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His Gospel to fill the whole earth,

HOMIL. Whereby shall we believe, but by that whereby it was His II. will that even those who handled Him should be confirmed?

For He opened to them the Scriptures and shewed them that it behoved Christ to suffer, and that all things should be fulfilled which were written of Him in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms. He embraced in His discourse the whole ancient text of the Scriptures. All that there is of those former Scriptures tells of Christ; but only if it find ears. He also opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. Whence we also must pray for this, that He would open our understanding.

2. But what did the Lord shew written of Him in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms? What did He shew? Let Himself say. The Evangelist has put this briefly, that we might know what in all that breadth of the Scriptures we ought to believe and to understand. Certainly there are many pages, and many books; the contents of them all is this which the Lord briefly spake to His disciples. What is this? That it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day. Thou hast it now concerning the Bridegroom, that it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again: we have had the Bridegroom set forth to us. Concerning the Bride, let us see what He saith; that thou, when thou knowest the Bridegroom and the Bride, mayest not without reason come to the marriage. For every celebration is a celebration of marriage: the Church's nuptials are celebrated. The King's Son is about to marry a wife, and that King's Son, Himself a King: and the guests frequenting the marriage are themselves the Bride. Not, as in a carnal marriage, other are they that come as guests, and other she that is married; in the Church they that come as guests, if they come to good purpose, become the Bride. For all the Church is Christ's Bride, of which the beginning and first fruits is the flesh of Christ: there was the Bride joined to the Bridegroom in the flesh. With good reason when He would betoken that same flesh, He brake bread, and with good reason in the breaking of bread, the eyes of the disciples were opened, and they knew Him. Well then, what did the Lord say was written of Him in the Law and Prophets

and Psalms? That it behoved Christ to suffer. Had He

II.

§. 14.

not added, and to rise again, well might those mourn whose 1 JOHN eyes were holden; but to rise again is also foretold. And 12-17. wherefore this? Why did it behove Christ to suffer and to rise again? Because of that Psalm which we especially commended to your attention on the fourth day, the first Tertull. station, of last week. Why did it behove Christ to suffer deJejun. and to rise again? For this reason: All the ends of the de Orat. earth shall be reminded and converted unto the Lord, and 14 Ps. 22, all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Him. 27. For that ye may know that it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again; in this place also what hath He added, that after setting forth the Bridegroom He might also set forth the Bride? And that there be preached, saith He, in His name, repentance and remission of sins throughout all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Ye have heard, brethren; hold it fast. Let no man doubt concerning the Church, that it is throughout all nations: let no man doubt that it began at Jerusalem, and hath filled all nations. We know the field. where the Vine is planted: but when it is grown we know it not, because it has taken up the whole. Whence did it begin? At Jerusalem. Whither has it come? To all nations. A few remain: it shall possess all. In the mean time, while it is taking possession of all, it has seemed good to the Husbandman to cut off some unprofitable branches, and they have made heresies and schisms. Let not the cut off branches induce you to be cut off: rather exhort ye them that are cut off that they be graffed in again. It is manifest that Christ hath suffered, is risen again, and is ascended into heaven: made manifest also is the Church, that there is preached in His name repentance and remission of sins throughout all nations. Whence did it begin? Beginning at Jerusalem. The man hears this; foolish an vain, and (how shall I express it?) worse than blind! so great a Mountain, and he does not see it; a candle set upon a candlestick, and he shuts his eyes against it!

3. When we say to them, If ye be Catholic Christians, S. Aug. Ep. c. communicate with that Church from which the Gospel is Donat. spread abroad over the whole earth: communicate with that de Unit. Eccl. §. Jerusalem when this we say to them, they make answer to 26. us, We do not communicate with that City where our King

:

1

supra

in Ev.

xi. §. 13.

p. 177

note

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Donatists hate the City which Christ loved.

HOMIL. was slain, where our Lord was slain: as though they hate the II. City where our Lord was slain. The Jews slew Him Whom Hom. they found on earth, these exsufflate1 Him that sitteth in heaven! Which are the worse; those who despised Him because they thought Him man, or those who exsufflate the Sacraments of Him Whom now they confess to be God? But they hate, forsooth, the City in which their Lord was slain! Pious men, and merciful! they much grieve that Christ was slain, and in men they slay Christ! But He loved that City, and pitied it: from it He bade the preaching of Him begin, beginning at Jerusalem. He made there the first beginning of the preaching of His name: and thou shrinkest back with horror from having communion with that City! No marvel that being cut off thou hatest the root. Acts 1, What said He to His disciples? Sit ye still in the City, 15: 2, because I send My promise upon you. Behold what the City is that they hate! Haply they would love it, if Christ's Enarr. murderers dwelt in it. For it is manifest that all Christ's in Ps.62. murderers, i. e. the Jews, are expelled from that City. That §. 18: 64. §. 1. which had in it them that were fierce against Christ, hath

1-12.

now them that adore Christ. Therefore do these men hate it, because Christians are in it. There was it His will that His disciples should tarry, and there that He should send to them the Holy Ghost. Where had the Church its commencement, but where the Holy Ghost came from heaven, and filled the hundred and twenty sitting in one place? That number twelve was made tenfold. They sat, an hundred and twenty persons, and the Holy Ghost came, and filled the whole place, and there came a sound, as it were the rushing of a mighty wind, and there were cloven tongues like as of fire. Ye have heard the Acts of the Apostles: this was the Lesson read to-day": They began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And all who were on the spot, Jews who were come from divers nations, recognised each his own tongue, and marvelled that those unlearned and ignorant men had on the sudden learned not one or two tongues, but the tongues of all nations whatThere, then, where all tongues sounded, there was The Acts of the Apostles were Pentecost. Supra Hom. in Ev. vi. read in the seven weeks from Easter to §. 18. p. 94 note.

soever.

The Church's Universality betokened by "all tongues." 1115

II. 12.

4-6.

it betokened that all tongues should believe. But these 1 JOHN men, who much love Christ, and therefore refuse to communicate with the City which killed Christ, so honour Christ as to affirm that He is left to two tongues, the Latin and the Punic, i. e. African. Christ possess only two tongues! For there are but these two tongues on the side of Donatus, more they have not. Let us awake, my brethren, let us see, not this, but the gift of the Spirit of God, and let us believe the things spoken before concerning Him, and let us see fulfilled the things spoken before in the Psalm: There Ps. 19, are neither speeches nor discourses', but their voices are Iloquela heard among them. And lest haply the case be so that the nec sertongues themselves came to one place, and not rather mones. that the gift of Christ came to all tongues, hear what follows: Into all the earth is their sound gone out, and unto the ends of the world their words. Wherefore this? Because in the sun hath He set His tabernacle, i. e. in the open light. His Tabernacle, His flesh: His Tabernacle, His Church in the sun it is set; not in the night, but in the day. But why do those not acknowledge it? Return to the Lesson at the place where it ended yesterday, and see why they do not acknowledge it: He that hateth his brother, walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes. For us then, let us see what follows, and not be in darkness.

How shall

we not be in darkness? If we love the brethren. How is it proved that we love the brotherhood? By this, that we do not rend unity, that we hold fast charity.

4. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are v. 12. forgiven you through His name. Therefore, little children 2,2 filioli, because in forgiveness of sins ye have your birth. But Tvía. through whose name are sins forgiven? Through Augustine's? No, therefore neither through the name of Donatus. Be it thy concern to see who is Augustine, or who Donatus: no, not through the name of Paul, not through the name of Peter. For to them that divided unto themselves the Church, and of unity essayed to make parties, the Mother Charity in the Apostle travailing in birth with her little ones, exposeth her own bowels, with words doth as it were rend her breasts, bewaileth her children whom she seeth borne out dead,

3.

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Little children, fathers, young men :

HOMIL. recalleth unto the one Name them that would needs make

11. them many names, repelleth them from the love of her that

1, 13.

1 Cor. Christ may be loved, and saith, Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? What saith he? I would not that ye be mine, that so ye may be with me: be ye with me; all we are His Who died for us, Who was crucified for us': whence here also it is said, Your sins are forgiven you through His name, not through the name of any man.

v. 13.

58.

5. I write unto you, fathers. Why first sons? Because your sins are forgiven you through His name, and ye are regenerated into a new life, therefore sons. Why fathers? Because ye have known Him that is from the beginning: for the beginning hath relation unto fatherhood. Christ new in flesh, but ancient in Godhead. How ancient think we? how many years old? Think we, of I major greater age' than His mother? Assuredly of greater age John 1, than His mother, for all things were made by Him. If all things, then did the Ancient make the very mother of whom the New should be born. Was He, think we, before His mother only? Yea, and before His mother's ancestors is His antiquity. The ancestor of His mother was Abraham; and Id. 8, the Lord saith, Before Abraham I am. Before Abraham, say we? The heaven and earth, ere man was, were made. Before these was the Lord, nay rather also is. For right well He saith, not, Before Abraham I was, but, Before Abraham I AM. For that of which one says, Was, is not; and that of which one says, Will be, is not yet: He knoweth not other than To Be. As God, He knoweth To Be: Was, and Will be, He knoweth not. It is one day there, but a day that is for ever and ever. That day no Yesterday and Tomorrow set in the midst between them: for when the ' yesterday' is ended, the 'to-day' begins, to be finished by the coming to-morrow.' That one day there is a day without darkness, without night, without spaces, without measure, without hours. Call it what thou wilt: if thou wilt, it is a day; if thou wilt, a year; if thou wilt, years. For it Ps. 10%, is said of this same, And thy years shall not fail. But when is it called a day? When it is said to the Lord, To-day Ps. 2, 7. have I begotten Thee. From the Eternal Father begotten,

27.