Chapter XVII.

An objection based on St. Stephen’s vision of the Lord standing is disposed of, and from the prayers of the same saint, addressed to the Son of God, the equality of the Son with the Father is shown.

137. There is just one place, in which Stephen hath said that he saw the Lord Jesus standing at the right hand of God.666    Acts vii. 55. Learn now the import of these words, that you may not use them to raise a question upon. Why (you would ask) do we read every where else of the Son as sitting at the right hand of God, but in one place of His standing? He sits as Judge of quick and dead; He stands as His people’s Advocate. He stood, then, as a Priest, whilst He was offering to His Father the sacrifice of a good martyr; He stood, as the Umpire, to bestow, as it were, upon a good wrestler the prize of so mighty a contest.

138. Receive thou also the Spirit of God, that thou mayest discern those things, even as Stephen received the Spirit; and thou mayest say, as the martyr said: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”667    Acts vii. 55. He who hath the heavens opened to him, seeth Jesus at the right hand of God: he whose soul’s eye is closed, seeth not Jesus at the right hand of God. Let us, then, confess Jesus at God’s right hand, that to us also the heavens may be opened. They who confess otherwise close the gates of heaven against themselves.

139. But if any urge in objection that the Son was standing, let them show upon this passage that the Father was seated, for though Stephen said that the Son of Man was standing, still he did not further say here that the Father was sitting.

140. Howbeit, to make it more abundantly clear and known that the standing implied no dishonour, but rather sovereignty, Stephen prayed to the Son, being desirous to commend himself the more to the Father, saying: “Lord Jesu, receive my spirit.”668    Acts vii. 58. Again, to show that the sovereignty of the Father and of the Son is one and the same, he prayed again, saying, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”669    Acts vii. 51. These are the words that the Lord, in His own Passion, speaks to the Father, as the Son of Man—these the words of Stephen’s prayer, in his own martyrdom to the Son of God. When the same grace is sought of both the Father and the Son, the same power is affirmed of each.

141. Otherwise, if our opponents will have it that Stephen addressed himself to the Father, let them consider what, on their own showing, they affirm. We indeed are unmoved by their arguments; howbeit, let them, to whom the letter and sequence is all important, take notice that the first petition is addressed to the Son. Now we, even on their understanding of the passage, prove from it the unity of the Father’s and the Son’s majesty; for when the Son is addressed in prayer as well as the Father, the equality which the prayer assigns points to unity in action. But if they will not allow that the Son was addressed with the title “Lord,” we see that they do indeed seek to deny that He is Lord.

142. Seeing, however, that so great a martyr’s crown has been brought forth, let us abate the eagerness of disputation, and bring to-day’s discourse to a close. Let us sing the praises of the holy martyr, as is fitting always after a mighty conflict—the martyr bleeding indeed from the enemy’s blows, but rewarded with the crown bestowed by Christ.

CAPUT XVII.

Objectioni quae hic nasci poterat, occurrens, cur Dominus Stephano stare visus sit, explicat: et ex hujus ad Filium precibus ejusdem ac Patris aequalitate confirmata, librum terminat.

0616D 137. Uno tantum loco stantem ad dexteram Dei Jesum Stephanus vidisse se dixit (Act. VII, 55). Et hoc disce, ne quam hinc moveas quaestionem. Cur enim ubique ad dexteram sedere ostenditur, uno legitur in loco stare? Sedet quasi judex vivorum et mortuorum: stat quasi advocatus suorum. Stabat ergo quasi sacerdos, quando Patri hostiam boni martyris 0617A offerebat: stabat quasi bono luctatori bravium tanti praesul certaminis redditurus.

138. Accipe et tu spiritum Dei, ut ista distinguas, sicut accepit et Stephanus; et dicas sicut dixit et martyr: Ecce video coelos apertos, et Filium hominis stantem ad dexteram Dei. Qui coelos apertos habet, Jesum ad dexteram Dei cernit: qui clausos oculos habet mentis, Jesum ad dexteram Dei non videt. Confiteamur ergo Jesum ad dexteram, ut coelum et nobis aperiatur. Claudunt sibi coelum, qui aliter confitentur.

522 139. Quod si qui objiciunt quod Filius stabat, ostendant hoc loco quod Pater sedebat. Nam licet Filium hominis stare dixerit; tamen hoc loco nec Patrem sedere commemoravit.

0617B 140. Ut autem evidentius cognosceretur nulla esse stantis injuria, sed potestas, Filium Stephanus obsecrabat, ut se amplius commendaret Patri, dicens: Domine Jesu, recipe spiritum meum (Act. VII, 58). Et ut eamdem Patris et Filii potestatem esse ostenderet, repetivit dicens: Domine, ne statuas illis hoc peccatum0618A (Ibid., 59). Hoc Dominus in passione propria quasi Filius hominis Patri dicit: hoc et Stephanus Filium Dei in suo martyrio deprecatur. Cum eadem gratia a Patre Filioque deposcitur, eadem potentia declaratur.

141. Aut si volunt Stephanum Patri dixisse, videant quid propria testificatione significent. Licet nos ista non moveant, advertant tamen qui totum in littera constituunt et in ordine, quod Filius prius sit rogatus. Nos autem et secundum eorum interpretationem ostendimus unitatem Paternae majestatis et Filii; nam cum Pater rogatur et Filius, aequalitas precationis operationis indicat unitatem. Si autem illis non placet Filio dictum, Domine, videmus quod etiam Dominum eum negare conantur.

0618B 142. Sed jam quia martyris tanti corona processit studia certaminis relaxemus, ferias hodierni sermonis habeamus. Prosequamur sanctum martyrem laudibus, sicut post magna decebat certamina, vulneribus quidem adversarii cruentatum, sed Christi praemiis coronatum.