But what sort of people they were and why they were reproved, I shall explain elsewhere: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness," he says. What do we understand by "against ungodliness," if not both of the Jews and the Gentiles? But lest it be said: "Why is the wrath of God revealed against the ungodliness of the Gentiles, since you said against all? For did the Gentiles receive the law and become transgressors? It is right that the wrath of God is revealed against the Jews, to whom the law was given and who did not want to observe it; but it was not given to the Gentiles," observe, brothers, and understand how the same Apostle declares all guilty, and all in need of salvation and the mercy of God. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Understand, brothers, see how he did not say: "They do not have the truth," but: "They hold the truth in unrighteousness." And as if you were to ask, saying: "How can they have the truth, who did not receive the law?", because what is known of God is manifest in them. How could what is known of God be manifest in them, who did not receive the law? He continues and says: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; even his eternal power and Godhead," indeed we understand "clearly seen." By what are they seen? By the things that are made.
From bodies, understand the soul; from the soul, understand God.
Why does man attend to works and not seek the maker? You observe the earth bearing fruit, you observe the sea full of its creatures, you observe the air filled with flying things, you observe the sky gleaming with stars, you recognize the changes of the seasons, you consider the four-part year, the leaves falling and returning to the trees, the seeds given their numbers, each thing having its measurements, its weights, all things managed according to their orders, the upper sky with total peace, the lower earth having its own kind of beauty in receding and succeeding things: considering all these, you see already all brought to life by a spiritual creature, and do you not seek the maker of such a great work? But you say to me: "I see these things, I do not see Him." Because He made something else for you whereby you might see these things, something else whereby He Himself might be seen—He gave bodily eyes to see these things, He gave a mind to see Himself— therefore you are not allowed to say in vain: "I do not see Him"; inspect these things according to understanding, and you will see the one working. For neither do you see the soul of a man; indeed, the soul of a man is not seen, but from the administration of the body, when we observe one walking, working, speaking, moving all the members according to the proper duties of each, we say: "He lives, there is in him something we do not see," and we understand it through these things we see. Therefore, just as you understand the soul, which you do not see, from the movements and administration of the body, so from the administration of the whole world and from the governance of souls, understand the Creator.
Nations have vanished in their thoughts.
But it is little to understand, for they also understood, and see what the Apostle says, consider the words which I began to say from the beginning. "The wrath of God," he says, "is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifested in them, for God has shown it to them." And as if you were asking how He manifested it, he says, "the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead," that is, being understood they are seen, "so that they are without excuse." Why without excuse? Because, he says, "they hold the truth in unrighteousness," he shows how. "Because, knowing God"—he did not say "because they did not know God," but what did he say?—"because, knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." By what merit, if not by pride? For see what follows: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." They ought not to have arrogated to themselves what He had given, nor boast of what they had not from themselves, but from Him: which was certainly to be restored, so that in keeping what they had been able to see, they might be healed by Him who had granted them to see. For if they had done this, they would have maintained humility, and could have been purified and adhered to that most blessed contemplation. For to such men the true and truthful physician, the mediator, the conqueror of pride, the exalter of humility, would be revealed. But you say, “Was He not yet humbly born?” But He would have been revealed by prophecy, just as He was revealed to Abraham—for the Lord Himself said, “Abraham desired to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad”—just as He was revealed to other fathers and prophets. For thus they were saved by faith in the One who was to be born and to suffer, just as we are saved, having been born and suffered. But it is no wonder since He revealed Himself to their humility and concealed from their pride. Because there was pride in them, a false and deceitful and proud one interposed himself, who promised them by some arts of pride that their souls would be purified, and made them worshippers of demons, that is, of evil angels. Hence all the sacraments that are celebrated by pagans, which they say avail for the purification of their souls.
God delivers idol worshippers to the desires of their hearts.
And listen to the Apostle consequently saying this, that for the reward of their pride they received this, because they did not honor God as God should be honored. Their foolish heart, he says, was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, indeed through that false mediator, who rejoices in idols, who rejoices when unclean animals are fed – that is, the pigs which the younger son fed, having gone far away from his father: for just as the Lord is near to those who have broken hearts, that is, the humble, so the Lord is far from those who have exalted hearts, that is, the proud. Claiming, he says, to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of corruptible man. The idols are already there, and those indeed of all the Greeks and other nations, which have the likeness of men. But there is no idolatry greater or more superstitious than that of the Egyptians – for Egypt flooded the world with such images as the Apostle subsequently describes –, when he said: Into the likeness of the image of corruptible man, he added: And of birds and quadrupeds and serpents. For, brothers, have you seen in other temples idols with the head of a dog or a bull, or the figures of other irrational animals? Has anyone seen these things in any temple except in the temple of Isis? For the idols are of the Egyptians. The Apostle embraces both kinds when he says: Into the likeness of the image of corruptible man and of birds and quadrupeds and serpents. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. These evils come from impiety. For the head was pride. Moreover, these following sins are not only sins but also punishments. For when he says: God gave them up, it is already a matter of retribution for some sin, so that these things happen, but these punishments are still sins as well. Why? Because they can still return from them if they wish. But truly, when it comes to punishment, it is no longer permitted to return from it; that will be the punishment which will no longer be called sin. For in these intermediate states, they are both punishments and sins. The first, which is pride, is a sin alone, not yet a punishment. Those that follow are both sins and punishments. Whoever does not want to return from them will come to the punishment which is no longer a sin but the penalty for all sins. Because the first sin is pride, it is clearly written elsewhere: The beginning of all sin is pride. And how is the root of all evils avarice? Because wanting more than God is avarice, wanting more than is sufficient is avarice. For God alone is enough for the soul. Hence it is said by Philip: Show us the Father, and it is enough for us. But what is more prideful than the one who, presuming on himself, abandons God? What is more covetous than the one for whom God is not enough? Therefore, pride itself is avarice in the origin of sins. Therefore, the soul, as an adulteress, having abandoned the one true and lawful husband, God, prostitutes itself to many false gods, that is, demons, and is in no way satisfied.
The Romans worshiped many gods, with the devil rejoicing.
How many gods did the Romans worship! At first, forsaking the one true and unchangeable God, they worshipped gods as if they were their own. They began to fight with other nations, and believing that they were defended by their gods, they persevered and sought to violate the gods of others with certain sacrifices, and increased the number of their own gods by adopting the sacrilegious rites of either the subjected or to-be-subjected nations. Thus, they invited canine faces, and shapes of bulls and serpents and birds and all the monstrosities of the Egyptians, and thus they appeased them as if propitiating them. For it is also read among their authors that the gods of the Egyptians were even adverse to the Roman gods not long before the time of the incarnation of the Lord. For just as the Apostle says about the Cretans: A certain one of their own prophets said: "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons," so too can we say: A certain one of their own prophets said:
all kinds of gods and beasts and barking Anubis
against Neptune and Venus and against Minerva
they hold weapons.
For it seemed unworthy to this poet that the dog-headed Egyptians would fight against the human images of the Romans. Yet the demons fought amongst themselves, the Egyptians' for the Egyptians, and the Romans' for the Romans. However, to possess both peoples altogether, they made an agreement among themselves, and everything began to be worshiped by the Romans. For the Apostle says: “Not that an idol is anything, but that what the pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to become partners with demons.” Just as these people deceive themselves, saying: “...,” as if you would disdain the idol that the craftsman made, because it has no life. You would disdain the idol if you despised the demon who delights in the idol. Therefore, it is pointless to interpret the image as a representation of the creature, because the creature does not rejoice in such worship by men unless it is a sinful creature which, out of pride, demands undeserved honor, deceitfully terrifying human frailty. God handed them over, he says, to the desires of their hearts in impurity, so that they might dishonor their bodies among themselves, they who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. What does it mean they exchanged the truth of God for a lie? In the likeness of the image of corruptible man and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles.
"Pass from the creature to the Creator."
And lest anyone of them should say: "I do not worship idols, but what idols signify," he immediately added: And they worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator. Understand prudently, beloved. For they either worship an idol, or a creature. He who worships an idol turns the truth of God into a lie. For the sea is the truth, but Neptune is a lie made by man, with the truth of God turned into a lie since God made the sea, but man made the idol of Neptune. Likewise, God made the sun, but man by making an idol of the sun turns the truth of God into a lie. But lest he says: "I do not worship an idol, but I worship the sun," let him hear what follows: They worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator. Therefore, having forsaken the Creator, they fell to the creature. And what is more shameful, they were not content even with that. For if they, having forsaken God, had worshiped what God made, they would be detestable. But how much more detestable are they, who even forsaking what God made, worship what craftsmen made? Having left the creature, you go to an idol, and when you try to defend yourself, confused by the idol, you return to the creature. Now indeed, to truly defend yourself, pass from the creature to the Creator. "But I cannot," he says, "reach Him except through these." Who says this? The learned one. Who says this? He who holds the truth of God in a lie. Who says this? He who, when he had known God, did not glorify Him as God or give thanks: not he who did not know, but he who did know.
Of the necessity of a mediator between man and God.
Of these proud ones who hold the truth of God in a lie, there are two kinds. Some have entrusted themselves to their own virtue, sought no helper, thinking their souls could be purified through philosophy, as if needing no mediator. But these matters are not to be discussed at the present. We are now dealing with the sacrilegious rites of pagans. However, they claimed that no sacrifices helped them. They say that Pythagoras was of such a kind. Let this boasting see what it promises itself about its own strengths! He who presumes upon himself presumes upon man. Who, however, will liberate the unhappy man from this body of death, except the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, the only true mediator, God and man? If He were only man, He would not be a mediator; if only God, He would not be a mediator. But if He were not a mediator, He would not reconcile man to God, who had been far separated through iniquity. Therefore, these also hold the truth of God in a lie, because they presume upon themselves, while every man is a liar, nor is anyone liberated except through the confession of sins with an interposed propitiator. And these are not indeed seduced by sacrilegious rites, but in another way, that proud enemy of souls deceives them, making them like himself through the arrogance of human presumption, not seeking with humility Him from whom they fell by pride. Such were all to whom Christ was not revealed, even if they wished to be purified by no false rites. For to a soul that is unclean, it is a great impurity to think it can be purified by itself. But concerning those who worshiped no idols nor engaged in Chaldean or magical rites, it is not appropriate to speak hastily, lest perhaps it escapes us that the Savior may have been revealed to them in some way, without whom no one can be saved.
"Without a mediator, no one can come to God."
But there are others who, having seen or believed that there is a God to whom they must be reconciled and not presuming upon their own strength, wished to be purified by sacred rites. Yet, even they, swollen with vain curiosity and preferring themselves to others through the doctrines of demons, gave place to the devil through pride and believed they could be cleansed by the deceptions and empty mysteries of the powers of the air, that is, demons. The Apostle mentioned such people when he said: "They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the likeness of corruptible man and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles." For some of them soared and, having transcended all creation, understood the Creator above all, but, remaining weak, they also grew proud in this. And now such people say to us, or those who follow their authority: "We cannot be purified except through these mediators," namely such powers. Therefore, they seek a mediator. Why? "Because the human mind, entangled and oppressed by its desires, needs purification. And unless it is purified, it does not take pleasure in the unchangeable, even if it can somewhat and in some way be seen." And indeed they rightly feel that no one can come to God without a mediator.
What a mediator is and who it is.
But what a mediator is, must be inquired. For there is a false mediator, and there is a true one. The false mediator, as we have often said, is the devil. He wrongly inserts himself among those who seek him and wish to be proud, performing certain signs and miracles. For the magicians of Pharaoh also did similarly to Moses, although they could not do everything, because they do only as much as the aerial spirits through whom they act allow. But God did as much as He pleased. Therefore, through certain signs, as I said, spirits insert themselves among the proud and promise them purification. However, the true mediator is the Lord Jesus Christ alone, whom the humble of old recognized through revelation, and desired to be purified through Him. Before He was born of Mary, He was revealed to those worthy, so that through faith in Him, who was to be born and suffer, they might be saved, just as we are saved through faith in Him who was born and suffered. Indeed, He came so humbly to show that He purifies and saves only the humble. For at that time, before the Word became flesh, He was revealed not only to the holy patriarchs and prophets among the Hebrew people but also examples are found among other nations. For, whoever sought humbly, lacked not the humble mediator, who alone reconciles to the Father, and alone truly said: No one comes to the Father except through me, accommodating to them His humility, so that those who persist in humility might deserve to be purified through Him, who is the humble mediator. Was Melchizedek of the people of Israel? Yet Scripture commends him as a priest of the Most High God in prefiguration of the mediator Himself. Indeed, Abraham was blessed by him. Was Job, such a great and strong man, a wrestler and victor against the devil, who, sitting in dung, full of worms, humbled himself and defeated him by whom Adam, in his pride, was defeated in paradise with an intact body, was this man of the people of Israel? And yet, in his words, the true mediator is understood to have been proclaimed and foretold. Just as the mediator mentions some, as enough to suffice, so it is to be believed that the revelation of the mediator came to all who sought purification, even before He appeared in the flesh, they who humbly sought the purging mediator, without whom no one is purified. No one, however, unless purified through the mediator, arrives at that which, even if it can be seen in part by some small part of the understanding of the soul, cannot be obtained except by the most purified. Therefore, even if some sought as the Apostle says, so that the invisible things of God might be understood through those that are made, but held the truth of God in falsehood, that is, they claimed to be wise and were puffed up with pride, not rightly honoring Him from whom they had received understanding, to such the proud mediator opposes himself to the proud, as He is humble to the humble, through certain congruities and through an ineffable and marvelous justice, remaining in the inner sanctums of God, which, though we cannot see, we honor. Therefore, the proud mediator meets the proud, the humble meet the humble; but the humble meet the humble so that they may be led to the height of God; the proud meet the proud so that He may shut off from them the height of God.
Of the humble mediator and the proud mediator.
For see how the devil interposes himself as a mediator. He is not mortal by flesh, but a sinner. The Lord, however, willed to be mortal by flesh, but not a sinner. He shared death with men, not sins. For if He were a sinner, He could not be a mediator. For if He were both mortal and a sinner, He would be what other men are, and would no longer be a mediator, but would need a mediator. For any man is a sinner and mortal. But God is just and immortal. The humble mediator is just, mortal, and not merely just, but just because He is God, mortal because He is man. The proud mediator, unjust and immortal: for he is not dissolved by body, because he is not clothed with flesh - in this respect, I call him immortal; for true immortality belongs only to God, as it is said: "Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light," as the only-begotten Son is also immortal, because He and the Father are one, but He willed to be mortal by taking on manhood. Thus, the devil, unjust and immortal in a certain manner, interposed himself as a mediator to man, who is unjust and mortal. Two things below, two things above. But for the lowest things to be reconciled with the highest, a mediator is needed. What are the two things below? Unjust, mortal. What are the two things above? Just, immortal. Therefore, that mediator purifying and restoring, if He were also unjust and mortal, He would not be a mediator, not having one thing from below and one thing from above, but both from below: iniquity and mortality. Again, if He had immortality from above and iniquity from below, He would indeed have one thing from each, and thus He would seem to be a mediator, but not restoring, because not purifying. For having iniquity with man, He would be considered worthy of punishment with him, and thus be a mediator who obstructed the way to God. For sins do nothing but separate from God; listen to Scripture saying: "Has God weighed down His ear that He should not hear? But your sins separate between you and your God."
Further on the two mediators.
Therefore sins block the way; mortality, however, does not block the way, because mortality is the penalty of sin, coming from the judgment of God. That which deserved this penalty blocks the way. This we say: not what God made for you blocks the way to God, but what you did to yourself. For God made the mortality of the body for you, but you made sin yourself. That true and truthful mediator, therefore, shared with you what God made for you as a punishment, but he did not share with you what you did sinning. He shared with you mortality, but he did not share with you iniquity. For he was made in mortal flesh, yet he was not made by sin a debtor to death. For he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, made in the likeness of men, and found in appearance as a man. This was said so that we do not think he was changed, but because he wanted to appear humbly and servilely, remaining in secret as Lord and God with God, the Son equal to the Father, through whom all things were made. Having therefore assumed mortality and participating with us in the infirmity of our punishment, he cleanses from sins and liberates from mortality itself: hence he is worthy who by dying killed death, because he suffered death undeservedly. This true and truthful mediator, the humble and exalted mediator, the mediator leading back to that from which we fell. But that proud mediator, the false and deceitful mediator, has iniquity in common with sinful men; however, he does not have the mortality of the flesh, and therefore he does not relieve their mortality, while he offers iniquity to be imitated, because, just as the iniquity of the first life deserved this death, so the persevering iniquity of this life merits eternal death. Indeed, the devil will suffer this along with those he deceives, for whom he now does not undergo mortality, which is carried out in the mortality of the flesh; and therefore he wants to be a mediator, because he has one thing in common with them—that is, iniquity—but he does not have the other—that is, mortality.