. The necessity of keeping the commandments of God may be complied with by those who, having fallen, repent, as well as by those who have not fallen, as is shown in the case of David.
53. Let us consider another similar passage: He that believes in the Son has eternal life, but he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36 That which abides has certainly had a commencement, and that from some offense, viz., that first he not believe. When, then, any one believes, the wrath of God departs and life comes. To believe, then, in Christ is to gain life, for he that believes in Him is not judged. John 3:18
54. But with reference to this passage they allege that he who believes in Christ ought to keep His sayings, and say that it is written in the Lord's own words: I have come a light into this world, that whosoever believes in Me may not abide in darkness. And if any man hear My word and keep it, I judge him not. He judges not, and do you judge? He says, that whosoever believes in Me may not abide in darkness, that is, that if he be in darkness he may not remain therein, but may amend his error, correct his fault, and keep My commandments, for I have said, I will not the death of the wicked, but the correction. Ezekiel 23:11 I said above that he that believes in Me is not judged, and I keep to this: For I am not come to judge the world, but that the world may be saved through Me. John 3:17 I pardon willingly, I quickly forgive, I will have mercy rather than sacrifice, Hosea 6:6 because by sacrifice the just is rendered more acceptable, by mercy the sinner is redeemed. I come not to call the righteous but sinners. Matthew 9:13 Sacrifice was under the Law, in the Gospel is mercy. The Law was given by Moses, grace by Me. John 1:17
55. And again further on He says: He that despises Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him. John 12:48 Does he seem to you to have received Christ's words who has not corrected himself? Undoubtedly not. He, then, who corrects himself receives His word, for this is His word, that every one should turn back from sin. So, then, of necessity you must either reject this saying of His, or if you cannot deny it you must accept it.
56. It is also necessary that he who leaves off sinning must keep the commandments of God and renounce his sins. We ought not, then, to interpret this saying of him who has always kept the commandments, for if this had been His meaning He would have added the word always, but by not adding it He shows that He was speaking of him who has kept what he has heard, and what he heard has led him to correct his faults; he has then kept what he has heard.
57. But how hard it is to condemn to penance for life one who even afterwards keeps the commandments of the Lord, let Him teach us Himself Who has not refused forgiveness. Even to those who do not keep His commandments, as you read in the Psalm: If they profane My statutes and keep not My commandments, I will visit their offenses with the rod and their sins with scourges, but My mercy will I not take from them. So, then, He promises mercy to all.
58. Yet that we may not think that this mercy is without judgment, there is a distinction made between those who have paid continual obedience to God's commandments, and those who at some time, either by error or by compulsion, have fallen. And that you may not think that it is only our arguments which press you, consider the decision of Christ, Who said: If the servant knew his Lord's will and did it not, he shall be beaten with many stripes, but if he knew it not, he shall be beaten with few stripes. Luke 12:47-48 Each, then, if he believes, is received, for God chastens every son whom He receives, Hebrews 12:6 and him whom He chastens He does not give over unto death, for it is written: The Lord has chastened me sore, but He has not given me over unto death.
Chapter 13
They who have committed a sin unto death are not to be abandoned, but subjected to penance, according to St. Paul. Explanation of the phrase Deliver unto Satan. Satan can afflict the body, but these afflictions bring spiritual profit, showing the power of God, Who thus turns Satan's devices against himself.
59. Lastly, Paul teaches us that we must not abandon those who have committed a sin unto death, but that we must rather coerce them with the bread of tears and tears to drink, yet so that their sorrow itself be moderated. For this is the meaning of the passage: You have given them to drink in large measure, that their sorrow itself should have its measure, lest perchance he who is doing penance should be consumed by overmuch sorrow, as was said to the Corinthians: What will you? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness? 1 Corinthians 4:21 But even the rod is not severe, since he had read: You shall beat him indeed with the rod, but shall deliver his soul from death. Proverbs 23:13
60. What the Apostle means by the rod is shown by his invective against fornication, his denunciation of incest, his reprehension of pride, because they were puffed up who ought rather to be mourning, and lastly, his sentence on the guilty person, that he should be excluded from communion, and delivered to the adversary, not for the destruction of the soul but of the flesh. For as the Lord did not give power to Satan over the soul of holy Job, but allowed him to afflict his body, Job 2:6 so here, too, the sinner is delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the serpent might lick the dust Micah 7:17 of his flesh, but not hurt his soul.
61. Let, then, our flesh die to lusts, let it be captive, let it be subdued, and not war against the law of our mind, but die in subjection to a good service, as in Paul, who buffeted his body that he might bring it into subjection, in order that his preaching might become more approved, if the law of his flesh agreed and was consonant with the law of his flesh. For the flesh dies when its wisdom passes over into the spirit, so that it no longer has a taste for the things of the flesh, but for the things of the spirit. Would that I might see my flesh growing weak, would that I were not dragged captive into the law of sin, would that I lived not in the flesh, but in the faith of Christ! And so there is greater grace in the infirmity of the body than in its soundness.
62. Having explained Paul's meaning, let us now consider the words themselves, in what sense he said that he had delivered him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, for the devil it is who tries us. For he brings ailments on each of our limbs, and sickness on our whole bodies. And then, too, he smote holy Job with evil sores from the feet to the head, because he had received the power of destroying his flesh, when God said: Behold, I give him up unto you, only preserve his life. Job 2:6 This the Apostle took up in the same words, giving up this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 5:5
63. Great is the power, great is the gift, which commands the devil to destroy himself. For he destroys himself when he makes the man whom he is seeking to overthrow by temptation stronger instead of weak, because while he is weakening the body he is strengthening his soul. For sickness of the body restrains sin, but luxury sets on fire the sin of the flesh.
64. The devil is then deceived so as to wound himself with his own bite, and to arm against himself him whom he thought to weaken. So he armed holy Job the more after he wounded him, who, with his whole body covered with sores, endured indeed the bite of the devil, but felt not his poison. And so it is well said of him, You shall draw out the dragon with an hook, you will play with him as with a bird, you shall bind him as a boy does a sparrow, you shall lay your hand upon him.
65. You see how he is mocked by Paul, so that, like the child in prophecy, he lays his hand on the hole of the asp, and the serpent injures him not; he draws him out of his hiding-places, and makes of his venom a spiritual antidote, so that what is venom becomes a medicine, the venom serves to the destruction of the flesh, it becomes medicine to the healing of the spirit. For that which hurts the body benefits the spirit.
66. Let, then, the serpent bite the earthy part of me, let him drive his tooth into my flesh, and bruise my body; and may the Lord say of me: I give him up unto you, only preserve his life. How great is the power of Christ, that the guardianship of man is made a charge even to the devil himself, who always desires to injure him. Let us then make the Lord Jesus favourable to ourselves. At the command of Christ the devil himself becomes the guardian of his prey. Even unwillingly he carries out the commands of heaven, and, though cruel, obeys the commands of gentleness.
67. But why do I commend his obedience? Let him be ever evil that God may be ever good, Who converts his ill-will into grace for us. He wishes to injure us, but cannot if Christ resist him. He wounds the flesh but preserves the life. And then it is written: Then shall the wolves and the lambs feed together, the lion and the ox shall eat straw, and they shall not hurt nor destroy in My holy mountain, says the Lord. For this is the sentence of condemnation on the serpent: Dust shall be your food. Genesis 3:14 What dust? Surely that of which it is said: Dust you are, and into dust shall you return. Genesis 3:19
Chapter 14
St. Ambrose explains that the flesh given to Satan for destruction is eaten by the serpent when the soul is set free from carnal desires. He gives, therefore, various rules for guarding the senses, points out the snares laid for us by means of pleasures, and exhorts his hearers not to fear the destruction of the flesh by the serpent.
68. The serpent eats this dust, if the Lord Jesus is favourable to us, that our spirit may not sympathize with the weakness of the flesh, nor be set on fire by the vapours of the flesh and the heat of our members. It is better to marry than to burn, for there is a flame which burns within. Let us not then suffer this fire to approach the bosom of our minds and the depths of our hearts, lest we burn up the covering of our inmost hearts, and lest the devouring fire of lust consume this outward garment of the soul and its fleshy veil, but let us pass through the fire. Isaiah 43:2 And should any one fall into the fire of love let him leap over it and pass forth; let him not bind to himself adulterous lust with the bands of thoughts, let him not tie knots around himself by the fastenings of continual reflection, let him not too often turn his attention to the form of a harlot, and let not a maiden lift her eyes to the countenance of a youth. And if by chance she has looked and is caught, how much more will she be entangled if she gazes with curiosity.
69. Let custom itself teach us. A woman covers her face with a veil for this reason, that in public her modesty may be safe. That her face may not easily meet the gaze of a youth, let her be covered with the nuptial veil, so that not even in chance meetings she might be exposed to the wounding of another or of herself, though the wound of either were indeed hers. But if she cover her head with a veil that she may not accidentally see or be seen (for when the head is veiled the face is hidden), how much more ought she to cover herself with the veil of modesty, so as even in public to have her own secret place.
70. But granted that the eye has fallen upon another, at least let not the inward affection follow. For to have seen is no sin, but one must be careful that it be not the source of sin. The bodily eye sees, but let the eye of the heart be closed; let modesty of mind remain. We have a Lord Who is both strict and indulgent. The prophet indeed said: Look not upon the beauty of a woman that is all harlot. But the Lord said: Whoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28 He does not say, Whosoever shall look has committed adultery, but Whosoever shall look on her to lust after her. He condemned not the look but sought out the inward affection. But that modesty is praiseworthy which has so accustomed itself to close the bodily eyes as often not to see what we really behold. For we seem to behold with the bodily sight whatever meets us; but if there be not joined to this any attention of the mind, the sight also, according to what is usual in the body, fades away, so that in reality we see rather with the mind than with the body.
71. And if the flesh has seen the flame, let us not cherish that flame in our bosoms, that is, in the depths of the heart and the inward part of the mind. Let us not instil this fire into our bones, let us not bind bonds upon ourselves, let us not join in conversation with such as may be the cause to us of unholy fires. The speech of a maiden is a snare to a youth, the words of a youth are the bonds of love.
72. Joseph saw the fire when the woman eager for adultery spoke to him. Genesis 39:7 She wished to catch him with her words. She set the snares of her lips, but was not able to capture the chaste man. For the voice of modesty, the voice of gravity, the rein of caution, the care for integrity, the discipline of chastity, loosed the woman's chains. So that unchaste person could not entangle him in her meshes. She laid her hand upon him; she caught his garment, that she might tighten the noose around him. The words of a lascivious woman are the snares of lust, and her hands the bonds of love; but the chaste mind could not be taken either by snares or by bonds. The garment was cast off, the bonds were loosed, and because he did not admit the fire into the bosom of his mind, his body was not burnt.
73. You see, then, that our mind is the cause of our guilt. And so the flesh is innocent, but is often the minister of sin. Let not, then, desire of beauty overcome you. Many nets and many snares are spread by the devil. The look of a harlot is the snare of him who loves her. Our own eyes are nets to us, wherefore it is written: Be not taken with your eyes. Proverbs 6:25 So, then, we spread nets for ourselves in which we are entangled and hampered. We bind chains on ourselves, as we read: For every one is bound with the chains of his own sins.
74. Let us then pass through the fires of youth and the glow of early years; let us pass through the waters, let us not remain therein, lest the deep floods shut us in. Let us rather pass over, that we too may say: Our soul has passed over the stream, for he who has passed over is safe. And lastly, the Lord speaks thus: If you pass through the water, I am with you, the rivers shall not overflow you. Isaiah 43:2 And the prophet says: I have seen the wicked exalted above the cedars of Libanus, and I passed by, and lo, he was not. Pass by things of this world, and you will see that the high places of the wicked have fallen. Moses, too, passing by things of this world, saw a great sight and said: I will turn aside and see this great sight, Exodus 3:3 for had he been held by the fleeting pleasures of this world he would not have seen so great a mystery.
75. Let us also pass over this fire of lust, fearing which Paul— but fearing for us, inasmuch as by buffeting his body he had come no longer to fear for himself — says to us: Flee fornication. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Let us then flee it as though following us, though indeed it follows not behind us, but within our very selves. Let us then diligently take heed lest while we are fleeing from it we carry it with ourselves. For we wish for the most part to flee, but if we do not wholly cast it out of our mind, we rather take it up than forsake it. Let us then spring over it, lest it be said to us: Walk in the flame of your fire, which you have kindled for yourselves. Isaiah 50:11 For as he who takes fire into his bosom burns his clothes, Proverbs 6:27 so he who walks upon fiery coals must of necessity burn his feet, as it is written: Can one walk upon coals of fire and not burn his feet? Proverbs 6:28
76. This fire is dangerous, let us then not feed it with the fuel of luxury. Lust is fed by feastings, nourished by delicacies, kindled by wine, and inflamed by drunkenness. Still more dangerous than these are the incentives of words, which intoxicate the mind as it were with a kind of wine of the vine of Sodom. Let us be on our guard against abundance of this wine, for when the flesh is intoxicated the mind totters, the heart wavers, the heart is carried to and fro. And so with regard to each that precept is useful wherein Timothy is warned: Drink a little wine because of your frequent infirmities. 1 Timothy 5:23 When the body is heated, it excites the glow of the mind; when the flesh is chilled with the cold of disease the spirit is chilled; when the body is in pain, the mind is sad, but the sadness shall become joy.
77. Do not then fear if your flesh be eaten away, the soul is not consumed. And so David says that he does not fear, because the enemy were eating up his flesh but not his soul, as we read: When evil-doers come near upon me to eat up my flesh, my foes who trouble me, they were weakened and fell. So the serpent works overthrow for himself alone, therefore is he who has been injured by the serpent given over to the serpent that he may raise up again him whom he cast down, and the overthrow of the serpent may be the raising again of the man. And Scripture testifies that Satan is the author of this bodily suffering and weakness of the flesh, where Paul says: There was given unto me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted. 2 Corinthians 12:7 So Paul learned to heal even as he himself had been made whole.
Chapter 15
Returning from this digression, St. Ambrose explains what is the meaning of St. Paul where he speaks of coming with a rod or in the spirit of meekness. One who has grievously fallen is to be separated, but to be again restored to religious privileges when he has sufficiently repented. The old leaven is purged out when the hardness of the letter is tempered by the meal of a milder interpretation. All should be sprinkled with the Church's meal and fed with the food of charity, lest they become like that envious elder brother, whose example is followed by the Novatians.
78. That faithful teacher, having promised one of two things, gave each. He came with a rod, for he separated the guilty man from the holy fellowship. And well is he said to be delivered to Satan who is separated from the body of Christ. But he came in love and with the spirit of meekness, whether because he so delivered him up as to save his soul, or because he afterwards restored to the sacraments him whom he had before separated.
79. For it is needful to separate one who has grievously fallen, lest a little leaven corrupt the whole lump. And the old leaven must be purged out, or the old man in each person; that is, the outward man and his deeds, he who among the people has grown old in sin and hardened in vices. And well did he say purged, not cast forth, for what is purged is not considered wholly valueless, for to this end is it purged, that what is of value be separated from the worthless, but that which is cast forth is considered to have in itself nothing of value.
80. The Apostle then judged that the sinner should then at once be restored to the heavenly sacraments if he himself wished to be cleansed. And well is it said Purge, for he is purged as by certain things done by the whole people, and is washed in the tears of the multitude, and redeemed from sin by the weeping of the multitude, and is purged in the inner man. For Christ granted to His Church that one should be redeemed by means of all, as she herself was found worthy of the coming of the Lord Jesus, in order that through One all might be redeemed.
81. This is Paul's meaning which the words make more obscure. Let us consider the exact words of the Apostle: Purge out, says he, the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. 1 Corinthians 5:7 Either that the whole Church takes up the burden of the sinner, with whom she has to suffer in weeping and prayer and pain, and, as it were, covers herself with his leaven, in order that by means of all that which is to be done away in the individual doing penance may be purged by a kind of contribution and commixture of compassion and mercy offered with manly vigor. Or one may understand it as that woman in the Gospel teaches us, who is a type of the Church, when she hid the leaven in her meal, till all was leavened, and the whole could be used as pure.
82. The Lord taught me in the Gospel what leaven is when He said: Do you not understand that I said not concerning bread, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Matthew 16:11 Then, it is said, they understood that He spoke not of bread, but that they should beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. This leaven, then — that is, the doctrine of the Pharisees and the contentiousness of the Sadducees— the Church hides in her meal, when she softened the hard letter of the Law by a spiritual interpretation, and ground it as it were in the mill of her explanations, bringing out as it were from the husks of the letter the inner secrets of the mysteries, and setting forth the belief in the Resurrection, wherein the mercy of God is proclaimed, and wherein it is believed that the life of those who are dead is restored.
83. Now this comparison seems to be not unfitly brought forward in this place, since the kingdom of heaven is redemption from sin, and therefore we all, both bad and good, are mingled with the meal of the Church that we all may be a new lump. But that no one may be afraid that an admixture of evil leaven might injure the lump, the Apostle said: That you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened; 1 Corinthians 5:7 that is to say, This mixture will render you again such, as in the pure integrity of your innocence. If we thus have compassion, we are not stained with the sins of others, but we gain the restoration of another to the increase of our own grace, so that our integrity remains as it was. And therefore he adds: For Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; 1 Corinthians 5:7 that is, the Passion of the Lord profited all, and gave redemption to sinners who repented of the sins they had committed.
84. Let us then keep the feast on good food, doing penance yet joyful in our redemption, for no food is sweeter than kindness and gentleness. Let no envy towards the sinner who is saved be mingled with our feasts and joy, lest that envious brother, as is set forth in the Gospel, exclude himself from the house of his Father, because he grieved at the reception of his brother, at whose lasting exile he was wont to rejoice.
85. And you Novatians cannot deny that you are like him, who, as you say, do not come together to the Church because by penance a hope of return had been given to those who had lapsed. But this is only a pretence, for Novatian contrived his schism through grief at his loss of the episcopal office.
86. But do you not understand that the Apostle also prophesied of you and says to you: And you are puffed up and did not rather mourn, that he who did this deed might be taken away from among you? 1 Corinthians 5:2 He is, then, wholly taken away when his sin is done away, but the Apostle does not say that the sinner is to be shut out of the Church who counsels his cleansing.
Chapter 16
Comparison between the apostles and Novatians. The fitness of the words, You know not what spirit you are of, when applied to them. The desire of penance is extinguished by them when they take away its fruit. And thus are sinners deprived of the promises of Christ, though, indeed, they ought not to be too soon admitted to the mysteries. Some examples of repentance.
87. Inasmuch, then, as the Apostle forgave sins, by what authority do you say that they are not to be forgiven? Who has the most reverence for Christ, Paul or Novatian? But Paul knew that the Lord was merciful. He knew that the Lord Jesus was offended more by the harshness of the disciples than by their pitifulness.
88. Furthermore, Jesus rebuked James and John when they spoke of bringing down fire from heaven to consume those who refused to receive the Lord, and said to them: You know not whose spirit you are of; for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them. Luke 9:55-56 To them, indeed, He said, You know not whose spirit you are of, who were of His spirit; but to you He says, You are not of My spirit, who hold not fast My clemency, who reject My mercy, who refuse repentance which I willed to be preached by the apostles in My Name.
89. For it is in vain that you say that you preach repentance who remove the fruits of repentance. For men are led to the pursuit of anything either by rewards or results, and every pursuit grows slack by delay. And for this reason the Lord, in order that the devotion of His disciples might be increased, said that every one who had left all that was his, and followed God, should receive sevenfold more both here and hereafter. Matthew 19:29 First of all He promised the reward here, to do away with the tedium of delay, and again hereafter, that we might learn to believe that rewards will also be given to us hereafter. Present rewards are then an earnest of those hereafter.
90. If, then, any one, having committed hidden sins, shall nevertheless diligently do penance, how shall he receive those rewards if not restored to the communion of the Church? I am willing, indeed, that the guilty man should hope for pardon, should seek it with tears and groans, should seek it with the aid of the tears of all the people, should implore forgiveness; and if communion be postponed two or three times, that he should believe that his entreaties have not been urgent enough, that he must increase his tears, must come again even in greater trouble, clasp the feet of the faithful with his arms, kiss them, wash them with tears, and not let them go, so that the Lord Jesus may say of him too: His sins which are many are forgiven, for he loved much. Luke 7:47
91. I have known penitents whose countenance was furrowed with tears, their cheeks worn with constant weeping, who offered their body to be trodden under foot by all, who with faces ever pale and worn with fasting bore about in a yet living body the likeness of death.
Chapter 17
That gentleness must be added to severity, as is shown in the case of St. Paul at Corinth. The man had been baptized, though the Novatians argue against it. And by the word destruction is not meant annihilation but severe chastening.
92. Why do we postpone the time of pardon for those who have mortified themselves, who during life have done themselves to death? Sufficient, says St. Paul, to such a one is this punishment which is inflicted by the many; so that contrariwise, you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means he should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 2 Corinthians 2:6 If the punishment which is inflicted by the many is sufficient for condemnation, the intercession which is made by many is also sufficient for the remission of sin. The Master of morals, Who both knows our weakness and is the interpreter of the will of God, wills that comfort should be given, lest sorrow through the weariness of long delay should swallow up the penitent.
93. The Apostle then forgave him, and not only forgave him, but desired that love to him should again grow strong. He who is loved receives not harshness but mercy. And not only did he himself forgive him only, but willed that all should forgive him, and says that he forgave for the sake of others, lest many should be longer saddened on account of one. To whom, says he, you have forgiven anything, I forgive also, for I also have forgiven for your sakes in the person of Christ, for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:10 Rightly can he be on his guard against the serpent who is not ignorant of his devices, of which there are so many to our detriment. He is always desirous to do harm, always desirous to circumvent us, that he may cause death; but we ought to take heed lest our remedy become an occasion of triumph for him; for we are circumvented by him, if any one perish through overmuch sorrow, who might be set free by pitifulness.
94. And that we may know that this person was baptized, he added: I wrote to you in my epistle to have no company with fornicators, not altogether with fornicators of this world. 1 Corinthians 5:9 And farther on he adds: But now I write unto you not to keep company if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator. 1 Corinthians 5:11 Those whom he has joined together under one penalty, he willed to attain together to forgiveness. If any be such, he says, with him not to eat. 1 Corinthians 5:11 How severe he is with the obstinate, how indulgent to those who seek. Against those rises up in arms the injury done to Christ, while the calling upon Christ aids these.
95. But lest any one be perplexed because it is written: I have delivered such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, 1 Corinthians 5:5 and should say: How can he attain forgiveness whose whole flesh has perished, seeing that it is evident that man was redeemed both in body and soul, and is saved in both and that neither the soul without the body, nor yet the body without the soul, since both are united by their fellowship in the deeds that have been done, can be without fellowship either in punishment or in reward? Let this suffice for an answer to him: That destruction does not mean the complete annihilation of the flesh, but its chastening. For as he who is dead to sin lives to God, so the allurements of the flesh perish, and the flesh dies to its lusts, in order that it may live again to purity and to other good works.
96. And what more suitable example can we take than one from our common mother? For the earth itself, from which we are all taken, when it is not worked and cultivated, seems to be desert; and the field dies to the vines or olive-trees with which it was planted, and yet it does not lose its own nutritive power, which is, as it were, its life. And then later, when cultivation begins once more, and the seed is sown for which the land seems suitable, it breaks forth again more fruitful than before with its products. It is not, then, anything so strange if our flesh is said to die, and yet is understood to be subdued rather than annihilated.
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| Pope Went to Russian Embassy to Express Concern Over War to Moscow Envoy |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-25-2022, 08:45 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
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Pope Went to Russian Embassy to Express Concern Over War to Moscow Envoy
Reuters | Feb. 25, 2022
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis went to the Russian embassy to the Holy See on Friday and relayed his concern over Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Moscow's ambassador, the Vatican said.
It was believed to be the first time a pope has gone to an embassy during a conflict. Usually ambassadors are convoked by the Secretariat of State.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope spent about 30 minutes at the embassy. Bruni would not comment on a report that the pope, 85, had offered the Vatican's mediation.
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| SSPX's new 'Plan to Protect' Program |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-25-2022, 08:13 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX
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Society of St. Pius X - Plan to Protect™
The SSPX under the expert guidance of Plan to Protect® created a protection program
Plan to Protect® provides the highest standard of abuse prevention and protection to over 7500 organizations serving the vulnerable sector globally. Plan to Protect® also recognizes those organizations that demonstrate that they are achieving this high standard.
Understanding the magnitude of the responsibility we carry in our care for children and other vulnerable people in our chapels, schools, and programs, the SSPX has sought out the expert guidance of Plan to Protect® to ensure that no stone is left unturned in its effort to faithfully protect those in its care.
Support of Experts
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Tailormade Program
As the SSPX takes seriously its responsibility to protect children and other vulnerable persons in its care, it writes its own tailormade policies and administers its own abuse prevention program. This program has to be suited to the multifaceted nature or its apostolate. The expert guidance and support of Plan to Protect® ensures that we hold ourselves to the highest standards of protection and accountability.
With the help of Plan to Protect®, we will be better able to protect children and the vulnerable, safeguard our staff and volunteers, avoid legal difficulties, and meet any standards required by our insurance companies.
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| The Recusant #57 - Lent 2022 |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-24-2022, 07:15 PM - Forum: The Recusant
- Replies (2)
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Contents:
• Real & Apparent Disobedience (Abp. Lefebvre, Poitiers, 1977)
• “Sorrowful Heart of Mary SSPX-MC” (Fr Hewko)
• English Martyrs (Bl. James Fenn, Bl. John Finch, St. Edmund Genings)
• Where Do They Stand?
• More on Covid “Vaccines” :- The “Sede-Vax-Can-tists”
- SSPX: Conciliar Morality
• “Ten Years Ago”
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| St. Ephraim: Homily on the Lord |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-24-2022, 09:19 AM - Forum: Fathers of the Church
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Therefore let all mouths render praise to Him Who has removed from them blasphemous speech. Glory to You Who departed from one dwelling to take up your abode in another! That He might come and make us a dwelling-place for His Sender, the only-begotten departed from [being] with Deity and took up His abode in the Virgin; that by a common manner of birth, though only-begotten, He might become the brother of many. And He departed from Sheol and took up His abode in the Kingdom; that He might seek out a path from Sheol which oppresses all, to the Kingdom which requites all. For our Lord gave His resurrection as a pledge to mortals, that He would remove them from Sheol, which receives the departed without distinction, to the Kingdom which admits the invited with distinction; so that, from [the plan] which makes equal the bodies of all men within it, we may come to [the plan] which distinguishes the works of all men within it. This is He Who descended to Sheol and ascended, that from [the place] which corrupts its sojourners, He might bring us to the place which nourishes with its blessings its dwellers; even those dwellers who, with the possessions, the fruits, and the flowers, of this world, that pass away, have crowned and adorned for themselves there, tabernacles that pass not away. That Firstborn Who was begotten according to His nature, was born in another birth that was external to His nature; that we might know that after our natural birth we must have another birth which is outside our nature. For He, since He was spiritual, until He came to the corporeal birth, could not be corporeal; in like manner also the corporeal, unless they are born in another birth, cannot be spiritual. But the Son Whose generation is unsearchable, was born in another generation that may be searched out; that by the one we might learn that His Majesty is without limit, and by the other might be taught that His grace is without measure. For great is His Majesty without measure, Whose first generation cannot be imagined in any of our thoughts. And His grace is abundant without limit, Whose second birth is proclaimed by all mouths.
2. This is He Who was begotten from the Godhead according to His nature, and from manhood not after His nature, and from baptism not after His custom; that we might be begotten from manhood according to our nature, and from Godhead not after our nature, and by the Spirit not after our custom. He then was begotten from the Godhead, He that came to a second birth; in order to bring us to the birth that is discoursed of, even His generation from the Father:— not that it should be searched out, but that it should be believed — and His birth from the woman, not that it should be despised, but that it should be exalted. Now His death on the cross witnesses to His birth from the woman. For He that died was also born. And the Annunciation of Gabriel declares His generation by the Father, namely [the power of the Highest shall overshadow you]. Luke 1:35 If then it was the power of the Highest, it is plain that it was not the seed of mortal man. So then His conception in the womb is bound up with His death on the cross; and His first generation is bound up with the declaration of the Angel; in order that whoever denies His birth may be confuted by His crucifixion, and whoever supposes that His beginning was from Mary, may be admonished that His Godhead is before all; so that whoever has concluded His beginning to be corporeal, [may be proved to err hereby that His issuing forth from the Father is narrated]. The Father begot Him, and through Him created the creatures. Flesh bare Him and through Him slew lusts. Baptism brought him forth, that through Him it might wash away stains. Sheol brought Him forth, that through Him its treasures might be emptied out. He came to us from beside His Father by the way of them that are born: and by the way of them that die, He went forth to go to His Father; so that by His coming through birth, His advent might be seen; and by His returning through resurrection, His departure might be confirmed.
3. But our Lord was trampled on by Death; and in His turn trod out a way over Death. This is He Who made Himself subject to and endured death of His own will, that He might cast down death against his will. For our Lord bare His cross and went forth according to the will of Death: but He cried upon the cross Matthew 27:50-52 and brought forth the dead from within Sheol against the will of Death. For in that very thing by which Death had slain Him [i.e., the body], in that as armour He bore off the victory over Death. But the Godhead concealed itself in the manhood and fought against Death, Death slew and was slain. Death slew the natural life; and the supernatural life slew Him. And because Death was not able to devour Him without the body, nor Sheol to swallow Him up without the flesh, He came unto the Virgin, that from thence He might obtain that which should bear Him to Sheol; as from beside the ass they brought for Him the colt whereon He entered Jerusalem, and proclaimed concealing her overthrow and the destruction of her children. With the body then that [was] from the Virgin, He entered Sheol and plundered its storehouses and emptied its treasures. He came then to Eve the Mother of all living. This is the vine whose fence Death laid open by her own hands, and caused her to taste of his fruits. So Eve the Mother of all living became the well-spring of death to all living. But Mary budded forth, a new shoot from Eve the ancient vine; and new life dwelt in her, that when Death should come confidently after his custom to feed upon mortal fruits, the life that is slayer of death might be stored up [therein] against him; that when Death should have swallowed [the fruits] without fear, he might vomit them forth and with them many. For [He Who is] the Medicine of life flew down from heaven, and was mingled in the body, the mortal fruit. And when Death came to feed after his custom, the Life in His turn swallowed up Death. This is the food that hungered to eat its eater. So then, by one fruit which Death swallowed hungrily, he vomited up many lives which he had swallowed greedily. The hunger then which hurried him against one, emptied out his greed which had hurried him against many. Thus Death was diligent to swallow one, but was in haste to set many free. For while One was dying on the cross, many that were buried from within Sheol were coming forth at His cry. Matthew 27:50-53 This is the fruit that cleft asunder Death who had swallowed it, and brought out from within it the Life in quest of which it was sent. For Sheol hid away all that she had devoured. But through One that was not devoured, all that she had devoured were restored from within her. He, whose stomach is disordered, vomits forth both that which is sweet to him and that which is not sweet. So the stomach of Death was disordered, and as he was vomiting forth the medicine of life which had sickened it, he vomited forth along with it also those lives that had been swallowed by him with pleasure.
4. This is the Son of the carpenter, Who skilfully made His cross a bridge over Sheol that swallows up all, and brought over mankind into the dwelling of life. And because it was through the tree that mankind had fallen into Sheol, so upon the tree they passed over into the dwelling of life. Through the tree then wherein bitterness was tasted, through it also sweetness was tasted; that we might learn of Him that among the creatures nothing resists Him. Glory be to You, Who laid Your cross as a bridge over death, that souls might pass over upon it from the dwelling of the dead to the dwelling of life!
5. The Gentiles praise You that Your Word has become a mirror before them, that in it they might see death, secretly swallowing up their lives. But graven images were being adorned by their artificers; and by their adornments were disfiguring their adorners. But You drew them to Your cross; and while the beauties of the body were disfigured upon it, the beauties of the mind shone forth upon it. Then, as for the Gentiles who used to go after gods which were no gods, He Who was God went after them, and by His words, as by a bridle, turned them from many gods to the One. This is that Mighty One, Whose preaching became a bridle in the jaws of the Gentiles, and led them away from idols to Him that sent Him. But the dead idols, with their closed mouths, used to feed on the life of their worshippers. On this account You mingled in their flesh that blood of Yours, by which death was enfeebled and laid low; that the mouths of their devourers might be driven away from their lives. Also because Israel slew You and was defiled by Your blood, that idolatry, that had been engrafted upon him was driven away from him on account of Your blood. For he was weaned from that heathenism through Your blood; because that from it, he had never before been weaned.
6. But Israel crucified our Lord, on the plea that verily He was seducing us from the One God. But they themselves used constantly to wander away from the One God through their many idols. While then they imagine they crucify Him Who seduces them from the One God, they are found to be led away by Him from all idols to the One God; to the end that because they did not voluntarily learn of Him that He is God, they might by compulsion learn of Him that He is God; when the good which had accrued to them through Him should accuse them concerning the evil which their hands had done. Thus even though the tongue of the oppressors denied, yet the help with which they were helped convicted them. For grace loaded them beyond their power, so that they should be ashamed, while laden with Your blessings, to deny Your person. And also You had mercy on those, whose lives had been made food for dead idols. For the one calf which they made in the desert, Exodus 32:4 pastured on their lives as on grass in the desert. For that idolatry which they had stolen and brought out in their hearts from Egypt, when it was made manifest, slew openly those in whom it was dwelling secretly. For it was like fire concealed in wood, which when it is gendered from within it, burns it. For Moses ground to powder the calf and caused them to drink it in the water of ordeal; Exodus 32:20 that by drinking of the calf all those who were living for its worship might die. For the sons of Levi ran upon them, those who ran to [help] Moses and girded on their swords. For the sons of Levi did not know whom they should slay, because those that worshipped were mingled with those that worshipped not. But He, for Whom it was easy to distinguish, distinguished those who were defiled from those who were not defiled; so that the innocent might give thanks that their innocence had not passed [unseen by] the Just One; and the guilty might be convicted that their offense had not escaped [the eye of] the Judge. But the sons of Levi were the open avengers. Accordingly Moses set a mark upon the offenders, that it might be easy for the avengers to avenge. For the draught of the calf entered those in whom the love of the calf was dwelling, and displayed in them a manifest sign, that the drawn sword might rush upon them. The congregation therefore which had committed fornication in [the worship of] the calf, he caused to drink of the water of ordeal, that the mark of adulteresses might appear in it. From hence was derived that law about women, Numbers 5:17-27 that they should drink the water of ordeal, that by the mark that came on adulteresses, the congregation might be reminded of its fornication that was in the worship of the calf, and be on its guard with fear against another [fornication]; and remember the former [fornication] with penitence of soul; and that when they were judging their women, if they played the harlot against them, they might condemn themselves, who were playing the harlot against their God.
7. To You be glory who by Your cross hast taken away the heathenism in which both circumcised and uncircumcised were caused to stumble! To You be praise, the medicine of life, Who hast converted all that are joy to the angels that are found and were not lost. The uncircumcised praise You, for in Your peace the enmity that was between is swallowed up, for You received in Your flesh the outward sign of circumcision, through which the uncircumcised that were Yours, used to be accounted as not Yours. For You made as Your sign the circumcision of the heart; by which the circumcised were made known, that they were not Yours. For You came to Your own John 1:2 and Your own received You not; and by this they were made known that they were not Yours. But they to whom You did not come, through Your mercy cry out after You, that You would satisfy them with the crumbs which fall from the children's table.
8. God was sent from the Godhead, to come and convict the graven images that they were no gods. And when He took away from them the name of God which decked them out, then appeared the blemishes of their persons. And their blemishes were these — They have eyes and see not, and ears and hear not. Your preaching persuaded their many worshippers to change their many gods for the One. For in that You took away the name of godhead from the idols, worship also along with the name was withdrawn; that, namely, which is bound up with the name; for worship also attends on the Name of God. Because, then, worship also was rendered to the Name, by all the Gentiles, at the last the worshipful Name shall be gathered in entirely to its Lord. Therefore at the last worship, also shall be gathered in completely to its Lord, that it may be fulfilled that all things shall be subjected to Him. Then, He in His turn shall be subjected to Him Who subjected all things to Him. 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 So that that Name, rising from degree to degree, shall be bound up with its root. For when all creatures shall be bound by their love to the Son through Whom they were created, and the Son shall be bound by the love of that Father by Whom He was begotten, all creatures shall give thanks at the last to the Son, through Whom they received all blessings; and in Him and with Him they shall give thanks also to His Father, from Whose treasure He distributes all riches to us.
9. Glory be to You Who clothed Yourself in the body of mortal Adam, and made it a fountain of life for all mortals. You are He that lives, for Your slayers were as husbandmen to Your life, for that they sowed it as wheat in the depth [of the earth], that it may rise and raise up many with it. Come, let us make our love the great censer of the community, and offer on it as incense our hymns and our prayers to Him Who made His cross a censer for the Godhead, and offered from it on behalf of us all. He that was above stooped down to those who were beneath, to distribute His treasures to them. Accordingly, though the needy drew near to His manhood, yet they used to receive the gift from His Godhead. Therefore He made the body which He put on, the treasurer of His riches, that He, O Lord, might bring them out of Your storehouse, and distribute them to the needy, the sons of His kindred.
10. Glory be to Him Who received from us that He might give to us; that through that which is ours we might more abundantly receive of that which is His! Yea through that Mediator, mankind was able to receive life from its helper, as through a Mediator it had received in the beginning death from its slayer. You are He Who made for Yourself the body as a servant, that through it You might give to them that desire You, all that they desire. Moreover in You were made visible the hidden wishes of them that slew [You] and buried [You]; through this, that You clothed Yourself in a body. For taking occasion by that body of Yours, Your slayers slew You, and were slain by You; and taking occasion by Your body, Your buriers buried You, and were raised up with You. That Power Which may not be handled came down and clothed itself in members that may be touched; that the needy may draw near to Him, that in touching His manhood they may discern His Godhead. For that dumb man [whom the Lord healed] with the fingers of the body, discerned that He had approached his ears and touched his tongue; Mark 7:32-37 nay, with his fingers that may be touched, he touched Godhead, that may not be touched; when it was loosing the string of his tongue, and opening the clogged doors of his ears. For the Architect of the body and Artificer of the flesh came to him, and with His gentle voice pierced without pain his thickened ears. And his mouth which was closed up, that it could not give birth to a word, gave birth to praise to Him Who made its barrenness fruitful in the birth of words. He, then, Who gave to Adam that he should speak at once without teaching, Himself gave to the dumb that they should speak easily, tongues that are learned with difficulty.
11. Lo, again, another question is made clear:— We enquire in what tongues our Lord gave the power of speaking to the dumb, who from all tongues came unto Him? And although this be easy to know, yet our soul impels us to that knowledge which is greater than this. That [knowledge] then is, to know that through the Son the first man was made. For in this fact, that through Him speech was given to the dumb, the sons of Adam, we may learn that through Him speech was given to Adam their first father. And here also defective nature was supplied by our Lord. He, then, Who was able to supply the defect of nature, — it is manifest that through Him is established the supplying of nature. But there is no greater defect than this, when a man is born without speech. For since it is in this, in speech, that we excel all the creatures, the defect of it is greater than all [other] defects. He, then, through Whom all this defect was supplied — it is manifest that through Him all fullness is established. But because through Him the members receive all fullness in the womb secretly, through Him their defect was supplied openly; that we might learn that through Him in the beginning the whole frame was constituted. He spat then on His fingers and placed them in the ears of that deaf man; and He mixed clay of His spittle, and spread it upon the eyes of the blind man; John 9:6 that we might learn that as there was defect in the eyeballs of that man who was blind from his mother's womb, so there was defect in the ears of this [man]. So then, by leaven from the body of Him Who completes, the defect of our formation is supplied. For it was not meet that our Lord should have cut off anything from His body to supply the deficiency of other bodies; but with that which could be taken away from Him, He supplied the deficiency of them that lacked; just as in that which can be eaten, mortals eat Him. He supplied then the deficiency, and gave life to mortality, that we may know that from the body in which fullness dwelt, the deficiency of them that lacked was supplied; and from the body in which life dwelt, Colossians 2:9 life was given to mortals.
12. Now the Prophets performed all [other] signs; but on no occasion supplied the deficiency of members. But the deficiency of the body was reserved, that it should be supplied through our Lord; that souls might perceive that it is through Him that every deficiency must be supplied. It is meet, then, that the prudent should perceive that He Who supplies the deficiencies of the creatures, is Master of the formative power of the Creator. But when He was upon earth, our Lord gave to the deaf [and dumb], [the power] of hearing and of speaking tongues which they had not learned; that after He had ascended, [men] might understand that He gave to His disciples [the power] of speaking in every tongue.
13. Now the crucifiers supposed when our Lord was dead that His signs had died with Him. But His signs manifestly continued to live through His disciples; that the murderers might know that the Lord of the signs was living. Beforehand His murderers made trouble, crying out that His disciples had stolen His corpse. But, afterwards, His signs performed through His disciples, filled them with trouble. For His disciples, who were supposed to have stolen the dead corpse, were found to be raising to life the dead corpses of others. But the ungodly were terrified and said —His disciples have stolen His body; that they might be held in contempt when it should be discovered. But the disciples, who [they said] stole the dead body from the living guards, were found to be assailing Death in the name of Him Who was stolen; that [Death] might not steal the life of the living. So then, before He was crucified, He gave the deaf the power of hearing, that after He was crucified, all ears should hear and believe in His resurrection. For beforehand He confirmed our hearing by [the word] of the dumb whose mouth was opened, that it should not doubt concerning the preaching of the Word. Our Redeemer was in every way equipped, that in every way He might rescue us from our captor. For our Lord did not merely clothe Himself in a body, but also arrayed Himself in members and in garments; that through His members and His garments, they that were afflicted with plagues might be encouraged to approach the treasury of healing, that they who were encouraged by His mercy might approach His body and they who were dismayed by His terror might approach His vesture. For with one woman her fear suffered her merely to approach the hem of His raiment; Matthew 9:20 but with another, her love impelled her even to approach His flesh. Now by her who received healing by His garments, those were put to shame who did not receive healing from His words; and by her who kissed His feet, he was rebuked who did not desire to kiss His lips.
14. Now our Lord bestowed great gifts through small means; that He might teach us of what they are deprived who have scorned great things. For if from the hem of His garment, healing like this was secretly stolen, could He not assuredly heal when His word distinctly granted healing? And if defiled lips were sanctified by kissing His feet, how much more should not pure lips be sanctified by kissing His mouth? For the sinful woman by her kisses received the grace of His sacred feet, which had come with toil to bring her remission of her sins. She was refreshing the feet of her Healer with oil freely, for freely had He brought her the treasure of healing for her sickness. For it was not for the sake of his stomach that He Who satisfies the hungry was a ; but for the sake of the sinful woman's repentance He Who justifies sinners made Himself a .
15. For it was not for the dainties of the Pharisees that our Lord hungered, but for the tears of the sinful woman He was an hungered. For when He was satisfied and refreshed by the tears for which He hungered, He turned and rebuked him who had bidden Him to the food that passes away, that He might show that it was not for the sake of food for the body that He had become a , but for the sake of help to the soul. For it was not for the sake of pleasure that our Lord mingled with gluttonous men and winebibbers, as the Pharisee supposed; but that in their food as mortals He might mingle for them His teaching as the medicine of life. For even as it was in the matter of eating that the Evil One gave his deadly counsel to Adam and his helpmeet, so in the matter of eating the Good Lord gave His life-giving counsel to the sons of Adam. For He was the fisherman Who came down to fish for the lives of the lost. He saw the publicans and harlots rushing into prodigality and drunkenness; and He hastened to spread His nets among their places of assembly, that He might capture them from food that fattens bodies, to fasting that fattens souls.
16. Now the Pharisee made great preparations for our Lord in His banquet; and the sinful woman did but little things for Him there. Yet he by his great dainties displayed the smallness of his love to our Lord; but she by her tears displayed the greatness of her love to our Lord. Thus he that had invited Him to the great banquet was rebuked because of the smallness of his love; but she by her few tears atoned for the many follies of her offenses. Simon the Pharisee received our Lord as a prophet; because of the signs, and not because of faith. For he was a son of Israel, who when signs drew near, himself also drew near to the Lord of the signs; and when the signs ceased, he also stood naked without faith. This man also when he saw our Lord with signs, esteemed Him as a prophet; but when our Lord ceased from signs, the doubting mind of the sons of his people entered him. This man if He had been a prophet, He would have known that this woman is a sinner. But our Lord for Whom in every place all things are easy, here also did not cease from His signs. For He saw that because He had ceased a little from signs, the blind mind of the Pharisee had turned away from Him. For he had said in error, This man, had He been a prophet, He would have known. In this reflection therefore the Pharisee doubted concerning our Lord, whether He were a prophet or no; but by this very reflection he learned that He is Lord of the prophets; so that from the source from which error entered him, from that source our Lord might bring help to Him.
17. Our Lord then told him the parable of the two debtors; and made him judge; that by his tongue He might catch him in whose heart the truth was not. One owed five hundred dinars. Here then our Lord showed to the Pharisee the multitude of the offenses of the sinful woman. He then who imagined concerning our Lord that He did not know that she was a sinner, in the result heard from Him how great was the debt of her sins. The Pharisee, then, who imagined that our Lord did not know who she was, and what was the reputation of the sinful woman, was found himself not to know who our Lord was, and what was His reputation. Thus he was reproved in his error, who did not even perceive his error. For the knowledge that he was assuredly erring eluded him in his error. But he received a reminder from Him Who came to remind them that err. The Pharisee had seen great signs done by our Lord, as Israel by Moses; but because there was not faith in him, that those prodigies which he saw might be conjoined with that faith, a little cause hindered and annulled them. Had this man been a prophet, he would have known that this woman is a sinner. For he let slip the wonders that he had seen, and blindness readily entered into him. For he was of the sons of Israel, whom terrible signs accompanied up to the sea, that they might fear; and blessed miracles surrounded in the waste desert, that they might be reconciled; but through lack of faith, for a slight cause, they rejected them [saying]; As for this Moses who brought us up, we know not what has become of him. Exodus 32:1 For they ceased to regard the mighty works that had been surrounding them. They perceived that Moses was not near them; so that for this cause that had come near, they drew [near] to the heathenism of Egypt. For Moses was for a little removed from before them, that the calf that was before them might appear, that they might worship it openly also; for they had been secretly worshipping it in their hearts.
18. But when their heathenism from being inward became open, then Moses also from being hidden openly appeared; that he might openly punish those whose heathenism had revelled beneath the holy cloud which had overshadowed them. But God removed the Shepherd of the flock from it for forty days, that the flock might show that its trust was fixed upon the calf. While God was feeding the flock with all delights, it chose for itself as its Shepherd the calf, which was not able even to eat. Moses who kept them in awe was removed from them, that the idolatry might cry aloud in their mouths, which the restraint of Moses had kept down in their hearts. For they cried: Make us gods, to go before us. Exodus 32:1
19. But when Moses came down, he saw their heathenism revelling in the wide plain with drums and cymbals. Speedily, he put their madness to shame by means of the Levites and drawn swords. So likewise here, our Lord concealed His knowledge for a little when the sinful woman approached Him, that the Pharisee might form into shape his thought, as his fathers had shaped the pernicious calf. But when the Pharisee's error came to a head within him, then the knowledge of our Lord was manifested against it and dispelled it; I entered into your house; you gave Me no water for My feet: But she has moistened them with her tears. Therefore her sins which are many are forgiven her. Luke 7:44-47 But the Pharisee when he heard our Lord naming the sins of the woman, many sins, was greatly put to shame because he had greatly erred. For he had supposed that our Lord did not even know that she was a sinner. Our Lord had before shown Himself as though not knowing her for a sinner. For He allowed him who had seen His signs, to show the doubt of his mind, that it might become manifest that his mind was bound in the ungodliness of his fathers. But the physician, who by his medicines brings out the hidden disease, is not the helper of the disease but its destroyer. For while the disease is hidden, it rules in the members, but when it is made manifest by medicines, it is rooted out. So then the Pharisee saw great things and doubted about small things. But when our Lord saw that his littleness made little of great things in his mind, He speedily showed him not only that she was a sinner, but even the multitude of her sins; that he might be put to shame by little things — he who had not believed in wonders.
20. God gave room to Israel to enlarge its heathenism in the wide desert; whom God cut short with whetted sword, that their idolatry might not be spread abroad among the Gentiles. So our Lord allowed the Pharisee to imagine perverse things, that He might in turn duly reprove his pride. For concerning those things which the sinful woman was doing rightly, the Pharisee was thinking wrongly. But our Lord in His turn rebuked him, concerning the right things which he had wrongly withheld: I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet. Behold the withholding of that which was due! But she has moistened them with her tears. Behold the payment of what was due! You did not anoint Me with oil. Behold the token of neglect! But she has anointed My feel with sweet ointment. Behold the sign of zeal! You did not kiss Me. Behold the testimony of enmity! But she has not ceased to kiss My feet. Behold the sign of love! So then, by this enumeration our Lord showed that the Pharisee owed Him all those things and had withheld them; but that the sinful woman had come in and rendered all those things which he had withheld. Because then she had paid the debts of him who wrongfully withheld them, the Just One forgave her, her own debt, even her sins.
21. Now the Pharisee, while he was doubting concerning our Lord, that He was not a prophet, pledged himself to the truth unawares, in saying — Had this man been a prophet, he would have known that this woman is a sinner. Therefore, if it should be found that our Lord knew that she was a sinner, He is, according to your word, O Pharisee, a prophet. Our Lord, therefore, hastened to show both that she was a sinner, and that her sins were many; that the testimony of his own mouth might confute him as a liar. For he was companion of those that said: Who is able to forgive sins, but God only? Mark 2:7 For from them our Lord received testimony, that, therefore, He Who is able to forgive sins, is God. Thenceforth, then, the contention was this, that our Lord should show them whether He was able to forgive sins or no. So He speedily healed the members that were visible, that it might be made sure that He had forgiven the sins that were invisible. For our Lord cast before them the word which was expected to catch him that said it; so that when they should rush forward to catch Him by it, according to their wish, they might be caught by Him according to His wish. Fear not, My son, your sins are forgiven you. Matthew 9:2 While they were hastening to catch Him on the charge of blasphemy, they pledged themselves unawares to the truth. For Who is able forgive sins but God only? Accordingly, our Lord confuted them [as though saying]: If I shall have shown that I am able to forgive sins, even though you do not believe in Me that I am God; yet abide by your word, which determined that whoever forgives sins is God. Therefore that our Lord might teach them that He forgives sins, He forgave that man his hidden sin, and caused him to carry his bed openly; that by the carrying of the bed which carries [those that lie on it], they might believe in the slaying of the sin that slays.
This is a wonderful thing, that while our Lord there called Himself the Son of man, His adversaries, unawares, made Him to be God as forgiving sins. Accordingly, while they supposed that they had ensnared Him by their craftiness, He entangled them in their craftiness; He made it a testimony to His truth. So their evil thoughts became unto them as bitter bonds; and that they might not free themselves from their bonds, our Lord strengthened them by giving strength to him [to whom He said] — Arise, take up your bed and go into your house. Matthew 9:6 For the testimony could not again be undone, as though He were not God; inasmuch as He forgave sins. Nor yet could it be falsely affirmed that He had not forgiven sins; for lo! He had healed [men's] limbs. For our Lord bound up His hidden testimonies in those which were manifest; that their own testimony might choke the infidels. Accordingly our Lord made their thoughts to war against them, because they had warred with the Good One, who by His healing power warred against their diseases. For that which Simon the Pharisee imagined, and that which the scribes his companions imagined, they imagined in their hearts secretly; but our Lord spread it forth openly. Our Lord represented their hidden imaginations before them, that they might learn that His knowledge reveals and shows their secret things( so that though they had not recognized Him by His open signs, they might recognize Him when He represented their secret imaginations; and that if only but by this — that He searched out their hearts — their hearts might perceive that He was God — that at least when they saw that their imaginations could not be hidden from Him, they might cease from imagining evil against Him. For they had imagined evil in their heart; but He exposed it openly, by this [word] Why are you imagining evil in your heart? So that by this, that our Lord perceived their hidden imagination, they should recognize His hidden Godhead. For that Godhead, by this very thing that they in their error were reviling it, was by that reviling made known to them. For they reviled our Lord in the body, and supposed that He was not God, and cast Him down below from on high; but by the body He was made known to them as being God, by that body which was found passing to and fro among them. For they, by casting Him down to the depth, attempted to show this, that God Who is above, cannot in bodily wise be born below. But He by His passage up to the height, taught them this; that for the body also that is sent down below, it is not its nature to pass up to the height rather than down to the depths; so that by the body which from below passed on high upwards in the air, they might learn of God that by His grace He descended down below from on high.
22. But why instead of a stern reproof did our Lord speak a parable of persuasion to that Pharisee? He spoke the parable to him tenderly, that he, though froward, might unawares be enticed to correct his perversities. For the waters that are congealed by the force of a cold wind, the heat of the sun gently dissolves. So our Lord did not at once oppose him harshly, that he might not give occasion to the rebellious to rebel again. But by blandishment He brought him under the yoke, that when he had been yoked, He might work with him, though rebellious, according to His will. Now, because Simon was proudly minded, our Lord began humbly with him, that He might not be to him a teacher according to his folly. For if that Pharisee retained the Pharisees' pride, how could our Lord cause him to acquire humility, when the treasure of humility was not under his hand? But since our Lord was teaching humility to all men, He showed that His treasury was free from every form of pride. But this was for our sakes, that He might teach us, that whatever treasuries pride enters into, it is by boastfulness that it gains access to them. On this account let not your left hand know what your right hand does. Matthew 2:3 Our Lord then did not employ harsh reproof, because His coming was of grace: He did not refrain from reproof, because His later coming will be of retribution. For He put men to fear in His coming of humility; because it is a fearful thing to fall into His hands Hebrews 10:31 when He shall come in flaming fire. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 But our Lord bestowed the most part of His helps rather by persuasion than by reproof. For the gentle shower softens the earth and penetrates all through it: but violent rain binds and hardens the face of the earth, so that it does not receive it. For a harsh word excites wrath, and with it are bound up wrongs. And when a harsh word has opened the door, wrath enters in, and at the heels of wrath, along with it enter in wrongs.
23. But because all helps attend on humble speech, He who came to render help employed it. Observe how mighty is the power of a humble word; for lo! By it vehement wrath is put down, and by it the billows of a swelling mind are calmed. But hear whence this was. That Pharisee thought, had this man been a prophet, he would have known. Contempt as well as blasphemy can be discerned here. Hear how our Lord in reply encountered this: Simon, I have somewhat to say unto you. Love and reproof can be discerned here. For this is a word of love such as friends use with their friends. For when an adversary reproaches his adversary, he speaks not to him like this; for the madness of anger does not allow enemies to speak reasonably one to another. But He Who prayed for them that crucified Him, that He might show that the fury of anger had no power over Him, was about to put to the question those that crucified Him, that He might show that He was governed by reason and not by anger.
24. Accordingly, our Lord placed a word of conciliation at the beginning of His speech, that by conciliation He might pacify the Pharisee, into whose mind discord and division had entered. He was the physician who ranged His cures against the things hurtful [to men]. Our Lord then shot forth this word as an arrow, and set in the head of it conciliation as the barb. And He anointed it with love, that soothes the members; so that when it flew into him who was full of discord, he was at once changed from discord to harmony. For straightway upon hearing that humble voice of our Lord, saying — Simon, I have somewhat to say unto you, that secret despiser returned his answer, Say on, Lord. For the sweet voice entered his bitter mind, and begot of it pleasant fruit. For he who before this voice was one that secretly despised, after this voice became one that openly honoured. For humility, by its sweet utterance, subdues even its adversaries into rendering it honour. For it is not over its friends that humility tests its power, but over its enemies it exhibits its victories.
25. Thus the heavenly King arrayed Himself in armour of humility, and so conquered the bitter one, and drew from him a good answer as a sure pledge [of victory]. This is the armour concerning which Paul said, that by it we humble the loftiness that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. 2 Corinthians 10:5 For Paul had received the proof of it in himself. For as he had been warring in pride, but was conquered in humility, so is to be conquered every lofty thing which exalts itself against this humility. For Saul was journeying to subdue the disciples with hard words, but the Master of the disciples subdued him with a humble word. For when He to whom all things are possible manifested Himself to him, giving up all things else, He spoke to him in humility alone, that He might teach us that a soft tongue is more effectual than all things else against hard thoughts. For neither threats nor words of terror were heard by Paul, but weak words not able to avenge themselves: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? Acts 9:4 But the words which were thought not even capable of avenging themselves, were found to be taking vengeance by drawing him away from the Jews and making him a goodly vessel. He who was full of the bitter will of the Jews, was then filled with the sweet preaching of the cross. When he was filled with the bitterness of the crucifiers, in his bitterness he made havoc of the churches. But when he was filled with the sweetness of the Crucified, he embittered the synagogues of the crucifiers. Our Lord then strove with humble voice with him, who had been warring against His churches with hard bonds. Thus Saul, who had been binding the disciples with bitter chains, was bound with pleasant persuasions; that he might not again cast the disciples into bonds; since he was bound by the Crucified, Who puts to silence evil voices, whom all they that were set against Him could not bind or injure. But when Paul ceased from binding the disciples, he himself was bound with chains by the persecutors. But when he was bound with chains, he loosed the bonds of idolatry by his bonds.
26. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? He who had conquered His persecutors in the world below, and ruled over the angels in the world above, spoke from above with humble voice. And He Who while He was upon earth had denounced ten woes against His crucifiers, when He was in heaven, did not denounce even one woe against Saul, His persecutor. Now, our Lord denounced woe to His crucifiers, that He might teach His disciples not to be dismayed by His murderers. But our Lord spoke in humility from heaven, that in humility the heads of His church might speak. And if any one should say, Wherein did our Lord speak humbly with Paul? For lo! The eyes of Paul were grievously smitten; let him know that it was not from our merciful Lord that this chastisement proceeded, who spoke those words in humility; but from the vehement light that vehemently shone forth there. And this light did not strike Paul by way of retribution on account of his deeds, but on account of the vehemence of its rays it hurt him, as he also said: When I arose, I could discern nothing for the glory of the light. Acts 22:11 But if that light was glorious, O Paul, how did the glorious light become a blinding light to you yourself? The light was that which, according to its nature, illuminates above, but contrary to its nature, it shone forth below. When it illumined above, it was delightful; but when it shone forth below, it was blinding. For the light was both grievous and pleasant. It was grievous and violent towards the eyes of the flesh; and it was pleasant and lightful to those who are fire and spirit. Matthew 4:11
27. For I saw a light from heaven that excelled the sun, and its light shone upon me. Acts 26:13 So then mighty rays streamed forth without moderation, and were poured upon feeble eyes, which moderate rays refresh. For, lo! The sun also in measure assists the eyes, but beyond measure and out of measure it injures the eyes. And it is not by way of vengeance in wrath that it smites them. For lo! It is the friend of the eyes and beloved of the eyeballs. And this is a marvel; while with its gentle lustre it befriends and assists the eyes; yet by its vehement rays it is hostile to and injures the eyeballs. But if the sun which is here below, and of kindred nature with the eyes that are here below, yet injures them, in vehemence and not in anger, in its proper force and not in wrath; how much more should the light that is from above, akin to the things that are above, by its vehemence injure a man here below who has suddenly gazed upon that which is not akin to his nature? For since Paul might have been injured by the vehemence of this sun to which he was accustomed, if he gazed upon it not according to custom, how much more should he be injured by the glory of that light to which his eyes never had been accustomed? For behold, Daniel also Daniel 10:5-6 was melted and poured out on every side before the glory of the angel, whose vehement brightness suddenly shone upon him! And it was not because of the angel's wrath that his human weakness was melted, just as it is not on account of the wrath or hostility of fire that wax is melted before it; but on account of the weakness of the wax it cannot keep firm and stand in presence of fire. When then the two approach one another, the power of the fire by its quality prevails; but the weakness of the wax on the other hand is brought lower even than its former weakness.
28. But the majesty of the angel was manifested in itself; the weakness of flesh in itself could not endure. For my inward parts were turned into corruption. Daniel 10:8 But yet men see men, their fellows, and faint before them: Yet it is not by their bright splendour that they are moved, but by their harsh will. For servants are terrified by the wrath of their masters, and those that are judged tremble through fear of their judges. But this did not befall Daniel on account of threatening or anger from the angel; but on account of his terrible nature and prevailing brightness. For it was not with threatening, the angel came to him. For if he had come with threatening, how could a mouth full of threatening become full of peace, when it came, saying, Peace be unto you, you man of desire? Thus that mouth that was a fountain of thunderings — for the voice of his words was like the voice of many hosts, Daniel 10:6 that voice became to him a fountain teeming with and containing peace. And when [the voice] reached the terrified ears which were thirsty for the encouraging greeting of peace, there was opened and poured out [for Daniel] a draught of peace. And by the angel's later [word of] peace, those ears were encouraged, which had been terrified by his former voice first. For [he said], Let my Lord speak because I have been strengthened. Daniel 10:19 But because in that heart-moving vision the fiery angel was about to announce nothing concerning Him, [the Lord], on this account that majesty [of the angel] was forward to give the salutation of peace to the lowliness [of the prophet]; that by the gladdening salutation which that awful majesty gave, the dread should be removed which lay on the mind of the lowliness and that was terrified.
29. But what shall we say about the Lord of the Angel, Who said to Moses — No man shall see Me and live? Exodus 33:20 Is it on account of the fury of His anger, that whoever shall see Him shall die? Or on account of the splendour of His Being? For that Being was not made and was not created: so that eyes which have been made and created cannot look upon it. For if it is on account of His fury that whoever shall look upon Him shall not live, lo! He would have granted to Moses to see Him because of His great love to him. Accordingly, the Self-Existent by His vision slays them that look upon Him; but He slays, not because of harsh fury but because of His potent splendour. Because of this He in His great love granted to Moses to see His glory; yet in the same great love He restrained him from seeing His glory. But it was not that the glory of His majesty would have been at all diminished, but that weak eyes could not suffice to bear the overpowering billows of His glory. Therefore God, Who in His love desired that the vision of Moses should be directed upon the goodly brightness of His glory, in His love did not desire that the vision of Moses should be blinded amidst the potent rays of His glory. Therefore Moses saw and saw not. He saw, that he might be exalted; he saw not, that he might not be injured. For by that which he saw, his lowliness was exalted; and by that which he saw not, his weakness was not blinded. As also our eyes look upon the sun and look not upon it; and by what they see are assisted; and by what they see not, are uninjured. Thus the eye sees, that it may be benefited; but it ventures not [to look], that it may not be injured. So then through love God hindered Moses from seeing that glory that was too hard for his eyes: As also Moses through his love prevented the children of his people from seeing the brightness that was too strong for their eyes. For he learned from Him Who covered him, and spread His hand, and hid from him the splendour of the glory, that it might not injure him; so that he also should spread the veil and conceal from the feeble ones the overpowering splendour, that it might not hurt them. Now when Moses saw that the sons of perishable flesh could not gaze upon the borrowed glory that was on his face, his heart failed within him; for that he had sought to dare to gaze upon the glory of the Eternal Being; in whose floods, lo! Those above and those below are plunged and spring forth; the depths whereof none can fathom; the shores whereof none can reach; whereof no end or limit can be found.
30. Now if any one should say, Was it not then possible for God [to bring it to pass] that Moses should look upon that glory and not be injured; and that Paul likewise should look upon the light and take no hurt? Let him that says this understand that though it is possible for the power and overruling force of God, that the eyes should change their nature; yet it is inconsistent with the wisdom and nature of God that the order of nature should be confused. For, lo! It is also easy for the arm of the artificer to destroy [his fabrics]; but it is inconsistent with the good sense of the artificer to ruin goodly ornaments. And if any one wishes to say, concerning something which to himself seems meet —It were meet for God to do this; let him know that it is meet for himself not to speak thus concerning God. For the chief of all things meet is this: that a man should not teach God what is meet. For it becomes not man to become God's instructor. For this is a great wickedness, that we should become teachers to Him, of Whom these created mouths of ours are unable to tell, in the formation of His handiwork. For it is an unpardonable iniquity, that the mouth in its boldness should teach what is proper to that God by Whose grace it learned to speak at all. If any one then shall say, It had been meet for God to do this, I also, because I have a mouth and a tongue, may say, It had been meet for God not to give to man freedom by which he thus reproaches Him Who is not to be reproached. But I do not dare to say that it was not meet for Him to give it; lest I also make myself an instructor of Him Who is not to be instructed. For because He is just, He would have been reproached by Himself, had He not given freedom to men, as though through grudging He had withheld from lowly man the gift that makes great. Therefore He gave it betimes by His grace, that He might not be justly reproached by Himself; even though through freedom, His own gift, lo! blasphemers wickedly reproach Him.
31. Now why were the eyes of Moses made to shine because of the glory which he saw, while on the contrary [the eyes of] Paul, instead of being made to shine, were made utterly blind? Yet we may be sure that the eyes of Moses were not stronger than those of Paul; for they were akin in one brotherhood of blood and flesh. But another power through grace sustained the eyes of Moses; whereas no power was added in mercy to the eyes of Paul, beyond their natural power, which in wrath was taken from them. But if we say that their natural power was taken away from them, and that [it was] on this account he was defeated and overcome by the overpowering light — for had their natural power remained, they would have been able to endure that supernatural light. Yet let us be sure of this, that as often as anything transcendent is revealed, that surpasses and transcends our nature, our natural power is not able to stand before it. But if on the other hand another power beyond our natural one is added to us, then by that power received by us in excess of and beyond nature, we shall be able to stand before any strange thing which comes upon us supernaturally.
32. For, lo! The power of our ears and eyes is in us and is formed in us in its natural manner; and yet our sight and hearing cannot stand before mighty thunder and lightning; first, because they come with vehemence; and secondly, because their potency suddenly surprises and astounds our feebleness. This is what happened to Paul. For the potency of the light suddenly surprised his feeble eyes and injured them. But the greatness of the voice brought low his strength and entered his ears and opened them. For they had been closed up by Jewish contentiousness as by wax. For the voice did not plough up the ears, as the light injured the eyeballs. Why? But because it was meet that he should hear, but not that he should see. Therefore the doors of hearing were opened by the voice as by a key: but the doors of sight were shut by the light that should open them. Why then was it meet that he should hear? Clearly because by that voice our Lord was able to reveal Himself as being persecuted by Saul. For He was not able to show Himself by sight as being persecuted; for there was no way whereby this should be, that the son of David should be seen fleeing and Saul pursuing after Him. For this happened in very deed with that first Saul and with the first David. The one was pursuing; the other was being persecuted; they both of them saw and were seen, each by the other. But here the ear alone could hear of the persecution of the Son of David; the eye could not see that He was being persecuted. For it was in [the person of] others He was being persecuted, while He was Himself in heaven;— He Who beforetime had been persecuted in His own person while He was upon earth. Therefore the ears [of Saul] were opened and his eyes were closed. And He Who by sight could not represent Himself before Saul as persecuted, represented Himself by word before him as persecuted; when he cried and said — Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? Accordingly, his eyes were closed, because they could not see the persecution of Christ; but his ears were opened, because they could hear of His persecution. So then although the eyes of Moses were bodily eyes, as those of Paul, yet his inward eyes were Christian; for Moses wrote of Me, John 5:46 but the outward eyes of Paul were open, while the inward [eyes] were shut. Then because the inward eyes of Moses shone clear, his outward eyes also were made to shine clearly. But the outward eyes of Paul were closed, that by the closing of those that were outward, there might come to pass the opening of those that were inward. For he who by the outward eyes was not able to see the Lord in His signs, he when those bodily eyes were closed, saw with those within. And because he had received the proof in his own person, he wrote to those who had their bodily eyes full of light — May He illumine the eyes of your hearts. Ephesians 1:18 Therefore the signs manifested to the external eyes of the Jews, profited them not at all; but faith of the heart opened the eyes of the heart of the Gentiles. But because, had Moses come down in his accustomed aspect from the mountain, without that shining of countenance, and said, I saw there the glory of God, the faithless fathers would not have believed him; so also, had Paul, without suffering blindness of his eyes, said, I heard the voice of Christ, the sons who crucified Christ would not have received it as true. Therefore He set on Moses as in love, an excelling sign of splendour, that the deceivers might believe that he had seen the Divine glory; but on Saul, as on a persecutor, He set the hateful sign of blindness, that the liars might believe that he had heard the words of Christ; that so you might not again speak against Moses, and that these might not doubt concerning Paul. For God set signs on the bodies of the blind, and sent them to those who were in error, who used to make signs upon the borders of their garments. But they remembered not the signs on their garments, and in the signs of the body they greatly erred. The fathers who saw the glory of Moses, did not obey Moses; nor did the sons who saw the blindness of Paul believe Paul. But three times in the desert they threatened to stone Moses and his house with stones as dogs. For all congregation bade stone them with stones. Numbers 14:10 And thrice they scourged Paul with rods as a dog on his body. [?] Thrice was I beaten with rods. 2 Corinthians 11:25 These are the lions who through their love for their Lord were beaten as dogs and were torn as flocks of sheep, those flocks that used to stone their guardian shepherds, in order that ravening wolves might rule over them.
33. But the crucifiers who corrupted the soldiers with a bribe, they perhaps said concerning Paul —The disciples have bribed him with a bribe; therefore he associates with the disciples. For those who by the giving of a bribe strove that the resurrection of our Lord might not be preached, slandered Paul with the name of a bribe, that his revelation might not be believed. Therefore the voice astonished him, and the light blinded him, that his astonishment might pacify his violence, and his blindness might put to shame his slanderers. For the voice astounded his hearing in this, that it said meekly to him —(Saul, why do you persecute Me?): and the light blinded his sight, that when the slanderers should have said that he had received a bribe, and thereby was suborned to lie, his blindness which had been brought about by that light might confute them, showing that it was through it that he had been driven to speak what was true. So that those who supposed that his hands had received a bribe, and that because of it his lips lied, might know that his eyes had given up their light and because of this his lips proclaimed the truth. But again for another reason the meek voice accompanied the overpowering light; namely, that as it were from meekness unto exaltation our Lord might produce help for the persecutor; in like manner as also all His helps were produced, from lowliness unto greatness. For our Lord's meekness continued from the womb to the tomb. And observe that greatness comes close upon His lowliness, and exaltation on His meekness. For whereas His greatness was observed in various things, His Divinity was revealed by glorious signs; that it might be known that the One Who stood among them, was not one but two. For His nature is not humble nature alone, nor is it an exalted nature alone; but there are two natures that are mingled, the one with the other; the exalted and the humble.
Therefore these two natures show forth their qualities; so that by the quality of each of the two, mankind might distinguish between the two; that it might not be supposed that He was merely one — He Who was two by commingling: but that it might be known that He was two in respect of the blending, though He was one in respect of His Being. These things our Lord, through His humility and exaltation, taught to Paul also in the way to Damascus.
34. For our Lord appeared to Saul in meekness, since meekness was close to His greatness; that because of His greatness it might be known Who He is Who spoke meekly. For even as His disciples preached on earth of our Lord in meekness and in exaltation — in the meekness of His persecution, and in the exaltation of His signs, — so also our Lord preached of Himself in meekness and in exaltation in Paul's presence — in the exaltation of the potency of the light which flashed, and in the meekness of that meek voice which said; Saul, why do you persecute Me?— so that the preaching of Him which His disciples preached concerning Him in presence of many, should be like to that preaching which He preached concerning Himself. But even as, if He had not spoken meekly, it would not have been made known there that He was meek, so, had He not appeared there as an overpowering light, it would not have been made known there that He was exalted.
35. And if you should say; What necessity was there that He should speak humbly? Could He not have convinced him also through the greatness of the light? Know, you who question, that this rejoinder may be returned to you; that because it was necessary that He should speak humbly, He therefore spoke humbly. For by Him Who is wise in all things, there was done there nothing that was not meet to be done. For He Who has given knowledge to artificers to do each thing severally with the instrument meet for it, does He not Himself know that which He gives others the power of knowing? Therefore whatsoever has been wrought or is being wrought by the Godhead, that very thing that is wrought by Him at that time, is for the furtherance of [God's] working at that time, even though to the blind the Divine orderings seem contrariwise. But that we may not restrain by constraint of words a wise enquirer, one that wishes to grow by true persuasion as the seed by the rain-drops; know, O enquirer, that because Saul was a persecutor, but our Lord was endeavouring to make him persecuted instead of persecutor, therefore He of His wisdom made haste to cry — Saul, why do you persecute Me?— in order that, when Saul who was being made a disciple, heard Him Who was making him a disciple, saying, Why do you persecute Me? he might know that the Master Whose servant he was becoming, was a persecuted Master, and so might quickly cast away the persecution of his former masters, and might clothe himself in the persecuted state of his persecuted Master. Now any master who wishes to teach a man anything, teaches him either by deeds or by words. But if he teach him neither by words nor by deeds, the man cannot be instructed in his craft. So that, even though our Lord did not teach Paul humility by deeds, yet by voice He taught him endurance of persecution which He could not teach him by deed. For before our Lord was crucified, He taught His disciples humble endurance of persecution by deed. But after He had finished His persecution by crucifixion, as He said, Lo! All things are finished. John 19:30 He could not vainly return and begin again anything which once for all had been wisely finished. Or why again do you seek for the crucifixion and shame of the Son of God?
36. For even though our Lord in His grace had beforetime brought the majesty of His Godhead into humility, yet afterwards in His justice He willed not again to bring back to humiliation the littleness of manhood which had been made great. But because it was necessary that the persecuting disciple should learn endurance of persecution, while yet it was impossible that the Master should again come down and be persecuted afresh; He taught him by voice that which could not be taught by deeds. Saul, why do you persecute Me? The explanation of which utterance is this —Saul, why are you not persecuted in Me? But in order that Saul might not suppose that it was because of His weakness our Lord was persecuted, the strength of the overpowering light which shone upon him, convinced him. For if the eyes of Saul could not endure the shining of that light, how could the hands of Saul bind and fetter the disciples of the Lord of that light? But his hands had fettered the disciples, that he might learn their power in their bonds; while his eyes could not endure the beams, that by their strength he might learn his own weakness. But had not the power of that light shone upon him, when the Lord said to him; Saul, why do you persecute Me? Then because of the madness of the pride wherein Paul was set up at that time, he would perhaps have said this to Him, I am persecuting You for this reason, because You have said, Why do you persecute Me? For who is there that would not persecute You, when You, with such strength, trouble Your persecutor with these feeble cries. But the humility of our Lord was heard in the voice, and the power of the light shone forth in the beams. So Paul could not despise the humility of the voice, because of the glory of the light.
37. Thus were his ears brought into discipleship to the voice which he heard, because his eyes sufficed not to endure the beams which they saw. That marvel of the dawning of the light was shed forth upon his eyeballs and did them hurt; and the voice of the Lord of the light entered his ears, but did them no harm. But between the light and the Lord of the light, which ought to have been the stronger? For if the light which was created by Him was so overpowering, how much more overpowering He by Whom this very light was created! But if the Lord of the light was overpowering, as indeed He is overpowering, how did His voice enter the hearing and not harm it? Even as that light which hurt the sight? But hear the wonder and the marvel which our Lord wrought by His grace. For our Lord willed not to humble that light which is His; but He being Lord of the light humbled Himself. But as the Lord of the light is greater than the light which is His, so great is the glory that the Lord of the light should humble Himself rather than humble the light.
38. As also in the night, while He was praying, it is written — There appeared to Him an angel strengthening Him. Luke 22:43 But here all mouths, celestial and terrestrial, are insufficient to give thanks to Him by Whose hand the angels were created; that He was strengthened for the sake of sinners by that angel who was created by His hand. As then the angel from above stood in glory and in brightness, while the Lord of the angel, that He might exalt man who was degraded, stood in degradation and humility; so also here that light flashed forth in manifestation; but the Lord of the light, for the sake of helping one persecutor, spoke with humble voice and lowly words.
39. For this cause therefore that light which was overpowering, because it was not diminished, entered the eyeballs with overpowering manifestation and injured them. But the Lord of the light, because He had lowered Himself in order to help, His lowly voice entered the ears that had need and helped them. But in order that the help of that voice which had become lowly, might not fail Him, therefore the strength of that light was not lowered, in order that because of that light, which was not lowered, the help of that voice which was lowered, might be believed. But this is a marvel, that until our Lord made Himself lowly in voice, Paul was not made lowly in deed; for even as, before He came down and clothed Himself in a body, our Lord was in exaltation with His Father; yet in His exaltation men did not learn humility; but when He humbled Himself and came down from His exaltation, then by His humbleness humility was soon among men; so again after His resurrection and ascension He was in glory at the right hand of God His Father, but by that His exaltation, Paul did not learn humility. Therefore He that was exalted and sat at the right hand of His Father, ceased from glorious and lofty speech, and He cried as one wronged and oppressed, with feeble and meek words, saying — Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? Thus, humble words prevailed over harsh bridles. For by humble words, as by bridles, the persecuted led the persecutor from the broad way of the persecutors into the narrow way of the persecuted. And since all the signs that were done in the Name of our Lord did not convince Paul, our Lord made haste to meet with humility him who was hastening on the way to Damascus in the vehemence of pride. Thus by His humble words, the harsh vehemence of pride was checked.
40. He then Who used humble words with Paul His persecutor, He also used humble sayings with the Pharisee. For so great is the power of humility that even God Who overcomes all did not overcome without it. Humility was able also in the wilderness to bear the burden of the stiff-necked people. For against the people who were more stubborn than all men, was set Moses who was more meek than all men. For God Who needs not anything, when He had set free the people, afterwards had need of the humility of Moses, that this humility might endure the wrath and murmuring of the People that provoked him. For humility alone could endure the gainsayings of that people, which the signs of Egypt and the prodigies (wrought) in the desert could not subdue. For when pride had wrought divisions among the people, humility by its prayer used to close up their divisions. If then the humility of the Stammerer endured six hundred thousand, how much more exceedingly did the humility of Him, Who gave speech to the Stammerer endure? For the humility of Moses is a shadow of the humility of our Lord.
41. Our Lord then saw that Simon the Pharisee did not believe the signs and wonders which he had seen. He came to him to persuade him with humble words; and humble utterances overcame him, whom mighty wonders had not overcome. What then are the wonders which that Pharisee had seen? He had seen the dead raised to life, the lepers cleansed, the blind with eyes opened. These signs compelled that Pharisee to entertain our Lord as a prophet. But he who entertained Him as a prophet, changed so as to despise Him for one who had not knowledge, saying (namely);— Had this man been a prophet, He would have known that this woman— who had approached Him — is a sinner. But we may despise the Pharisee and say, Had he been a man of discernment, he would have learned from that sinful woman, who approached our Lord, not that He was a prophet, but the Lord of the Prophets. For the tears of the sinful woman testified, that it was not a prophet they were propitiating, but Him, Who, as God, was angry with her sins. For, because the prophets sufficed not to raise sinners to life, the Lord of the prophets came down to heal those who were in evil case. But what physician is there who hinders the smitten, that they should not come to him, O blind Pharisee, as it befell that she came to our Physician! For why did the smitten woman approach Him — she, whose wounds were healed by her tears? He Who had come down to be a fountain of healing among the diseased, was proclaiming this — Let every one that is thirsty, come and drink. John 7:37 But when the Pharisees, this man's companions, murmured at the healing of sinners, the Physician taught concerning His art, that the door is opened for the diseased and not for the whole, for they that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick. Matthew 9:12 Therefore the praise of the physician is the healing of the diseased — that the shame of the Pharisee who reproved the praise of our physician may be greater. But our Lord used to show signs in the streets; and also when He entered into the house of the Pharisee, He showed signs which were greater than those He had shown outside. For in the street He made whole the bodies that were sick, but within He healed the souls that were diseased. Outside, He raised to life the mortality of Lazarus: but within, He raised to life the mortality of the sinful woman. He restored the living soul to the corpse from which it had gone out; and He expelled from the sinful woman the deadly sin which dwelt within her. But the blind (Pharisee) who was insufficient for great things, because of the great things which he saw not, belied those small things which he had seen. For he was a son of Israel who attributed weakness to his God, and not to himself. For (Israel said), Though He smote the rock and the waters flowed, can He also give us bread? But when our Lord saw his weakness, that it missed the great things and, because of them, the small things also, He hasted to put forward a simple word, as though for a babe that was being reared on milk, and was not capable of solid food.
42. For by that wherein you knew, O Pharisee, that our Lord was not a prophet, by that very thing it was proved that you did not know the prophets. For by this that you said — Had this man been a prophet, he would have known, you show herein that (in your esteem) whoever is a prophet knows all things. But lo! some matters were hidden from the prophets; how then do you attribute the revelation of all hidden things to the prophets? But this unwise teacher who perverted the scriptures of the Prophets, did not even understand what he read in the scriptures. For it was not only that the greatness of the Lord was not discerned by that Pharisee, but he did not even discern the weakness of the prophets. For our Lord, as knowing all things, allowed that sinful woman to come in and receive His peace. But Elisha, as one ignorant, said to the Shunamite;— Peace to you and peace be to the child. 2 Kings 4:26 Accordingly he who supposed that our Lord was proved not to be a prophet, was himself proved not to know the Prophets. When the mind contains malice and cannot refrain, then that malice which is in it, is cunning in finding a pretext for opening a door; but in case that pretext, in which the deceiver takes refuge is confuted, he knows that within this there is another concealed which he may employ.
Now observe this son of Israel, how he was like Israel in stubbornness. For heathenism was bound up in the mind of the People; therefore Moses was taken away from them, that the wickedness that was within them might become manifest. But that they might not be put to shame, and that it might not be known how they were seeking idols, they first sought for Moses, and then for idols. As for this Moses, we know not what has become of him. Exodus 32:1 And if God, Who cannot die, brought you out of Egypt, why do you seek for a man, who at some time must die? Yet they did not desire Moses, that he should become a god to them; because Moses could hear and see and reprove; but they sought for a god who could neither hear nor see nor reprove. But whenever Moses shall have died, what shall remain of him? For behold, your God is a living God, and lo! He has revealed Himself to you by living testimonies. For the bright cloud was at that time overshadowing them, and they had the pillar of light in the night-time. Water flowed for them from the rock, and they drank its streams. They were delighted every day by tasting that manna, the fame of which we have heard. How was Moses far from you? Behold the signs of Moses surround you. Or how does the person of Moses profit you, when you have such a guide as this? If your garments wear not old, and a temperate air refreshes you, if the heat and the cold do not hurt you, and you have rest from war, and art far removed from the fear of Egypt — what thing then was lacking to Israel that he sought for Moses? Open heathenism was lacking to him. For it was not for Moses that he sought, but on the pretext of Moses' absence he followed after the calf. Thus briefly have we showed, that when the mind is full of anything, but an opposing reason meets it, then it forces it by violence to open for it a door to that which it desires.
43. You too, O Pharisee, thirsty for blasphemy, what did you see in our Lord, to show that He was not a prophet? For lo! The things that belong to the Lord of the Prophets were seen in Him. For the gushing tears made haste to proclaim that they were shed as before God. The sorrowing kisses testified that they sought to win over the creditor to tear up the debt-bonds. The goodly ointment of the sinful woman proclaimed that it was a bribe of penitence. These medicines the sinful woman offered to her Physician, that by her tears He might wash away her stains, by her kisses He might heal her wounds, by her sweet ointment He might make her evil name sweet as the odour of her ointment. This is the Physician who heals men by the medicines which they bring to Him. These marvels were shown at that time; but to the Pharisee instead of these there appeared blasphemy. For what could be established in the weeping of the sinful woman, but that He can justify sinners? Else, judge in your mind, O blind teacher, why was that mournful weeping in the joyful feast, so that, while they were making merry with food, she was in bitterness with her tears? Because she was a sinner, her deeds were unchaste, and these (deeds) she was wont to do. But if at that time, from the wantonness of sinners she was turned to chastity, then acknowledge, you who said He is not a prophet, that He is One who makes those chaste that have been wanton. For by this, that you know that she is a sinner, and by this, that you see her now penitent, search out where is the power that changed her. For he ought to have fallen down and worshipped Him Who, while silent, in His silence turned to chastity those sinners whom the Prophets by their vehement utterances could not turn to chastity. A wonderful and marvellous thing was seen in the house of the Pharisee; a sinful woman that sat and wept, and she who wept said not wherefore she wept; nor did He at Whose feet she sat say to her, Why do you weep? The sinner did not need with her lips to petition our Lord, because she believed that He knew, as God, the petitions that were hidden in her tears. Nor did our Lord ask her, What have you done? For He knew that by her pure kisses she was atoning for her transgressions. So then she, because she believed that He knew the things that were hidden, offered to Him her prayers in her heart; for knowing secret things He had no need of the outward lips. If then the sinner, because she knew that our Lord was God, sought not to persuade Him with her lips; and our Lord, because as God He discerned her thoughts, therefore questioned her not; do you not, O tyrant Pharisee, from the silence of both understand the position of both; that she was praying as to God in her heart, and that He as God was in silence searching out her thoughts? But the Pharisee could not see and understand these things, because he was a son of Israel who though perceiving, saw not, and though he heard, understood not. Though then our Lord knew that that Pharisee thought evil thoughts concerning Him, He confuted him gently and not harshly. For sweetness came down from on high to break down the bitterness with which the Evil One had stamped us. Therefore our Lord taught that Pharisee of Himself and in Himself, as though saying, Even as I, though I knew the evil things in your heart, yet gently persuaded you, so though I knew the evil things of this woman, I mercifully received her.
But let us hear how long-suffering was drawn after the hasty thought, so as to draw it from haste to understanding. A certain creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred dinars, and the other fifty dinars. — (Be not wearied, O hearer, at the length of the repetition of the parable, lest you be contrary to Him Who in the parable was long-suffering for the sake of giving help.)— At length, when neither of them had wherewithal to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them do you think would love him more? Simon said to Him, I suppose that he, to whom more was forgiven. Our Lord said to him, You have rightly judged. Our Lord in His justice commended the perverse (Pharisee), because of the right judgment, which he had judged, though he in his wickedness had answered the good Lord concerning the mercy He had wrought. Now many things are laid up in this parable; for it is a treasury full of many helps. Why then did our Lord require that the Pharisee should pass judgment for Him between the two debtors? Was it not that the greatness, coming after the littleness, might show itself that nothing of the littleness was drawn after the greatness? For our Lord, since He knew the secret things, was long-suffering and questioned Simon, that those might be put to shame who, though not knowing, were hasty to blame, but not to enquire. For if, O man, before I heard your judgment passed, I judged not of it, why did you, before you heard from Me, the case of the sinful woman, hastily blame? Now this was done for our instruction, that we might be swift to enquire, but slow to pass our sentence. For had that Pharisee been long-suffering, lo! That pardon which our Lord in the end gave to the sinful woman, would have taught him everything. Long-suffering is wont to acquire all things for those that acquire it.
44. But again; through the forgiveness of the two debtors, our Lord led into forgiveness him who was in need of forgiveness, yet in whose eyes the forgiveness of debts was hateful. For though the debts of the Pharisee himself needed forgiveness, yet the forgiveness of the debts of the sinful woman was hateful in his eyes. For had there been this forgiveness of debts in the mind of the Pharisee, it would not have been in his eyes disgraceful that that sinful woman should have come for forgiveness of her debts to God and not to the priests; for the priests could not forgive sins such as those. But this sinful woman from the glorious works which our Lord did, believed that He could also forgive sins. For she knew that whoever is able to restore the members of the body, is able also to cleanse away the spots of the soul. But the Pharisee, though he was a teacher, did not know this. For the teachers of Israel were wont to be fools, put to shame by the despised and vile. For they were put to shame by that blind man to whom they said — We know that this man is a sinner. John 9:24-31 But he said to them:— How did He open my eyes? Lo! God hears not sinners. John 9:24-31 These are the blind teachers who were made guides to others; and their perverse path was made straight by a blind man.
45. But hear the marvel that our Lord wrought. Because that Pharisee supposed that our Lord did not know that the woman who touched Him was a sinner; our Lord made the lips of the Pharisee like the strings of a harp; and by his very lips He sang how she was trampling under foot his sins, though he knew it not. And he who as though he knew had blamed, was found to be a harp, whereto another could sing of that which he knew. For our Lord compared the sins of the sinful woman to five hundred dinars, and caused them to pass into the hearing of the Pharisee by the parable which he heard; and again brought them forth from his mouth in the judgment he gave; though Simon knew not, when he was judging, that those five hundred dinars denoted the sins of the sinful woman. And (the Pharisee) who thought concerning our Lord that He had not knowledge of her sins, was himself found not to have knowledge of them, when he heard of those debts in the parable, and gave judgment concerning them with his voice. But when it was explained to him at last by our Lord, then the Pharisee knew that alike his ears and also his lips were, as it were, instruments for our Lord, through which He might sing the glories of His knowledge.
For this Pharisee was the fellow of those scribes, whose sentence by their own mouths our Lord gave against them — What then will the Lord of the vineyard do to those husbandmen? Matthew 21:40-44 They say unto Him, against themselves:— He will terribly destroy them, and will hire out the vineyard to husbandmen who will render unto Him the fruit in its season. This is the Godhead to which all things are easy, which by the mouths, the very mouths that blasphemed it, pronounced the sentence of those very mouths against them.
46. Glory then be to Him the Invisible, who clothed Himself in invisibility, that sinners might he able to draw near to Him. For our Lord did not repel the sinful woman as the Pharisee expected; inasmuch as He descended from the height which no man can reach unto, altogether in order that lowly publicans, like Zaccheus, might reach unto Him. And the Nature which none can handle, clothed Itself in a body, altogether in order that all lips Isaiah 6:7 might kiss His feet as the sinful woman did. For the sacred soul was hidden within the veil of flesh, and so touched all unclean lips and sanctified them. Thus He Whom His appetite was supposed to invite to feasting, His feet invited to tears; He was the good Physician, who came forth to go to the sinful woman who was seeking Him in her soul. She then anointed the feet of our Lord, who (anointed) not His head — she who was trodden down in the dust by all. For those Pharisees who justified themselves and despised all (else), trod her down. But He the Merciful, Whose pure body sanctified her uncleanness, had pity on her.
47. But Mary anointed the head of our Lord's body, Matthew 26:7 as a token of the better part which she had chosen. And Christ prophesied concerning that which her soul had chosen. While Martha was cumbered with serving, Mary was hungering to be satisfied with spiritual things by Him Who also satisfies us with bodily things. So Mary refreshed Him with precious ointment, as He had refreshed her with His exalted teaching. Mary by the oil showed forth the mystery of His mortality, Who by His teaching mortified the concupiscence of her flesh. Thus the sinful woman by the flood of her tears, in full assurance was rewarded with remission of sins from beside His feet; and she who had the issue of blood, stole healing from the hem of His garment. But Mary received blessing openly from His mouth, as a reward of the service of her hands upon His head. For she poured out on His head the precious ointment, and received from His mouth a wonderful promise. This is the ointment which was sown above and yielded fruit below. For she sowed it on His head and gathered its fruit from between His lips — She shall have a name and this memorial in every place where My Gospel shall be preached. Matthew 26:13 Accordingly, what she then received of Him, He is able to cause to pass unto all generations: and in no generation can any hinder it. For the ointment which she poured upon His head, gave its odour in presence of all the guests and refreshed Him; so also the goodly name which He gave her, passes down through all generations and brings honour to her. Even as all who were at the feast were sensible of her ointment; it was meet that all who come into the world should be sensible of her triumph. This is a loan whereof the increase is exacted in all generations.
48. Now Simeon the priest, when he took Him up in his arms to present Him before God, Luke 2:28 understood as he saw [Him] that He was not presenting Him, but was being himself presented. For the Son was not presented by the servant to His Father, but the servant was presented by the Son to his Lord. For it is not possible that He, by Whom every offering is presented, should be presented by another. For the offering does not present him that offers it; but by them that offer are offerings presented. So then He Who receives offerings gave Himself to be offered by another, that those who presented Him, while offering Him, might themselves be presented by Him. For as He gave His body to be eaten, that when eaten It might quicken to life them that ate Him; so He gave Himself to be offered, that by His Cross the hands of them that offered Him might be sanctified. So, then, though the arms of Simeon seemed to be presenting the Son, yet the words of Simeon testified that he was presented by the Son. Therefore we can have no dispute concerning this, because that which was said put an end to dispute — Now let Your servant depart in peace. Luke 2:29 He then who is let depart to go in peace to God, is presented as an offering to God. And in order to make known by whom he was presented, he said — For lo! My eyes have seen Your mercy. Luke 2:30 If there was no grace wrought on him, why then did he give thanks? But rightly did he give thanks, that he was thought worthy to receive in his arms Him, Whom angels and prophets greatly desired to see. For lo! my eyes have seen Your mercy. Let us understand then and see. Is mercy that which shows mercy to another, or is it that which receives mercy from another? But if mercy is that which shows mercy to all, well did Simeon call our Lord by the name of the mercy that showed mercy to him — Him Who freed him from the world which is full of snares, that he might go to Eden which is full of pleasures; for he who was priest said and testified that he was offered as an offering, that from the midst of the perishing world he should go and be stored up in the treasure-house which is kept safe. For one for whom it may be that what he has found should be lost, to him it belongs to be diligent that it should be kept safe. But for our Lord it could not be that He should be lost; but by Him the lost were found. So then, through the Son Who could not be lost, the servant who was very desirous not to be lost, was presented. Lo! My eyes have seen Your mercy. It is evident Simeon received grace from that Child Whom he was carrying. For inwardly he received grace from that Infant, Whom openly he received in his arms. For through Him Who was glorious, even when He was carried, being small and feeble, he that carried Him was made great.
49. But inasmuch as Simeon endured to carry on his weak arms that Majesty which the creatures could not endure, it is evident that his weakness was made strong by the strength which he carried. For at that time Simeon also along with all creatures was secretly upheld by the almighty strength of the Son. Now this is a marvel, that outwardly it was he that was strengthened that carried Him Who strengthened him; but inwardly it was the strength that bore its bearer. For the Majesty straitened itself, that they who carried it might endure it; in order that as far as that Majesty stooped to our littleness, so far should our love be raised up from all desires to reach that Majesty.
50. So likewise the ship that carried our Lord; it was He that bare it, in that He stayed from it the wind that would have sunk it. Peace, for you are shut up. While He was on the sea, His arm reached even to the fountain of the wind, Mark 4:39 to shut it up. The ship bare His manhood, but the power of His Godhead bare the ship and all that was therein. But that He might show that even His manhood needed not the ship, instead of the planks which a shipwright puts together and fastens, He like the Architect of creation, made the waters solid and joined them together and laid them under His feet. So the Lord strengthened the hands of Simeon the Priest, that his arms might bear up in the Temple the strength that was bearing up all; as He strengthened the feet of Simeon the Apostle, that they might bear themselves up on the water. And so that name which bore the first-begotten in the Temple was afterwards borne up by the first-begotten in the sea; that He might show that as in the sea the drowning was borne up by Him, He did not need to be borne by Simeon on the dry ground. But our Lord bare Simeon up openly in the midst of the sea to teach that also on the dry land He supported him secretly.
51. Accordingly, the Son came to the servant; not that the Son might be presented by the servant, but that by the Son the servant might present to His Lord Priesthood and Prophecy, to be laid up with Him. For prophecy and priesthood, which were given through Moses, were handed down, both of them, and reached to Simeon. For he was a pure vessel, who sanctified himself that he might be like Moses, capable for both of them. There are small vessels which are capable for great gifts. There are gifts for which one is capable, by reason of their grace; yet many are not capable for them, by reason of their greatness. Thus, then, Simeon presented our Lord, and in Him offered both these things; so that that which was given to Moses in the wilderness, was received from Simeon in the Temple. But seeing that our Lord is the vessel wherein all fullness dwells, when Simeon was offering Him before God, he poured over Him (as a drink-offering) those two (gifts), priesthood from His hands and prophecy from His lips. Priesthood continued on the hands of Simeon, because of his purifications; and prophecy dwelt in operation upon his lips, because of revelations. When then these two powers saw Him who was Lord of both, they two united together and poured themselves into the vessel that was capable of both; that could contain priesthood and kingdom and prophecy. That Infant then, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes, because of His graciousness, clothed Himself in priesthood and prophecy because of His Majesty. For Simeon clothed Him in these, and gave Him to her who had wrapped Him in swaddling clothes. For when he gave Him to His mother, he gave along with Him the priesthood; and when he prophesied to her concerning Him, This (child) is set for the fall and rising again, Luke 2:34 he gave prophecy also with Him.
52. Then Mary received her firstborn and went forth. He was outwardly wrapped in swaddling clothes, but secretly He was clothed with prophecy and priesthood. Whatsoever then was handed down from Moses, was received from Simeon, but continued and was possessed by the Lord of both. So then the steward first, and the treasurer lastly, handed over the keys of priesthood and prophecy to Him who has authority over the treasurer of them both. Therefore, His Father gave Him the spirit not by measure, John 3:34 because all measures of the spirit are under his hand. And that our Lord might show that He received the keys from the former stewards, He said to Simeon: To you I will give the keys of the doors. Matthew 16:19 But how should He have given them to another, had He not received them from another? So, then, the keys which He had received from Simeon the priest, them He gave to another Simeon the Apostle; that even though the People had not hearkened to the former Simeon, the Gentiles might hearken to the latter Simeon.
53. But because John also was the treasurer of baptism, the Lord of the stewardship came to him to receive from him the keys of the house of reconciliation. For John used to wash away in common water the blemishes of sins; that bodies might become meet for the garment of the Spirit, given by our Lord. Therefore, because the Spirit was with the Son, He came to John to receive from him baptism, that He might mingle with the visible waters the invisible Spirit; that they whose bodies should feel the moistening of the water, their souls should feel the gift of the Spirit; that even as the bodies outwardly feel the pouring of the water upon them, so the souls inwardly may feel the pouring of the Spirit upon them. Accordingly, even us our Lord when He was baptism and carried baptism with Him, so also when He was presented in the Temple, He put on prophecy and priesthood, and went forth bearing the purity of the priesthood upon His pure members, and bearing the words of prophecy in His wondrous ears. For when Simeon was sanctifying the body of the Child who sanctifies all, that body received the priesthood in its sanctification. And again, when Simeon was prophesying over Him, prophecy quickly entered the hearing of the Child. For if John leaped in the womb and perceived the voice of the Mother of our Lord, Luke 1:41 how much more should our Lord have heard in the Temple? For lo! It was because of Him that John knew (so as) to hear in the womb.
54. Accordingly, each one of the gifts that was stored up for the Son, He gathered from their true tree. For He received baptism from the Jordan, even though John still after Him used to priesthood from the Temple, even though Annas the High Priest exercised it. And again, He received prophecy which had been handed down among the righteous, even though by it Caiaphas in mockery platted a crown for our Lord, and He received the kingdom from the house of David, even though Herod held the place and exercised it.
55. This is He Who flew and came down from on high; and when all those gifts which He had given to those of old time saw Him, they came flying from every quarter and rested on Him their Giver. For they gathered themselves together from every side, to come and be grafted into their natural tree. For they had been grafted into bitter trees, namely into wicked kings and priests. Therefore they hastened to come to their sweet parent-stock; namely to the Godhead Who in sufficiency came down to the people of Israel, that the parts of Him might be gathered to Him. And when He received of them that which was His own, that which was not His own was rejected; since for the sake of His own He had borne also with that which was not His own. For He bore with the idolatry of Israel, for the sake of His priesthood; and He bore with its diviners, for the sake of His prophets; and He bore with its wicked dominion, for the sake of His holy crown.
56. But when our Lord took to Himself Priesthood from them, He sanctified by it all the Gentiles. And again, when He took to Himself prophecy, He revealed by it His counsels to all nations. And when he wove His crown, He bound the strong One who takes all men captive, and divides his spoils. These gifts were barren, with the fig-tree, which while it was barren of fruit made barren such glorious powers as these. Therefore as being without fruit, it was cut off, that these gifts might pass forth from it and bring forth fruit abundantly among all the Gentiles.
57. So He, Who came to make our bodies abodes for His indwelling, passed by all those dwelling-places. Let each one of us then be a dwelling-place for Him Who loves me. Let us come to Him and make our abode with Him. This is the Godhead Whom though all creation cannot contain, yet a lowly and humble soul suffices to receive Him.
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| Russia attacks Ukraine |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-24-2022, 08:52 AM - Forum: Global News
- Replies (1)
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Excerpt:
Putin Launches "Special Military Operation" In Ukraine, Kiev Calls It "Full-Scale Invasion"
ZH | FEB 24, 2022
LIVE FEED from Kiev:
Russian Ministry of Defense: "Military infrastructure, air defense facilities, military airfields and aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are being put out of action by high-precision means of destruction."
- RUSSIA IS ATTACKING UKRAINE'S MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH HIGH-PRECISION WEAPONS - RIA CITES RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY
- RUSSIA SAYS IT'S TARGETING UKRAINE ANTI-AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS: IFX
- RUSSIA: USING HIGH PRECISION STRIKES ON UKRAINE MILITARY: IFX
- ZELENSKIY: UKRAINE IS INTRODUCING MARTIAL LAW
- UKRAINE IMPOSES MARTIAL LAW ACROSS THE COUNTRY: ZELENSKIY
- RUSSIAN DEFMIN: NO THREAT TO UKRAINE POPULATION: TASS
- UKRAINE PRESIDENT SAYS RUSSIA CARRIED OUT MISSILE STRIKES ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ON OUR BORDER GUARDS
- RUSSIAN-BACKED REBELS SAY START ATTACK ON UKRAINE-CONTROLLED TOWN NEAR LUHANSK - IFAX
Ukraine is urging the following action:
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| Catholic Seed Company: St. Clare Heirloom Seed Company |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-23-2022, 06:24 PM - Forum: General Commentary
- Replies (1)
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From their website:
About Us
St. Clare Heirloom Seeds is a family owned and operated online business. What began as a hobby has developed into a mission for us. We have always loved gardening, and believe it is vitally important for the future of all to spread the use and preservation of heirloom and open-pollinated seeds. Genetic diversity is in danger with hybrid seeds and Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) becoming more and more common.
Our company only sells Non-Hybrid, Non-GMO, Untreated, Heirloom and Open-Pollinated garden seeds, that you can save and regrow, trusting them to be true-to-type. Enabling you to provide a safe and healthy food source for your family right from your own backyard. It is our pledge that we will never knowingly buy or sell hybrid, treated, or genetically engineered seeds. It is our goal, to ensure, with the help of our customers, that the many wonderful garden seed varieties trusted for generations will be preserved and available for the generations to come. We want to make sure that those good old-fashioned, great tasting, non-hybrid, good for you seeds cherished and grown by so many of our ancestors will still be around in the years ahead!
Part of our mission in spreading this genetic diversity is offering you as many heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable seed varieties as we can, at an affordable price. We work to provide you with a large selection of garden seeds to choose from. If there is a specific vegetable variety you would like to see us carry, please e-mail us, we will see what we can do to obtain it. Our desire is to serve our customers, and to make your buying experience enjoyable. Let us know how we are doing, please send comments and/or suggestions to: email@stclareseeds.com.
Not only can you find here the seeds you need for a self-sufficient growing experience, but also the planting/growing and harvest instructions for each kind of vegetable, as well as other pertinent or interesting information, to help your gardening experience be a full success. Our products also include a large selection of books to help you in growing your own food, to have a wealth of helpful information at your fingertips. The titles we carry cover a number of subjects including, gardening, seed saving, organic gardening, plant propagation, preserving food, cooking the harvest, country living and traditional skills, ensuring you the information you need to grow and save heirloom and open-pollinated seeds, and helping you to begin the path to self-sufficiency.
Other products we carry include, worm castings, a helpful Garden Planner, and seed saving envelopes. We have been very pleased with these envelopes ourselves, and they are a popular favorite with many of our customers! Our desire in choosing the items we carry is to help make your gardening experience enjoyable and as easy as possible.
Our family believes in the freedoms our country’s founders fought to establish, and we are doing our part to make sure that generations to come will have the ability to grow the seeds they want, and to provide their families with their own delicious home grown goodness. It is our aspiration to preserve this rich and beautiful heritage, and to keep these freedoms we cherish alive. Please join us in this effort, and grow your own gardens from heirloom/open-pollinated seeds. God Bless America, and May God Bless You!
Sincerely,
John, Sarah, & Family
We are signers of -
The Safe Seed Pledge:
“Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative,
We pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.
The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities.”
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| DT chosen to help create global health passport |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-23-2022, 06:19 PM - Forum: Socialism & Communism
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DT chosen to help create global health passport
Telecoms.com | February 23, 2022
Among the many precedents set by the Covid pandemic is the requirement to be vaccinated before you’re allowed to travel and that’s set to become a global standard.
The World Heath Organization, which had such a great pandemic, wants to ‘facilitate’ its 194 member states to introduce digital vaccination certificates. To do so it’s setting up a ‘gateway’ to standardize the issuing of QR codes that confer privileged health status to their owner. Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems has been chosen as an industry partner to develop the vaccination validation services.
“Corona has a grip on the world,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of T-Systems. “Digitization keeps the world running. Digital vaccination certificates like the EU’s are key to this. We are pleased to be able to support the WHO in the fight against the pandemic. Health is a strategic growth area for T-Systems. Winning this contract underscores our commitment to the industry.”
Such assertions would have carried more weight a year ago but, with the UK ending all Covid-related restrictions and many other countries headed in that direction, this renewed zeal for the mandating of vaccines proven to have limited efficacy is baffling. It’s almost as if organizations like the WHO are reluctant to relinquish the massive increase in their power the pandemic conferred.
“COVID-19 affects everyone,” asserted Gerrett Mehl, Unit Head, WHO Department of Digital Health and Innovation. “Countries will therefore only emerge from the pandemic together. Vaccination certificates that are tamper-proof and digitally verifiable build trust. WHO is therefore supporting member states in building national and regional trust networks and verification technology. The WHO’s gateway service also serves as a bridge between regional systems. It can also be used as part of future vaccination campaigns and home-based records.”
It will certainly affect everyone if the WHO has anything to do with it. T-Systems is already involved in a similar scheme devised by the EU, which is presumably why it got this gig. The WHO intends this system to apply to other vaccinations too, so it’s not even hiding the planned mission creep. A system like this could easily be adapted to attach other conditions to international travel, thus facilitating a global social credit system. Fun times.
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| US Supreme Court refuses to hear case concerning religious exemptions from COVID jab mandates |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-23-2022, 10:50 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
- No Replies
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US Supreme Court refuses to hear case concerning religious exemptions from COVID jab mandates
The group of healthcare workers in Maine who are challenging the state’s mandate argued that requiring the jabs without offering a religious exemption violates the Constitution.
Tue Feb 22, 2022
WASHINGTON (LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to consider a case put forward by healthcare professionals in Maine who argue their state’s COVID jab mandate “explicitly discriminates against religious exemptions,” signaling a willingness by the Court to uphold coercive jab requirements in spite of religious objections.
The Supreme Court’s decision comes after it had previously rejected an emergency request to block the mandate last year, and leaves in place an appeals court ruling upholding the sweeping mandate.
Maine’s COVID jab mandate, announced by Democrat Gov. Janet Mills in August 2021, requires all healthcare workers in the New England State to take the experimental, abortion-tainted shots with no option for a religious exemption.
The Epoch Times reported that the group of healthcare workers challenging the mandate argued that requiring the jabs without offering a religious exemption violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution.
Many Americans harbor religious and ethical reservations about the use of cells from aborted babies in the development of the COVID-19 jabs currently on the market.
Represented by Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal group, the healthcare workers filed a lawsuit seeking to block the jab mandate last year.
However, their request for a preliminary injunction was denied by an Obama-appointed judge, and an appeals court upheld the ruling.
Petitioners then requested “emergency relief” from the U.S. Supreme Court in October 2021, and after their petition was turned down, “filed a writ of certiorari, asking justices to take time to review the lower court decisions.”
The Epoch Times reported that the petitioners “asserted the appeals court erred in its ruling, including when it found that the availability of medical exemptions without any consideration of religious exemption requests does not violate the First Amendment.”
The second request to the Supreme Court was again knocked down, with at least six of the nine Supreme Court justices on Tuesday opting to reject the petition.
Reuters noted, “The justices were divided, with three conservative members saying they would have granted the request.”
While the way each justice voted has not been publicized, when the Supreme Court rejected the group’s emergency request in October Justices Gorsuch, Thomas, and Alito dissented. Trump appointees Barrett and Kavanaugh used “discretionary consideration” to block the request.
Mathew Staver, chairman for Liberty Counsel, told the Epoch Times it was “disappointing to see the court ignoring this clear injustice.”
“We thought it was a great case for the court to take,” Staver continued, contending that Maine’s COVID jab mandate presents “a clear conflict and a clear violation of federal law.”
This isn’t the first time the Supreme Court has upheld jab mandates for healthcare employees.
In January, despite knocking down the Biden administration’s sprawling COVID jab mandate for large businesses, the Supreme Court upheld the federal healthcare worker mandate in a 6-3 ruling.
At least 10 Republican-led states have subsequently filed lawsuits against the Biden administration for its federal healthcare worker jab mandate.
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