SERMO 117
On the Words of the Gospel of John (1, 1-3):
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,"
And the Word was God, etc.
AGAINST THE ARIANS
The word of God should be valued so that it may be understood.
The chapter of the Gospel which was read, dearest brothers, seeks the pure eye of the heart. For we understand that our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his divinity, created the whole universe, and according to his humanity, restored the fallen creation, with John as the evangelist. However, in this Gospel, we find what kind of man John was and how great he was, so that from the dignity of the dispenser it might be understood how valuable is the Word which could be spoken by someone like him; indeed, how invaluable it is that surpasses all things. For a thing for sale is either equal to, subject to, or exceeds its price. When someone buys something at its value, the price is equal to the thing purchased; when for less, it is subject to it; when for more, it exceeds it. But nothing can be equal to the Word of God, nor subjected to change, nor surpassed by anything. For all things can be subjected to the Word of God, because: All things were made through Him; yet they are not subjected as if they were the price of the Word, so that one might give something to receive it. However, if it can be said and if some reason or custom of speaking permits this name, the price of acquiring the Word is the acquirer himself, who has given himself for himself to this Word. Therefore, when we buy something, we look for something to give, so that we may have the thing for which we give the price. And what we give is outside ourselves; and if it was with us, what we give becomes external to us, so that what we acquire may be with us. Whatever price someone finds when buying something, it is necessary to find something such as to give what one has and receive what one does not have; yet the one who gives the price remains, and that comes to him for which he gives the price. But he who wants to acquire this Word, who wants to have it, should not seek outside himself what he may give, he should give himself. When he does this, he does not lose himself, as he loses the price when he buys something.
The price of the Word Himself is man.
The Word of God, therefore, is offered to all: let those who can, obtain it; but they can who wish devoutly. For in that Word there is peace: And on earth peace among men of goodwill. Therefore, whoever wishes to obtain it, let them give themselves. This is the price of the Word, if it can be called such in any way, since he who gives himself does not lose himself, and acquires the Word for which he gives himself, and acquires himself in the Word to whom he gives himself. And what does he give to the Word? Not something alien to him, but what was made through this Word; this is returned to him so that it may be restored. All things were made through him. If all things, certainly man as well. If the heaven, if the earth, if the sea, if all things that are in them, if every creature; certainly him more clearly, who was made man through the Word, made in the image of God.
The Word of God is a certain unformed form. A form without time and place.
Not only, brothers, do we discuss how it can be understood what is said: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It can be understood ineffably; it is not by human words that it is understood. We discuss the Word of God and explain why it is not understood. We do not now explain so that it may be understood, but explain what hinders it from being understood. For there is indeed a certain form, a form not formed, but the form of all things formed; an unchangeable form, without lapse, without defect, without time, without place, surpassing all, existing in all things, and a certain foundation in which all things exist, and a summit under which all things exist. If you say that all things are in it, you do not lie. For it has been said that the Word itself is the Wisdom of God; we have it written: In Wisdom you have made all things. Therefore, all things are in it; and yet because it is God, all things are under it. We say how incomprehensible is what has been read; nevertheless, it has been read, not so that it may be comprehended by man, but so that man might grieve because he does not comprehend, and might find out what impedes him from comprehension, and remove these things, and yearn for the perception of the unchangeable Word, he himself changed from worse to better. For the Word does not improve or grow with the approach of the knower; but remains whole if you persist; remains whole if you withdraw; remains whole when you return; abiding in itself, and renewing all things. Therefore, it is the form of all things, the unmade form, without time, as we said, and without the extents of places. For anything that is contained in place is circumscribed. The form is circumscribed by boundaries, it has limits from where and to where it exists. Furthermore, that which is contained in place is extended by some quantity and space, lesser in part than in whole. May God make you understand.
Not less in part than in whole.
Daily, however, regarding the bodies that are before our eyes, which we see, which we touch, among which we are, we can judge any body to have form in a place. But everything that occupies space is lesser in part than in whole. A part of the human body, for example, the arm; certainly the arm is lesser than the whole body. And if the arm is lesser, it occupies a shorter space. Likewise the head, because it is a part of the body, is in a smaller place, and it is lesser than the whole body, which is the head. Thus all things that are in a place are lesser in part than in whole. Let us think nothing like this about that Word, let us imagine nothing like this. Let us not imagine spiritual things from the suggestion of flesh. That Word, that God is not lesser in part than in whole.
In divine matters, pious ignorance is better than presumed knowledge. With the eye of the heart, God is incomprehensible. By knowledge of God, man becomes blessed. God does not increase from our knowledge.
But you cannot conceive of such a thing. Such ignorance is more pious than presumed knowledge. For we speak of God. It has been said: And the Word was God. We speak of God; what wonder is it if you do not comprehend? For if you comprehend, it is not God. Let there be a pious confession of ignorance rather than a rash profession of knowledge. To reach God somewhat with the mind is a great blessing; but to comprehend Him is utterly impossible. God pertains to the mind, He is to be understood; a body pertains to the eyes, it is to be seen. But do you think you comprehend the body with the eye? You absolutely cannot. For whatever you look at, you do not see the whole. You see the face of a man, but you do not see the back at the time you see the face; and when you see the back, at that time you do not see the face. Thus, you do not see so as to comprehend; but when you look at another part you had not seen, unless memory helps you to remember that you saw where you have turned away, you never say that you have even superficially comprehended anything. You handle what you see, you turn it this way and that, or you yourself move around to see the whole. Thus, you cannot see the whole at one glance. And while you turn to see, you see parts; and by combining the parts you saw, you seem to inspect the whole. However, this is not the vision of the eyes, but the vivacity of memory that is understood. What then can be said of that Word, brothers? Behold, we speak of bodies subject to our eyes, we cannot comprehend them with sight; who then can comprehend God with the eye of the heart? It is enough to reach out if the eye is pure. If it touches, it touches with a certain incorporeal and spiritual touch, yet it does not comprehend; and this, if it is pure. And a man becomes blessed by reaching with the heart what always remains blessed; and that is perpetual blessedness itself, and from which a man becomes alive, it is perpetual life; from which a man becomes wise, it is perfect wisdom; from which a man becomes illuminated, it is eternal light. And see how you become by reaching that which you were not, you do not make what you reach become what it was not. I say this: God does not grow from the knower, but the knower from the knowledge of God.
Let us not think, dearest brothers, that we are bestowing a benefit upon God, because we have said that we are giving a price in a certain way. For we do not give to him that from which he may be increased, who remains whole even when you have fallen, and remains whole when you have returned, ready to bless those who are converted and to punish those who are averse with blindness. For he first vindicates the soul turned away from him with the beginning of punishment, with blindness itself. For he who turns away from the true light, that is, from God, already becomes blind. He does not yet feel the punishment, but he already has it.
The Word is affirmed as co-eternal with the Father against the Arians.
Therefore, let us understand, dearest brothers, that the Word of God was born incorporeally, inviolably, unchangeably, without temporal birth, yet born from God. Do we think that we can in any way persuade certain unbelievers not to shun the truth, which we proclaim by the Catholic faith, which is contrary to the Arians, by whom the Church of God has often been tempted, since carnal men more easily accept what they have been accustomed to see? For some have dared to say: The Father is greater than the Son and precedes Him in time; that is, the Father is greater than the Son, and the Son is lesser than the Father, and the Father precedes Him in time. And so they argue: If He is born, certainly the Father existed before the Son was born to Him. Attend; may He Himself be present with us, with your prayers assisting, and with a holy intention of those desiring to receive what He has given and suggested; may He be present with us, so that we may be able to explain in some manner what we have begun. However, brothers, I say beforehand, if I am unable to explain it, do not think that reason has failed but that the man has failed. Therefore, I urge and beseech you to pray; may the mercy of God be present, and thus may He cause this matter to be spoken by us as you ought to hear and as we ought to say. Therefore, they say this: If He is the Son of God, He is born. We confess this. For indeed, He would not be the Son if He were not born. It is manifest, faith admits this, the Catholic Church approves it, it is true. Then they add: If the Son was born to the Father, the Father existed before the Son was born to Him. This faith rejects, Catholic ears refuse, it is anathematized, he who thinks thus is outside, does not belong to the participation and society of the saints. Therefore, he says, give me a reason how the Son could be born to the Father and be coeternal with Him from whom He was born.
It is difficult to convey divine things to the carnal.
And what do we do, brothers, when we introduce spiritual things to the carnal; if, however, we ourselves are not carnal, when we intimate these spiritual things to the carnal, to a man accustomed to earthly birth, and seeing the order of this creation, where there are successions and departures, where those who generate and those who are generated are distinguished by age? For the son is born after the father, and will succeed the father who is destined to die. This we find among humans, this we find among other living beings: parents are prior in time, children are later in time. By this custom of seeing, they wish to transfer carnal things to spiritual matters, and by the intention of carnal things they are more easily deceived. For the reason of the listeners does not follow those preaching such things, but custom, which even loosens them, that they might preach such things. And what do we do? Shall we remain silent? If only it were permitted! For perhaps in silence, something worthy might be thought about the ineffable matter. For whatever can be spoken is not ineffable. But God is ineffable. For if the apostle Paul says he was caught up to the third heaven, and says he heard ineffable words; how much more is He Himself ineffable, who showed such things that cannot be spoken by the one to whom they were shown? Therefore, brothers, it would be better if we could be silent, and say: This is what faith holds, so we believe; you cannot grasp it, you are a child; it must be patiently endured until you grow your wings; and if you wish to fly while you are still featherless, let it not be the air of freedom, but the fall of recklessness. What do they say in response? Oh, if he had something to say, he would say it to me! For one who cannot respond has this excuse. He who does not wish to respond, has been conquered by the truth. To him to whom this is said, if he does not respond, even if he is not conquered within himself, he is nevertheless conquered in the wavering brothers. For the weak brothers hear, and think there is indeed nothing to be said; and perhaps they truly think there is nothing to be said, yet not that there is nothing to be felt. For man can say nothing that he cannot also feel; he can also feel something that he cannot express.
Similitudes to be used to refute the Arians.
Nevertheless, preserving the ineffability of that majesty, lest anyone should think that we have already reached through these similarities to that which cannot be said or thought by the immature (certainly, even if it is possible for some who are more advanced, it is possible in part, it is possible in a riddle, it is possible through a mirror; but not yet face to face); let us also give some similarities against them, from which they are refuted, not from which that may be grasped. Indeed, when we say it can be very much understood, very much conceived, that he is both born and coeternal with the one from whom he is born, they refute this and demonstrate it as if it were false, giving us similarities. From where? From the creature, and they say to us: Surely a man existed before he begot a son, he is greater than his son; and a horse existed before it begot a foal, and a sheep, and other animals. They employ similarities from creatures.
Our faith in the Word, however, does not rely on analogies.
What, must we labor so that we also find likenesses of those things we assert? What? If I did not find them, could I not rightly say: the Birth of the Creator perhaps does not have a likeness in the creature? For the more He surpasses those things that are here in what is there, the more He surpasses those things that are born here in what is born there. All things here are through God; and yet, what can be compared to God? Thus, all things that are born here are born by His doing. And thus perhaps no likeness of His birth is found, just as no likeness of His substance, immutability, divinity, and majesty is found. For what similar thing can be found here? If therefore perhaps no likeness of birth is found, am I oppressed because of that, because I have not found likenesses of the Creator of all things, desiring to find in the creature what is similar to the Creator?
Analogies of the birth of the Son of God are imperfect in creatures. Coeval and coeternal with the Father.