PL 38 · cols. 746–749

Augustine, Sermones 131-137 (Classis I, de Scripturis)

Sermon CXXXV

nos: id est, Christus Filius Dei, qui dixit, Ego sum veritas (Joan. XIV, 6). Liberos nos faciet; hoc est, liberabit nos, non a barbaris, sed a diabolo; non a corporis captivitate, sed ab animae iniquitate. Solus est qui sic liberat. Nemo se liberum dicat, ne servus remaneat. Non remanebit in servitute anima nostra, quia quotidie dimittuntur debita nostra.

free us: that is, Christ the Son of God, Who said, I am the truth (John 14:6). He will make us free; that is, He will set us free, not from barbarians, but from the devil; not from captivity of the body, but from iniquity of the soul. He alone is the one Who sets free in this way. Let no one call himself free, lest he remain a slave. Our soul will not remain in slavery, because our debts are forgiven daily.

SERMO CXXXV. De verbis Evangelii Joannis, Ego veni, ut faciam opera ejus qui misit me. Contra Arianos. Et de eo quod ait illuminatus ille qui erat caecus natus, Scimus quia peccatores Deus non exaudit. Cap. IX.

Sermon 135. On the words of the Gospel of John, I came that I might do the works of Him Who sent me. Against the Arians. And on what that man who had been born blind said once he was enlightened, We know that God does not hear sinners. Chapter 9.

CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Caecitas omnium hominum a nativitate. Dominus Jesus, sicut audivimus cum sanctum Evangelium legeretur, aperuit oculos homini qui caecus erat natus. Fratres, si attendamus haereditariam poenam nostram, totus mundus caecus est. Ideo venit Christus illuminator, quia diabolus fuerat excaecator. Omnes caecos nasci fecit, qui primum hominem decepit. Currant ad illuminatorem, currant, credant, accipiant lutum de saliva factum. Saliva quasi Verbum est, terra caro est. Lavent faciem in piscina Siloae. Pertinuit autem ad Evangelistam exponere nobis quid significet Siloa, et ait, Quod interpretatur missus. Quis est ipse missus, nisi qui dixit in ipsa lectione, Ego, inquit, veni, ut faciam opera ejus qui me misit? Ecce Siloa; lavate faciem, baptizamini, ut illuminemini, et videatis qui ante non videbatis.

Chapter I. — 1. The blindness of all men from birth. The Lord Jesus, as we heard when the holy Gospel was being read, opened the eyes of a man who had been born blind. Brethren, if we consider our inherited punishment, the whole world is blind. For this reason Christ came as the enlightener, because the devil had been the blinder. He who deceived the first man caused all to be born blind. Let them run to the enlightener, let them run, let them believe, let them receive the clay made from spittle. The spittle is as it were the Word, the earth is the flesh. Let them wash their face in the pool of Siloam. Now it fell to the Evangelist to explain to us what Siloam means, and he says, Which is interpreted, sent. Who is this one sent, if not He Who said in this very reading, I, He says, came that I might do the works of Him Who sent me? Behold Siloam; wash your face, be baptized, that you may be enlightened, and that you who did not see before may see.

2. Locus ab Arianis calumniose usurpatus. Ecce primum ad hoc quod dictum est, oculos aperite: Ego, inquit, veni ut faciam opera ejus qui me misit. Jam hic existit Arianus, et dicit: Ecce videtis quia Christus non fecit opera sua, sed Patris qui eum misit. Nunquam hoc diceret, si videret, hoc est, si in ipso qui missus est, tanquam in Siloa, faciem lavaret. Quid ergo dicis? Ecce, inquit, ipse dixit. Quid dixit? Veni, ut faciam opera ejus qui me misit. Non ergo sua? Non. Et quid est quod ait ipse Siloa, ipse missus, ipse Filius, ipse Unicus quem tu quereris esse degenerem? Quid est quod ait, Omnia quae habet Pater, mea sunt (Id. XVI, 15)? Tu dicis quia opera aliena faciebat; quia dixit, Faciam opera ejus qui me misit. Ego dico quia Pater res alienas habebat; secundum cor tuum loquor. Unde mihi vis praescribere quia dixit Christus, Veni, ut faciam opera ejus, quasi non mea, sed ejus qui misit me?

2. A passage slanderously appropriated by the Arians. See, first of all, open your eyes to what has been said: I, He says, came that I might do the works of Him Who sent me. Here at once the Arian rises up and says: See, you perceive that Christ did not do His own works, but those of the Father Who sent Him. He would never say this if he could see, that is, if he washed his face in Him Who was sent, as in Siloam. What then do you say? See, he says, He Himself said it. What did He say? I came that I might do the works of Him Who sent me. Not His own, then? No. And what is it that He says, He the Siloam, He the one sent, He the Son, He the Only-begotten, Whom you complain is degenerate? What is it that He says, All things that the Father has are mine (John 16:15)? You say that He was doing another's works, because He said, That I might do the works of Him Who sent me. I say that the Father was holding another's possessions; I speak according to your own heart. On what ground would you rule against me because Christ said, I came that I might do His works, as if not mine, but His Who sent me?

CAPUT II. — 3. Opera Patris et Filii eadem. Interrogo te, Domine Christe, solve quaestionem, fini contentionem. Omnia, inquit, quae habet Pater, mea sunt. Ergo Patris non sunt, si tua sunt? Non enim ait, Omnia quae habet Pater, dedit mihi: quamvis si et hoc dixisset, aequalitatem ostendisset. Sed molestum est quod dixit, Omnia quae habet Pater, mea

Chapter II. — 3. The works of the Father and of the Son are the same. I ask Thee, Lord Christ, resolve the question, put an end to the dispute. All things, He says, that the Father has are mine. Are they then not the Father's, if they are Thine? For He did not say, All things that the Father has He has given to me: although, even if He had said this too, He would have shown equality. But what is troublesome is that He said, All things that the Father has, mine

Editors' notes and page, col. 746

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: et videatis qui› · call in col 746

Sic Mss. Editi vero, quod.

So the manuscripts. The printed editions, however, read quod ("what").

(printed under page 379)

(2) ‹anchor: quem tu quereris› · call in col 746

Am. Er. et Mss., quaeris.

Am., Er. and the manuscripts read quaeris ("you seek").

(printed under page 379)

(3) ‹anchor: fini contentionem› · call in col 746

Sic aliquot Mss. Alii vero cum editis, sine contentione.

So some manuscripts. Others, however, with the printed editions, read sine contentione ("without contention").

(*) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 746 Emendatus ad duos cl. gr. rm. v. Am. Er. Par. Lov.

Corrected against two cl. [manuscripts], gr. rm. v., and the Am. Er. Par. Lov. editions.

(printed under page 379)

(a) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 746

Alias, 43 ex Homiliis 50.

Formerly no. 43 of the Fifty Homilies.

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sunt. Si intelligas, Omnia quae habet Pater, Filii sunt; omnia quae habet Filius, Patris sunt. Audi illum alio loco: Omnia mea tua sunt, et tua mea sunt. (Joan. XVII, 10.) Finita est quaestio, de his quae habet Pater et Filius: concordes habent, tu noli litigare. Opera Patris quae dicit opera sua; quia et tua mea sunt: quia illius Patris dicit opera, cui dixit, Omnia mea tua sunt, et tua mea sunt. Ergo opera mea tua sunt, et opera tua mea sunt. Quaecumque enim Pater facit: ipse dixit, Dominus dixit, Unigenitus dixit, Filius dixit, Veritas dixit. Quid dixit? Quaecumque Pater facit, haec et Filius facit similiter (Id. V, 19). Magna expressio, magna veritas, magna aequalitas. Omnia quae Pater facit, haec facit et Filius. Sufficeret, Omnia quae Pater facit, haec facit et Filius. Non sufficit; addo, similiter. Quare addo, similiter? Quia solent dicere non intelligentes, et nondum apertis oculis ambulantes, solent dicere: Pater fecit jubendo, Filius obsequendo; ergo dissimiliter. Si autem similiter, quomodo ille, sic ille: sic quae ille, haec iste.

are. If you understand, All things that the Father has are the Son's; all things that the Son has are the Father's. Hear Him in another place: All My things are Thine, and Thine are Mine. (John 17:10.) The question is settled concerning the things which the Father and the Son have: they hold them in concord; you, do not quarrel. The works of the Father which He calls His own works; because Thine too are Mine: because He calls them the works of that Father to Whom He said, All My things are Thine, and Thine are Mine. Therefore My works are Thine, and Thy works are Mine. For whatever things the Father does: He Himself said it, the Lord said it, the Only-begotten said it, the Son said it, the Truth said it. What did He say? Whatever things the Father does, these the Son also does likewise (John 5:19). A great expression, a great truth, a great equality. All things that the Father does, these the Son also does. It would have been enough to say, All things that the Father does, these the Son also does. It is not enough; I add, likewise. Why do I add, likewise? Because those who do not understand, and who walk about with eyes not yet opened, are wont to say, are wont to say: The Father did it by commanding, the Son by obeying; therefore unlike. But if likewise, then as the one, so the other: as the things the one does, so the things this one does.

CAPUT III. — 4. Filius Dei consubstantialis et coaeternus Patri. Sed jubet Pater, inquit, ut faciat Filius. Carnaliter quidem sapis, sed sine praejudicio veritatis, cedo tibi. Ecce Pater jubet, Filius obsequitur: numquid ideo non est ejus naturae Filius, quia ille jubet, ille obsequitur? Da mihi duos homines, patrem et filium: homines sunt duo; qui jubet, homo est; qui obsequitur, homo est: qui jubet et qui obsequitur, unam habent eamdemque naturam. Numquid ille qui jubet, non de natura sua genuit filium? Numquid ille qui obsequitur, obsequendo naturam perdidit? Accipe ergo interim, quomodo accipis duos homines, Patrem jubentem, Filium obsequentem, tamen Deum et Deum. Sed simul isti duo sunt homines, simul ille unus Deus: hoc est divinum miraculum. Interim si vis ut tecum agnoscam obsequium, prius mecum agnosce naturam. Hoc genuit Pater, quod ipse est. Si aliud genuit Pater, quam quod est ipse, non verum genuit Filium: Pater dicit ad Filium Ex utero ante luciferum genui te (Psal. CIX, 3). Quid est, ante luciferum? Per luciferum significantur tempora. Ergo ante tempora, ante omne quod ante dicitur; ante omne quod non est, vel ante omne quod est. Non enim ait Evangelium, In principio fecit Deus Verbum; quomodo dixit, In principio fecit Deus coelum et terram (Gen. I, 1): aut, In principio natum est Verbum; aut, In principio Deus genuit Verbum, Sed quid ait? Erat, erat, erat. Audis Erat, crede. In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum (Joan. I, 1). Toties audis, Erat; noli quaerere tempus, quia semper erat. Ille ergo qui semper erat, et cum Filio semper erat, quia potens est Deus sine tempore generare; ille dixit ad Filium, Ex utero ante luciferum genui te. Quid est, Ex utero? Deus habuit uterum? Putabimus

Chapter III. — 4. The Son of God consubstantial and coeternal with the Father. But the Father commands, he says, that the Son should act. You think carnally indeed, but without prejudice to the truth, I grant it to you. See, the Father commands, the Son obeys: is the Son therefore not of His nature, because the one commands and the other obeys? Give me two men, a father and a son: they are two men; he who commands is a man; he who obeys is a man: he who commands and he who obeys have one and the same nature. Did not he who commands beget a son of his own nature? Did he who obeys lose his nature by obeying? Accept, then, for the meantime, as you accept two men, the Father commanding, the Son obeying, yet God and God. But together these two are two men, together that One is one God: this is the divine miracle. Meanwhile, if you wish me to acknowledge obedience with you, first acknowledge the nature with me. The Father begot that which He Himself is. If the Father begot something other than what He Himself is, He did not beget a true Son: the Father says to the Son, From the womb before the daystar I begot Thee (Ps. 109:3). What is, before the daystar? By the daystar times are signified. Therefore before times, before everything of which "before" is said; before everything that is not, or before everything that is. For the Gospel does not say, In the beginning God made the Word, as it said, In the beginning God made heaven and earth (Gen. 1:1); or, In the beginning the Word was born; or, In the beginning God begot the Word. But what does it say? Was, was, was. You hear Was: believe. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). So many times you hear, Was; do not seek a time, because He always was. He, then, Who always was, and always was with the Son, because God is able to beget without time, He said to the Son, From the womb before the daystar I begot Thee. What is, From the womb? Did God have a womb? Shall we think

Editors' notes and page, col. 747

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 747

Editi, Concordiam habent. At manuscripti, concordes habent.

The printed editions read Concordiam habent ("they have concord"). But the manuscripts, concordes habent.

(printed under page 380)

(2) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 747

Manuscripti non habent, quia et tua mea sunt. Legendum forte, Opera Patris quae dicit, opera sua sunt.

The manuscripts do not have quia et tua mea sunt ("because yours too are mine"). Perhaps read: Opera Patris quae dicit, opera sua sunt ("the works of the Father which he speaks of are his own works").

(printed under page 380)

(3) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 747

In Mss., ergo dic similiter.

In the manuscripts, ergo dic similiter ("so say likewise").

(printed under page 380)

(4) ‹anchor: erat, erat› · call in col 747

Er. Lugd. et Ven., Erat, erat, audis erat, crede. Lov., Erat, erat Verbum. Audis, erat, crede. M.

Er., Lugd. and Ven. read Erat, erat, audis erat, crede ("Was, was: you hear 'was', believe"). Lov., Erat, erat Verbum. Audis, erat, crede ("Was, the Word was. You hear 'was': believe"). M.

(printed under page 380)

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Deum per membra corporalia esse dispositum? Absi⟨t⟩. Et quare dixit, Ex utero, nisi ut intelligeretur de sua substantia genuisse? Ergo ex utero hoc processit, quod erat ipse qui genuit. Nam si aliud erat qui genuit, aliud autem ex utero processit; monstrum est, non Filius.

God is arranged by bodily members? Far be it. And why did He say, From the womb, except that it might be understood that He had begotten from His own substance? Therefore this came forth from the womb which He Himself was Who begot. For if He Who begot was one thing, but what came forth from the womb another, it is a monster, not a Son.

CAPUT IV. — 5. Ut Filius opera Patris, sic Pater opera Filii facit. Ergo faciat Filius opera ejus qui misit eum, faciat et Pater opera Filii. Certe voluit Pater, efficit Filius. Ecce ostendo quia vult Filius, et facit Pater. Ubi ostendis, inquis? Modo ostendo. Pater, volo. Jam ego si calumniari vellem, ecce Filius jubet, et Pater facit. Quid vis? Ut ubi ego sum, et illi sint mecum (Joan. XVII, 24). Evasimus, illic erimus ubi est ille: illic erimus, evasimus. Quis delet Omnipotentis Volo? Audis voluntatem potestatis, audi et potestatem voluntatis. Sicut Pater, inquit, suscitat mortuos, et vivificat; sic et Filius quos vult, vivificat (Id. V, 21). Quos vult. Ne dicas, Illos vivificat Filius, quos jubet Pater ut vivificet. Quos vult vivificat. Ergo quos vult Pater, et quos vult ipse; quia ubi est una potestas, una voluntas est. Habeamus ergo in corde non caeco, Patris et Filii unam eamdemque naturam: quia verus est Pater, verus est Filius. Quod est, hoc genuit; quia genitus non degeneravit.

Chapter IV. — 5. As the Son does the works of the Father, so the Father does the works of the Son. Therefore let the Son do the works of Him Who sent Him, and let the Father do the works of the Son. Certainly the Father willed, the Son accomplishes. See, I show that the Son wills, and the Father does. Where do you show it, you say? I show it at once. Father, I will. Now if I wished to cavil: see, the Son commands, and the Father does. What wilt Thou? That where I am, they also may be with Me (John 17:24). We have escaped; there we shall be where He is: there we shall be, we have escaped. Who blots out the Almighty's I will? You hear the will of power; hear also the power of will. As the Father, He says, raises the dead and gives life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wills (John 5:21). To whom He wills. Do not say, The Son gives life to those to whom the Father commands Him to give life. He gives life to whom He wills. Therefore those whom the Father wills, and those whom He Himself wills; because where there is one power, there is one will. Let us therefore hold, in a heart not blind, one and the same nature of the Father and of the Son: because the Father is true, the Son is true. What He is, this He begot; because the Begotten did not degenerate.

CAPUT V. — 6. Peccatorum etiam orationes exaudiri. Nescio quid potest movere in verbis illius qui caecus erat, et forte multos non bene intelligentes facit desperare. Ait enim inter caetera sua verba, idem cui oculi aperti sunt: Scimus quia peccatores Deus non exaudit. Quid facimus, si peccatores Deus non exaudit? Audemus rogare Deum, si peccatores non exaudit? Date mihi qui roget, ecce est qui exaudiat. Date qui roget, discutite genus humanum ab imperfectis ad perfectos. Ascende a verno ad aestatem: hoc enim cantavimus, Aestatem et vernum tu fecisti (Psal. LXXIII, 17). Id est, jam spirituales et adhuc carnales tu fecisti; quia et ipse Filius dicit, Imperfectum meum viderunt oculi tui. Imperf⟨e⟩ctum quod est in corpore meo, viderunt oculi tui. Et quid deinde? Habent spem qui imperfecti sunt? Habent plane. Audi quod sequitur: Et in libro tuo omnes scribentur (Psal. CXXXVIII, 16). Sed forte, fratres, spirituales rogant et exaudiuntur, quia non sunt peccatores. Quid faciunt carnales? quid faciunt? Peribunt? Deum non rogabunt? Absit. Da mihi illum Publicanum. Veni, Publicane, sta in medio, ostende tuam spem, ne infirmi perdant spem. Ecce enim ascendit Publicanus cum Pharisaeo orare, et dejecta facie in terram dicebat, longe stans, tundens pectus: Domine, propitius esto mihi peccatori. Et descendit justificatus magis, quam ille Pharisaeus (Luc. XVIII, 10-14). Qui dixit, Propitius esto mihi peccatori: verum dixit, an falsum? Si verum dixit, peccator erat; et exauditus est, et justificatus est. Quid est ergo quod dixisti tu, cui Dominus oculos aperuit, Scimus quia peccatores Deus non exaudit? Ecce peccatores Deus exaudit. Sed lava interiorem faciem tuam, fiat in

Chapter V. — 6. That the prayers even of sinners are heard. I know not what may trouble [people] in the words of him who was blind, and perhaps it makes many who do not understand well despair. For among his other words, the same man whose eyes were opened says: We know that God does not hear sinners. What are we to do, if God does not hear sinners? Do we dare to ask God, if He does not hear sinners? Give me one who asks: see, there is One Who hears. Give one who asks; sift the human race from the imperfect to the perfect. Ascend from spring to summer: for this we sang, Summer and spring Thou hast made (Ps. 73:17). That is, Thou hast made both those already spiritual and those still carnal; because the Son Himself also says, Thy eyes have seen My imperfect part. My imperfect part, which is in My body, Thy eyes have seen. And what then? Do those who are imperfect have hope? They plainly do. Hear what follows: And in Thy book all shall be written (Ps. 138:16). But perhaps, brethren, the spiritual ask and are heard, because they are not sinners. What do the carnal do? what do they do? Shall they perish? Shall they not ask God? Far be it. Give me that Publican. Come, Publican, stand in the midst, show your hope, lest the weak lose hope. For see, the Publican went up with the Pharisee to pray, and with face cast down to the ground, standing far off, beating his breast, he said: Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. And he went down justified rather than that Pharisee (Luke 18:10–14). He who said, Be merciful to me a sinner: did he speak truly or falsely? If he spoke truly, he was a sinner; and he was heard, and he was justified. What then is this that you said, you whose eyes the Lord opened, We know that God does not hear sinners? See, God does hear sinners. But wash your inner face, let there be in

Editors' notes and page, col. 748

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: Omnipotentis Volo› · call in col 748

Am. et Er., Quis dedit? Omnipotens volo. Lov., Quis dicit? Omnipotens. Volo. Restituitur locus ex Mss.

Am. and Er. read Quis dedit? Omnipotens volo ("Who gave? Almighty, I will"). Lov., Quis dicit? Omnipotens. Volo ("Who says it? The Almighty. I will"). The passage is restored from the manuscripts.

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corde, quod factum est in facie tua; et videbis quia peccatores Deus exaudit. Fefellit te imaginatio cordis tui. Adhuc est quod tibi faciat. Certe projectus est iste de synagoga: audivit, venit ad eum, et dixit ei, Tu credis in Filium Dei? Et ille: Quis est, Domine, ut credam in eum? Videbat, et non videbat: videbat oculis, sed adhuc corde non videbat. Ait illi Dominus: Et vides eum, hoc est, oculis: et qui loquitur tecum, ipse est. Tunc prostratus adoravit eum. Tunc lavit faciem cordis.

the heart what has been done in your face; and you will see that God hears sinners. The imagination of your heart deceived you. There is still something He will do for you. Certainly this man was cast out of the synagogue: He heard, He came to him, and said to him, Do you believe in the Son of God? And he: Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him? He saw, and did not see: he saw with the eyes, but did not yet see with the heart. The Lord said to him: You both see Him, that is, with the eyes: and He Who speaks with you, He it is. Then, prostrate, he adored Him. Then he washed the face of the heart.

CAPUT VI. — 7. Nullus hic sine peccato. Incumbite ergo orationibus, peccatores; confitemini peccata vestra, orate ut deleantur, orate ut minuantur, orate ut vobis proficientibus ipsa deficiant: tamen nolite desperare, et peccatores orate. Quis enim non peccavit? A sacerdotibus incipe. Sacerdotibus dixit, Prius offerte sacrificia pro peccatis vestris, et sic pro populo (Levit. XVI, 6; Hebr. VII, 27). Sacrificia convincebant sacerdotes: ut si quis se justum et sine peccato diceret, responderetur ei, Non attendo quod loqueris, sed quid offeras; victima tua convincit te. Quare offers pro peccatis tuis, si nulla habes peccata? An in sacrificio mentiris Deo? Sed forte sacerdotes veteris populi peccatores erant, novi populi non sunt peccatores. Certe, fratres, quia Deus voluit, sacerdos ipsius sum, peccator sum, vobiscum pectus tundo, vobiscum veniam rogo, vobiscum Deum propitium spero. Sed forte Apostoli sancti, primi, summi arietes gregis, pastoris membra pastores, forte ipsi non habebant peccatum. Vere habebant et ipsi, habebant: non irascuntur, quia confitentur. Ego non auderem. Primum ipsum Dominum audi dicentem Apostolis, Sic orate. Quomodo illi sacerdotes sacrificiis convincebantur, sic isti oratione. Sic orate. Et inter caetera quae jussit orare, et hoc posuit: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris (Matth. VI, 9, 12). Quid dicunt Apostoli? Quotidie sibi debita petunt dimitti. Debitores intrant, absoluti exeunt, et ad orationem debitores redeunt. Ista vita non est sine peccato, ut quoties oratur, toties peccata dimittantur.

Chapter VI. — 7. No one here is without sin. Apply yourselves, then, to prayers, sinners; confess your sins, pray that they may be blotted out, pray that they may be lessened, pray that as you make progress they themselves may fail: yet do not despair, and pray as sinners. For who has not sinned? Begin with the priests. To the priests He said, First offer sacrifices for your own sins, and so for the people (Lev. 16:6; Heb. 7:27). The sacrifices convicted the priests: so that if anyone called himself just and without sin, the answer would be given him, I do not heed what you say, but what you offer; your victim convicts you. Why do you offer for your sins, if you have no sins? Or are you lying to God in the sacrifice? But perhaps the priests of the old people were sinners, while those of the new people are not sinners. Certainly, brethren, because God has willed it, I am His priest, I am a sinner, with you I beat my breast, with you I ask pardon, with you I hope for God to be propitious. But perhaps the holy Apostles, the first, the chief rams of the flock, shepherds who are members of the Shepherd, perhaps they themselves had no sin. Truly they too had it, they had it: they are not angry, because they confess it. I would not dare [to say it]. First hear the Lord Himself saying to the Apostles, Pray thus. As those priests were convicted by sacrifices, so these by prayer. Pray thus. And among the other things which He commanded them to pray, He set this too: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors (Matt. 6:9, 12). What do the Apostles say? Daily they ask that their debts be forgiven them. They come in as debtors, they go out absolved, and they come back to prayer as debtors. This life is not without sin, so that as often as one prays, so often are sins forgiven.

CAPUT VII. — 8. Apostoli etiam post Christi resurrectionem peccato obnoxii. Sed quid dicam? Illi forte quando didicerunt orationem, adhuc infirmi erant. Forte dicet hoc aliquis: Quando illos docuit orationem Dominus Jesus, adhuc parvuli erant, infirmi erant, carnales erant; nondum erant spirituales, qui non habent peccatum. Quid ergo, fratres, facti spirituales orare cessarunt? Debuit ergo Christus dicere, Modo talia orate, et dare spiritualibus alteram orationem. Una est, ipsa est, ipse est qui dedit: ipsam ergo orate in Ecclesia. Sed tollamus controversiam: quando dicis spirituales esse sanctos Apostolos, quo usque pateretur Dominus carnales erant; hoc es dicturus. Denique quod verum est, illo pendente trepidaverunt, et tunc desperaverunt Apostoli, quando credidit latro. Petrus ausus est sequi, quando Dominus ad passionem ductus est, ausus est sequi, qui ad

Chapter VII. — 8. The Apostles were liable to sin even after Christ's resurrection. But what shall I say? Perhaps when they learned the prayer they were still weak. Someone will perhaps say this: When the Lord Jesus taught them the prayer, they were still little ones, they were weak, they were carnal; they were not yet spiritual, who have no sin. What then, brethren, once made spiritual, did they cease to pray? Christ ought then to have said, Pray such things for now, and to have given the spiritual another prayer. It is one, it is the same, it is He Who gave it: pray it, then, in the Church. But let us remove the dispute: when you say that the holy Apostles are spiritual, until the Lord suffered they were carnal; this is what you are going to say. Indeed, as is true, while He was hanging they trembled, and the Apostles despaired at the very time when the thief believed. Peter dared to follow, when the Lord was led to His passion, he dared to follow, he who

Editors' notes and page, col. 749

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 749

Sic Mss. At editi, depellantur.

So the manuscripts. But the printed editions read depellantur ("they are driven off").

(printed under page 381)