Chapter VI.

Wishing to answer the above-stated objection somewhat more fully, he maintains that this request, had it not been impossible in itself, would have been possible for Christ to grant; especially as the Father has given all judgment to Him; which gift we must understand to have been given without any feature of imperfection. However, he proves that the request must be reckoned amongst the impossibilities. To make it really possible, he teaches that Christ’s answer must be taken in accordance with His human nature, and shows this next by an exposition of the passage. Lastly, he once more confirms the reply he has given on the impossibility of Christ’s session.

67. I ask now whether they think the request made by the wife and sons of Zebedee was possible or impossible to human circumstances, or to any created being? If it was possible, how is it that He Who made all things which were not had not the power of granting a seat to His apostles on His right hand and on His left? or how was it that He, to Whom the Father gave all judgment, could not judge of men’s merits?

68. We know well in what way He gave it; for how did the Son, who created all things out of nothing, receive it as though in want? Had He not the judgment of those whose natures He had made? The Father gave all judgment to the Son, “that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.”934    S. John v. 23. It is not therefore the power of the Son, but our knowledge of it, that increases; nor does what is learnt by us add aught to His being, but only to our advantage; so that by knowing the Son of God, we may have eternal life.

69. As, then, in our knowledge of the Son of God His honour, but our profit, not His, is concerned; if any one thinks that the power of God is augmented by that honour, He must also believe that God the Father can receive augmentation; for He is glorified by our knowledge of Him, as is the Son: as it is written on the word of the Son: “I have glorified Thee upon the earth.”935    S. John xvii. 4. Therefore if that which was asked for was at all possible, it certainly was in the power of the Son to grant it.

70. Let them show, if they consider it possible, who of men or of other created beings sits either on the right hand or the left of God. For the Father says to the Son: “Sit Thou on My right hand.”936    Ps. cx. 1. Therefore if any one sits on the right hand of the Son, the Son is found to be sitting (to speak in human wise) between Himself and the Father.

71. A thing impossible for man, then, was asked of Him. But He was unwilling to say that men could not sit with Him; seeing that He desired His divine glory should be veiled, and not revealed before He rose again.937    S. Matt. xvii. 9. For before this, when He had appeared in glory between His attendants Moses and Elias, He had warned His disciples that they should tell no man what they had seen.

72. Therefore if it was not possible for men or other created beings to merit this, the Son ought not to seem to have less power because He gave not to His apostles, what the Father has not given to men or other created beings. Or else let them say to which of them He has given it. Certainly not to the angels; of whom Scripture says that all the angels stood round about the throne.938    Rev. vii. 11. Thus Gabriel said that he stands, as it says: “I am Gabriel that stand before God.”939    S. Luke i. 19.

73. Not to the angels, then, has He given it, nor to the elders who worship Him that sitteth; for they do not sit upon the seat of majesty, but as the Scripture has said, round about the throne; for there are four and twenty other seats, as we have it in the Revelation of John: “And upon the seats four and twenty elders sitting.”940    Rev. iv. 4. In the Gospel also the Lord Himself says: “When the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”941    S. Matt. xix. 28. He did not say that a share in His own throne could be given to the apostles, but that there were those other twelve thrones; which, however, we ought not to think of as referring to actual sitting down, but as showing the happy issue of spiritual grace.

74. Lastly, in the Book of the Kings, Micaiah the prophet said: “I saw the Lord God of Israel sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing around Him, on His right hand and on His left.”942    1 Kings xxii. 19. How then, when the angels stand on the right hand and on the left of the Lord God, when all the host of heaven stands, shall men sit on the right hand of God or on His left, to whom is promised as a reward for virtue likeness to the angels, as the Lord says: “Ye shall be as the angels in heaven?”943    S. Matt xxii. 30. “As the angels,” He says, not “more than the angels.”

75. If, then, the Father has given nothing more than the Son, the Son certainly has given nothing less than the Father. Therefore the Son can in no wise be less than the Father.

76. Suppose, however, that it had been possible for men to obtain what was desired; what does it mean when He says: “But to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give to you”?944    S. Matt. xx. 23. What is “Mine”? Above He said: “Ye shall drink indeed of My cup;” and again He added: “It is not Mine to give to you.” Above He said “Mine,” and again lower down He said “Mine.” He made no change. And so the earlier passages tell us why He said “Mine.”

77. For being asked by a woman as man to allow her sons to sit on His right hand and His left, because she asked Him as man, the Lord also as though only man answered concerning His Passion: “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of?”945    S. Matt. xx. 22.

78. Therefore because He spoke according to the flesh of the Passion of His Body, He wished to show that according to the flesh He left behind Him an example and pattern to us of the endurance of suffering; but that according to His position as man He could not grant them fellowship in the throne above. This is the reason why He said: “It is not Mine;” as also in another place He says: “My doctrine is not Mine.”946    S. John vii. 16. It is not, He says, spoken after my flesh; for the words which are divine belong not to the flesh.

79. But how plainly He showed His tenderness for His disciples, whom He loved, saying first: “Will ye drink of My cup?” For as He could not grant what they sought, He offered them something else, so that He might mention what He would assign to them, before He denied them anything; in order that they might understand that the failure lay more in the equity of their request to Him, than in the wish of their Lord to show kindness.

80. “Ye shall indeed drink of My cup,” He says; that is, “I will not refuse you the suffering, which My flesh will undergo. For all that I have taken on Myself as man, ye can imitate. I have granted you the victory of suffering, the inheritance of the cross. ‘But to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give to you.’” He did not say, “It is not Mine to give,” but: “It is not Mine to give to you;” meaning by this, not that He lacked the power, but that His creatures were wanting in merit.

81. Or take in another way the words: “It is not Mine to give to you,” that is, “It is not Mine, for I came to teach humility; it is not Mine, for I came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister; it is not Mine, for I show justice, not favour.”

82. Then, speaking of the Father, He added: “For whom it has been prepared,” to show that the Father also is not wont to give heed merely to requests, but to merits; for God is not a respecter of persons.947    Acts x. 34. Wherefore also the Apostle says: “Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate.”948    Rom. viii. 29. He did not predestinate them before He knew them, but He did predestinate the reward of those whose merits He foreknew.

83. Rightly then is the woman checked, who demanded what was impossible, as a special kind of privilege from Him the Lord, Who of His own free gift granted not only to two apostles, but to all the disciples, those things which He had adjudged to be given to the saints; and that too without a prayer from any one, as it is written: “Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”949    S. Matt. xix. 28.

84. Therefore, although we may think the demand to have been possible, there is no room for false attacks. However, when I read that the seraphim stand,950    Isa. vi. 2. how can I suppose that men may sit on the right hand or the left of the Son of God? The Lord sits upon the cherubim, as it says: “Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, show myself.”951    Ps. lxxx. 1. And how shall the apostles sit upon the cherubim?

85. And I do not come to this conclusion of my own mind, but because of the utterances of our Lord’s own mouth. For the Lord Himself later on, in commending the apostles to the Father, says: “Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am.”952    S. John xvii. 24. But if He had thought that the Father would give the divine throne to men, He would have said: “I will that where I sit, they also may sit with Me.” But He says: “I will that they be with Me,” not “that they may sit with Me;” and “where I am,” not “as I am.”

86. Then follow the words: “That they may see My glory.” Here too He did not say: “that they may have My glory,” but “that they may see” it. For the servant sees, the Lord possesses; as David also has taught us, saying: “That I may see the delight of the Lord.”953    Ps. xxvii. 4. And the Lord Himself in the Gospel has revealed it, stating: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”954    S. Matt. v. 8. “They shall see,” He says; not “They shall sit with God upon the cherubim.”

87. Let them therefore cease to think little of the Son of God according to His Godhead, lest they should think little also of the Father. For he who believes wrongly of the Son cannot think rightly of the Father; he who thinks wrongly of the Spirit cannot think rightly of the Son. For where there is one dignity, one glory, one love, one majesty, whatsoever thou thinkest is to be withdrawn in the case of any one of the Three Persons, is withdrawn from all alike. For that can never have completeness which thou canst separate and divide into various portions.

CAPUT VI.

Accuratius propositam soluturus objectionem, contendit memoratam petitionem, si modo in se impossibilis non fuit, possibilem fuisse Christo; maxime cum ipsi omne judicium Pater dederit, quod sine ulla imperfectionis nota intelligendum. Attamen idem postulatum inter impossibilia censendum probat. Quod ut omnino esset possibile, tunc responsum Christi secundum naturam humanam accipiendum tradit, ac loci explicatione declarat. Denique iterum suam confirmat de sessionis hujus impossibilitate responsionem.

0663B

68. Quaero nunc utrum possibile aliquid humanae conditioni, aut alicui creaturae, an impossibile putent a Zebedaei conjuge et filiis postulatum? Si possibile, quomodo ad sinistram suam vel ad dexteram impertiendae apostolis sedis non habuit potestatem, qui omnia fecit esse, quae non erant? 0663C Aut quomodo non poterat judicare de meritis hominum, cui Pater dedit omne judicium?

69. Notum est quemadmodum dederit (Joan. V, 22): nam quomodo quasi indigens accepit Filius, qui omnia creavit ex nihilo? Quorum igitur naturas fecerat, eorum judicium non habebat? Dedit autem Pater Filio omne judicium; Ut omnes, inquit, honorificent Filium, sicut honorificant Patrem (Ibid., 23). Non igitur potentia Filii, sed cognitio nostra proficit: neque aliquid ad substantiam 564 ejus accedit, sed ad nostram utilitatem, quod a nobis cognoscitur; ut cognoscendo Dei Filium, vitam habeamus aeternam (Joan. XVII, 3).

70. Cum autem in cognitione Filii Dei honor illius, noster autem non illius sit profectus, si quis putat 0663D quia Dei virtus illo honore cumulatur, necesse est etiam Deum Patrem credat posse cumulari; quia et ipse per cognitionem nostram clarificatur sicut Filius, juxta quod scriptum est, dicente Filio: Ego te clarificavi super terram (Ibid., 4). Ergo si possibile aliquid erat quod petebatur, in potestate utique Filii fuit.

71. Sed tamen ostendant, si possibile putant, qui de hominibus aut caeteris creaturis, aut ad dexteram, aut ad sinistram Dei sedeat; Pater enim dicit Filio: Sede ad dexteram meam (Psal. CIX, 1). Itaque si quis ad dexteram Filio sedet, inter ipsum utique 0664A et Patrem, ut humano usu loquamur, Filius medius reperitur.

72. Non ergo possibile homini aliquid petebatur, sed noluit dicere quod homines sedere secum non possint; si quidem divinam suam gloriam celari, priusquam resurgeret, non divulgari cupiebat. Nam et supra cum inter famulos suos Moysen et Eliam apparuisset in gloria, monuerat discipulos, ne cui dicerent, quod vidissent (Matth. XVII, 9).

73. Itaque si possibile non erat hominibus vel creaturis caeteris hoc mereri, non debet videri Filius minus posse, quia non dedit apostolis, quod nec Pater hominibus vel creaturis caeteris dedit. Aut dicant cui horum dederit Pater. Non utique angelis, de quibus Scriptura dicit quia omnes angeli 0664B stabant in circuitu sedis (Apoc. VII, 11). Denique Gabriel se stare dixit, sicut habes: Ego sum Gabriel, qui asto ante Dominum (Luc. I, 19).

74. Non ergo angelis, non senioribus qui adorant sedentem; illi enim non super sedem majestatis sedent: sed, ut dixit Scriptura, in circuitu sedis; sedes enim aliae viginti et quatuor sunt, ut habes in Apocalypsi Joannis: Et supra sedem viginti quatuor seniores sedentes (Apoc. IV, 4). In Evangelio quoque ipse Dominus dicit: Cum sederit Filius homnis in sede majestatis suae, sedebitis et ipsi super sedes duodecim, judicantes duodecim tribus Israel (Matth. XIX, 28). Non ergo sedis suae dixit apostolis dari posse consortium, sed alias illas sedes esse duodecim; quas tamen non pro corporali consessu, sed pro 0664C successu spiritalis gratiae aestimare debemus.

75. Denique in libro Regnorum dixit Michaeas propheta: Vidi Dominum Deum Israel sedentem super thronum suum, et omnis militia coeli stabat circa eum, ad dexteram ejus et ad sinistram (III Reg. XXII, 19). Quomodo igitur stantibus angelis ad dexteram vel ad sinistram Domini Dei, stante omni militia coelesti, sedebunt homines ad dexteram Dei, vel ad sinistram, quibus pro virtutis praemio angelorum similitudo promittitur, sicut Dominus dicit: Eritis sicut angeli in coelo (Matth. XXII, 30)? Sicut angeli, dicit, non plus quam angeli.

76. Si ergo nihil plus dedit Pater quam Filius, nihil utique minus dedit Filius quam Pater: nihil igitur minus Filius potest quam Pater.

0664D 77. Ponite tamen possibile impetratu hominibus 565 quod posceretur, quid est quod ait: Sedere autem ad dexteram meam vel ad sinistram non est meum dare vobis (Matth. XX, 23)? Quid est meum? Supra dixit: Calicem quidem meum bibetis; infra posuit: Non est meum dare vobis; et supra meum, et infra meum dixit, nec immutavit. Ergo superiora docent propter quid dixerit meum.

78. Rogatus enim a muliere quasi homo, ut ad dexteram vel ad sinistram suam filios ejus sedere pateretur; quia illa quasi hominem rogaverat, et Dominus quasi tantummodo homo de sua passione 0665A respondit: Potestis bibere calicem, quem ego bibiturus sum (Ibid., 22)?

79. Itaque quia secundum carnem de passione sui corporis loquebatur, demonstrare voluit quod secundum carnem quidem subeundae passionis nobis exemplum ac similitudinem derelinqueret, secundum humanam autem conditionem non sedis supernae consortia donaret. Hoc est enim quod dixit: Non est meum; sicut alibi: Mea doctrina non est mea (Joan. VII, 16); non est enim, inquit, secundum carnem mea: quia quae divina sunt, non sunt carnis eloquia.

80. Indulgentiam autem suam circa discipulos quos diligeret, quam expresse revelavit, praemittens: Calicem quidem meum bibetis? Etenim quia 0665B non debebat id dare quod petierant, aliud proposuit; ut prius commemoraret quid iis tribueret, quam quid negaret: quo magis aequitatem sibi petitionis, quam studium Dominicae liberalitatis intelligerent defuisse.

81. Calicem quidem, inquit, meum bibetis, hoc est, passionem quidem quae carnis meae est, non negabo; quod enim humanae assumptionis habeo, potestis imitari: donavi vobis victoriam passionis, haereditatem crucis: Sedere autem ad dexteram meam, vel ad sinistram, non est meum dare vobis. Non dixit: Non est meum dare, sed, non est meum dare vobis, hoc est, non sibi potestatem deesse asserens, sed meritum creaturis.

82. Accipe aliter: Non est meum dare vobis. Quod est, non est meum, qui veni humilitatem 0665C docere: non est meum, qui veni non ministrari, sed ministrare: non est meum, qui justitiam servo, non gratiam.

83. Denique ad Patrem referens, addidit: Quibus paratum est; ut ostenderet Patrem quoque non petitionibus deferre solere, sed meritis, quia Deus personarum acceptor non est (Act. X, 34). Unde et Apostolus ait: Quos praescivit, et praedestinavit (Rom. VIII, 29); non enim ante praedestinavit, quam praesciret: sed quorum merita praescivit, eorum praemia praedestinavit.

84. Jure igitur reprehenditur mulier, quae et impossibilia et speciali quodam privilegio ab eo Domino postulavit, qui ea quae sanctis judicavit esse donanda, non duobus apostolis, sed omnibus discipulis, 0665D etiam sine cujusquam precatione, voluntaria sui largitate contulerit, sicut scriptum est: Duodecim vos sedebitis super sedes, judicantes duodecim tribus Israel (Matth. XIX, 28).

566 85. Ergo etiamsi possibile putemus postulatum fuisse, calumniae locus non est; tamen cum 0666A legerim Seraphim stare (Esai. VI, 2), quomodo possum quod homines ad dexteram vel ad sinistram Filio Dei sedeant, arbitrari? Supra Cherubim Dominus sedet, sicut habes: Qui sedes super Cherubim, appare (Psal. LXXIX, 2); quomodo apostoli super Cherubim sedebunt?

86. Et hoc tamen colligo non ex meo ingenio, sed ex Dominicae vocis oraculo; ipse enim Dominus in posterioribus apostolos commendans Patri, ait: Pater, quos dedisti mihi, volo ut ubi ego sum, et illi sint mecum (Joan. XVII, 24). Utique si judicasset quia divinam sedem Pater hominibus daret, dixisset: Volo ut ubi ego sedeo, et illi sedeant mecum; Sed volo, inquit, ut sint mecum, non ut sedeant mecum; et ubi ego, non quomodo ego.

0666B 87. Deinde sequitur: Ut videant claritatem meam. Nec hic dixit: Ut habeant claritatem meam, sed ut videant; servus enim videt, Dominus possidet; sicut et David docuit dicens: Ut videam voluptatem Domini (Psal. XXVI, 4). Et ipse Dominus in Evangelio revelavit asserens: Beati mundi corde, ipsi enim Deum videbunt (Matth. V, 8). Videbunt, inquit, non super Cherubim cum Deo sedebunt.

88. Desinant ergo viliora secundum divinitatem aestimare de Dei Filio, ne viliora quoque de Patre aestiment. Qui enim male crediderit de Filio, non potest bene sentire de Patre: qui male crediderit de Spiritu, non potest bene sentire de Filio. Ubi enim una dignitas, una gloria, una charitas, una majestas est; in commune derogatur, quidquid 0666C in aliquo putaveris derogandum: jam enim non erit plenitudo quam discernas et dividas in aliquas portiones.