Chapter XIX.

The Saint having turned to God the Father, explains why he does not deride that the Son is inferior to the Father, then he declares it is not for him to measure the Son of God, since it was given to an angel—nay, perhaps even to Christ as man—to measure merely Jerusalem. Arius, he says, has shown himself to be an imitator of Satan. It is a rash thing to hold discussions on the divine Generation. Since so great a sign of human generation has been given by Isaiah, we ought not to make comparisons in divine things. Lastly he shows how carefully we ought to avoid the pride of Arius, by putting before us various examples of Scriptures.

227. To Thee now, Almighty Father, do I direct my words with tears. I indeed have readily called Thee inapproachable, incomprehensible, inestimable; but I dared not say Thy Son was inferior to Thyself. For when I read that He is the Brightness of Thy glory, and the Image of Thy Person,1154    Heb. i. 3. I fear lest, in saying that the Image of Thy Person is inferior, I should seem to say that Thy Person is inferior, of which the Son is the Image; for the fulness of Thy Godhead is wholly in the Son. I have often read, I freely believe, that Thou and Thy Son and the Holy Spirit are boundless, unmeasurable, inestimable, ineffable. And therefore I cannot appraise Thee so as to weigh Thee.

228. But be it so, that I desired with a daring and rash spirit to measure Thee? From whence, I ask, shall I measure Thee? The prophet saw a line of flax with which the angel measured Jerusalem. An angel was measuring, not Arius. And he was measuring Jerusalem, not God. And perchance even an angel could not measure Jerusalem, for it was a man. Thus it is written: “I raised mine eyes and saw and beheld a man, and in his hand there was a line of flax.”1155    Ezek. xl. 3. He was a man, for a type of the body that was to be assumed was thus shown. He was a man, of whom it was said: “There cometh a man after me, Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”1156    S. John i. 27. Therefore Christ in a type measures Jerusalem. Arius measures God.

229. Even Satan transforms himself into an angel of light;1157    2 Cor. xi. 14. what wonder then if Arius imitates his Author in taking upon himself what is forbidden? Though his father the devil did it not in his own case, that man with intolerable blasphemy assumes to himself the knowledge of divine secrets and the mysteries of the heavenly Generation. For the devil confessed the true Son of God, Arius denies Him.

230. If, then, I cannot measure Thee, Almighty Father, can I without blasphemy discuss the secrets of Thy Generation? Can I say there is anything more or less between Thee and Thy Son when He Himself Who was begotten of Thee, says: “All things which the Father hath are Mine.”1158    S. John xvi. 15. Who has made Me a judge and a divider of human affairs? This the Son says,1159    S. Luke xii. 14. and do we claim to make a division and to give judgment between the Father and the Son? A right feeling of duty avoids arbiters even in the division of an inheritance. And shall we become arbiters, to divide between Thee and Thy Son the glory of the uncreated Substance?

231. “This generation,” it says, “is an evil generation. It seeketh a sign, and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.”1160    S. Luke xi. 29. A sign of the Godhead then is not given, but only of the Incarnation. Thus when about to speak of the Incarnation the prophet says: “Ask thee a sign.” And when the king had said: “I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord,” the answer was: “Behold a Virgin shall conceive.”1161    Isa. vii. 11 ff. Therefore we cannot see a sign of the Godhead, and do we seek a measure of it? Alas! woe is me! we impiously dare to discuss Him, to Whom we cannot worthily pray!

232. Let the Arians see to what they do. I have unlawfully compared Thee, O Father, with Thy works in saying that Thou art greater than all. If greater than Thy Son, as Arius maintains, I have judged wickedly. Concerning Thee first will that judgment be. For no choice can be made except by comparison, nor can anyone be put before another without a decision being first given on Himself.

233. It is not lawful for us to swear by heaven, but it is lawful to judge about God. Yet Thou hast given to Thy Son alone judgment over all.

234. John feared to baptize the flesh of the Lord, John forbade Him, saying: “I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?”1162    S. Matt. iii. 4. And shall I bring Christ under my judgment?

235. Moses excuses himself from the Priesthood, Peter is for avoiding the obedience demanded in the Ministry; and does Arius examine even the deep things of God? But Arius is not the Holy Spirit. Nay, it was said even to Arius and to all men: “Seek not that which is too deep for thee.”1163    Ecclus. iii. 22.

236. Moses is prevented from seeing the face of God;1164    Ex. xxxiii. 23. Arius merited to see it in secret. Moses and Aaron among His Priests. Moses who appeared with the Lord in glory, that Moses then saw only the back parts of God in appearance; Arius beholds God wholly face to face! But “no one,” it says, “can see My face and live.”1165    Ex. xxxiii. 20.

237. Paul also speaks of inferior beings: “We know in part and we prophesy in part.”1166    1 Cor. xiii. 9. Arius says: “I know God altogether and not in part.” Thus Paul is inferior to Arius, and the vessel of election knows in part, but the vessel of perdition knows wholly. “I know,” he says, “a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth, how he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words.”1167    2 Cor. xiii. 3, 4. Paul carried up to the third heaven, knew not himself; Arius rolling in filth, knows God. Paul says of himself: “God knows;” Arius says of God: “I know.”

238. But Arius was not caught up to heaven, although he followed him who with accursed boastfulness presumed on what was divine, saying: “I will set my throne upon the clouds; I will be like the Most High.”1168    Isa. xiv. 14. For as he said: “I will be like the Most High,” so too Arius wishes the Most High Son of God to seem like himself, Whom he does not worship in the eternal glory of His Godhead, but measures by the weakness of the flesh.

CAPUT XIX.

Conversus ad Deum Patrem Vir sanctus, cur Filium eo minorem non statuat, exponit: tum asserit suum non esse ut metiatur Dei Filium; cum angelo metiri tantum Jerusalem datum fuerit, immo et forte Christo ut homini: sed Arium Satanae imitatorem se praebuisse. Temere igitur de divina generatione disputari; cum tantum humanae signum per Esaiam sit propositum; nec debeat comparatio fieri in divinis. Postremo quantum fugienda sit Arii arrogantia, variorum Scripturae exemplorum oppositione demonstrat.

0696B 228. Ad te nunc, omnipotens Pater, cum lacrymis verba converto. Ego te quidem inaccessibilem, incomprehensibilem, inaestimabilem prompte dixerim: sed Filium tuum minorem non ausim dicere. Nam cum illum splendorem gloriae, et imaginem substantiae tuae legerim (Hebr. I, 3); vercor ne minorem imaginem tuae dicendo substantiae, minorem substantiam tuam dicere videar, cujus imago sit Filius, cum plenitudo tuae divinitatis omnis in Filio sit. Immensum te Filiumque tuum et Spiritum sanctum, incircumscriptum, inaestimabilem, inenarrabilem legi frequenter, credo libenter. Et ideo aestimare non possum, ut examinare possim.

229. Esto tamen, spiritu ausuque temerario metiri 0696C te velim; unde, quaeso, te metiar? Funiculum agrimensorium vidit propheta (Ezech. XL, 3), quo metiebatur angelus Jerusalem. Metiebatur tamen angelus, non Arius: metiebatur Jerusalem, non Deum. Et fortasse nec Jerusalem metiri poterat angelus; vir enim erat. Denique sic habes: Et allevavi oculos, et vidi: et ecce vir, et in manu ejus funiculus agrimensorius (Ibid.). Vir erat quia typus suscipiendi corporis declarabatur. Vir erat ille, de quo est dictum: Post me venit vir, cujus non sum dignus solvere corrigiam calceamenti ejus (Joan. I, 27). Ergo Christus in typo Jerusalem metitur, Arius Deum.

230. Et Satanas transfigurat se in angelum lucis; quid mirum si Arius suum imitatur auctorem, ut 0696D usurpet illicita (II Cor. XI, 14)? Licet quod Pater suus diabolus per semetipsum non fecit, intolerabiliore 594 iste sacrilegio divinorum sibi scientiam secretorum, et supernae generationis arcana praesumat; diabolus enim verum Dei Filium fatebatur, Arius negat.

231. Si ergo metiri te, omnipotens Pater, non queo, possumne sine sacrilegio de tuae generationis disputare secreto? Possumne dicere quod aliquid inter te et Filium tuum plus minusve sit; cum ipse qui ex te natus est, dixerit: Omnia quae Pater habet mea sunt (Joan. XVI, 15)? Quis me constituit judicem aut 0697A divisorem de rebus humanis? Hoc Filius dicit, et nos inter Patrem et Filium divisionem nobis et judicium vindicamus? Bona pietas arbitros refugit etiam in divisione patrimonii. Nos ergo erimus arbitri, ut inter te et Filium tuum increatae majestatem substantiae dividamus?

232. Generatio, inquit, haec, generatio nequam est: signum quaerit, et signum non dubitur ei, nisi signum Jonae prophetae (Luc. XI, 29). Signum utique datur non divinitatis, sed incarnationis. Denique de incarnatione dicturus ait: Pete tibi signum. Et cum ille dixisset: Non petam, neque tentabo Dominum, responsum est: Ecce virgo in utero accipiet (Esai. VII, 11 et seq.). Ergo signum divinitatis videre non possumus, mensuram quaerimus? Vae misero mihi, impie 0697B discutere audemus, quem digne rogare non possimus?

233. Viderint tamen quid faciant Ariani: ego te, Pater, si majorem omnibus dixero, injuriose te tuis operibus comparavi: si majorem Filio, ut Arius asserit, impie judicavi. De te prior erit illa sententia, nam neque ulla fieri potest nisi ex comparatione praelatio, neque praeferri quisquam, nisi de quo prius fuerit judicatum.

234. Jurare nobis per coelum non licet (Matth. V, 3), judicare de Deo licet: sed Filio tuo soli judicium de omnibus detulisti.

235. Joannes carnem Domini baptizare metuebat, Joannes prohibebat dicens: Ego a te debeo baptizari, et tu venis ad me (Matth. III, 14); et ego Christum judicio meo subdam?

0697C 235. Moyses excusat sacerdotium, Petrus imperatum 0698A in ministerio declinat obsequium: Arius scrutatur etiam alta Dei? Sed non Arius Spiritus sanctus: sed Ario et hominibus dictum est: Altiora te ne quaesieris (Eccl. III, 22).

236. Moyses vultum Domini prohibetur videre (Exod. XXXIII, 23): Arius meruit videre secretum. Moyses et Aaron in sacerdotibus ejus, Moyses qui cum Domino apparet in gloria; Moyses ergo ille posteriora tantummodo Dei in typo vidit: Arius totum Deum facie ad faciem comprehendit. Sed nemo, inquit, videre potest faciem meam, et vivit (Exod. XXXIII, 20).

237. Paulus etiam de inferioribus dicit: Ex parte cognoscimus et ex parte etiam prophetamus (I Cor. XIII, 9). Arius dicit: Ex toto Deum, non ex parte cognovi. 0698B Inferior ergo Paulus, quam Arius; et vas electionis ex parte scit, vas perditionis totum scit: Scio, inquit, hominem, sive in corpore, 595 sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit, quoniam raptus est in paradisum, et audivit verba ineffabilia (II Cor. XII, 4, 5). Paulus raptus usque ad tertium coelum, se ipsum nescivit: Arius in stercore volutatus Deum scivit. Paulus dicit de se ipso: Deus scit; Arius de Deo dicit: Ego novi.

238. Sed non Arius raptus in coelum, quamvis 596 eum secutus sit, qui jactatione damnabili divina praesumeret, dicens: Ponam thronum meum super nubes, et ero similis Altissimo (Esai. XIV, 14); sicut enim ille dixit: Ero similis Altissimo: sic et Arius altissimum Dei Filium sui similem vult videri: quem non in divinitatis aeternae majestate veneratur, 0698C sed ex carnis infirmitate metitur.