Chapter XV.—Sermon on the Mount Continued. Its Woes in Strict Agreement with the Creator’s Disposition.  Many Quotations Out of the Old Testament in Proof of This.

“In the like manner,” says He,1661    Luke vi. 26. “did their fathers unto the prophets.”  What a turncoat1662    Versipellem. An indignant exclamation on Marcion’s Christ. is Marcion’s Christ! Now the destroyer, now the advocate of the prophets! He destroyed them as their rival, by converting their disciples; he took up their cause as their friend, by stigmatizing1663    Suggillans. their persecutors. But,1664    Porro. in as far as the defence of the prophets could not be consistent in the Christ of Marcion, who came to destroy them; in so far is it becoming to the Creator’s Christ that He should stigmatize those who persecuted the prophets, for He in all things accomplished their predictions. Again, it is more characteristic of the Creator to upbraid sons with their fathers’ sins, than it is of that god who chastizes no man for even his own misdeeds.  But you will say, He cannot be regarded as defending the prophets simply because He wished to affirm the iniquity of the Jews for their impious dealings with their own prophets. Well, then, in this case,1665    Hic. no sin ought to have been charged against the Jews: they were rather deserving of praise and approbation when they maltreated1666    Suggillaverunt. This is Oehler’s emendation; the common reading is figuraverunt. those whom the absolutely good god of Marcion, after so long a time, bestirred himself1667    Motus est. to destroy. I suppose, however, that by this time he had ceased to be the absolutely good god;1668    Deus optimus. he had now sojourned a considerable while even with the Creator, and was no longer (like) the god of Epicurus1669    That is, apathetic, inert, and careless about human affairs. purely and simply. For see how he condescends1670    Demutat. to curse, and proves himself capable of taking offence and feeling anger! He actually pronounces a woe! But a doubt is raised against us as to the import of this word, as if it carried with it less the sense of a curse than of an admonition. Where, however, is the difference, since even an admonition is not given without the sting of a threat, especially when it is embittered with a woe? Moreover, both admonition and threatening will be the resources of him1671    Ejus erunt. who knows how to feel angry. For no one will forbid the doing of a thing with an admonition or a threat, except him who will inflict punishment for the doing of it.  No one would inflict punishment, except him who was susceptible of anger. Others, again, admit that the word implies a curse; but they will have it that Christ pronounced the woe, not as if it were His own genuine feeling, but because the woe is from the Creator, and He wanted to set forth to them the severity of the Creator in order that He might the more commend His own long-suffering1672    Sufferentiam. in His beatitudes. Just as if it were not competent to the Creator, in the pre-eminence of both His attributes as the good God and Judge, that, as He had made clemency1673    Benignitatem. the preamble of His benediction so He should place severity in the sequel of His curses; thus fully developing His discipline in both directions, both in following out the blessing and in providing against the curse.1674    Ad maledictionem præcavendam. He had already said of old, “Behold, I have set before you blessing and cursing.”1675    Deut. xxx. 19. Which statement was really a presage of1676    Portendebat in. this temper of the gospel. Besides, what sort of being is that who, to insinuate a belief in his own goodness, invidiously contrasted1677    Opposuit. with it the Creator’s severity? Of little worth is the recommendation which has for its prop the defamation of another. And yet by thus setting forth the severity of the Creator, he, in fact, affirmed Him to be an object of fear.1678    Timendum. Now if He be an object of fear, He is of course more worthy of being obeyed than slighted; and thus Marcion’s Christ begins to teach favourably to the Creator’s interests.1679    Creatori docere. Then, on the admission above mentioned, since the woe which has regard to the rich is the Creator’s, it follows that it is not Christ, but the Creator, who is angry with the rich; while Christ approves of1680    Ratas habet. the incentives of the rich1681    Divitum causas.—I mean, their pride, their pomp,1682    Gloriam. their love of the world, and their contempt of God, owing to which they deserve the woe of the Creator. But how happens it that the reprobation of the rich does not proceed from the same God who had just before expressed approbation of the poor? There is nobody but reprobates the opposite of that which he has approved. If, therefore, there be imputed to the Creator the woe pronounced against the rich, there must be claimed for Him also the promise of the blessing upon the poor; and thus the entire work of the Creator devolves on Christ.—If to Marcion’s god there be ascribed the blessing of the poor, he must also have imputed to him the malediction of the rich; and thus will he become the Creator’s equal,1683    Erit par creatoris. both good and judicial; nor will there be left any room for that distinction whereby two gods are made; and when this distinction is removed, there will remain the verity which pronounces the Creator to be the one only God. Since, therefore, “woe” is a word indicative of malediction, or of some unusually austere1684    Austerioris. exclamation; and since it is by Christ uttered against the rich, I shall have to show that the Creator is also a despiser1685    Aspernatorem. of the rich, as I have shown Him to be the defender1686    Advocatorem. of the poor, in order that I may prove Christ to be on the Creator’s side in this matter, even when He enriched Solomon.1687    1 Kings iii. 5–13. But with respect to this man, since, when a choice was left to him, he preferred asking for what he knew to be well-pleasing to God—even wisdom—he further merited the attainment of the riches, which he did not prefer. The endowing of a man indeed with riches, is not an incongruity to God, for by the help of riches even rich men are comforted and assisted; moreover, by them many a work of justice and charity is carried out. But yet there are serious faults1688    Vitia. which accompany riches; and it is because of these that woes are denounced on the rich, even in the Gospel. “Ye have received,” says He, “your consolation;”1689    Luke vi. 24. [See Southey’s Wesley, on “Riches,” vol. ii. p. 310.] that is, of course, from their riches, in the pomps and vanities of the world which these purchase for them.  Accordingly, in Deuteronomy, Moses says:  “Lest, when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, as well as thy silver and thy gold, thine heart be then lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God.”1690    Deut. viii. 12–14. In similar terms, when king Hezekiah became proud of his treasures, and gloried in them rather than in God before those who had come on an embassy from Babylon,1691    Tertullian says, ex Perside. (the Creator) breaks forth1692    Insilit. against him by the mouth of Isaiah:  “Behold, the days come when all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store, shall be carried to Babylon.”1693    Isa. xxxix. 6. So by Jeremiah likewise did He say: “Let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth even glory in the Lord.”1694    Jer. ix. 23, 24. Similarly against the daughters of Sion does He inveigh by Isaiah, when they were haughty through their pomp and the abundance of their riches,1695    Isa. iii. 16–24. just as in another passage He utters His threats against the proud and noble: “Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth, and down to it shall descend the illustrious, and the great, and the rich (this shall be Christ’s ‘woe to the rich’); and man1696    Homo: “the mean man,” A.V. shall be humbled,” even he that exalts himself with riches; “and the mighty man1697    Vir. shall be dishonoured,” even he who is mighty from his wealth.1698    Isa. v. 14. Concerning whom He says again: “Behold, the Lord of hosts shall confound the pompous together with their strength:  those that are lifted up shall be hewn down, and such as are lofty shall fall by the sword.”1699    Isa. x. 33. And who are these but the rich? Because they have indeed received their consolation, glory, and honour and a lofty position from their wealth. In Psalm xlviii. He also turns off our care from these and says: “Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, and when his glory is increased: for when he shall die, he shall carry nothing away; nor shall his glory descend along with him.”1700    Ps. xlix. 16, 17. So also in Psalm lxi.: “Do not desire riches; and if they do yield you their lustre,1701    Relucent. do not set your heart upon them.”1702    Ps. lxii. 11. Lastly, this very same woe is pronounced of old by Amos against the rich, who also abounded in delights. “Woe unto them,” says he, “who sleep upon beds of ivory, and deliciously stretch themselves upon their couches; who eat the kids from the flocks of the goats, and sucking calves from the flocks of the heifers, while they chant to the sound of the viol; as if they thought they should continue long, and were not fleeting; who drink their refined wines, and anoint themselves with the costliest ointments.”1703    Amos vi. 1–6. Therefore, even if I could do nothing else than show that the Creator dissuades men from riches, without at the same time first condemning the rich, in the very same terms in which Christ also did, no one could doubt that, from the same authority, there was added a commination against the rich in that woe of Christ, from whom also had first proceeded the dissuasion against the material sin of these persons, that is, their riches. For such commination is the necessary sequel to such a dissuasive.  He inflicts a woe also on “the full, because they shall hunger; on those too which laugh now, because they shall mourn.”1704    Luke vi. 25. To these will correspond these opposites which occur, as we have seen above, in the benedictions of the Creator: “Behold, my servants shall be full, but ye shall be hungry”—even because ye have been filled; “behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed”1705    Isa. lxv. 13.—even ye who shall mourn, who now are laughing.  For as it is written in the psalm, “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy,”1706    Ps. cxxvi. 5. so does it run in the Gospel: They who sow in laughter, that is, in joy, shall reap in tears. These principles did the Creator lay down of old; and Christ has renewed them, by simply bringing them into prominent view,1707    Distinguendo. not by making any change in them. “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”1708    Luke vi. 26. With equal stress does the Creator, by His prophet Isaiah, censure those who seek after human flattery and praise: “O my people, they who call you happy mislead you, and disturb the paths of your feet.”1709    Isa. iii. 12. In another passage He forbids all implicit trust in man, and likewise in the applause of man; as by the prophet Jeremiah: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.”1710    Jer. xvii. 5. Whereas in Psalm cxvii. it is said: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man; it is better to trust in the Lord than to place hope in princes.”1711    Ps. cxviii. 8, 9. Thus everything which is caught at by men is adjured by the Creator, down to their good words.1712    Nedum benedictionem. It is as much His property to condemn the praise and flattering words bestowed on the false prophets by their fathers, as to condemn their vexatious and persecuting treatment of the (true) prophets. As the injuries suffered by the prophets could not be imputed1713    Non pertinuissent ad. to their own God, so the applause bestowed on the false prophets could not have been displeasing to any other god but the God of the true prophets.

CAPUT XV.

Secundum haec, inquit (Luc, VI), faciebant Prophetis patres eorum. O Christum versipellem, nunc destructorem, nunc assertorem Prophetarum! Destruebat ut aemulus, convertens discipulos eorum; sibi asserebat ut amicus, sugillans insectatores eorum. Porro, in quantum non congruisset Christo Marcionis assertio Prophetarum, ad quorum venerat destructionem; in tantum congruit Christo Creatoris sugillatio in insectatores Prophetarum, quos in omnibus adimplebat; vel quia magis Creatoris est delicta patrum filiis exprobare, quam ejus Dei, qui nec propria cujusque castigat. Sed non statim, 0391C inquis, Prophetas tuebatur si iniquitatem Judaeorum affirmatam volebat, quod nec cum Prophetis suis pie egissent. Atquin nulla hic iniquitas exprobanda erat Judaeis, laudandis potius et probandis, si eos figuraverunt, ad quorum destructionem post tantum aevi Deus optimus motus est. Sed puto jam et non optimus jam aliquid et cum Creatore moratus, nec in totum Epicuri deus . Ecce enim demutat in maledictionem, et ostendit eum se esse qui novit offendi et irasci: Vae enim dicit. Sed fit nobis quaestio de verbi istius qualitate, quasi non tam maledictionis sit, quam admonitionis. Et quid caussae interest, quando et admonitio non sit sine aculeo comminationis, 0392A maxime per Vae amarior facta? Et admonitio autem et comminatio, ejus erunt qui norit irasci. Nemo enim admonebit, et nemo comminabitur ne quid faciat, nisi quid factum vindicabit: nemo vindicarit, nisi qui norit irasci. Alii agnoscunt quidem verbum maledictionis, sed volunt Christum sic Vae pronuntiasse, non quasi ex sententia sua proprie, sed quod Vae a Creatore sit, et voluerit illis asperitatem Creatoris opponere, quo suam supra in benedictionibus sufferentiam commendaret: quasi non Creatori competat, qua utrumque praestanti, et bonum Deum et judicem; ut quia praemiserat in benedictionibus benignitatem, subjiceret etiam in maledictionibus severitatem, amplitudinem disciplinae utriusque instruendae, tam ad benedictionem sectandam, 0392B quam ad maledictionem praecavendam. Nam et ita praemiserat (Deuter. XXX, 19): Ecce posui ante vos benedictionem et maledictionem. Quod etiam in hanc Evangelii dispositionem portendebat. Alioquin, qualis est ille, qui, ut suam insinuaret bonitatem, Creatoris opposuit asperitatem ? Infirma commendatio est, quae de alterius destructione fulcitur. Atqui opponens asperitatem Creatoris, timendum eum confirmavit: si timendum, magis utique obaudiendum quam negligendum; et incipit jam Christus Marcionis Creatori docere. Tunc, si Vae Creatoris est, quod in divites spectat, ergo Christus non est divitibus offensus, sed Creator; et ratas habet Christus divitum causas, superbiam dico, et gloriam, et saeculi studia, et Dei incuriam, per quae Vae merentur a 0392C Creatore. Sed quomodo non ejusdem sit divites reprobare, qui supra mendicos probarit? Nemo non contrarium ejus quod probaverit reprobat. Itaque si Creatori deputabitur maledictio in divites, ejusdem defendetur benedictio in mendicos; et totum jam opus Christi, Creatoris est. Si Deo Marcionis adscribetur benedictio in mendicos, ejusdem imponetur et maledictio in divites; et erit par jam Creatoris, tam bonus quam et judex; nec erit jam discrimini locus, quo duo Dei fiunt; sublatoque discrimine, supererit unum Deum renuntiari Creatorem. Igitur Vae, si et vox maledictionis est, vel alicujus austerioris inclamationis, et a Christo dirigitur in divites, debeo Creatorem divitum quoque aspernatorem probare, sicut 0393A probavi mendicorum advocatorem, ut Christum in hac quoque sententia Creatoris ostendam, locupletantis quidem Salomonem (III Reg. III), sed quia , permissa sibi optione, maluit ea postulare quae sciebat Deo grata, sapientiam, et meruerat etiam divitias consequi, quas non magis voluit: quamquam et divitias praestare, non incongruens Deo sit, per quas et divites solatio juvantur, et multa inde opera justitiae et dilectionis administrantur. Sed accidentia vitia divitiis, illa in Evangelio quoque, Vae divitibus, adscribunt: Quoniam, inquit, recepistis advocationem vestram; utique ex divitiis, de gloria earum, et saecularibus fructibus. Itaque in Deuteronomio (Deut. VIII, 12) Moyses: Ne, inquit, cum manducaveris, et repletus fueris, et domos magnas aedificaveris, pecoribus 0393B et bubus tuis multificatis , et pecunia et auro, exaltetur cor tuum, et obliviscaris Domini Dei tui. Quemadmodum et Ezechiam regem thesauris inflatum, et de eis potius quam de Deo gloriatum apud illos qui ex Perside advenerant, insilit per Esaiam (Is. XXXIX, 6): Ecce dies veniunt, et auferentur amnia quae in domo tua sunt; et quae patres tui congesserunt, in Babylonem transferentur. Sic et per Hieremiam (Jerem. IX, 22) quoque edicit : Ne glorietur dives in divitiis suis; et qui gloriatur, scilicet in Deo glorietur. Sic et in filias Sionis invehitur per Esaiam (Is. III, 15), cultu et divitiarum abundantia inflatas; comminabundus et alibi (Is. V, 14) nubilibus et superbis: Dilatavit orcus animam suam, et aperuit os suum, et descendent inclyti et magni et divites (hoc erit Christi 0393C vae super divites): et humiliabitur homo; utique exaltatus divitiis: et inhonorabitur vir; utique ob substantiam honorabilis. De quibus et rursus (Is. X, 23): Ecce Dominus virtutum conturbabit gloriosos cum valentia, et elati comminuentur, et ruent gladio sublimes: qui magis quam divites? Quia receperunt scilicet advocationem suam, gloriam et honorem, sublimitatem ex divitiis . A quibus avertens nos et in Psalmo quadragesimo octavo: Ne timueris, inquit, cum dives factus fuerit homo, et cum abundabit gloria ejus; quoniam cum morietur, non tollet omnia, nec descendet cum illo gloria sua. Item in sexagesimo primo: Ne desideraveritis divitias; et si relucent, ne adjeceritis 0394A cor. Idipsum postremo verbum vae, olim per Amos in divites affluentes deliciis destinatur: Vae , inquit (Amos. VI, 4), qui dormiunt in lectis eburneis, et deliciis fluunt in thoris suis; qui edunt haedos de gregibus caprarum, et vitulos de gregibus boum lactantes, complodentes ad sonum organorum. Tamquam perseverantia deputaverunt, et non tamquam fugientia: qui bibunt vinum liquatum, et unguentis primariis unguntur. Igitur, etsi tantummodo dehortantem a divitiis ostenderem Creatorem, non etiam praedamnantem divites etiam verbo ipso quo et Christus, nemo dubitaret ab eodem adjectam in divites comminationem per vae Christi, a quo ipsarum materiarum, id est, divitiarum dehortatio praecucurrisset: comminatio enim dehortationis accessio est. Ingerit: 0394B Vae etiam saturatis, quia esurient; etiam ridentibus nunc, quia lugebunt. His respondebunt illa, quae supra benedictionibus opposita sunt apud Creatorem: Ecce qui mihi serviunt, saturabuntur; vos autem esurietis (Is. LXV, 12); utique quia saturati estis. Et: Ecce qui mihi serviunt, oblectabuntur; vos autem confundemini; utique ploraturi qui nunc ridetis. Sicut enim in Psalmo (Ps. CXXV, 6), qui seminant in lacrymis, in laetitia metent: ita in Evangelio, qui in risu seminant, scilicet laetitia , in lacrymis metent. Haec olim Creator simul posuit, Christus solummodo distinguendo, non mutando, renovavit: Vae, quum vobis benedixerint homines: secundum haec faciebant et pseudoprophetis patres illorum. Aeque Creator benedictionis et laudis humanae sectatores incusat per Esaiam (Is. III, 12): Populus meus, qui vos beatos dicunt, 0394C seducunt vos, et vias pedum vestrorum disturbant. Prohibet et alias fidere omnino in hominem, sic et in laudem hominis, ut per Hieremiam (Jerem. XVII, 5): Maledictus homo, qui spem habet in homine. Nam et in Psalmo centesimo decimo septimo , : Bonum est fidere in Dominum, quam fidere in hominem. Et: Bonum est sperare in Dominum, quam sperare in principes. Ita, totum quod ab homine captatur, abdixit Creator, nedum benedictionem. Pseudoprophetas autem laudatos sive benedictos a patribus eorum, tam ejus est exprobrare, quam prophetas vexatos et recusatos: sicut injuriae prophetarum non pertinuissent 0395A ad Deum ipsorum; ita nec gratiae pseudoprophetarum displicuissent, nisi Deo prophetarum.