Chapter V.

Certain passages from Scripture, urged against the Omnipotence of Christ, are resolved; the writer is also at especial pains to show that Christ not seldom spoke in accordance with the affections of human nature.

39. Although it is written concerning God, “Blessed and only Potentate,”288    1 Tim. v. 15. yet I have no misgiving that the Son of God is thereby severed from Him, seeing that the Scripture entitled God, not the Father by Himself, the “only Potentate.” The Father Himself also declares by the prophet, concerning Christ, that “I have set help upon one that is mighty.”289    Ps. lxxxix. 20. It is not the Father alone, then, Who is the only Potentate; God the Son also is Potentate, for in the Father’s praise the Son is praised too.

40. Aye, let some one show what there is that the Son of God cannot do. Who was His helper, when He made the heavens,—Who, when He laid the foundations of the world?290    Job xxxviii. 4–6; Isa. xl. 12–17. Had He any need of a helper to set men free, Who needed none in constituting291    Cf. the Collect for the Feast of St. Michael and all Angels. angels and principalities?292    Col. i. 15, 16.

41. “It is written,” say they: “‘My Father, if it be possible, take away this cup from Me.’293    S. Matt. xxvi. 39 ff.; xiv. 35 ff.; S. Luke xxii. 41 ff.. If, then, He is Almighty, how comes He to doubt of the possibility?” Which means that, because I have proved Him to be Almighty, I have proved Him unable to doubt of possibility.

42. The words, you say, are the words of Christ. True—consider, though, the occasion of His speaking them, and in what character He speaks. He hath taken upon Him the substance of man,294    i.e. human nature. Cf. “Athanasian” Creed, clause 31. and therewith its affections. Again, you find in the place above cited, that “He went forward a little further, and fell on His face, praying, and saying: Father, if it be possible.”295    S. Matt. xxvi. 39; S. Mark xiv. 35. Not as God, then, but as man, speaketh He, for could God be ignorant of the possibility or impossibility of aught? Or is anything impossible for God, when the Scripture saith: “For Thee nothing is impossible”?296    Job xxii. 17.

43. Of Whom, howbeit, does He doubt—of Himself, or of the Father? Of Him, surely, Who saith: “Take away from Me,”—being moved as man is moved to doubt. The prophet reckons nothing impossible with God. The prophet doubts not; think you that the Son doubts? Wilt thou put God lower than man? What—God hath doubts of His Father, and is fearful at the thought of death! Christ, then, is afraid—afraid, whilst Peter fears nothing. Peter saith: “I will lay down my life for Thy sake.”297    S. John xiii. 37. Christ saith: “My soul is troubled.”298    S. John xii. 27.

44. Both records are true, and it is equally natural that the person who is the less should not fear, as that He Who is the greater should endure this feeling, for the one has all a man’s ignorance of the might of death, whilst the other, as being God inhabiting a body, displays the weakness of the flesh, that the wickedness of those who deny the mystery of the Incarnation might have no excuse. Thus, then, hath He spoken, yet the Manichæan believed not;299    The principle common to these and other like heretics (who ignored or misconstrued many passages of Scripture which plainly declare the completeness and truth of our Lord’s humanity) was that matter is inherently and by its very nature evil. Mani, therefore, and the rest were easily led to think shame of attributing to Christ a real, tangible, visible body. For the doctrines of Mani, see note on I. 57. Valentinus was a Gnostic, who lived at Rome (whither he came from Alexandria) between 140 and 160 a.d. Marcion became known as a heresiarch in the papacy of Eleutherius (177–190 a.d.). For the doctrines of Valentinus and Marcion, see Robertson’s Church History, Bk. I. ch. iv. Valentinus denied, and Marcion judged Him to be a ghost.

45. But indeed He so far put Himself on a level with man, such as He showed Himself to be in the reality of His bodily frame, as to say, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt,”300    S. Matt. xxvi. 39. though truly it is Christ’s especial power to will what the Father wills, even as it is His to do what the Father doeth.

46. Here, then, let there be an end of the objection which it is your custom to oppose to us, on the ground that the Lord said, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt;” and again, “For this cause I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.”301    S. John vi. 38.

CAPUT V.

Objectos adversus Christi omnipotentiam Scripturae textus exponit; ac maxime in eo immoratur, ut eumdem non raro ex humanae naturae affectu locutum probet.

0567B 39. Nec vereor ne quia scriptum est de Deo: Beatus et solus potens (I Tim. VI, 15), ab eo Dei Filius separetur; cum Scriptura Deum solum potentem dixerit, non Patrem solum: et ipse de Christo Deus Pater asserat per Prophetam: Posui adjutorium super potentem (Psal. LXXXVIII, 20). Non ergo Pater solus potens, sed potens etiam Deus Filius; in Patre enim laudatur et Filius.

40. Certe ostendat aliquis quid sit, quod non possit Dei Filius: quis ei adjutor cum coelum faceret, fuit: quis adjutor cum conderet mundum? An qui in constitutione Angelorum et Dominationum adjutore non eguit, eguit ut hominem liberaret?

41. Scriptum est, inquiunt: Pater meus, si possibile 0567C est, transfer a me calicem hunc (Matth. XXVI, 39; Luc. XXII, 42). Et ideo omnipotens est, quomodo 0568A de possibilitate 478 ambigit? Ergo quia omnipotentem probavi, probavi utique ambigere eum de possibilitate non posse.

42. Verba, inquis, Christi sunt. Verum dicis: sed quando, et in qua forma loquatur, adverte. Hominis substantiam gessit, hominis assumpsit affectum. Denique supra habes quia progressus pusillum procidit in faciem suam, orans et dicens: Pater, si possibile est. Non ergo quasi Deus, sed quasi homo loquitur; Deus enim possibile aliquid aut impossibile nesciebat? Aut aliquid impossibile Deo, cum scriptum sit: Impossibile enim tibi nihil est (Job XXII, 17)?

43. De quo autem dubitat? de se, an de Patre? De eo utique qui dicit: Transfer: et dubitat hominis affectu. Ergo propheta non putat aliquid impossibile 0568B Deo. Propheta non dubitat, et Filium dubitare tu credis? Num infra homines constituis Deum? Et dubitat de Patre Deus, et de morte formidat? Timet ergo Christus; et cum Petrus non timeat, Christus timet? Petrus dicit: Animam meam pro te ponam (Joan. XIII, 37); Christus dicit: Anima mea turbatur (Joan. XII, 27).

44. Utrumque verum est, et plenum utrumque rationis; quod et ille qui est inferior, non timet: et ille qui superior est, gerit timentis affectum: ille enim quasi homo vim mortis ignorat, iste quasi Deus in corpore constitutus fragilitatem carnis exponit; ut eorum qui sacramentum Incarnationis abjurant, excluderetur impietas. Denique et haec dixit, et Manichaeus non credidit, Valentinus negavit, Marcion 0568C phantasma judicavit.

45. Eousque autem hominem quem veritate 0569A corporis demonstrabat, aequabat affectu, ut diceret: Sed tamen non sicut ego volo, sed sicut tu vis (Matth. XXVI, 39); cum utique similiter, sit Christi velle, quod Pater vult: cujus similiter est facere, quod Pater facit.

46. Quo loco etiam illa vestra quaestio conticescit, quam soletis objicere, quia dixit Dominus: Non sicut ego volo, sed sicut tu vis; et alibi: Ad hoc descendi de coelo, non ut facium voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus qui me misit (Joan. VI, 38).