Augustine of Hippo, Ten Tractates on the Epistle of John to the Parthians

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Augustine of Hippo, Ten Tractates on the Epistle of John to the Parthians

1. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled, of the word of life.” Who is

2. “And we have seen and are witnesses.” Perhaps some of the brethren who are not acquainted with the Greek do not know what the word “witnesses” is i

3. “And we are witnesses, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us:” i.e. , manifested among us: whi

4. “And this is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you.” What is this? Those same have seen, have handled with their hands, the

5. And may it be that we say this over-hastily? Let the apostle himself make this plain in what follows. Remember what was said at the outset of our d

6. For see what He saith “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Consequently, if thou hast confessed thys

7. And lest haply he should seem to have given impunity for sins, in that he said, “He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all iniquity ” and men

8. See John himself observing humility. Assuredly he was a righteous and a great man, who from the Lord’s bosom drank in the secrets of His mysteries

9. “And in this,” saith he, “we do know Him, if we keep His commandments.” i.e.

10. “Dearly beloved, I write unto you no new commandment, but the old commandment which ye had from the beginning.” What commandment calls he “old? Wh

11. “He that saith he is in the light”—now he is making all clear that he has been saying—“he that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, i

12. “He that loveth his brother abideth ( manet ) in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.” i.e.,

13. “For he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth.” A great thing, my brethren: mark it, w

1. All things that are read from the Holy Scriptures in order to our instruction and salvation, it behoves us to hear with earnest heed. Yet most of a

2. But what did the Lord show written of Him in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms? What did He show? Let Himself say. The evangelist

3. When we say to them, If ye be Catholic Christians, communicate with that Church from which the Gospel is spread abroad over the whole earth: commun

4. “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you through His name.” Therefore, “little children,”

5. “I write unto you, fathers.” Why first sons? “Because your sins are forgiven you through His name,” and ye are regenerated into a new life, therefo

6. “I write unto you, young men.” There are sons, are fathers, are young men: sons, because begotten fathers, because they acknowledge the Beginning

7. “I write unto you,

8. All these things, my brethren,—“because we have known That which is from the beginning, because we are strong, because we have known the Father,”—d

9. Ye have heard that “if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Let not any say in his heart that this is false, brethren: Go

10. “For all that is in the world, is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride

11. But let us “not love the world, neither the things that are in the world. For the things that are in the world, are the lust of the flesh, and the

12. For “the world” is the appellation given not only to this fabric which God made heaven and earth, the sea, things visible and invisible: but the i

13. “And the lust of the eyes:” by “the lust of the eyes,” he means all curiosity. Now how wide is the scope of curiosity! This it is that works in sp

14. These three there are, and thou canst find nothing whereby human cupidity can be tempted, but either by the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the

1. “Children, it is the

2. Therefore it was that He forbade Mary to touch Him, and said to her, “Touch me not for I am not yet ascended unto the Father.” What is this? He ga

3. But lest any be sluggish to go forward, let him hear: “Children, it is the last hour.” Go forward, run, grow “it is the last hour.” This same last

4. Whom has he called antichrists? He goes on and expounds. “Whereby we know that it is the last hour.” By what? Because “many antichrists are come. T

5. “They went out from us but,” be not sad, “they were not of us.” How provest thou this? If they had been of us, they would doubtless have continued

6. “I write unto you not because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” Behold, we are admonished how we may

7. For hear and see. Certainly all who go out from the Church, and are cut off from the unity of the Church, are antichrists let no man doubt it: for

8. But let us not be made sad: “They went out from us, but they were not of us for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us

9. Now therefore, brethren, if deeds are to be questioned, not only do we find many antichrists gone out but many not yet maninfest, who have not gon

10. These things are now manifest, my brethren. Let no man say, I do not worship Christ, but I worship God His Father. “Every one that denieth the Son

11. “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall abide in you, ye al

12. Remember then, my brethren, that Christ hath promised us eternal life: “This,” saith he, “is the promise which He hath promised us, even eternal l

13. “And ye have no need that any man teach you, because His unction teacheth you concerning all things.”

1. Ye remember, brethren, that yesterday’s lesson was brought to a close at this point, that “ye have no need that any man teach you, but the unction

2. “And it is true,” namely, this same unction i.e. the very Spirit of the Lord which teacheth men, cannot lie: “and is not false.

3. “If ye know that He is righteous, know ye that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.”

4. Hear. “Behold what manner of love the Father hath given us, that we should be called sons of God, and be (such).”

5. For us then, what are we? Already we are begotten of Him but because we are such in hope, he saith, “Beloved, now are we sons of God.” Now already

6. What then shall “we” be, when we shall see this? What is promised to us? “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” The tongue hath don

7. “And every one that hath this hope in Him.” Ye see how he hath set us our place, in “hope.” Ye see how the Apostle Paul agreeth with his fellow-apo

8. “Every one that doeth sin, doeth also iniquity.” Let no man say, Sin is one thing, iniquity another: let no man say, I am a sinful man, but not

9. “Little children, let no man seduce you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.” What, on hearing that we are “righteous as

10. “He that doeth sin, is of the devil, because the devil sinneth from the beginning.” “Is of the devil:” ye know what he means: by imitating the dev

11. “Unto this end was the Son of God manifested.” Now then, brethren, mark! All sinners are begotten of the devil, as sinners. Adam was made by God:

12. The rest I commend to your thoughts, my beloved, that I may not burden you. For the question we labor to solve is even this—that we call ourselves

1. Hear intently, I do beseech you, because it is no small matter that we have to cope withal: and I doubt not, because ye were intent upon it yesterd

2. Mark now these words. As yet, I am urging it upon you, what straits we are put to that by putting your minds on the stretch, that is, by your prayi

3. Mark well, brethren we have brought forward somewhat in which, to them that have good understanding, the question is solved. But do we only walk i

4. Charity therefore we commend charity this Epistle commendeth. The Lord, after His resurrection, what question put He to Peter, but, “Lovest thou m

5. And that ye may know that it is this perfect charity which that man violates not, and against which that man sins not, who is born of God this is

6. But this, as we have said, brethren, is perfect charity. He that is born of God hath it. Mark, my beloved, see what I say. Behold, a man has receiv

7. This, if ye remember, we gave you to understand in beginning to read this Epistle, that nothing in it is so commended as charity. Even if it seems

8. “Whosoever is not righteous is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” “For this is the message:” mark how he confirms it: “For this i

9. “Marvel not, brethren, if the world hate us.” Must one often be telling you what “the world” means? Not the heaven, not the earth, nor these visibl

10. “If the world hate us: we know”—What do we know?—“that we have passed from death unto life”—How do we know? “Because we love the brethren.” Let no

11. “In this know we love:” he means, perfection of love, that perfection which we have bidden you lay to heart: “In this know we love, that He laid d

12. Whence beginneth charity, brethren? Attend a little: to what it is perfected, ye have heard the very end of it, and the very measure of it is wha

13. I suppose the thing is now made manifest to you my brethren: this great and most concerning secret and mystery. What is the force of charity, all

1. If ye remember, brethren, yesterday we closed our sermon at this sentence, which without doubt behooved and does behoove to abide in your heart, se

2. But, because many such things are done by men who seek other objects, and who love not the brethren let us come back to the tes timony of conscien

3. This it is then that he enforces here. “In this we know that we are of the truth, when in deed and in truth” we love, “not only in words and in ton

4. “Beloved, if our heart think not ill of us, we have confidence towards God:” —What meaneth, “If our heart think not ill”? If it make true answer to

5. Here a question meets us: for it is not this or that man, or thou or I that come in question,—for if I have asked any thing of God and receive it n

6. Well now: I have already told you, my, beloved brethren, let no man turn toward us. For what are we? or what are ye? What, but the Church of God wh

7. But let us distinguish God’s different ways of hearing prayer. For we find some not heard for their wish, heard for salvation: and again some we fi

8. Agreeably with this, we ought to understand that God, though He give not to our will, doth give for our salvation. For sup pose the thing thou have

9. And what are those commandments? “This,” saith he, “is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one an

10. In the earliest times, “the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues,” which they had not learned, “as the Spirit gave

11. “Beloved, believe not every spirit.” Because he had said, “In this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.” But how t

12. There remains then the test by which it is to be proved to be the Spirit of God. He has indeed set down a sign, and this, belike, difficult: let u

13. What are we to do then? By what to discern them? Be very attentive let us go together in heart, and knock. Charity herself keeps watch for it is

14. Nay, and that ye may know that he has referred the matter to deeds, he saith, “And every spirit, qui solvit Christum , which does away with Christ

1. So is this world to all the faithful seeking their own country, as was the desert to the people Israel. They wandered indeed as yet, and were seeki

2. “Now,” saith he, “are ye of God little children, and have overcome him:” whom but Antichrist? For above he had said, “Whosoever unmaketh

3. “These are of the world.” Who? The antichrists. Ye have already heard who they be. And if ye be not such, ye know them, but whosoever is such, know

4. “We are of God.” Let us see why see whether it be for any other thing than charity. “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not

5. Now see that to act against love is to act against God. Let no man say, “I sin against man when I do not love my brother, (mark it!) and sin agains

6. In what sense then was it said a while ago, “Love is of God ” and now, “Love IS God?” For God is Father and Son and Holy Ghost: the Son, God of God

7. “In this was manifested the love of God in us.” Behold, in order that we may love God, we have exhortation. Could we love Him, unless He first love

8. This we have said in the case where the things done are similar. In the case where they are diverse, we find a man by charity made fierce and by i

9. “In this is love—in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into this world, that we may live th

10. “No man hath seen God at any time:” He is a thing invisible not with the eye but with the heart must He be sought. But just as if we wished to se

11. If any of you perchance wish to keep charity, brethren, above all things do not imagine it to be an abject and sluggish thing nor that charity is

1. Love is a sweet word, but sweeter the deed. To be always speaking of it, is not in our power: for we have many things to do, and divers businesses

2. For, brethren, ye heard just now when the Gospel was read, at least if ye had for it the ear not only of the body but also of the heart. What said

3. Then, brethren, this I would say, this I do say, this if I might I would not leave unsaid: Let there be in you now these works, now those, accordin

4. But perchance it will have struck some of you all along, while we have been expounding to you this epistle of blessed John, why it is only “brother

5. All love, whether that which is called carnal, which is wont to be called not “ dilectio amor dilectio diligere amare Petra, amas me

6. For in this the proud soul has passed bounds, and, in a manner, become avaricious. For, “The root of all evils is avarice ” and again it is said, “

7. Mark what I say: God, man, beasts: to wit, above thee, God beneath thee, the beasts. Acknowledge Him that is above thee, that those that are benea

8. So then ought the Christian to be, that he glory not over other “men.” For God hath given it thee to be over the beasts, i.e. to be better than the

9. And see what great works pride does. Lay it up in your hearts, how much alike, how much as it were upon a par, are the works it doeth, and the work

10. Shew mercy then, as men of merciful hearts because in loving enemies also, ye love brethren. Think not that John has given no precept concerning

11. These things have I said, brethren, and somewhat at length: yet because charity was to be more earnestly commended to you, beloved, in this way wa

12. “No man hath seen God at any time.” See, beloved: “If we love one another, God will dwell in us, and His love will be perfected in us.” Begin to l

13. “And we have seen, and are witnesses, that God hath sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.” Set your minds at rest, ye that are sick: such a

14. “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God.” Now we may say it in not many words “Whosoever shall c

1. Ye remember, beloved, that of the epistles of John the apostle the last past remains to be handled by us and expounded to you, as the Lord vouchsaf

2. “Herein is our love made perfect in us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.” He tells how e

3. “In this is His love perfected in us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.” Why shall we have boldness? “Because as He is are we also

4. Now therefore concerning this same boldness, let us see what he says. Whence do we understand that charity is perfect? “There is no fear in charity

5. But there is another sentence, which seems contrary to this if it have not one that understands. Namely, it is said in a certain place of the Psalm

6. One cannot better explain the difference between these two fears, the one which charity casteth out, the other chaste, which endureth for ever, tha

7. Let us speak then first to these who fear God, just in the manner of that woman who delights in wickedness namely, she fears her husband lest he c

8. We have addressed that soul which hath as yet the fear which endureth not for ever, but which love shuts out and casts forth: let us address that a

9. “Let us love, because He first loved us.” i.e.

10. “If any man say, I love God.” What God? I love

11. “For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment have we from Him, that he who lovet

1. I Suppose ye remember, those of you who were present yesterday, to what place in the course of this epistle our exposition has reached: namely, “He

2. Let us see then what it is to believe in Christ what to believe that Jesus, He is the Christ. He proceeds: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the

3. “In this we know that we love the sons of God.” What is this, brethren? Just now he was speaking of the Son of God, not of sons of God: lo, here on

4. And by what do we know that we love the sons of God? By this, “that we love God, and do His commandments.” We sigh here, by reason of the hardness

5. Ye have heard in the Psalm, “I have seen the end of all perfection.” He hath said, I have seen the end of all perfection: what had he seen? Think w

6. See, brethren, how many things we pass, in which is not the end. These we use as by the way we take as it were our refreshment at the halting plac

7. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” Already ye have heard, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

8. Let us run then, my brethren, let us run, and love Christ. What Christ? Jesus Christ. Who is He? The Word of God. And how came He to the sick? “The

9. Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, ascending into heaven on the fortieth day, did for this reason commend to us His Body where it would continue to lie,

10. And what have we done, say they? We are the persecuted, not the persecutors. Ye are the persecutors, O wretched men. In the first place, in that y

1. “Children,147 Pueri, παιδία. it is the148 [Or “a,” Westcott.—J.H.M.] last hour.” In this lesson he addresses the children that they may make haste to grow, because “it is the last hour.” Age or stature149 Aetas. of the body is not at one’s own will. A man does not grow in respect of the flesh when he will, any more than he is born when he will: but where the being born rests with the will, the growth also rests with the will. No man is “born of water and the Spirit,”150 John iii. 5. except he be willing. Consequently if he will, he grows or makes increase: if he will, he decreases. What is it to grow? To go onward151 Proficere. by proficiency. What is it to decrease? To go backward152 Deficere. by deficiency. Whoso knows that he is born, let him hear that he is an infant; let him eagerly cling to the breasts of his mother, and he grows apace. Now his mother is the Church; and her breasts are the two Testaments of the Divine Scriptures. Hence let him suck the milk of all the things that as signs of spiritual truths were done in time for our eternal salvation,153 Omnium sacramentorum temporaliter pro æterna salute nostra gestorum: i.e. of the historical facts of both Testaments understood in their inward and spiritual relation to Christ. that being nourished and strengthened, he may attain to the eating of solid meat, which is, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”154 John i. 1. Our milk is Christ in His humility; our meat, the selfsame Christ equal with the Father. With milk He nourisheth thee, that He may feed thee with bread: for with the heart spiritually to touch Christ is to know that He is equal with the Father.

1. Pueri, novissima hora est. In hac lectione pueros alloquitur; ut festinent crescere, quia novissima hora est. Aetas corporis non est in voluntate. Ita nullus secundum carnem crescit quando vult; sicut nullus quando vult nascitur: ubi autem nativitas in voluntate est, et crementum in voluntate est. Nemo ex 1998 aqua et Spiritu nascitur nisi volens. Ergo si vult, crescit: si vult, decrescit. Quid est crescere? Proficere. Quid est decrescere? Deficere. Quisquis novit natum se esse, audiat quia puer est et infans; avide inhiet uberibus matris, et cito crescit. Est autem mater Ecclesia; et ubera ejus duo Testamenta Scripturarum divinarum. Hinc sugatur lac omnium sacramentorum temporaliter pro aeterna salute nostra gestorum, ut nutritus atque roboratus perveniat ad manducandum cibum, quod est, In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum (Joan. I, 1). Lac nostrum Christus humilis est; cibus noster, idem ipse Christus aequalis Patri. Lacte te nutrit, ut pane pascat: nam corde contingere Jesum spiritualiter, hoc est cognoscere quia aequalis est Patri.