LETTER LXXVII. 

This letter dwells on the Gospel, as the true Inheritance, and on the contrast between the Jew, who by rejecting Christ made Moses in whom he believed his accuser, and the Christian, who received true liberty in Christ, while the Jew remained a slave.

AMBROSE TO HORONTIANUS.

1. Not without reason have you thought fit to enquire into the nature of the Divine inheritance; and why it should be so highly esteemed that for its sake many should even offer up their lives. But if you will consider that even in human affairs the advantage of inheriting worldly goods gives an additional sanction to the laws of natural affection, and that even on this account greater respect is shown to parents, for fear, namely, lest the slighted love of a father may avenge itself by disinheriting or renouncing the rebellious offspring, you will cease to wonder why men so greatly desire a Divine inheritance.

2. Now there is an inheritance offered to all Christians; for Isaiah thus speaks,  There is an heritage for them that believe on the Lord, and this inheritance is hoped for by the promise, not by the Law. This the history of the Old Testament proves, in the words of Sarah,  Cast out this bond-woman and her son, for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. The son of Sarah was Isaac, the son of the bond-woman was Ishmael; and these were before the Law, wherefore the promise was older than the Law. We are after Isaac sons by the promise, the Jews are the sons of the bond-woman after the flesh. We have a free mother, which bore not, but afterwards, according to the promise, brought forth and produced a child; they have Agar for their mother,  gendering to bondage. He is free, to whom grace is promised, he is a slave on whom the yoke of the Law is imposed, wherefore the promise came to us before the Law came to them, and in the course of nature liberty is more ancient than bondage. Liberty therefore comes of the promise, bondage of the Law. But although the promise itself, as we have said, is before the Law, and by the promise comes liberty, and in liberty is love, still love is according to the Law, and love is greater than liberty.

3. Are we not then servants? and is it not written,  praise the Lord, all ye servants, or how does the Apostle say,  But as the servants of God, doing the will of God from his heart? But there is also a free and voluntary service, whereof the Apostle says,  He that is called, being free. is Christ's servant. And this service is from the heart, not of necessity. Wherefore we are the servants of our Creator; but we have a liberty which we have received through the grace of Christ, born of the promise according to faith. Wherefore, being born of the freedwoman, let us, signed in the forehead, offer the sacrifice of liberty as becomes freemen; that we may rejoice and not be confounded, being signed in 'the spirit and not in the flesh. For to us it is rightly said,  Standfast, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. He does not say, Be not slaves, but  Be not entangled with the yoke of bondage, for the yoke of bondage is heavier than the bondage itself.

4. Isaac also says to his son Esau, when he sought his blessing,  Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword shall thou live, and shalt serve thy brother. But the time shall come when thou shalt have the dominion and shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.  How then is this to be reconciled, that although he shall break his brother's yoke from off his neck he shall still serve, unless we recognize the difference that there is in servitude? Now in what this difference consists, let the Scripture itself explain to us. Isaac signifies good, and he is good to us, for after him we are born into liberty, and he is a good father to both his sons. His love for them both he proved, in the one case by affection, in the other by blessing, for he commanded his elder son to bring him food, that he might receive his blessing; but while he makes delay and seeks for wild venison from a distance, the younger brother brings him home-food, from the sheep of the flock.

5. Good food for all is Christ, good food too is faith, sweet food is mercy, pleasant food is faith. These are the meats whereon are fed the people of holy Church. Good food too is the Spirit of God, good food is the remission of sins. But very hard food is the rigour of the Law, and the terror of punishment; and very coarse food is that observance of the letter which is preferred to the grace of pardon. The Jews again are under a curse, we included in a blessing. A ready food too is faith:  The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart: the food of the Law is more tardy. For while waiting for the Law the people fell into transgression.

6. Thus it was on the son who was diligent and faithful that the father bestowed his blessing, but he reserved one, for he was a good father, for his elder son also, in that he made him servant to his brother. For he did this, not as wishing to subject his family to any unworthy bondage, but because he who cannot rule and govern himself ought to serve and be subject to one more prudent; that so he may be governed by his counsel, and not fall through his own folly, nor stumble from walking rashly. It is as a blessing then that such a state of service is given. Moreover it is numbered among blessings, together with the gift of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. Having said,  By thy sword thou shalt live, lest he should be harmed by the confidence arising from strength or power, he added,  and thou shalt serve thy brother: that thou mayest thus obtain both the rich fruits of the flesh, and the dew of Divine grace, and mayest follow him who is able to direct and govern thee.

 7. But it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have broken his yoke from off thy neck, that thou shalt have the reward of thy willing servitude, and not undergo the evils of a compulsory bondage. For that kind of bondage is dishonourable which is the result of necessity, that is honourable which is offered by piety. Hence the Apostle says,  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward, but if against my will, a dispensation is committed unto me. Better then is it to reap a reward, than to obey a dispensation. Wherefore let us not be restrained by the yoke of bondage, but let us serve in the spirit of charity, for the Apostle says,  By love serve one another. The fear of the Law becomes the love of the Gospel. Again,  To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but the fulness of the Law is charity. And the Law itself says,  For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

8. This therefore is what we asserted, for although bondage is by the Law, liberty is by the Law also, for charity belongs to liberty, fear to bondage. There is therefore both a charity of the Law, and a service of charity, but the Law is the forerunner of charity, the charity of the Gospel is the free giver of a pious service.

9. The Law then is not superfluous; for like a schoolmaster, it attends upon the weak; and by weakness I mean weakness of character not of body; for they are infants who know not how to declare the word of God, who receive not His works. For if  an unspotted life is old age, a life full of stains is the time of youth. The Law then, that is, No&moj, was our schoolmaster, until faith came.  We were kept, it is said,  under the Law, as being weak, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. But afterwards faith came; he does not say the Gospel, but faith, for that only is faith which is in the Gospel. For although the  righteousness of God is revealed therein which is  from faith to faith, still this of the Law is faith indeed when it attains to the fulness thereof. Rightly therefore is this faith spoken of as single and alone; because without it the former is not faith, and in it alone it has its confirmation. Finally, when this faith came, fulness and the adoption of sons came with it, infirmity ceased, infancy was at an end, we grew into a perfect man, we put on Christ. How then can any one be weak or childish, in whom Christ is the power of God? Thus we have arrived at perfection, and have been instructed in its precepts.

10. You heard read to-day,  Of Mine own Self I can do nothing, as I hear, I judge. You heard  read, I accuse you not, I judge not. I accuse you not,  it is Moses that accuseth you, in whom ye trust. You heard read,  If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. Thus I have learnt what kind of judge, what kind of witness I ought to be. For it is not as being weak that He says,  Of Mine own self I can do nothing, he rather is weak who so understands it. The Father does nothing without the Son, for between them there is a community of operation and an unity of power; but in this place He speaks as Judge, that we men may learn that, when we judge, we ought to form our sentence equitably and not according to our mere will and power.

11. When a criminal is set before him proved guilty and convicted of crime, who does not frame for himself pleas of defence, but prays for pardon, and prostrates himself at the knees of his judge, the judge answers him, Of myself I can do nothing, it is my justice not my power which I exercise in judgment. It is not I but your own deeds that judge you, they accuse, and they condemn you. The Laws are your tribunal, and I as judge do not alter but keep the Laws. Of myself I originate nothing, but the judicial sentence against you proceeds from yourself. I judge as I hear, not as I will, and my judgment is true because I consult what is agreeable to equity not to my own will.

12. Let us next consider what is the Divine rule of judgment. The Lord of heaven and earth and the Judge of all says,  of Mine own self I can do nothing, as I hear I judge; and man says to his Lord,  Knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee? But why is not the Lord able? Because, He says,  My judgment is just, because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father Who hath sent Me, that is, not the will of man, whom ye see, not the will of man, whom ye only judge as man, not the will of the flesh, (for  the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,) but the Divine will, which is the Origin of law, and the Rule of judgment. So likewise that witness is true, who bears witness not to himself but to another, for it is written,  Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth. 

13. In a mystical sense it is well said to the Jews: I judge you not, that is, I, the universal Saviour, I, who am the Remission of sins, judge you not, for ye have not received Me. I judge you not, I freely pardon you. I, who by My Blood redeem sinners, judge you not. I judge you not, for I would not the death but the life of a sinner. 1 judge you not, for I condemn not but justify those who confess their sins. Moses accuses you, he in whom you trust convicts you. He can accuse you, he cannot judge you, this is reserved to his Creator. He then in whom ye trust accuses you, He in Whom ye would not trust absolves you.

14. O great folly of the Jews! Rightly are they accused of their crimes, for they have chosen one who accuses them, and have rejected a merciful Judge; and therefore they are without absolution, but not without punishment.

15. Well therefore, my son, have you begun by the Law, and been confirmed in the Gospel,  from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

Farewell; love me for I also love you.

EPISTOLA LXXVII.

 Roganti quae haereditas illa sit, pro qua mortem oppetere plerique non dubitant; respondet hanc ipsam esse quam ex repromissione quasi liberi adipiscimur; nos enim cum Deo ex charitate serviamus, vera potiri libertate. Hoc in Esau benedictione signatum docet; unde colligit ex Lege per quam servitus fuit, etiam libertatem esse, ut quae ad fidem nos adduxerit: addit non Christum, sed Moysen accusaturum; atque adeo Judaeos desipere, a quibus accusator prae   1263D   bono judice eligitur. 

AMBROSIUS HORONTIANO.

1. Non otiose quaerendum putasti quae sit rei divinae haereditas; et cur tanto aestimetur nomine, ut propter eam plerique etiam mortem suam offerant. Verum si consideres quia et in usu humano haereditatis pecuniariae gratia facit, ut venerabiliora  1264A fiant jura pietatis; quia hoc quoque plus defertur parentibus, ne laesa pietas patris ulciscatur se exhaeredatione, vel abdicatione contumacis pignoris: mirari profecto desines quae sit tanta divinae haereditatis appetentia.

2. Est autem haereditas proposita christianis omnibus; sic enim dicit Esaias:  Est haereditas credentibus in Domino (Esai. LIV, 17): quae speratur ex repromissione, non ex Lege. Quod veteris Testamenti exemplo probatur, dicente Sarra:  Expelle ancillam, et filium ejus; non enim haeres erit filius ancillae cum filio meo Isaac (Gen. XXI, 10). Filius Sarrae Isaac, filius ancillae Ismael; hi ante Legem sunt: ergo antiquior repromissio quam Lex. Nos secundum Isaac filii per repromissionem, Judaei secundum carnem  1264B filii ancillae (Galat. IV, 28). Nobis mater libera, quae non parturiebat, et postea ex repromissione effudit, peperitque masculum: illis mater Agar, generans in servitutem. Liber est, cui gratia promittitur; servus, cui jugum Legis imponitur: prius ergo nobis repromissio quam illis Lex; et secundum naturam antiquior libertas, quam servitus. Libertas igitur ex repromissione, ex Lege servitus. Sed licet repromissio ipsa ante Legem sit, ut diximus, ex repromissione autem libertas, in libertate charitas; secundum 1090 Legem tamen est charitas, quae major libertate est.

3. Non ergo servi? Et quomodo scriptum est:  Laudate, servi, Dominum (Psal. CXXXIV, 1). Quomodo ipse Apostolus ait:  Sed ut servi Christi facientes voluntatem   1264C   Dei ex animo cum bona voluntate (Ephes. VI, 6)? Verum est et servitus libera, quae est voluntaria, de qua Apostolus ait:  Qui liber vocatus est,   servus est Christi (I Cor. VII, 22). Haec est servitus ex animo, non ex necessitate. Itaque nos servi quidem sumus Creatoris nostri: sed libertatem habemus, quam per gratiam Christi accepimus, generati ex repromissione secundum fidem. Unde quasi ex libera geniti, libertatis sacrificium deferamus, signati in fronte, sicut liberos decet; ut non confundamur, sed gloriemur, signati spiritu, non carne. Quibus recte dicitur:  State, et nolite iterum jugo servitutis contineri (Galat. V, 1). Non dixit: Nolite servire, sed  nolite jugo servitutis contineri; est enim gravius jugum servitutis, quam servitus.

 1264D 4. Denique Isaac filio suo Esau petenti benedictionem ait:  Ecce ab ubertate terrae erit tibi habitatio, et a rore coeli summo: et super gladium tuum vives, et servies fratri tuo. Erit autem cum deposueris et solveris jugum illius a collo tuo  (Gen. XXVII, 39, 40). Quomodo istud convenit, ut serviat, cum solverit jugum fratris a collo suo, nisi distantiam esse intelligamus  1265A servitutis? Quae igitur sit differentia, ipsa nobis exponat lectio. Bonus Isaac, et bonus nobis, qui secundum ipsum in libertatem nascimur: et bonus pater utrique filio. Denique quod utrumque diligeret, circa alterum affectu probavit, circa alterum benedictione; seniori enim filio dixerat, ut cibum deferret sibi, et acciperet benedictionem: sed dum ille moram facit, et cibum agrestem et forensem requirit, frater junior domesticum detulit ex ovium grege.

5. Bonus cibus omnium Christus est, bonus cibus est fides, suavis cibus misericordia, jucundus cibus gratia. Hos cibos epulatur populus Ecclesiae sanctae. Bonus cibus spiritus Dei, bonus cibus peccatorum remissio. At vero ille praedurus cibus rigor Legis, terrorque poenarum: agrestis cibus observantia litterae  1265B potius quam gratia indulgentiae. Denique ille populus sub maledicto, nos in benedictione. Velox cibus fides:  Prope est enim verbum in ore tuo, et in corde tuo (Deut. XXX, 14): tardior cibus Legis. Denique dum Lex exspectatur, populus erravit (Exod. XXXII, 1 et seq.).

6. Contulit igitur benedictionem pater impigro et fideli filio: sed quia bonus pater erat, servavit et seniori filio benedictionem; ut eum servum faceret fratris sui: non quo familiam suam degeneri vellet servituti addicere, sed quia is qui regere se non potest et gubernare, servire debet, et subditus esse prudentiori; ut ejus regatur consilio, ne sua stultitia praecipitetur, et labatur temeritate. Pro benedictione igitur hujusmodi confertur servitus. Denique inter  1265C bona annumeratur, inter collatam terrae 1091 ubertatem, et rorem coeli a summo. Sed quia dixerat:  Super gladium tuum vives; ne ei fortitudinis aut potestatis noceret praesumptio, addidit:  Servies fratri tuo; ut et carnis fructus uberes, et divinae rorem adipiscaris gratiae, et eum sequaris, qui de suo gubernaculo regat.

7. Sed tunc erit istud, cum deposueris jugum ejus a collo tuo; ut voluntariae servitutis mercedem habeas, non injuriam subeas necessitatis. Inhonorata enim hujusmodi servitus, quae necessitate cogitur: honorata autem, quae pietate defertur. Unde apostolus:  Si volens hoc ago, mercedem habeo: si invitus, dispensatio mihi credita est (I Cor. IX, 17). Melius utique mercedis praemium, quam dispensationis obsequium  1265D est. Nos igitur non contineamur servitutis jugo, sed charitate spiritus serviamus; quia dicit apostolus:  Per charitatem spiritus servite invicem (Galat. V, 13). Timor legis est charitas Evangelii. Denique:  Initium sapientiae timor Domini, plenitudo autem legis charitas (Eccles. I, 16). Tamen et ipsa lex dicit:  Et in hoc verbo omne mandatum instauratur (Rom: XIII, 8),  et in isto uno, inquit,  sermone impletur: Diliges proximum tuum (Galat. V, 14).

8. Hoc est igitur quod proposuimus, quia etsi ex lege servitus, tamen secundum legem libertas; charitas  1266A enim libertatis, timor servitutis est. Est igitur et charitas legis, et servitus charitatis: sed lex charitatis praenuntia est, charitas Evangelii piae servitutis arbitra est.

9. Non superflua itaque lex, quae tamquam paedagogus prosequitur infirmiores. Infirmitatem dico morum, non corporum; infantes enim sunt, qui fari verbum Dei nesciunt, qui ejus opera non recipiunt (Galat. III, 24). Nam si aetas senectutis vita immaculata (Sap. IV, 9), utique aetas adolescentiae est vita maculosa. Lex ergo pedagogus fuit, id est νόμος, donec fides veniret.  Et quasi infirmi, inquit,  custodiebamur a lege,   conclusi in eam fidem, quae revelanda foret (Galat. III, 23). Postquam autem fides advenit, non dicit Evangelium, sed fidem; ea est enim sola fides, quae est  1266B in Evangelio. Nam licet justitia Dei in eo revelatur, quae est ex fide in fidem (Rom. I, 17); tamen sic illa Legis est fides, si ei accedat fidei plenitudo. Merito ergo fides ista quasi sola dicitur; quia illa sine hac fides non est, in hac confirmatur. Denique ubi haec fides venit, plenitudo advenit, advenit filiorum adoptio, cessavit infirmitas, abiit infantia, in virum perfectum assurgimus, Christum induimus. Quomodo igitur infirmus et parvulus esse potest, in quo Christus est Dei virtus? Ergo ad perfectionem venimus, perfectionis praecepta accepimus.

10. Audisti hodie lectum:  Non possum ego a me facere quidquam: sicut audio, judico (Joan. V, 30). Audisti lectum: Ego non accuso vos, ego non judico. Ego non accuso,  Moyses vos accusat, in quem speratis   1266C (Ibid., 45). Audisti lectum:  Si ego testimonium perhibuero de me ipso, testimonium meum non est verum (Ibid., 31). Didici qualis judex, qualis testis esse debeam. Non enim quasi infirmus dicit:  Non 1092  possum ego a me facere quidquam: sed infirmus ille, qui sic intelligit. Nihil quidem sine Patre facit Filius; quia communis operatio, et unitas potestatis est: sed hoc loco quasi judex loquitur, ut cognoscamus homines in judicando, quod non ex voluntate nostra et potestate, sed ex aequitate debeamus formare sententiam.

11. Constitue aliquem reum coargutum et convictum criminis, non astruentem defensionis genera, sed deprecantem et advolventem se ad genua judicis; respondet ei judex: Non possum a me facere  1266D quidquam; justitia in judicando, non potentia est in judicando. Ego non judico, sed facta tua de te judicant: ipsa te accusant, et ipsa condemnant. Leges te adjudicant, quas judex non converto, sed custodio. Nihil ex me ego profero, sed ex te forma judicii in te procedit. Secundum quod audio, judico, non secundum quod volo; et ideo judicium meum verum est, quia non voluntati indulgeo, sed aequitati.

12. Consideremus itaque quae sit judicandi religio. Dominus coeli atque terrarum judex omnium dicit:  Non possum a me facere quidquam: sicut audio,   1267A   et judico; et homo dicit Domino suo:  Nescis quoniam potestatem habeo dimittere te, et potestatem habeo crucifigere te (Joan. XIX, 10)? Quare Dominus non potest?  Quia judicium, inquit,  meum verum est. Non enim  quaero voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus, qui misit me (Joan. V, 30), id est: Non voluntatem hominis, quem videtis: non arbitrium hominis, quem vos hominem tantummodo judicatis: non voluntatem carnis; quia spiritus promptus, caro autem infirma (Matth. XXVI, 41): sed voluntatem divinam, quae auctor legis, arbitraque judicii est. Similiter et testis verus est, qui non sibi, sed alii fert testimonium; scriptum est enim:  Laudet te proximus tuus, et non os tuum (Prov. XXVII, 2).

13. Pulchre autem dicitur Judaeis mystice: Ego  1267B vos non judico, id est, ego universorum redemptio, ego peccatorum remissio, vos non judico; quia me non recepistis. Non judico, qui libenter indulgeo. Ego non judico, qui sanguine meo redimo peccatores (Esai. XLIII, 25). Ego non judico, qui deleo iniquitates, et memor non ero. Ego non judico, qui malo vitam quam mortem peccatoris (Ezech. XVIII, 23). Ego non judico, qui non damno, sed justifico confitentes. Moyses vos accusat, ille vos arguit, in quem speratis: ille accusat vos; quia judicandi non habet potestatem, quae ejus debetur auctori. Ille ergo in quem speratis accusat: iste in quem sperare noluistis, absolvit.

14. Magna Judaeorum imprudentia! Merito accusantur in criminibus suis; quia accusatorem elegerunt,  1267C et bonum judicem refutaverunt: ideoque deest illis absolutio, poena non deest.

15. Recte ergo, fili, a lege coepisti, in Evangelio confirmatus es, a fide in fidem, sicut 1093 scriptum est:  Justus enim ex fide vivit (Rom. I, 17). Vale et nos dilige; quia nos te diligimus.