Chapter V.

Passages brought forward from Scripture to show that “made” does not always mean the same as “created;” whence it is concluded that the letter of Holy Writ should not be made the ground of captious arguments, after the manner of the Jews, who, however, are shown to be not so bad as the heretics, and thus the principle already set forth is confirmed anew.

35. At the same time, becoming506    i.e.we are not to infer from the fact that the Word became flesh, that the Word is a created being. For that which becomes is already existing—that which is created did not exist before it was made. does not always imply creation; for we read: “Lord, Thou art become our refuge,”507    Ps. xc. 1. The R.V. runs: “Lord, thou hast been our refuge” (hast been, and still art). and “Thou hast become my salvation.”508    Ps. cxviii. 14. The “becoming” is rather in us. It is we who have come into being, to find a refuge and salvation in the Lord. Plainly, here is no statement of the fact or purpose of a creation, but God is said to have become my “refuge” and have turned to my “salvation,”509    Lat. “conversus ad salutem.” even as the Apostle hath said: “Who became for us510    1 Cor. i. 30. Wisdom from God, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption,”511    Note that it is Christ Himself Who is our justification, etc., not a certain course of life; in other words the saving power is not so much in the mere example of Christ’s life on earth, but primarily and necessarily in Himself, now seated in heaven at the Father’s right hand, interceding for us, and communicating His grace, especially through the sacraments. that is, that Christ was “made” for us, of the Father, not created. Again, the writer has explained in the sequel in what sense he says that Christ was made Wisdom for us: “But we preach the Wisdom of God in doctrine of mystery, which Wisdom is hidden, foreordained by God before the existence of the world512    Cf. 1 Pet. i. 19–21; Eph. i. 4; Col. i. 26, 27. for our glory, and which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.”513    1 Cor. ii. 6 ff. When the mystery of the Passion is set forth, surely there is no speaking of an eternal process of generation.

36. The Lord’s Cross, then, is my wisdom; the Lord’s Death my redemption; for we are redeemed with His precious blood, as the Apostle Peter hath said.514    1 Pet. i. 19. With His blood, then, as man, the Lord redeemed us, Who also, as God, hath forgiven sins.515    S. Mark ii. 8–12.

37. Let us not, therefore, lay snares as it were in words, and eagerly seek out entanglements therein; let us not, because misbelievers make out the written word to mean that it means not, set forth only what this letter bears on the face of it, instead of the underlying sense. This way went the Jews to destruction, despising the deep-hidden meaning, and following only after the bare form of the word, for “the letter killeth, but the Spirit maketh alive.”516    2 Cor. iii. 6.

38. And yet, of these two grievous impieties, to ascribe to the Godhead what is true only of manhood is perchance more detestable than to attribute to spirit what belongs only to letter. The Jews feared to believe in manhood taken up into God, and therefore have lost the grace of redemption, because they reject that on which salvation depends; the Arians degrade the majesty of Godhead to the weakness of humanity. Detestable as are the Jews, who crucified the Lord’s flesh, more detestable still do I hold them who have believed that the Godhead of Christ was nailed to the Cross. So one who ofttimes had dealings with Jews said: “An heretic avoid, after once reproving him”517    Titus iii. 10.

39. Nor, again, are these men careful to avoid doing dishonour to the Father, in their impious application of the fact, that Christ was “made” Wisdom for us, to His incomprehensible generation, that transcends all limits and divisions of time; for, leaving it out of account that dishonour done to the Son is an insult to the Father, they do even carry their blasphemy in assault upon the Father, of Whom it is written: “Let God be made truthful, but every man a liar.”518    Rom. iii. 4. If indeed they think that the Son is spoken of, they do not foreclose against His generation,519    Because generation is quite distinct from absolute creation. but in that they rest on the authority of this text they do confess that which they reject, namely, that Christ is God, and true God.

40. It would be a lengthy matter were I to pass in review each several place where we read of His being “made,” not indeed by nature, but by way of gracious dispensation. Moses, for example, saith: “Thou art made my Helper and Protector, to save me;”520    Ex. xv. 2. and David: “Be unto me for a God of salvation, and an house of refuge, that Thou mayest save me;”521    Ps. xxxi. 3. and Isaiah: “He is become an Helper for every city that is lowly.”522    Isa. xxv. 4. Of a surety the holy men say not to God: “Thou hast been created,” but “By Thy grace Thou art made a Protector and Helper unto us.”

CAPUT V.

Factum in Scriptura non semper idem esse ac creatum exemplis ex ipsa petitis docet. Inde colligit non cavillandum ex littera more Judaeorum, quibus tamen haereticos pejores probat; atque iterum propositam confirmat sententiam.

35. Nec semper tamen factum esse ad creationem refertur; scriptum est enim: Domine, refugium factus es nobis (Ps. LXXXIX, 1); et: Factus es mihi in salutem (Ps. CXVII, 14). Non utique creationis definitio vel editio declaratur: sed refugium factus mihi, et conversus mihi dicitur ad salutem, sicut et Apostolus dixit: Qui factus est nobis sapientia a Deo, et justitia, et sanctificatio, et redemptio (I Cor. I, 30). 0596D Nobis factum non creatum ex Patre dixit. Denique quomodo dicat factum nobis esse sapientiam, in posterioribus exposuit dicens: Sed loquimur Dei sapientiam in mysterio, quae abscondita est, quam praedestinavit Deus ante tempora saecularia in gloriam nostram, quam nemo principum hujus saeculi cognovit. Si enim cognovissent, numquam Dominum majestatis crucifixissent (I Cor. II, 7, 8). Ubi mysterium passionis exprimitur, non utique generationis aeternae series declaratur.

0597A 36. Sapientia igitur mea crux Domini est, redemptio mea mors Domini est; sanguine enim pretioso redempti sumus, ut apostolus Petrus dixit (I Petr. I, 19). Sanguine igitur suo, quasi homo, Dominus nos redemit; idemque, quasi Deus, peccata donavit.

37. Non ergo in verbis quasdam constituamus insidias, et verborum tendiculas aucupemur; ut quia et aliud secundum impios significare putatur sermo qui legitur, non id quod sensus exprimat, sed quod littera ostendat, interpretemur. Sic perierunt Judaei, dum sensuum profunda despiciunt, et sequuntur nuda verborum; Littera enim occidit, spiritus autem vivificat (II Cor. III, 6).

38. Et tamen inter duo gravia sacrilegia fortasse detestabilius sit ad divinitatem referre quae carnis 0597B sunt, quam ad litteram referre quae spiritus sunt. Illi timuerunt in Deo carnem credere; et ideo redemptionis gratiam perdiderunt, quia causam salutis abjurant: isti divinitatis majestatem usque ad carnis infirma deducunt. Detestandi Judaei, qui carnem Domini crucifixerunt: detestabiliores tamen eos arbitror, qui divinitatem Christi cruci subditam crediderunt. Denique qui cum Judaeis saepe tractabat: 504 Haereticum, inquit, post unam correptionem devita (Tit. III, 10).

39. Nec tamen sine injuria Patris factum nobis esse sapientiam, ad illam inenarrabilem, nec ullis temporibus momentisque obnoxiam Christi generationem sacrilega interpretatione derivant. Nam praeter id quod Filii injuria Patris est contumelia, etiam 0597C in Patrem sacrilegia ista procedunt, de quo scriptum est: Fiat autem Deus verax, omnis autem homo mendax (Rom. III, 4). Aut si de Filio putant dictum, generationi quidem non praejudicant: Deum autem et Deum verum hujus lectionis auctoritate quod abnuunt, confitentur.

40. Prolixum est si velim singula recensere, quoties factum legerimus, non utique per naturam, sed per gratiam. Nam et Moyses dicit: Adjutor et protector factus est mihi in salutem (Exod.XV, 2). Et David dicit: Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in domum refugii, ut salvum me facias (Ps. XXX, 3). Et Esaias dicit: Factus est omni civitati humili adjutor (Esai. XXV, 4). Non utique sancti Deo dicunt: Creatus es, sed protector et adjutor per gratiam tuam 0597D factus es nobis.