Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Christian Faith

Book II.

Introduction.

Twelve names of the Son of God are recounted, being distributed into three classes. These names are so many proofs of the eternity not only of the Son, but of the Father also. Furthermore, they are compared with the twelve stones in the High Priest’s breastplate, and their inseparability is shown by a new distribution of them. Returning to the comparison with the High Priest’s breastplate, the writer sets forth the beauty of the woven-work and the precious stones of the mystic raiment, and the hidden meaning of that division into woven-work and precious stones, which being done, he expounds the comparison drawn by him, showing that faith must be woven in with works, and adds a short summary of the same faith, as concerning the Son.

1. Enough hath been said, as I think, your sacred Majesty, in the book preceding to show that the Son of God is an eternal being, not diverse from the Father, begotten, not created: we have also proved, from passages of the Scriptures, that God’s true Son is God,234 or “that God’s Son is true God.” “very God.” and is declared so to be by the evident tokens of His Majesty.

2. Wherefore, albeit what hath already been set forth is plentiful even to overflowing for maintaining the Faith—seeing that the greatness of a river is mostly judged of from the manner in which its springs rise and flow forth—still, to the end that our belief may be the plainer to sight, the waters of our spring ought, methinks, to be parted off into three channels. There are, then, firstly, plain tokens declaring essential inherence in the Godhead; secondly, the expressions of the likeness of the Father and the Son; and lastly, those of the undoubtable unity of the Divine Majesty. Now of the first sort are the names “begetting,” “God,” “Son,” “The Word;”235 S. John i. 14, 18; Heb. i. 5; Rom. ix. 5; i. 3–4; S. John i. 1–3, 14. of the second, “brightness,” “expression,” “mirror,” “image;”236 Heb. i. 3; S. John xiv. 9; Col. i. 15. and of the third, “wisdom,” “power,” “truth,” “life.”237 1 Cor. i. 24; S. John xiv. 6; xi. 25.

3. These tokens so declare the nature of the Son, that by them you may know both that the Father is eternal, and that the Son is not diverse from Him; for the source of generation is He Who is,238 i.e.,ὁ ὤν. Ex. iii. 14 (LXX.)—καῒ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν, λέγων ᾽Εγώ εἰμι ὁ ῍Ων. Cf. S. John viii. 58; xviii. 6; Rev. i. 4, 8; iv. 8. and as begotten of the Eternal, He is God; coming forth from the Father, He is the Son;239 S. John viii. 42; xvi. 27–8. from God, He is the Word; He is the radiance of the Father’s glory, the expression of His substance,240 Heb. i. 3. ἀπαυγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοὑ. ᾽ ἱπόστασις is rendered “person” in the A.V. The R.V. 1881 has “effulgence of His glory and very image of His substance,” and in the margin “the impress of His substance.” The Son does not reproduce the person of the Father—otherwise there would be no distinction, but confusion, of Persons, but He does reproduce or represent the substance, or essence, of the Father—i.e., the λόγος τῆς οὐσίας is the same for both Persons. the counterpart of God,241 “speculum Dei”—lit. “mirror of God.” the image of His majesty; the Bounty of Him Who is bountiful, the Wisdom of Him Who is wise, the Power of the Mighty One, the Truth of Him Who is true,242 Jer. x. 10; S. John xiv. 6; xvii. 3; 1 John v. 20. the Life of the Living One.243 Deut. v. 26; Rom. xiv. 11; S. John xi. 25; v. 26; 1 John i. 2; v. 20. In agreement, therefore, stand the attributes of Father and Son, that none may suppose any diversity, or doubt but that they are of one Majesty. For each and all of these names would we furnish examples of their use were we not constrained by a desire to maintain our discourse within bounds.

4. Of these twelve, as of twelve precious stones, is the pillar of our faith built up. For these are the precious stones—sardius, jasper, smaragd, chrysolite, and the rest,—woven into the robe of holy Aaron,244 See Ex. xxviii. 15–21. The precious stones set in the breastplate are named as follows: Septuagint Vulgate A.V. 1611 R.V. 1881 text margin i. σάρδιον i. lapis sardius i. sardius (m. ruby) i. sardius or ruby τοπάζιον topazius topaz topaz σμάραγδος smaragdus. carbuncle carbuncle or emerald ii. ἂνθραξ ii. carbunculus ii. emerald ii. emerald or carbuncle σάπφειρος sapphirus sapphire sapphire ἴασπις jaspis diamond diamond or sardonyx iii. λιγύριον iii. ligurius iii. ligure iii. jacinth or amber ἀχάτης achates agate agate ἀμεθυστος amethystus amethyst amethyst iv. χρυσόλιθος iv. chrysolitus iv. beryl iv. beryl or chalcedony βηρύλλιον β. beryllus onyx onyx or beryl ὀνύχιον α. onychinus jasper jasper With the mystic jewel-work of the High Priest’s breastplate—the λογεῖον κρίσεως, rationale judicii—compare the “covering of the King of Tyrus.” —Ezek. xxviii. 13. Septuagint Vulgate A.V. 1611 R.V. 1881 text margin text margin 1. σάρδιον. 1. sardius 1. sardius or ruby 1. sardius or ruby 2. τοπάζιον 2. topazius 2. topaz 2. topaz 3. σμάραγδος 6. jaspis ? diamond ? diamond 4. ἃνθραξ 10. chrysolitus 11. beryl or chrysolite 10 11. beryl 5. σάπφειρος 12. onyx 12. onyx 12. onyx 6. ἴασπις 11. berillus ? jasper ? jasper 7. λιγύριος 5. sapphirus 5. sapphire 5. sapphire 8. ἀχάτης 4. carbunculus 3. emerald or chrysoprase 3. emerald or carbuncle 4 9. ἀμέθυστος 3. smaragdus 4. carbuncle 4. carbuncle or emerald 3 10. χρυσόλιθος 11. βηρύλλιον 12. ὀνύχιον Also the foundations of the Heavenly City.— Rev. xxi. 19 f. A.V. i. ἴασπις jasper ii. σαπφειρος sapphire iii. χαλκηδών chalcedony iv. σμάραγδος emerald v. σαρδόννξ sardonyx vi. σάρδιον sardius vii. χρυσόλιθος chrysolyte viii. βήρυλλος beryl ix. τοπάζιον topaz x. χρυσόπρασος chrysoprasus xi. ὐάκινθος jacinth xii. ἀμέθυστος amethyst The Heavenly City had 12 gates—each one a pearl—inscribed with the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The foundations were inscribed with the names of the Twelve Apostles. These precious stones have been identified as follows, taking the High Priest’s breastplate: i. 1. Red carnelian 2. Chrysolite (greenish-yellow) 3. Emerald ii. 4. Carbuncle 5. Lapis Lazuli (blue) 6. Jasper (Greek chalcedony, dark green) iii. 7. Jacinth 8. Agate (white, with red or green grain) 9. Amethyst (blue transparent quartz) iv. 10. Topaz (gold -brown) 11. Aquamarine (dark blue) 12. Banded Carnelian (black and white, or brown and white ) even of him who bears the likeness of Christ,245 Aaron the type of Christ the Priest. See Heb. iv. 15; v. 1–5; vii. 28; viii. 7. that is, of the true Priest; stones set in gold, and inscribed with the names of the sons of Israel, twelve stones close joined and fitting one into another, for if any should sunder or separate them, the whole fabric of the faith falls in ruins.

5. This, then, is the foundation of our faith—to know that the Son of God is begotten; if He be not begotten, neither is He the Son. Nor yet is it sufficient to call Him Son, unless you shall also distinguish Him as the Only-begotten Son. If He is a creature, He is not God; if He is not God, He is not the Life; if He is not the Life, then is He not the Truth.

6. The first three tokens, therefore, that is to say, the names “generation,” “Son,” “Only-begotten,” do show that the Son is of God originally and by virtue of His own nature.

7. The three that follow—to wit, the names “God,” “Life,” “Truth,” reveal His Power, whereby He hath laid the foundations of, and upheld, the created world. “For,” as Paul said, “in Him we live and move and have our being;”246 Acts xvii. 28. and therefore, in the first three the Son’s natural right,247 sc. to the name and title of God. in the other three the unity of action subsisting between Father and Son is made manifest.

8. The Son of God is also called the “image” and “effulgence” and “expression” [of God], for these names have disclosed the Father’s incomprehensible and unsearchable Majesty dwelling in the Son, and the expression of His likeness in Him. These three names, then, as we see, refer to [the Son’s] likeness [to the Father].248 See Heb. i. 3. “Splendor” is St. Ambrose’s rendering of ἀπαύγασμα. Theodoret says: “The radiance” (or “effulgence”) “of a fire comes from it and accompanies it. The fire causes the radiance, but the radiance is inseparable from the fire. Also the radiance of the fire is of the same nature with it; so also is the Son of the same nature with the Father.” Theophylact—“The sun is never seen without his radiance, and we cannot think of a father without his child.” Delitzsch—“It is no nimbus around God that is here called His “glory,” but God’s own inconceivable, spiritual fire and brightness (die übersinnliche geistige Feuer und Lichtnatur Gottes selber), which He, in order to reveal Himself to Himself, makes an object to Himself” (aus sich heraussetzt).

9. We have yet the operations of Power, Wisdom, and Justice left, wherewith, severally, to prove [the Son’s] eternity.249 “The act of knowing and comprehending all things necessarily includes the expression of mind-work or wisdom, that is, the Word, and without this it cannot even be conceived of. Rightly, then, did the Fathers deduce the eternity of the Word from the eternity of the Father.”—Hurter, ad loc.

10. This, then, is that robe, adorned with precious stones; this is the amice of the true Priest; this the bridal garment; here is the inspired weaver, who well knew how to weave that work. No common woven work is it, whereof the Lord spake by His Prophet: “Who gave to women their skill in weaving?”250 St. Ambrose’s rendering of this passage (Job xxxviii. 36) agrees with the LXX.—τίς δὲ ἔδωκε γυναιξὶν ὑφάσματος σοφίαν, ἤ ποικιλτικὴν ἐλιστήμην. The A.V. 1611 has: “Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?” R.V. has “dark clouds” and “meteor” as marginal substitutes for “inward parts” and “heart.” Vulgate—Quis posuit in visceribus hominis sapientiam? vel quis dedit gallo intelligentiam? No common stones again, are they—stones, as we find them called, “of filling;”251 Ex. xxxv. 27. καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἤνεγκαν τοὺς λίθους τῆς σμαράγδου καί τοὺς λίθους της πληρωσεως εἰς τὴν ἐπωμίδα καὶ τὸ λογεῖον.— LXX. Lapides onycninos et gemmas ad superhumerale et rationale.—Vulg. “Stones to be set.”—A.V. & R.V. The LXX. gives the closest rendering of the Hebrew. for all perfection depends on this condition, that there be nought lacking. They are stones joined together and set in gold—that is, of a spiritual kind; the joining of them by our minds and their setting in convincing argument. Finally Scripture teaches us how far from common are these stones, inasmuch as, whilst some brought one kind, and others another, of less precious offerings, these the devout princes brought, wearing them upon their shoulders, and made of them the “breastplate of judgment,” that is, a piece of woven work. Now we have a woven work, when faith and action go together.

11. Let none suppose me to be misguided, in that I made at first a threefold division, each part containing four, and afterwards a fourfold division, each part containing three terms. The beauty of a good thing pleases the more, if it be shown under various aspects. For those are good things, whereof the texture of the priestly robe was the token, that is to say, either the Law, or the Church, which latter hath made two garments for her spouse, as it is written252 Proverbs xxxi. 21 (22). St. Ambrose appears to follow the LXX., whose rendering of the passage is different from the Vulgate, with which our English versions agree. With what follows in the text, cf. Ex. xxviii. 33, 34, also Ex. xxviii. 5, 6.—the one of action, the other of spirit, weaving together the threads of faith and works. Thus, in one place, as we read, she makes a groundwork of gold, and afterwards weaves thereon blue, and purple, with scarlet, and white. Again, [as we read] elsewhere, she first makes little flowerets of blue and other colours, and attaches gold, and there is made a single priestly robe, to the end that adornments of diverse grace and beauty, made up of the same bright colours, may gain fresh glory by diversity of arrangement.

12. Moreover (to complete our interpretation of these types), it is certain that by refined gold and silver are designated the oracles of the Lord, whereby our faith stands firm. “The oracles of the Lord are pure oracles, silver tried in the fire, refined of dross, purified seven times.”253 Ps. xii. (xi. Vulg.) 6, 7. Cf. Prov. xxx. 5. Now blue is like the air we breathe and draw in; purple, again, represents the appearance of water; scarlet signifies fire; and white linen, earth, for its origin is in the earth.254 These colours entered into the fashioning of the High Priest’s Ephod (Ex. xxviii. 5, 6) and the Vail of the Tabernacle. Probably a little symbolism was attached to the ornaments of Ahasuerus’ palace of Susa, “where were white, green, and blue” (or violet) “hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver upon a pavement of red and blue and white and black marble.” White and green might represent the earth, blue the air, purple the sea and water generally, in the curtains: whilst in the variegated marble pavement, red would naturally symbolize fire, blue the air, white water (as colourless when pure), black earth (the soil). Notice “the air we breathe,” etc.—“Aëris quem spiramus et cujus carpimus flatum.” Compare Virgil, Æn. I. 387, 388. Of these four elements, again, the human body is composed.255 This was supposed by some of the Ionic philosophers to be the explanation of perception. We perceived earth, they supposed, by reason of the earthly constituent of our organism.

13. Whether, then, you join to faith already present in the soul, bodily acts agreeing thereto; or acts come first, and faith be joined as their companion, presenting them to God—here is the robe of the minister of religion, here the priestly vestment.

14. Faith is profitable, therefore, when her brow is bright with a fair crown of good works.256 S. James ii. 14–26. This faith—that I may set the matter forth shortly—is contained in the following principles, which cannot be overthrown. If the Son had His origin in nothing, He is not Son; if He is a creature, He is not the Creator; if He was made, He did not make all things; if He needs to learn, He hath no foreknowledge; if He is a receiver, He is not perfect; if He progress,257 i.e. if it is possible for Him to ascend to a higher plane of existence. He is not God. If He is unlike (the Father) He is not the (Father’s) image; if He is Son by grace, He is not such by nature;258 i.e. He is a son “by adoption,” as one of ourselves. if He have no part in the Godhead, He hath it in Him to sin.259 i.e.He may not have as yet actually sinned, but it is within the range of possibility for Him—He is, as Hurter expresses it in his note, “auctor malitiæ si non actu, saltem potentia.” “There is none good, but Godhead.”260 S. Mark x. 18.

LIBER SECUNDUS.

0559

471 PROLOGUS.

Ambrosius libro superiori hunc adjecturus, duodecim nomina Filii Dei primo trifariam divisa non ejus tantum, sed Patris etiam aeternitatem probare docet. Mox eadem cum duodecim sacerdotalis vestis lapidibus cursim comparans, quam necessario conjungenda sint, inducta ipsorum nova distributione patefacit. Deinde ad propositam comparationem rediens, allegorice memorati amictus texturam ac lapillos laudat. Hinc mystica etiam geminae divisionis ratione allata, institutam comparationem pergit exponere; ex qua fidem operibus colligens attexendam esse, contractam ejusdem fidei de Filio descriptionem subdit.

0559C

0559D 1. Satis, ut arbitror, libro superiore, sancte Imperator, edoctum est sempiternum esse Dei Filium, non dissimilem Patri, genitum, non creatum: Deum quoque verum Dei Filium Scripturarum lectionibus approbavimus, et apertis majestatis suae indiciis designatum.

2. Itaque quamvis ista ad fidem copiose redundantia sint, quod a fontis meatu magnitudo plerumque decurrentis fluminis aestimatur; tamen quo purius niteat fides nostra, tripartito videtur derivanda distinctio. Sunt enim evidentia indicia quae proprietatem deitatis ostendant: sunt quae similitudinem 0560C Patris et Filii: sunt etiam quae perspicuant divinae majestatis exprimant unitatem. Proprietatis itaque sunt, generatio, Deus, Filius, Verbum: similitudinis, splendor, character, speculum, imago: unitatis aeternae, sapientia, virtus, veritas, vita.

3. Haec indicia ita Dei Filium signant, ut ex his et sempiternum Patrem esse cognoscas, nec ab eo Filium discrepantem. Ex eo enim qui est, generatio; ex sempiterno Deus, ex Patre Filius, ex Deo Verbum, splendor gloriae, character substantiae, speculum Dei, majestatis imago, de bono bonitas, de sapiente sapientia, de forti virtus, de vero veritas, de vivente vita. Concordant igitur Patris et Filii indicia, quibus non discrepare inter se, sed unius majestatis esse nemo dubitaverit. Quorum singulorum 0560D proferremus exempla nominum, nisi coarctandi sermonis studio teneremur.

4. His duodecim tamquam lapidibus pretiosis fidei columna consurgit. Hi sunt enim pretiosi illi lapides (Exod. XXVIII, 17 et seq.), sardius, jaspis, smaragdus, chrysolithus, et caeteri, quibus sancti Aaron, illius utique qui figuram gerit Christi, veri scilicet vestimentum sacerdotis intexitur: circumdati auro lapides, et insculpti de nominibus 472 filiorum Israel, duodecim lapides sibi invicem cohaerentes. Nam si eos aliquis separet atque secernat, omnis fidei structura dissolvitur.

0561A 5. Itaque principium fidei nostrae est scire quo genitus est Dei Filius: si genitus non est, nec Filius est. Nec satis est dixisse Filium, nisi et unigenitum Filium designaveris. Si creatura est, Deus non est: si Deus non est, nec vita est: si non est vita, nec veritas est.

6. Ergo tria illa, id est, generatio, Filius, unigenitus, principaliter et proprie indicant ex Deo Filium.

7. Tria sequentia, id est, Deus, vita, veritas, virtutem ejus manifestant, qua condidit et fecit subsistere creaturam: In ipso enim vivimus, movemur et sumus, sicut Paulus dixit (Act. XVII, 28). Et ideo in illis tribus proprietas Filii, in istis aliis paternae ac Filii operationis unitas declaratur.

0561B 8. Imago quoque et splendor et character dicitur Dei Filius, quia haec incomprehensibilem et investigabilem paternae majestatis divinitatem in Filio, et expressam similitudinem revelarunt. Haec quoque tria videmus ad similitudinem pertinere.

9. Reliquum est, virtus, sapientia, justitia; ut his singulis operationibus aeternitas probaretur.

10. Hoc igitur est illud vestimentum pretiosis lapidibus adornatum, hic veri amictus est sacerdotis, haec vestis nuptialis; hic textor propheticus, qui bene noverit ista contexere. Neque vilis ista textura est, de qua Dominus dicit per prophetam: Quis dedit mulieribus texturae sapientiam (Job. XXXVIII, 36). Nec communes isti lapides, lapides, ut legimus, supplementi: omnis enim in eo perfectio est, 0561C si nihil desit. Lapides compositi et circumdati auro, intelligibili scilicet natura; si eos bene mens nostra componat, naturalisque sensus probabili ratione compaginet. Denique quam non mediocres lapides sint, lectio docet (Exod. XXXV, 27), quod cum alii alia viliora deferrent; istos tamen lapides super humeros suos religiosi principes attulerunt, ex quibus fecerunt rationale, opus textile (Ibid.). Textile enim opus est, quando fidei facta concordant.

11. Nec me aliquis errare putet, quia supra tripartitam de quaternis, subter vero quadripartitam 0562A de ternis feci distinctionem. Boni operis gratia per diversas plus placet formas. Bona enim et illa quae textrinum indumenti sacerdotalis ostendit, vel lex scilicet, vel Ecclesia, quae binas vestes fecit viro suo, sicut scriptum est (Prov. XXXI, 22 et seq.): unam operis, alteram mentis, fidei intexens factorumque velamina. Itaque alibi, sicut legimus, aurum praetexit, et postea hyacinthum 473 ac purpuram cum cocco subjungit et bysso. Rursus alibi ex hyacintho et caeteris prius flosculos format, aurumque subnectit, et unus est habitus sacerdotis; ut iisdem coloribus micans, gratiae decorisque diversitas ordinis diversitate resplendeat.

12. Itaque ut etiam rationis typicae series digeratur, auro et argento probabili non est dubium 0562B eloquia Domini designari, quibus fides constat. Scriptum est enim: Eloquia Domini, eloquia casta, argentum igne examinatum, probatum terrae, purgatum septuplum (Psal. XI, 7). Hyacinthus autem aeris habet similitudinem, quem spiramus, et cujus carpimus flatum: purpura quoque speciem aquarum exprimit: per coccum ignis intelligitur: terra per byssum; haec enim ex terra gignitur. Ex his autem quatuor elementis corpus subsistit humanum.

13. Sive ergo mentis fidei praecedenti concinentia corporis facta subnectas: sive facta praecedant, et fides astipuletur comes religiosa factorum, hic religiosi ornatus antistitis, hoc velamen est sacerdotis.

0562C 14. Bona ergo fides, cum pulchro operum renitet ornatu: de qua, ut ad summam loquar, definitiones istae sunt, quae non queunt solvi. Si ex nihilo est, non est Filius: si creatura est, non est creator: si factura est, non est omnium factor: si discens, non praecognitor: si accipiens, non est perfectus: si proficiens, non est Deus: si dissimilis, non imago: si per gratiam, non per naturam: si divinitatis expers, auctor malitiae: Nemo bonus, nisi unus Deus (Marc. X, 18).