Chap. XVI.—Of the Passion of Jesus Christ; That It Was Foretold.

I come now to the passion itself, which is often cast in our teeth as a reproach:664    The pagans upbraided Christians, that they worshipped a man who was put to d eath as a slave.   that we worship a man, and one who was visited and tormented with remarkable punishment: that I may show that this very passion was undergone by Him in accordance with a great and divine plan, and that goodness and truth and wisdom are contained in it alone. For if He had been most happy on the earth, and had reigned through all His life in the greatest prosperity, no wise man would either have believed Him to be a God, or judged Him worthy of divine honour: which is the case with those who are destitute of true divinity, who not only look up665    Suspiciunt, “view with admiration.”   to perishable riches, and frail power, and the advantages arising from the benefit of another, but even consecrate them, and knowingly do service to the memory of the dead, worshipping fortune when it is now extinguished, which the wise never regarded as an object of worship even when alive and present with them. For nothing among earthly things can be venerable and worthy of heaven; but it is virtue alone, and justice alone, which can be judged a true, and heavenly, and perpetual good, because it is neither given to any one, nor taken away. And since Christ came upon earth, supplied with virtue and righteousness, yea rather, since He Himself is virtue, and Himself righteousness, He descended that He might teach it and mould the character of man. And having performed this office and embassy from God, on account of this very virtue which He at once taught and practised, He deserved, and was able, to be believed a God by all nations. Therefore, when a great multitude from time to time flocked to Him, either on account of the righteousness which He taught or on account of the miracles which He worked, and heard His precepts, and believed that He was sent by God, and that He was the Son of God, then the rulers and priests of the Jews, excited with anger because they were rebuked by Him as sinners, and perverted by envy, because, while the multitude flocked to Him, they saw themselves despised and deserted, and (that which was the crowning point of their guilt) blinded by folly and error, and unmindful of the instructors sent from heaven, and of the prophets, they caballed against Him, and conceived the impious design of putting Him to death, and torturing Him: of which the prophets had long before written.  

For both David, in the beginning of his Psalms, foreseeing in spirit what a crime they were about to commit, says,666    Ps. i. 1.   “Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the way of the ungodly; “and Solomon in the book of Wisdom used these words:667    Wisd. ii. 12–22.   “Let us defraud the righteous, for he is unpleasant to us, and upbraideth us with our offences against the law. He maketh his boast that he has the knowledge of God; and he calleth himself the Son of God. He is made to reprove668    In traductionem cogitationum nostrarum. Traductio is sometimes used, as here, to denote exposure to ignominy.   our thoughts: it grieveth us even to look upon him: for his life is not like the life of others; his ways are of another fashion.669    Immutatæ sunt.   We are counted by him as triflers,670    Nugaces. In the Greek it is εἰς κιβδηλον, as a counterfeit.   he withdraweth himself from our ways as from filthiness; he commendeth greatly671    Præfert. The Greek has μακαρίζει, “deems happy.”   the latter end of the just, and boasteth that he has God for his Father. Let us see, therefore, if his words be true; let us prove what end672    Quæ ventura sunt illi.   he shall have; let us examine him with rebukes and torments that we may know his meekness,673    Reverentiam.   and prove his patience; let us condemn him to a shameful death. Such things have they imagined, and have gone astray. For their own folly hath blinded them, and they do not understand the mysteries674    Sacramenta Dei   of God.” Does he not describe that impious design entered into by the wicked against God, so that he clearly appears to have been present? But from Solomon, who foretold these things, to the time of their accomplishment, ten hundred and ten years intervened. We feign nothing; we add nothing. They who performed the actions had these accounts; they, against whom these things were spoken, read them. But even now the inheritors of their name and guilt have these accounts, and in their daily readings re-echo their own condemnation as foretold by the voice of the prophets; nor do they ever admit them into their heart, which is also itself a part of their condemnation. The Jews, therefore, being often reproved by Christ, who upbraided them with their sins and iniquities, and being almost deserted by the people, were stirred up to put Him to death.  

Now His humility emboldened them to this deed. For when they read with what great power and glory the Son of God was about to descend from heaven, but on the other hand saw Jesus humble, peaceful, of low condition,675    Sordidum.   without comeliness, they did not believe that He was the Son of God, being ignorant that two advents on His part were foretold by the prophets: the first, obscure in humility of the flesh; the other, manifest in the power of His majesty. Of the first David thus speaks in the seventy-first Psalm:676    Ps. lxxii. 6, 7, quoted from the Septuagint,   “He shall descend as rain upon a fleece; and in His days shall righteousness spring forth, and abundance of peace, as long as the moon is lifted up.” For as rain, if it descends upon a fleece, cannot be perceived, because it makes no sound; so he said that Christ would come to the earth without exciting the notice677    Sine cujusquam suspicione.   of any, that He might teach righteousness and peace. Isaiah also thus spoke:678    Isa. liii. 1–6.   “Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We made proclamation679    Annuntiavimus coram ipso sicut pueri; and so the Septuagint, ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἐνάντιον αὐτου̑ ὡς παιδίον. It is most difficult to account for this remarkable translation. The meaning of the passage is plain, that the Messiah would spring from an obscure source. [Elucidation III.]   before Him as children, and as a root in a thirsty land: He has no form nor glory; and we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness. But His form was without honour, and defective beyond the rest of men. He is a man acquainted680    Homo in plagâ positus. The Septuagint, ἄνθρωπος ἐν πληγη̑ω̈̀ν.   with grief, and knowing how to endure infirmity, because He turned681    Aversus est. So also the Septuagint, ἀπέστραπται τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτου̑. Some have supposed that there is a reference to lepers, who were compelled to cover their faces.   His face away from us; and He was not esteemed. He carries our sins, and He endures pain for us: and we thought that He Himself682    i.e., for Himself, as though He were bearing the punishment of His own sins.   was in pain, and grief, and vexation. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised683    Infirmatus est.   for our offences; the chastisement684    Doctrina pacis nostræ, “the correction.”   of our peace was upon Him, by His bruises685    Livore ejus nos sanati sumus. The word “livor” properly denotes the blackness arising from a bruise.   we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, and God hath delivered Him up for our sins.” And in the same manner the Sibyl spoke: “Though an object of pity, dishonoured, without form, He will give hope to those who are objects of pity.” On account of this humility they did not recognise their God, and entered into the detestable design of depriving Him of life, who had come to give them life.  

CAPUT XVI. De Jesu Christi passione; quod fuerit praedicta.

Venio nunc ad ipsam passionem, quae velut opprobrium 0495C nobis objectari solet, quod et hominem, et ab hominibus insigni supplicio affectum et excruciatum 0496A colamus; ut doceam eam ipsam passionem ab eo cum magna et divina ratione susceptam, et in ea sola et virtutem, et veritatem, et sapientiam contineri. Neque enim, si beatissimus in terra fuisset, et per omnem vitam in summa felicitate regnasset, quisquam illum sapiens aut Deum credidisset, aut honore divino dignum judicasset: quod faciunt verae divinitatis expertes, qui caducas opes, et fragilem potentiam, et alieni beneficii bona non tantum suspiciunt, verum etiam consecrant, et scientes memoriae mortuorum deserviunt, fortunam jam extinctam colentes; quam ne vivam quidem praesentemque sapientes colendam sibi umquam putaverunt. Nec enim potest aliquid in rebus terrenis esse venerabile coeloque dignum: sed sola est virtus, sola justitia, quae 0496B potest verum bonum, et coeleste, et perpetuum judicari; quia nec datur cuiquam, nec aufertur. Qua virtute ac justitia quoniam Christus instructus venit in terram, immo vero, quoniam ipse virtus, et ipse justitia est, descendit ut eam doceret, hominemque formaret. Quo magisterio ac Dei legatione perfunctus, ob eam ipsam virtutem, quam simul et docuit, et fecit, ab omnibus gentibus, et meruit, et potuit Deus credi. Ergo cum magnus populus ad eum, vel ob justitiam quam docebat, vel ob miracula quae faciebat, subinde conflueret, et praecepta ejus audiret, et a Deo missum Deique Filium crederet: tum primores Judaeorum et sacerdotes ira stimulati, quod ab eo tamquam peccatores increpabantur, et invidia depravati, quod, confluente ad eum multitudine, contemni se ac deseri videbant, et (quod caput sceleris illorum fuit) stultitia et errore 0496C caecati, et immemores praeceptorum coelestium ac prophetarum, coierunt adversus eum, impiumque 0497A consilium de eo tollendo cruciandoque 0497A ceperunt: quod prophetae multo ante descripserant.

Nam et David, in principio Psalmorum (Psal. I) suorum, providens in spiritu quantum facinus admissuri essent, Beatum esse ait, qui non abierit in consilio impiorum. Et Salomon in libro Sapientiae (cap. II), his verbis usus est: Circumveniamus justum, quoniam insuavis et nobis, et exprobrat nobis peccata legis: promittit se scientiam Dei habere, et filium Dei se nominat: factus est nobis in traductionem cogitationum nostrarum: gravis est nobis etiam ad videndum; quoniam dissimilis est aliis vita illius, et immutatae sunt viae illius: tamquam nugaces aestimati sumus ab eo: continet se a viis nostris, quasi ab immunditiis, et praefert novissima justorum, et gloriatur patrem se habere Deum. Videamus 0497Bergo si sermones illius veri sint; et tentemus quae ventura sunt illi. Contumeliis et tormentis interrogemus eum: ut sciamus reverentiam illius, et probemus patientiam illius, morte turpissima condemnemus eum. Haec cogitaverunt, et erraverunt. Excaecavit enim illos stultitia ipsorum; et nescierunt sacramenta Dei. Nonne ita descripsit nefarium illud consilium ab impiis initum contra Deum, ut plane interfuisse videatur? Atqui a Salomone, qui haec cecinit, usque ad id tempus, quo gesta res est, mille ac decem anni fuerunt. Nihil nos affingimus, nihil addimus. Habebant haec, qui fecerunt: legebant, in quos haec dicta sunt. Sed et nunc haeredes nominis ac sceleris illorum haec et habent, et damnationem suam prophetarum voce praedictam quotidianis lectionibus personant; nec aliquando in 0497C cor suum, quae pars est et ipsa damnationis, admittunt. Increpiti ergo a Christo saepe Judaei exprobrante 0498A illis peccata et injustitias, et a populo pene deserti, concitati sunt ad eum necandum.

Cujus rei audaciam dedit illis humilitas ejus. Nam cum legerent, cum quanta virtute et claritate Filius Dei venturus esset e coelo, Jesum autem cernerent humilem, quietum, sordidum, informem, non credebant filium Dei esse, ignorantes duos ejus adventus a prophetis esse praedictos: primum in humilitate carnis obscurum, secundum in fortitudine majestatis manifestum. De primo David in psalmo septuagesimo primo sic ait: Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus, et orietur in diebus ejus justitia, et abundantia pacis, donec extollatur luna. Sicut enim pluvia, si descendat in vellus, animadverti non potest, quia strepitum non facit: ita Christum in terram sine cujusquam suspicione 0498B venturum esse dixit, ut justitiam doceret et pacem. Esaias quoque ita tradidit (cap. LIII): Domine, quis credidit auditui nostro, et brachium Domini cui revelatum est? Annuntiavimus coram ipso sicut pueri, et sicut radix in terra sitienti: non est figura ejus, neque claritas; et vidimus illum, et non habuit figuram, neque decorem: sed figura ejus sine honore, et deficiens praeter caeteros homines. Homo in plaga positus est, sciens ferre imbecillitatem, quia aversus est, et non est computatus. Hic peccata nostra portat, et pro nobis hic dolet; et nos putavimus ipsum esse in dolore, et in plaga, et in vexatione. Ipse autem vulneratus est propter facinora nostra, et infirmatus est propter peccata nostra: doctrina pacis nostrae super illum; livore ejus nos sanati sumus. Omnes sicut oves erravimus, et Deus tradidit illum 0498Cpro peccatisnostris. Et Sibylla eodem modo locuta est: Οἰκτρὸς, ἄτιμος, ἄμορφος, ἐν οἰκτροῖς ἐλπίδα δώσει.0499A Propter hanc humilitatem, Deum suum non agnoscentes, inierunt consilium detestandum ut privarent eum vita, qui ut eos vivificaret advenerat.