LETTER XXVI. 

THAT this letter is addressed to the same person as the preceding, in spite of the discrepancy in the address, is clear from the first sentence (See Introd. to xxv.). It resumes the subject, and dwells in detail on the example of our Lord's dealing with the woman taken in adultery.

AMBROSE TO IRENAEUS. [STUDIUS?]

1. ALTHOUGH in my previous letter I have resolved the question which you proposed to me, I will not refuse your request, my son, that I would somewhat more fully state and express my meaning.

2. Much agitated has ever been the question, and very famous this acquittal of that woman who in the Gospel according to John was brought to Christ accused of adultery. The stratagem which the equivocating Jews devised was this, that in case of the Lord Jesus acquitting her contrary to the Law, His sentence might be convicted of being at variance with the Law, but if she were to be condemned according to the Law, the Grace of Christ might seem to be made void.

3. And still more warm has the discussion become, since the time that bishops  03-148  148. a See note g on Letter xxiv. have begun to accuse those guilty of the most heinous crimes before the public tribunals, and some even to urge them to the use of the sword and of capital punishment, while others again approve of such kind of accusations and of blood-stained triumphs of the priesthood. For those men say just the same as did the Jews, that the guilty ought to be punished by the public laws, and therefore that they ought also to be accused by the priests before the public tribunals, who, they assert, ought to be punished according to the laws. The case is the same, though the number is less, that is to say, the question as to judgment is similar, the odium of the punishment is dissimilar. Christ would not permit one woman to be punished according to the Law; they assert that too small a number has been punished.

4. But in what place does Christ give this decision? For He generally vouchsafed to adapt His discourses to the character of the place wherein He was teaching His disciples  03-149  149. b S. Ambrose makes the same statement again, De Spirit, in. 17. 'It is important then to notice where the Lord maintained this argument, for oft-times His oracles derive their value from the quality of the place where He was.' . For instance while walking in the porch of Solomon, that is, of the Wise man, He said,  I   and My Father are One; and in God's Temple He said,  My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.   03-150  150. S. John x. 30. ib. vii. 16. It was in the Temple also that He gave the sentence of which we now speak, for in the verse following it is thus written,  These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as He taught in the   Temple, and no man laid hands on Him.   03-151  151. Ib. viii. 20. What is the Treasury? It is the place of offering for the faithful, the bank of the poor, the refuge of the needy, near which Christ sat, when, according to Luke, He declared that the widow's two mites were to be preferred to the gifts of the rich, thus bearing Divine testimony to a zealous and cordial charity as preferable to the offerings of an affluent munificence.  03-152  152. S. Luke xxi. 2.

5. Now let us consider what He Who passed such a judgment as this contributed when sitting near the Treasury, for not without a purpose did He prefer the woman who threw in two mites. Precious was her poverty, and rich in the mystery of faith. These are the same two pieces of money which the Samaritan in the Gospel left with the host in order to cure the wounds of the man who had fallen among thieves.  03-153  153. ib. x. 35. So too this woman, outwardly a widow, but mystically representing the Church, thought it right to cast into the sacred Treasury this gift whereby the wounds of the poor might be healed and the hunger of the strangers satisfied.

6. Now then it behoves you spiritually to consider what Christ bestows;  03-154  154. Ps. xi. 7. for He distributed among the people silver tried by the fire of the heavenly oracles, and to the desires of the people He told out money stamped with the Royal image. No one could give more than He Who gave all. He satisfied the hungry, He replenished the needy, He enlightened the blind, He redeemed the captives, He raised the palsied, He restored the dead, nay, what is more, He gave absolution to the guilty and forgave their sins. These are the two pence which the Church cast in, after having received them from Christ. And what are the two pence but the price of the New and Old Testament? The price of the Scripture is our faith, for it is according to the intelligence and will of each that what we read therein is valued. So then the remission of sins is the price of both Testaments, and is announced in type by the Lamb, and accomplished in verity by Christ.

7. You understand therefore that the purification of seven days  03-155  155. Exod. xii. 3. brought with it also the purification of three days.  03-156  156. Lev. xii. 2. The purification of seven days is according to the Law, which, under the semblance of the sabbath that now is, announced a spiritual sabbath; the purification of three days is according to Grace, and is sealed by the witness of the Gospel, for the Lord rose on the third day.  03-157  157. S.Luke xxiv. 7. Where a penalty for sin is prescribed there also must penitence be, where remission of sins is accorded there follows Grace. Penitence precedes, Grace follows. So that there can neither be penitence without Grace, nor Grace without penitence, for penitence must first condemn sin, that Grace may abolish it. Wherefore John, fulfilling the type of the Law, baptized unto repentance,  03-158  158. S. Matt. iii. 11. Christ unto Grace.

8. Now the seventh day denotes the mystery of the Law, the eighth that of the Resurrection, as you have in Ecclesiastes,  Give a portion to seven and also to eight.   03-159  159. Eccles. xi. 2. In the prophet Hosea also you have read that it was said to him,  Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms for fifteen pieces of silver,   03-160  160. Hosea i. 2. seeing that by the double price of the Old and New Testament, that is, by the full price of faith, that woman is hired who was attended by a vagrant and licentious train of sojouners.

9.  And I bought her to me, saith the prophet,  03-161  161. Ib. iii. 2.  for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley and a measure   ^{03-162  162. 1 nevel.}  of wine   ^{03-163  163. c These words are not in the Heb. In LXX they take the place of the half-homer of barley, γομὸρ κριθῶν καὶ νέβελ οἴνου. S. Ambrose combines both.} . By barley is signified that the imperfect are called to the Faith that they may be made perfect, by the homer is understood a full measure, by the half homer a half measure. The full measure is the Gospel, the half measure is the Law, the fulfilment of which is the New Testament. Thus the Lord Himself saith,  I am not come to destroy the Law, but tofulfil.   03-164  164. S. Matt. v. 17.

10. Nor is it without meaning that we read in the Psalms of David of fifteen degrees, and that the sun had risen fifteen degrees, when Hezekiah the righteous king received a new supply of life.  03-165  165. Isa. xxxviii. 8. Hereby was signified the coming of the Sun of Righteousness, Who was about to enlighten by His presence these fifteen steps of the Old and New Testament whereby our faith mounts up to life eternal.  03-166  166. Mal. iv. 2. And this leads me to believe that what was read this day from the Apostle of his remaining fifteen days with Peter has a mystical meaning;  03-167  167. Gal. i. 18. for it appears that while the holy Apostles held various discourses among themselves upon the interpretation of the Divine Scriptures a full and bright light fell upon them, and the shades of ignorance were dispersed. But now let us come to the absolution of the woman taken in adultery.

11. A woman accused of adultery was brought by the Scribes and Pharisees to the Lord Jesus with the malicious intent, that, if He was to acquit her, He might seem to annul the Law, if He condemned her, that He might seem to have changed the purpose of His coming, since He came to remit the sins of all men. To the same purport He said above  ^{03-168  168. d It was said just afterwards, if this story of the woman taken in adultery be in its right place, which is doubtful.} ,  I judge no man. So when they brought her they said,  This woman was taken inadultery, in the very act; now Moses in the Law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest Thou?   03-169  169. S. John viii. 15. Ib. 4, 5. Lev. xx. 8.

12. While they were saying this, Jesus stooped down and wrote with His finger on the ground. And as they waited for His answer, He lifted up His head and said,  He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.   03-170  170. v. 7. What can be more Divine than this sentence, that he should punish sins who is himself free from sin? For how can we endure one who takes vengeance on guilt in another and excuses it in himself? When a man condems in another what he commits himself, does he not rather pronounce his own condemnation?

13. Thus He spake, and wrote upon the ground. What then did He write? This,  Thou beholdest the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye.   03-171  171. S. Matt. vii. 3. For lust is like a mote, it is quickly kindled, quickly consumed; the sacrilegious perfidy which led the Jews to deny the Author of their salvation declared the magnitude of their crime.

14. He wrote upon the ground with the finger with which He had written the Law. Sinners' names arewritten in the earth, those of the just in heaven,  03-172  172. Jer. xvii. 13. as He said to His disciples,  Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.   03-173  173. S. Luke x. 20. And He wrote a second time, that you may know that the Jews were condemned by both Testaments.

15. When they heard these words they went out one after another, beginning at the eldest, and sat down thinking upon themselves.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. It is well said that they went out who chose not to be with Christ. Without is the letter, within are the mysteries. For in the Divine lessons they sought, as it were, after the leaves of trees, and not after the fruit; they lived in the shadow of the Law, and could not discern the Sun of Righteousness.

16. Finally, when they departed Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. Jesus about to remit sin remains alone, as He says Himself,  Behold the hour cometh, yea is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone;   03-174  174. S. John xvi. 32. for it was no messenger, no herald, but the Lord Himself Who saved His people. He remains alone, because in the remission of sins no man can participate with Christ. This is the gift of Christ alone, Who  took away the sins of the world.   03-175  175. Ib. i. 29. The woman too was counted worthy to be absolved, seeing that, on the departure of the Jews, she remained alone with Jesus.

17. Then Jesus lifted up His head, and said to the woman,  Where are those thine accusers, hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee, go, and sin no more.   03-176  176. Ib. viii. 10. See, O reader, these Divine mysteries, and the mercy of Christ. When the woman is accused, Christ stoops His head, but when the accusers retire He lifts it up again; thus we see that He would have no man condemned, but all absolved.

18. By the words,  Hath no man condemned thee? He briefly overthrows all the quibbles of heretics, who say that Christ knows not the day of judgment. He Who says,  But to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, says also in this place,  Hath no man condemned thee?   03-177  177. S. Matt. xx. 23. How is it that He asks concerning that which He saw? It is for our sakes that He asks, that we might know the woman was not condemned. And such is the wont of the human mind, often to enquire concerning that which we know. The woman too answered,  No man, Lord, that is to say, Who can condemn when Thou dost not condemn? Who can punish another under such a condition as Thou hast attached to his sentence?

19. The Lord answered her,  Neither do I condemn thee. Observe how He has modified His own sentence; that the Jews might have no ground of allegation against Him for the absolution of the woman, but by complaining only draw down a charge upon themselves; for the woman is dismissed not absolved; and this because there was no accuser, not because her innocence was established. How then could they complain, who were the first to abandon the prosecution of the crime, and the execution of the punishment?

20. Then He said to her who had gone astray, Go,  and sin no more. He reformed the criminal, He did not absolve the sin. Faults are condemned by a severer sentence, whenever a man hates his own sin, and begins the condemnation of it in himself. When the criminal is put to death, it is the person rather than the trangression which is punished, but when the transgression is forsaken, the absolution of the person becomes the punishment of the sin. What is the meaning then of, Go,  and sin no more? It is this; Since Christ hath redeemed thee, suffer thyself to be corrected by Grace; punishment would not reform but only afflict thee. Farewell, my son, and love me as a son, for I on my part love you as a parent.

894 EPISTOLA XXVI.

 Argumento superioris epistolae repetito, ad Judaeos adulteram Christo sistentes redit, quibus episcopos reorum mortem prosequentes comparat. Hinc locum   1042B  ubi oblata fuit mulier, exponens, de remissione peccatorum multa disputat. Postremo singulas ejusdem historiae partes ex Evangelio recenset atque enucleat. 

AMBROSIUS IRENAEO.

1. Etsi jam superiore epistola hanc, quam proposuisti, quaestiunculam absolverim; tamen aliquid plenius requirenti tibi, ut filio, afferre atque exsculpere non supersederim.

2. Ac semper quidem decantata quaestio, et celebris absolutio fuit mulieris ejus, quae in libro Evangelii (Joan. VIII, 11), quod secundum Joannem scribitur, adulterii rea oblata est Christo. Id enim Judaeorum commentata est tergiversatio; ut si contra Legem absolveretur, contra Legem prolata Domini  1042C Jesu sententia teneretur: si autem damnata esset ex Lege, vacare Christi videretur gratia.

3. Sed vehementior facta est, posteaquam episcopi reos criminum gravissimorum in publicis judiciis accusare, alii et urgere usque ad gladium supremamque mortem, alii accusationes hujusmodi et cruentos sacerdotum triumphos probare coeperunt. Quid enim aliud isti dicunt, quam dicebant Judaei reos criminum legibus esse publicis puniendos; et ideo accusari eos etiam a sacerdotibus in publicis judiciis oportuisse, quos asserunt secundum leges oportuisse puniri? Eadem causa est, sed numerus  1043A minor, hoc est, non dispar judicii quaestio, sed poenae dispar invidia. Unam Christus puniri ex Lege non passus est, isti minorem numerum asserunt esse punitum.

4. At quo loci hoc judicat Christus? Nam plerumque secundum qualitates locorum in quibus docebat famulos suos, disputationes suas formare dignatus est, ut in porticu Salomonis, hoc est, sapientis, deambulans loquebatur:  Ego et Pater unum sumus (Joan. X, 30); ut in templo Dei dicebat:  Mea doctrina non est mea, sed ejus qui me misit (Joan. VII, 16). Hoc quoque judicium in templo positus exercet, sicut scriptum est in posterioribus; sic enim habes:  Haec verba locutus est Jesus in gazophylacio, docens in templo; et nemo apprehendit eum (Joan. VIII, 20).  1043B Quid est gazophylacium? Collatio fidelium, sumptus pauperum, requies egenorum, juxta quod sedens Christus, ut habes secundum Lucam, duo aera mulieris viduae divitum muneribus censuit praeferenda (Luc. XXI, 2), divino videlicet testimonio praeferens opimae praemiis largitatis sedulae liberalitatis affectum.

895 5. Qui tale habebat judicium, videamus quid ipse juxta gazophylacium positus conferebat; non enim otiose viduam praetulit duo aera mittentem. Pretiosa ista paupertas est fidei opulenta mysterio. Ista sunt duo aera quae Samaritanus ille Evangelicus ad ejus curanda vulnera, qui incidit in latrones, stabulario dereliquit (Luc. X, 35). Ergo et ista specie vidua, in typo Ecclesiae, hoc gazophylacio  1043C sacro conferendum putavit, quo pauperum sanarentur vulnera, peregrinorum jejunia sedarentur.

6. Unde et nunc quid Christus conferat, spiritaliter te oportet expendere; dividebat enim populis argentum igne examinatum eloquiorum coelestium, et imaginis regiae pecuniam populorum annumerabat affectibus (Psal. XI, 6). Nemo plus misit, quam qui totum donavit. Satiabat esurientes, replebat inopes, illuminabat caecos, redimebat captivos, paralyticos erigebat, mortuos resuscitabat, et quod est amplius, conferebat absolutiones reorum, peccata donabat. Haec sunt duo aera, quae misit Ecclesia posteaquam accepit a Christo. Quid enim sunt duo aera, nisi pretium novi et veteris Testamenti?  1043D Pretium Scripturae fides nostra est; nam quod legitur, pro intelligentis aestimatur arbitrio. Remissio igitur peccatorum utriusque pretium Testamenti est, quae per agnum in typo annuntiata est, in veritate completa per Christum.

7. Ideo habes neque septem dierum purgationem sine trium dierum esse purgatione (Exod.  1044A XII, 3). Septem dierum purgatio secundum Legem (Levit. XII, 2), quae in specie praesentis sabbati spiritale sabbatum annuntiavit: trium dierum purgatio secundum gratiam, quae Evangelii testificatione signatur (Luc. XXIV, 7); quia tertio die Dominus resurrexit. Ubi poena praescribitur, debet esse poenitentia peccatorum: ubi remissio donatur, gratia est. Praecedit poenitentia, sequitur gratia. Neque poenitentia ergo sine gratia, neque gratia sine poenitentia; debet enim poenitentia prius damnare peccatum, ut gratia possit abolere. Ideo typum Legis accipiens Joannes baptizavit in poenitentiam, Christus ad gratiam (Matth. III, 11).

8. Septimus ergo dies Legis mysterium signat, octavus resurrectionis, sicut habes in Ecclesiaste:  1044B  Da partem illis septem, et illis octo (Eccl. XI, 2). Nam et in propheta Osee legisti dictum ad eum:  Conduc tibi fornicariam quindecim denariis (Ose. III, 1); eo quod gemino aere veteris et novi Testamenti, hoc est, integro fidei pretio, mulier illa vago quodam et meretricio gentium convenarum comitatu fulta conducitur.

9.  Et conduxi, inquit,  eam gomor hordei, et semigomor, et nevel vini (Ibid., 2). Per hordeum significat quia imperfectos vocaret ad fidem, ut perfectos redderet: per gomor intelligitur plena mensura, per semigomor semiplena mensura. Plena mensura in Evangelio est, semiplena in Lege, cujus plenitudo novum est Testamentum. Siquidem ipse Dominus ait:  Non veni Legem solvere, sed implere  1044C (Matth. V, 17).

10. Nec otiose quindecim anabathmorum 896 psalmos Davidicos legimus, et quindecim gradibus ascendisse solem, cum Ezechias justus rex vitae hujus acciperet commeatum (Esai. XXXVIII, 8). Significabatur enim esse venturus sol justitiae, (Malac. IV, 2), qui gradus quindecim veteris et novi Testamenti illuminaturus esset praesentiae suae lumine, quibus nostra fides ad vitam ascendit aeternam. Unde et hoc quod hodie in Apostolo lectum est (Galat. I, 18), mysticum reor; eo quod quindecim diebus apud Petrum manserit: videtur enim mihi quod apostolis sanctis Scripturae divinae interpretationem sermone secum vario conferentibus pleni luminis refulserit claritudo, ignorantiae umbra  1044D decesserit. Sed jam veniamus ad mulieris hujus adulterae absolutionem.

11. Oblata erat a Scribis et Pharisaeis Domino Jesu adulterii rea (Joan. VIII, 3 et seq,). et hac oblata fraude, ut si eam absolveret, Legem solvere videretur: sin vero damnaret, propositum sui mutaret adventus; quia peccata omnium remissurus advenit. Denique  1045A supra ait:  Ego non judico quemquam (Joan. VIII, 15). Offerentes ergo eam, dixerunt:  Hanc mulierem invenimus publice maechantem. Scriptum est enim in lege Moysis omnem maecham lapidari. Tu vero quid dicis de ea  (Levit. XX, 10)?

12. Quae cum dicerent, Jesus inclinato capite, digito scribebat in terra. Et cum exspectarent, ut audirent eum, erigens caput dixit:  Qui sine peccato est, prior lapidet eam. Quid tam divinum, quam ista sententia; ut is peccata puniat, qui exsors ipse peccati sit? Quomodo enim feras alieni ultorem, et proprii criminis defensorem? Nonne se magis ipse condemnat, qui in alio damnat, quod ipse committit?

13. Hoc autem dixit, et scribebat in terra. Quid?  1045B Utique dicens:  Festucam, quae in oculo est fratris tui, vides: trabem autem, quae in oculo tuo est, non vides (Matth. VII, 3). Libido enim velut festuca est, cito accenditur, propere consumitur: sacrilegium perfidiae, quo Judaei negabant propriae salutis auctorem, sceleris magnitudinem personabat.

14. Scribebat autem in terra digito, quo Legem scripserat (Exod. XXXI, 18). Peccatores in terra scribuntur, justi in coelo, sicut habes dictum ad discipulos:  Gaudete quia nomina vestra scripta sunt in coelis (Jerem. XVII, 13). Secundo autem scripsit, ut gemino Testamento Judaeos scias esse damnatos (Luc. X, 20).

15. Audientes autem hoc verbum, exierunt foras unus post unum, incipientes a senioribus, et sedebant  1045C cogitantes de se (Joan. VIII, 6). Et remansit solus Jesus, et mulier in medio stans. Bene ait quod exierunt foras, qui nolebant esse cum Christo. Foris littera est, intus mysteria. Sequebantur enim divinarum lectionum quaedam velut arborum folia, non fructum; qui vivebant in umbra Legis, et solem justitiae videre non poterant.

16. Denique discedentibus illis, remansit solus Jesus, et mulier in medio stans. Donaturus peccatum, solus remanet Jesus, sicut ipse ait:  Ecce venit hora, et jam venit, ut dispergamini unusquisque in sua, et me solum relinquatis (Joan., XVI, 32); 897 non enim legatus, neque nuntius, sed ipse Dominus salvum fecit populum suum (Esai. LXIII, 8). Solus remanet; quia non potest hoc cuiquam hominum  1045D cum Christo esse commune, ut peccata condonet. Solius hoc munus est Christi, qui tulit peccatum mundi (Joan. I, 29). Meruit et mulier absolvi, quae recedentibus Judaeis, remansit sola cum Jesu.

17. Elevans autem caput Jesus dixit mulieri:  Ubi sunt, qui te accusabant? Nemo te lapidavit? Et  1046A  illa respondit: Nemo, Domine. Et ait ad illam Jesus: Nec ego te damnabo; vade, et amodo vide ne pecces (Joan. VIII, 10, 11). Vide, lector, divina mysteria, et clementiam Christi. Cum accusatur mulier, caput Christus inclinat: elevat autem, ubi deficit accusator; ita nullum damnari vult, absolvi omnes.

18. Breviter autem omnes haereticorum interimit quaestiones, dicendo:  Nemo  te lapidavit? qui dicunt Christum diem nescire judicii, vel qui ait:  Sedere autem ad dexteram meam vel ad sinistram, non est meum dare vobis (Matth. XX, 23); ecce et hic ait:  Nemo te lapidavit? Quomodo utique interrogat, quod videbat? Sed interrogat nobis, ut cognosceremus non esse lapidatam. Est etiam humani affectus haec consuetudo, ut interrogemus saepissime,  1046B quod videmus. Et ideo mulier respondit:  Nemo, Domine; hoc est dicere: Quis potest lapidare, quam ipse non damnas? Quis potest alium sub tali sententiae conditione punire?

19. Cui respondit Dominus:  Nec ego te damnabo. Adverte quomodo propriam sententiam temperavit; ut Judaei de absolutione mulieris calumniari nihil possent, sed in se magis calumniam retorquerent, si queri vellent: dimittitur enim mulier, non absolvitur: quia deerat accusator, non quia innocentia probabatur. Quid ergo quererentur, qui priores a persecutione criminis et ab exsecutione supplicii destiterunt?

20. Addidit autem deviae:  Vade, et amodo vide ne pecces. Emendavit ream, non crimen absolvit.  1046C Etenim severiore sententia culpa damnatur, si unusquisque crimen suum oderit, et in se incipiat condemnare delictum. Etenim cum reus occiditur, persona magis, quam culpa punitur: ubi vero culpa deponitur, absolutio personae est poena peccati. Quid est ergo:  Vade, et amodo vide ne pecces? hoc est: Ex quo te Christus redemit, corrigat gratia, quam poena non emendaret, sed plecteret. Vale, fili, et nos dilige, ut filius; quia nos te, ut parentes, diligimus.