SERMO 183
Again concerning the words of the Epistle 1 John 4, 2:
"Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ"
"To have come in the flesh, is from God"
Question to be handled.
The expectation of your Charity is the demand of my obligation. I do not doubt that you remember what I promised concerning the reading of Saint John, with the aid of the Lord. Therefore, when you heard the reader, I believe you thought that I must be the one to repay the debt. Indeed, we have deferred discussing a great question as our speech extended in length, namely, how it can rightly be understood what the blessed John, not the Baptist, but the Evangelist, said in his Epistle: Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. For we see many heresies confessing that Christ has come in the flesh, and yet we cannot say that they are of God. The Manichaean denies that Christ has come in the flesh. There is no need to struggle, nor to persuade you longer that this error is not of God. But the Arian confesses that Christ has come in the flesh, as does the Eunomian, the Sabellian, the Photinian. What witnesses do we need to convict these? Who can count so many plagues? But in the meantime, let us address those that are more known. Many of those heresies I mentioned are unknown, and such ignorance is safer. Certainly, what we know is that the Donatist confesses Christ has come in the flesh: and yet it is far from us to think this error is of God. To speak of more recent heretics, the Pelagian confesses Christ has come in the flesh: yet this error is absolutely not of God.
Heretics agree in this, that they deny Christ has come in the flesh.
Therefore, beloved, let us diligently consider that we do not doubt the truth of the saying: Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ to have come in the flesh is from God; these must be convinced because they do not confess Christ to have come in the flesh. For if we granted them this confession, we would acknowledge them to be from God. How then can we either forbid you from their errors, deter you, or defend you against them with the shield of truth? May the Lord help us, since your expectation for us is also a prayer, that these may be convinced because they do not confess Christ to have come in the flesh.
Arianus, how he denies that Christ came in the flesh.
Arians hear, and proclaim the birth from the virgin Mary. Do they therefore confess that Christ has come in the flesh? No. How do we prove it? If the Lord aids your understanding, very easily. What is it that we require? Whether they confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. How can they confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, who deny that He is Christ? For who is Christ? Let us ask blessed Peter. Just now as the Gospel was being read, you heard, when the Lord Jesus Christ Himself asked whom men said that the Son of Man was; the disciples responded with the opinions of others, and said: Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Those who confessed or confess these things did not know Jesus Christ as more than a man. Now, if they did not know Jesus Christ as more than a man, they surely did not know Jesus Christ. For if He is only a man, and nothing more, He is not Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered, one for all, because unity is in all: You are Christ, the Son of the living God.
The same argument is discussed.
Behold, you have a true confession, a full confession. For you must join together both what Christ says about Himself and what Peter says about Christ. What did Christ say about Himself? "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" What does Peter say about Christ? "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Join both, and Christ comes in the flesh. This is what Christ says about Himself, which is minor; this is what Peter says about Christ, which is greater. Humility answered about the truth, and truth about humility: this is humility about the truth of God and truth about the humility of man. "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" He said, "I say what I have become for you: you say, Peter, who it is that made you." Therefore, he who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, undoubtedly confesses that the Son of God has come in the flesh. Let the Arian now say whether he confesses that Christ has come in the flesh. If he confesses that the Son of God has come in the flesh, he confesses that Christ has come in the flesh. If he denies that the Son of God is Christ, he does not know Christ; he speaks of one thing instead of another, he does not speak of Him. For what is the Son of God? Just as we were seeking what Christ is, and we heard that He is the Son of God, let us now seek what the Son of God is. Behold the Son of God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God." In the beginning was the Word. What do you say, Arian? "In the beginning," as Genesis says, "God created the heavens and the earth"; but you say: "In the beginning God made the Word." For you say the Word is made, you say the Word is a creature. Therefore you say: "In the beginning God made the Word"; but the Evangelist says: "In the beginning was the Word." And therefore, "In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth," because the Word was. All things were made through Him. You say it was made. If you say it was made, you deny the Son.
The same argument is discussed.
For we seek a Son by nature, not by grace; a Son who is the only one, the only-begotten, not adopted. We seek such a Son, such a true Son, who, being in the form of God—these are the words of the Apostle, I mention them for the unlearned, lest they think they are my words—who, being in the form of God, as the Apostle says, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Not robbery, because by nature. It was nature, it was not robbery. He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. It was not robbery to him, it was nature; thus he was from eternity, thus he was coeternal with the Begetter, thus he was equal to the Father, thus he was. He emptied himself: so that we may confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. He emptied himself. How? By losing what he was, or by assuming what he was not? Let the Apostle follow; let us listen: He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant. Thus he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, not losing the form of God. The form of a servant was added, not the form of God departed. This is to confess that Christ came in the flesh. But the Arian who does not confess him as equal, does not confess him as the Son. If he does not confess him as the Son, he does not confess him as Christ. He who does not confess Christ, how does he confess that Christ came in the flesh?
Eunomian.
Thus also Eunomian, his peer, his associate, not much different. Indeed, the Arians are said to have confessed that the Son is at least similar to the Father; and if they did not say equal, yet similar. He, not even similar. And therefore he also denies Christ. For if Christ is truly equal and similar to the Father, indeed he who denies that he is equal denies Christ; he who denies that he is similar denies Christ. Therefore, he who denies that he is both equal and similar denies that Christ has come in the flesh. For I ask: Did Christ come in the flesh? He responds: He came. And we think that he confesses. I ask: Which Christ came in the flesh? Equal to the Father, or unequal? He responds: Unequal. Therefore you say that an unequal one came in the flesh: you deny that Christ came in the flesh, because Christ is equal to the Father.
Sabellian.
Hear the Sabellian. He himself is the Son who is also the Father. He says this, here he stings, here he spreads poison. He himself is, he says, the Father. When he wills, he is the Son: when he wills, he is the Father. He is not Christ himself. And you err if you say that this one has come in the flesh; because this one is not Christ, you deny that Christ has come in the flesh.
Photinus.
What do you say, Photine? Photinus says: Christ is only a man, not God. You confess the form of a servant, you deny the form of God. And Christ in the form of God is equal to the Father, in the form of a servant he is consort with us. And you deny that Christ has come in the flesh.
Donatist.
What is a Donatist? Many Donatists confess this about the Son what we do, that the Son is equal to the Father, and of the same substance: however some of them confess Him to be of the same substance, but deny Him to be equal. What is the need to argue about those who deny Him to be equal? For if they deny Him to be equal, they deny the Son. If they deny the Son, they deny Christ. If they deny Christ, how do they confess that Christ has come in the flesh?
The same argument is discussed.
It requires more subtle debate regarding those who confess the same as we do, that the only-begotten Son is equal to the Father, of the same substance, co-eternal with the eternal; and yet, they are Donatists. Let us say to them: You confess in words, but deny in deeds. For someone can deny in deeds. Not everyone who denies, denies in words. Indeed, there are people who deny in deeds. Let us question the Apostle: “All things,” he says, “are pure to the pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.” They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds. What does it mean to deny by deeds? To be proud, to create schisms; to glory not in God, but in man. Thus, Christ is denied by deeds: for Christ loves unity. Lastly, behold how they themselves deny Christ, to speak more openly. We call him Christ, of whom John the Baptist said: “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.” A good marriage, holy nuptials. The bridegroom is Christ, the bride is the Church. We know the bride from the bridegroom. Let the bridegroom himself tell us who his bride is; let him tell us, lest we err and disturb holy vows by our invitation to the wedding; let him tell us, let him show us himself first as the bridegroom.
The same topic is being discussed.