Chapter 17.—The Specimen of Catechetical Discourse Continued, in Reference Specially to the Reproval of False Aims on the Catechumen’s Part.

26. “For there are some whose reason for desiring to become Christians is either that they may gain the favor of men from whom they look for temporal advantages, or that they are reluctant to offend those whom they fear. But these are reprobate; and although the church bears them for a time, as the threshing-floor bears the chaff until the period of winnowing, yet if they fail to amend and begin to be Christians in sincerity in view of the everlasting rest which is to come, they will be separated from it in the end. And let not such flatter themselves, because it is possible for them to be in the threshing-floor along with the grain of God. For they will not be together with that in the barn, but are destined for the fire, which is their due. There are also others of better hope indeed, but nevertheless in no inferior danger. I mean those who now fear God, and mock not the Christian name, neither enter the church of God with an assumed heart, but still look for their felicity in this life, expecting to have more felicity in earthly things than those enjoy who refuse to worship God. And the consequence of this false anticipation is, that when they see some wicked and impious men strongly established and excelling in this worldly prosperity, while they themselves either possess it in a smaller degree or miss it altogether, they are troubled with the thought that they are serving God without reason, and so they readily fall away from the faith.

27. “But as to the man who has in view that everlasting blessedness and perpetual rest which is promised as the lot destined for the saints after this life, and who desires to become a Christian, in order that he may not pass into eternal fire with the devil, but enter into the eternal kingdom together with Christ,104    Cf. Matt. xxv. 34, 41 such an one is truly a Christian; (and he will be) on his guard in every temptation, so that he may neither be corrupted by prosperity nor be utterly broken in spirit by adversity, but remain at once modest and temperate when the good things of earth abound with him, and brave and patient when tribulations overtake him. A person of this character will also advance in attainments until he comes to that disposition of mind which will make him love God more than he fears hell; so that even were God to say to him, ‘Avail yourself of carnal pleasures for ever, and sin as much as you are able, and you shall neither die nor be sent into hell, but you will only not be with me, he would be terribly dismayed, and would altogether abstain from sinning, not now (simply) with the purpose of not falling into that of which he was wont to be afraid, but with the wish not to offend Him whom he so greatly loves: in whom alone also there is the rest which eye hath not seen, neither hath ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man (to conceive),—the rest which God hath prepared for them that love Him.105    1 Cor. ii. 9

28. “Now, on the subject of this rest Scripture is significant, and refrains not to speak, when it tells us how at the beginning of the world, and at the time when God made heaven and earth and all things which are in them, He worked during six days, and rested on the seventh day.106    Gen. ii. 1–3 For it was in the power of the Almighty to make all things even in one moment of time. For He had not labored in the view that He might enjoy (a needful) rest, since indeed “He spake, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created;”107    Ps. cxlviii. 5 but that He might signify how, after six ages of this world, in a seventh age, as on the seventh day, He will rest in His saints; inasmuch as these same saints shall rest also in Him after all the good works in which they have served Him,—which He Himself, indeed, works in them, who calls them, and instructs them, and puts away the offenses that are past, and justifies the man who previously was ungodly. For as, when by His gift they work that which is good, He is Himself rightly said to work (that in them), so, when they rest in Him, He is rightly said to rest Himself. For, as regards Himself, He seeks no cessation, because He feels no labor. Moreover He made all things by His Word; and His Word is Christ Himself, in whom the angels and all those purest spirits of heaven rest in holy silence. Man, however in that he fell by sin, has lost the rest which he possessed in His divinity, and receives it again (now) in His humanity; and for this purpose He became man, and was born of a woman, at the seasonable time at which He Himself knew it behoved it so to be fulfilled. And from the flesh assuredly He could not sustain any contamination, being Himself rather destined to purify the flesh. Of His future coming the ancient saints, in the revelation of the Spirit, had knowledge, and prophesied. And thus were they saved by believing that He was to come, even as we are saved by believing that He has come. Hence ought we to love God who has so loved us as to have sent His only Son, in order that He might endue Himself with the lowliness108    Humanitate, = humanity, also occurs instead of humilitate. of our mortality, and die both at the hands of sinners and on behalf of sinners. For even in times of old, and in the opening ages, the depth of this mystery ceases not to be prefigured and prophetically announced.

CAPUT XVII.

26. Reprehenditur qui velit esse Christianus propter commodum temporale. Christianus vere est, qui religionem profitetur propter futuram requiem. Transit ad narrationem eorum quae credenda sunt. Filius Dei cur homo factus. Sunt enim qui propterea volunt esse christiani, ut aut promereantur homines a quibus temporalia commoda exspectant, aut quia offendere nolunt quos timent. Sed isti reprobi sunt: et si ad tempus eos portat Ecclesia, sicut area usque ad tempus ventilationis paleam sustinet; si non se correxerint, et propter futuram sempiternam requiem christiani esse coeperint, in fine separabuntur. Nec sibi blandiantur quod in area possunt esse cum frumento Dei: quia in horreo cum illo non erunt, sed igni debito destinantur (Matth. III, 12). Sunt etiam 0331 alii meliore quidem spe, sed tamen non minore periculo, qui jam Deum timent, et non irrident christianum nomen, nec simulato corde intrant Ecclesiam Dei, sed in ista vita exspectant felicitatem, ut feliciores sint in rebus terrenis, quam illi qui non colunt Deum: ideoque cum viderint quosdam sceleratos et impios ista saeculi prosperitate pollere et excellere, se autem vel minus habere ista vel amittere, perturbantur tanquam sine causa Deum colant, et facile a fide deficiunt.

27. Qui autem propter beatitudinem sempiternam et perpetuam requiem, quae post hanc vitam sanctis futura promittitur, vult fieri christianus, ut non eat in ignem aeternum cum diabolo, sed in regnum aeternum intret cum Christo (Matth. XXV, 34, 41, 46), vere ipse christianus est, cautus in omni tentatione, ne prosperis rebus corrumpatur, et ne frangatur adversis, et in abundantia bonorum terrenorum modestus et temperans, et in tribulationibus fortis et patiens. Qui etiam proficiendo perveniet ad talem animum, ut plus amet Deum, quam timeat gehennam: ut etiamsi dicat illi Deus, Utere deliciis carnalibus sempiternis, et quantum potes pecca, nec morieris, nec in gehennam mitteris, sed mecum tantummodo non eris; exhorrescat, et omnino non peccet, non jam ut in illud quod timebat non incidat, sed ne illum quem sic amat offendat: in quo uno est requies , quam oculus non vidit, nec auris audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit, quam praeparavit Deus diligentibus eum (I Cor. II, 9).

28. De qua requie significat Scriptura, et non tacet, quod ab initio mundi ex quo fecit Deus coelum et terram et omnia quae in eis sunt, sex diebus operatus est, et septimo die requievit (Gen. I, et II, 1-3). Poterat enim omnipotens et uno momento temporis omnia facere. Non autem laboraverat, ut requiesceret, quando, Dixit, et facta sunt; mandavit, et creata sunt (Psal. CXLVIII, 5): sed ut significaret, quia post sex aetates mundi hujus, septima aetate tanquam septimo die requieturus est in sanctis suis; quia ipsi in illo requiescent post omnia bona opera, in quibus ei servierunt, quae ipse in illis operatur, qui vocat, et praecipit, et delicta praeterita dimittit, et justificat eum qui prius erat impius. Sicut autem cum illi ex dono ejus bene operantur, recte dicitur ipse operari; sic cum in illo requiescunt , recte dicitur ipse requiescere. Nam quod ad ipsum attinet, pausationem non quaerit, quia laborem non sentit. Fecit autem omnia per Verbum suum; et Verbum ejus ipse Christus, in quo requiescunt Angeli et omnes coelestes mundissimi spiritus in sancto silentio. Homo autem peccato lapsus perdidit requiem quam habebat in ejus divinitate, et recipit eam in ejus humanitate: ideoque opportuno tempore, quo ipse sciebat oportere fieri, homo factus et de femina natus est. A carne 0332 quippe contaminari non poterat, ipse carnem potius mundaturus. Ipsum antiqui sancti venturum in revelatione Spiritus cognoverunt, et prophetaverunt; et sic salvi facti sunt credendo quia veniet, sicut nos salvi efficimur credendo quia venit: ut diligeremus Deum, qui sic nos dilexit, ut unicum Filium suum mitteret, qui humilitate nostrae mortalitatis indutus, et a peccatoribus et pro peccatoribus moreretur. Jam enim olim ab ineuntibus saeculis mysterii hujus altitudo praefigurari praenuntiarique non cessat.