2. Likewise, either Matthew wrote the Gospel sufficiently, or not; if not: therefore since he did not write of himself but from the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was insufficient. But if Matthew sufficiently handed down the evangelical doctrine: therefore all the other Gospels are superfluous, both John's and the others.
3. Likewise, if it was necessary for the Church, why did he delay so long, defer, and withhold the word in the time of salvation? Therefore it seems that he acted negligently and sinned in that he deferred so long.
I respond: It must be said that the Evangelists are witnesses of the Lord, and this not on account of any deficiency of divine clarity, but of human weakness. Because, therefore, our weakness believes more firmly and more certainly in many than in one, divine wisdom disposed that there should be multiple Evangelists.
But if they said entirely different things, they would not strengthen faith; for it is necessary, in order that testimony be solid, that witnesses agree. But if they said entirely the same things, then certainly it would all be one and superfluous. Therefore, so that the testimony might be certain and contain nothing superfluous, the Holy Spirit disposed that they would narrate some things individually, some things in common, but nothing discordantly.
1. As to the objection that what one perceived, all perceived: this must be understood not as though they said entirely the same things, but that where they concurred in narrating the same event, they do not disagree, as Augustine says in On the Harmony of the Evangelists.
Or emphasis must be placed on the word perceive: because they perceive the same thing as those illuminated by one spirit and faith, but nevertheless they do not write entirely the same things.
2. As to the question whether Matthew spoke sufficiently, it must be said to this that to treat something sufficiently is twofold: either as much as the dignity of the matter demands, and thus to treat of Christ sufficiently is impossible, not only for one man, but even for the whole world, if it were converted into tongues, because all tongues fall short of narrating him. Whence at the end of John: But if there were written one by one the things that Jesus did, I do not think that even the world itself could contain the books that would have to be written. In another way, to treat sufficiently is as much as suffices for arriving at the end, and thus in any of the Evangelists the substance of faith is contained as far as suffices. But nevertheless the others are not superfluous, because they contribute to the clarity, explication, greater certainty, and defense of the faith.
3. As to the objection: why did he delay so long? It must be said that the reason was on the part of the writer: because he was a virgin and a young man, and therefore, being modest, he did not wish to put himself forward until he was asked by the bishops of Asia and stirred up by heretics. Whence it is said in the Prologue that he wrote the Gospel last, and this was fitting for a virgin.
Another reason was on the part of Scripture, because the others were occupied with the humanity and with the active life, but blessed John with the Divinity and the contemplative life, as Augustine says in the Gloss. Because therefore through visible things one arrives at invisible things, and through the active life at the contemplative, the others ought to have written first, but John last.
The third reason was on the part of the divine dispensation; for since John had preserved the Gospel better than the rest, if he had written first, he would either have written everything and taken away from the others the opportunity to write; or if not everything, the others would not have been able to supplement him. Therefore he allowed, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the others to write first, so that what the others had omitted, he himself might afterwards narrate.
The Greeks, however, give another reason, namely that he might correct the others; but they speak falsely, because if the Evangelists spoke by the same Spirit, it was impossible for them to say what is false; therefore something had to be added, but nothing corrected.
10. Question II. Secondly, inquiry is made concerning the certitude of this book, and it seems that it proceeds poorly.
1. For if the narrative mode is weak and infirm, because anyone can contradict it, nor does it have the means by which it may be refuted; and John proceeds in the narrative mode: therefore very weakly and infirmly.
2. Likewise, that it ought to proceed with certitude seems evident: because "nothing is more certain to a man than his own faith": therefore no knowledge or doctrine ought to be handed down more certainly than that which generates faith. But John's doctrine is for generating faith, as is said in John twenty: therefore it ought to be most certain and to proceed with certitude.
I respond: It must be said that certitude is fourfold, namely, of demonstration, of authority, of internal illumination, and of external persuasion. The first certitude is that which cannot be resisted: in it a man is compelled to assent, whether he wills it or not; and therefore such certitude, where it dominates, evacuates faith. Another is the certitude of authority, and this generates faith: whence Augustine says: "What we believe, we owe to authority." The third is the certitude of interior illumination, and this perfects and consummates faith. The fourth is of persuasion, when a faithful man assigns reasons of fittingness and efficacy, so that he may understand what he believes: and this certitude follows upon faith. For reasons of this kind are excellent and efficacious for the faithful, but utterly useless and infirm for the unfaithful.
1.2. As to what is asked concerning certitude, it must be said that "because the end imposes necessity on those things which are ordered to the end"; since this doctrine is for generating faith, it ought not to have had demonstrative certitude: it could not have had internal certitude, because that belongs to grace; it ought not to have had persuasive certitude: therefore it was fitting that it should have the certitude of authority. And this is the reason why all the books of Sacred Scripture are handed down by way of narration, not of argumentation, because they are for generating faith, which comes through free assent. But the books of the Doctors are handed down through arguments, because they are for generating understanding and for fostering and nourishing faith. But those arguments have no strength unless founded upon faith.
It must therefore be said that the certitude of authority in other sciences devised by men, who often speak falsely, has little strength; but in Sacred Scripture, which was given by the Holy Spirit, it has great firmness, because He cannot lie. Whence Augustine on Genesis says: "Greater is the authority of this Scripture than all the keenness of human intellect."
11. Question III. Inquiry is made concerning the sublimity of investigation and discourse. And it seems that blessed John acts wrongly, who investigates such sublime matters:
1. Because Ecclesiasticus three : Seek not the things that are too high for you, and search not into things above your ability: and again Proverbs twenty-five: He who is a searcher of majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory. What is greater than the eternal generation of the Word? If you say that he does not search into it, but narrates it: to the contrary: Isaiah fifty-three : Who shall declare his generation? And Jerome interprets this of the eternal generation.
2. Likewise, the Apostle in First Corinthians two commends himself for this, that he did not come to the Corinthians in loftiness of speech, but in humility. Therefore it seems that blessed John is blameworthy for having thundered so loftily that he could not have gone higher.
I respond: It should be understood that the searching of majesty and of lofty things can be threefold, namely in a diabolical spirit, a human spirit, and a divine spirit. The first is of malice, and was in the heretics; the second is of curiosity, and was in the philosophers; the third is of piety, and was in the Apostles and Prophets. The first is entirely to be condemned, the second is to be guarded against, but the third is to be embraced; because both the first and the second frequently lead into error, but the third does not, because the Spirit searches the deep things of God, 1 Corinthians 2. And because John was inspired by the divine Spirit, therefore he cannot be blamed in his searching and description of heavenly things: and therefore the Holy Spirit declared the eternal generation, not man.
2. As to what is asked concerning the loftiness of speech, it should be said that loftiness of speech is sometimes censured on account of wicked intention, as when a man speaks lofty things in order to appear glorious: and thus it is forbidden in First Kings two : Do not multiply speaking lofty things, boasting.
Sometimes it is censured on account of the subject matter, as when the subject matter is light and slight, it should not be weighed down and obscured with lofty words; concerning which, Colossians two : But I say this, that no one may deceive you in loftiness of words: and after: See to it that no one deceive you through philosophy and vain deceit.
Sometimes it is censured because the hearers are not capable: for this reason the Apostle said in First Corinthians two : I did not come to you in loftiness of speech: and the reason was that they were not able to understand. On the contrary, Jerome says of certain ones: "Others, with raised brow weighing grand words, philosophize about the sacred Scriptures among silly women." But blessed John both had lofty subject matter and good intention and advanced hearers, because the Church had already grown; wherefore he rightly and fittingly spoke in a lofty manner. Nevertheless this is wondrous, as Augustine says, that in his discourse the little one finds milk to suckle, and the mature one also finds solid food to nourish him. And that saying of Gregory is verified, that there the elephant swims, and the lamb walks on foot. And therefore the little ones who cannot swim with the elephants ought to walk on foot with the lambs.
Prologue of St. Jerome to the Gospel according to John.