XIII.

210

Schism makes all grace unprofitable.

HOMIL. not in body! Thou lovest a man before Christ, thou lovest one that saith, I baptize:' the friend of the Bridegroom thou hearest not when he saith, This is He that baptizeth; hearest not, when he saith, He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom. I have not the bride, said he: but what am I? But the friend of the Bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice.

15. It is evident then, my brethren, that it doth nothing profit these to keep virginity, to have continence, to give alms; all those things which are praised in the Church, do profit them nothing: because they rend unity, that is, that S. Aug. coat of charity. What do they? Eloquent are many among them great tongues, rivers of tongues! Do they speak like angels? Let them hear a friend of the Bridegroom, jealous for the Bridegroom, not for himself: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

c. Cres

con. 1,

3.

1 Cor. 13, 1.

16. But what say they? We have baptism.' Thou hast, but not thine own. It is one thing to have, another to be lord. Baptism thou hast, because thou hast received that thou shouldest be a baptized man, hast received as one enlightened; if, however, not by thyself bedarkened: and when thou givest, as a minister thou givest, not as owner; a herald to proclaim, not the judge. By the herald the judge speaketh, yet for all that it is not written in the report, The herald said, but, The judge said. Therefore, see if that be thine which thou givest, in regard of power. But if thou hast received, confess with the friend of the Bridegroom, A man cannot receive any thing except it be given him from heaven. Confess with the friend of the Bridegroom, He that hath the bride, is the Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth Him. But oh that thon didst stand and hear Him, and not fall that thou shouldest hear thyself! For in hearing Him, thou wouldest stand and hear: whereas thou speakest, inflated with pride, and holding up thine head.I,' saith the Church, if I be the Bride, if I have received troth-pledge, if at the price of that Blood I am redeemed, I do hear the voice of the Bridegroom: and the voice of the Bridegroom's friend I do then hear, if to my Spouse he give glory, not to himself. Let the friend say,

Donatists allege supernatural evidence.

211

III.

He that hath the bride, is the Bridegroom: but the friend JOHN of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth Him, and rejoiceth 22—29. greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice. Lo, thou hast sacraments: I grant it likewise. Thou hast a form, but thou art a branch pruned off from the vine; thou shewest the form, I ask for the root: from the form fruit cometh not, but only where there is the root; and where is the root but in charity? And hear thou the form of the lopped-off branches; let Paul speak: Though I know, saith he, all sacraments, and have all prophecy and all faith, (and how great a faith!) so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

liarii

17. Then let none sell you fables. Also Pontius wrought a miracle: and Donatus prayed, and God answered him from heaven. In the first place, either they are deceived or they deceive. In the last place, suppose him to have removed mountains: And have not charity, saith he, I am nothing. Let us see whether he had charity. I would believe it, if he had not divided unity. For even against these (so to say) marvel-mongers1 my God hath put me on 'mirabimy guard, saying, In the last times there shall arise false Mark13, prophets, doing signs and wonders, to deceive, if it be 22. 23. possible, even the elect: lo, I have told you before. So then, the Bridegroom hath put us on our guard, that even by miracles we must not be deceived. Thus, sometimes even a deserter wants to put the loyal subject in fear: but whether he belongs to the camp, and whether he is any the better for the mark he bears upon him, this is what the liegeman looks to who does not wish to be put in fear and beguiled. Keep

Pontius was one of the Donatist bishops who petitioned Julian the Apostate, and obtained the abrogation of the laws made against their sect. S. Aug. c. litt. Petil. 2, 203. 224. On the alleged miracles, comp. Epist. c. Donatistas (de Unitate Ecclesiæ), §. 49. al. 19. where, after shewing from Scripture, Mark 13, 22. 23. 1 Tim. 4, 1. that even real miracles are not in themselves proofs of the truth, he concludes, "Whether they (the Donatists) have the Church, let them not think to prove otherwise than by the Canonical Scriptures.

For

neither do we say that we are to be
believed to be in the Catholic Church
because throughout the whole
world, in holy places frequented by
our communion, so many miracles
take place either in the granting of
prayers or in miracles of healing &c......
Whatever such like take place in the
Catholic Church are therefore to be
approved because they take place in
the Catholic Church; but it is not
manifested to be the Catholic Church
by the fact that such things take
place therein."

212 But miracles, as they may be wrought by evil men,

HOMIL. We unity then, my brethren; out of unity, even he who XIII. worketh miracles is nothing. In unity was the people

8, 7.

40.

Id. 8,10.

17-20.

Israel, yet did it not work miracles: out of unity, Exod. 7, were Pharaoh's magicians, and wrought the like works as 12-22; Moses. The people Israel, I said, wrought none: now, which were saved with God? those who wrought miracles, Acts 9, or those who wrought none? Peter the Apostle raised the dead; Simon Magus did many things: there were some Christians there who were not able to do, either what Peter did, or what Simon did; but in what did they rejoice? That their names were written in heaven. For this was what our Lord Jesus Christ said to the disciples when they returned, on occasion of the faith of the nations'. The disciples, namely, Luke10, themselves said, glorying, Behold, Lord, in Thy Name even the devils are subject to us. Rightly indeed did they confess; they put the honour to the Name of Christ; yet what saith He to them? In this glory not, that the devils are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Peter cast out devils; this or that old widow-woman, this or that lay-person, no matter of what description, having charity, holding soundness of the faith, doeth not this: Peter is in the body, as the eye: the other is in the body, a finger: yet is he in the same body that Peter is in; and if the finger has less power than the eye, yet is it not cut off from the body. Better it is to be a finger and to be in the body, than to be an eye and to be plucked out from the body.

7.

18. And therefore, my brethren, let no man deceive you; let no man seduce you: love ye the peace of Christ, Who for you was crucified, albeit He was God. Paul saith,

1 Cor. 3, Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but He that giveth the increase, even God. And doth any of us say that he is any thing? If we say that we are any thing, we are adulterers; we want ourselves to be loved, not the Bridegroom. Love ye Christ and us in Him, in Whom also ye are beloved by us. Let the members love one another, but all live under the Head. By

i The mission of the seventy, or rather seventy-two disciples being held to have reference to the calling of all nations. S. Aug. de Consensu Evang.

2, 14. Mysterium illustrandi orbis per Evangelium. . . in septuaginta duobus discipulis intimatur.

are not in themselves notes of the Church.

213

III.

grief indeed, my brethren, I have been forced to say many JOHN words, and yet little have I said: our lesson I have not been 22.-29. able to finish; the Lord will aid us, that it may be finished in due season. For I am loath to lay any more burthen upon your hearts, which I wish to be free for sighs and prayers, for these who are yet deaf and understand not.

HOMILY XIV.

JOHN iii. 29–36.

This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, and I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth, of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaketh: He that cometh from heaven is above all. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth; and no man receiveth His testimony. He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For He Whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

1. THIS lesson from the boly Gospel teacheth us the excellency of the Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the humility of the man who merited to be called the friend of the Bridegroom; that we may distinguish between man who is man, and Man Who is God. Man Who is God, this is our Lord Jesus Christ: God, before the times of all worlds, and Man in the time of our world: God of the Father, Man of the Virgin, yet one and the same Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Son of God, God and Man. On the other hand, John was a man, of surpassing grace, sent before Him; enlightened by Him Who is Light. For of John it is said, John 1, He was not the light, but that he should bear witness of the light. He may indeed be called a light, and rightly is he called a light: but a light enlightened, not enlightening.

8.

Aug. that He (Christ) is the true God: see §. 8.