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righteous and strong and longsuffering; and all the prophets and Moses; but Christ said, The Father judges no one, but has given the judgment to the Son; (and this was enough to disturb the Jew who was then hearing, and to prepare him to suspect Him again of being opposed to God), here He condescends exceedingly in His discourse, and so much as their weakness required, so as to remove this deadly suspicion root and all, and says: I can do nothing of Myself; that is, you shall see nothing strange, nor varied, nor which the Father does not will, done by me, nor will you hear it spoken. And having said before, that He is the Son of man, and having shown that for the time they suspected Him to be a man, so also here He adds. As then when He said above, What We have heard, We speak, and what We have seen, We testify; and John, What he has seen, he testifies, and no one receives his testimony; and both were spoken concerning accurate knowledge, not simply concerning hearing and seeing; so also here in speaking of hearing, He implies nothing else than that it is impossible for Him to will anything other than what the Father wills. But He did not say it so clearly (for they would not for the time have received it, hearing it so directly); but how? Most condescendingly and humanly: As I hear, I judge. Again, He does not speak here of instruction (for He did not say, As I am taught, but, As I hear), nor does He say these things as needing to hear (for He was not only in no need of being taught, but also in no need of hearing), but declaring the unanimity and the unchangeable nature of the vote. What He says is this: I judge so, as if the Father Himself were the one judging. Then He adds, And I know that My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. What do you say? For do you have a will other than the Father's? And yet elsewhere you said, As I and you are one; and again, speaking of will and unanimity: Grant to them, that they also may be one in us; that is, in the faith concerning us. Do you see that the things that most seem to be lowly, these are the very things which have the lofty meaning hidden in them? For what He hints at is of this kind: that the will of the Father is not one thing, and His 59.226 own another; but just as there is one will of one mind, so is it of Me and of the Father. And do not marvel if He spoke of so great a connection. For Paul also used this example with respect to the Spirit, saying: For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one knows the things of God, except the Spirit of God. Therefore He says nothing else but this, that I have no will other and private from the Father's, but if He wills anything, I do also; and if I anything, He also. As therefore no one would blame the Father when He judges, so neither would they blame Me; for the vote of each is brought from the same mind. But if He discourses on these things in a more human manner, do not marvel. For they still considered Him to be a mere man. For this reason it is necessary in such cases not to examine only the things said, but also to add the assumption of the listeners, and so to hear the things said, as having been spoken with respect to that assumption; since many absurdities will follow. For consider: He said, I seek not My own will. Therefore His will is another, and very deficient; and not simply deficient, but not even beneficial thus. Since if it were salutary and in agreement with the Father's, for what reason do you not seek it? For men might reasonably say this, as having many wills contrary to what seems good to God; but for what reason do you say this, being in all things like the Father? For one would not say this saying is even of a perfected and crucified man. For if Paul so blended himself with the will of God as to say, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, how could the Lord of all have said, that I seek not My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me, as if that were another's? What then is it that He says? He puts forward the argument as if concerning a man, and speaks to the assumption of his hearers. Since

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δίκαιος καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ μακρόθυμος· καὶ οἱ προφῆται δὲ πάντες καὶ ὁ Μωϋσῆς· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν, Ὁ Πατὴρ οὐ κρίνει οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ τὴν κρίσιν δέδωκε τῷ Υἱῷ· ἱκανὸν δὲ τοῦτο ἦν θορυβῆσαι τὸν ἀκούοντα τότε Ἰουδαῖον, καὶ παρασκευάσαι πάλιν ἀντίθεον αὐτὸν ὑποπτεύειν), σφόδρα ἐνταῦθα συγκαταβαίνει τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ἀπῄτει αὐτῶν ἡ ἀσθένεια, ὥστε τὴν ὀλεθρίαν ταύτην ὑποψίαν πρόῤῥιζον ἀνελεῖν, καί φησιν· Ἐγὼ οὐ δύναμαι ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ ποιεῖν οὐδέν· τουτέστιν, οὐδὲν ξένον, οὐδὲ παρηλλαγμένον, οὐδὲ ὃ μὴ βούλεται ὁ Πατὴρ, παρ' ἐμοῦ γινόμενον ὄψεσθε, ἢ λεγόμενον ἀκούσεσθε. Καὶ πρότερον εἰπὼν, ὅτι Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐστὶν, καὶ δείξας ὅτι ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν τέως ὑπώπτευον, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα προστίθησιν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἀνωτέρω εἰπὼν, Ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, λαλοῦμεν, καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν, μαρτυροῦμεν· καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης, Ὃ ἑώρακε, μαρτυρεῖ, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ οὐδεὶς λαμβάνει· περὶ ἀκριβοῦς δὲ ἀμφότερα εἴρηται γνώσεως, οὐχ ἁπλῶς περὶ ἀκοῆς καὶ ὄψεως· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀκοὴν εἰπὼν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐμφαίνει, ἢ ὅτι ἀδύνατον ἄλλο τι θελῆσαι αὐτὸν, ἢ ὅπερ ὁ Πατήρ. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπεν οὕτω σαφῶς (οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐδέξαντο ἐξ εὐθείας τέως οὕτως ἀκούοντες)· ἀλλὰ πῶς; Συγκαταβατικῶς καὶ ἀνθρωπίνως σφόδρα· Καθὼς ἀκούω, κρίνω. Πάλιν οὐ διδασκαλίαν λέγων ἐνταῦθα (οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Καθὼς διδάσκομαι, ἀλλὰ, Καθὼς ἀκούω), ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὡς δεόμενος ἀκροάσεως ταῦτά φησιν (οὐ γὰρ μόνον τοῦ διδάσκεσθαι ἀνενδεὴς ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ δεῖσθαι ἀκούειν), τὴν δὲ ὁμόνοιαν δηλῶν καὶ τὸ ἀπαράλλακτον τῆς ψήφου. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Οὕτω κρίνω, ὡς ἂν εἰ αὐτὸς ὁ Πατὴρ ἦν ὁ κρίνων. Εἶτα ἐπάγει, Καὶ οἶδα ὅτι ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμὴ δικαία ἐστὶν, ὅτι οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με. Τί λέγεις; ἔχεις γὰρ θέλημα ἕτερον παρὰ τὸν Πατέρα; Καὶ μὴν ἀλλαχοῦ εἶπας, Καθὼς ἐγὼ καὶ σὺ ἕν ἐσμεν· καὶ πάλιν, ἐπὶ θελήματος λέγων καὶ ὁμονοίας· ∆ὸς αὐτοῖς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἓν ὦσι· τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ περὶ ἡμῶν πίστει. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὰ μάλιστα δοκοῦντα εἶναι ταπεινὰ, ταῦτά ἐστιν ἅπερ ἔχει ἐγκεκρυμμένον τὸ ὑψηλὸν νόημα; Ὃ γὰρ αἰνίττεται, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλο μὲν τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ θέλημα, ἄλλο δὲ τὸ αὐ 59.226 τοῦ· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ μιᾶς διανοίας ἓν θέλημα, οὕτως ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ τοσαύτην εἶπε συνάφειαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τούτῳ κέχρηται τῷ ὑποδείγματι ὁ Παῦλος, λέγων· Τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ; Οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλο ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι μοι θέλημα ἕτερον καὶ ἴδιον παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' εἴ τι ἐκεῖνος βούλεται τοῦτο καὶ ἐγώ· καὶ εἴ τι ἐγὼ, τοῦτο καὶ ἐκεῖνος. Ὥσπερ οὖν τῷ Πατρὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐγκαλέσειε κρίνοντι, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐμοί· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς αὐτῆς γνώμης ἑκατέρα ἡ ψῆφος φέρεται. Εἰ δὲ ἀνθρωπινώτερον ταῦτα διαλέγεται, μὴ θαυμάσῃς. Ἄνθρωπον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔτι ἐνόμιζον εἶναι ψιλόν. ∆ιὸ χρὴ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις μὴ τὰ λεγόμενα ἐξετάζειν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῶν ἀκροωμένων προστιθέναι, καὶ οὕτω τῶν λεγομένων ἀκούειν, ὡς πρὸς ἐκείνην εἰρημένων ὑπόνοιαν· ἐπεὶ πολλὰ ἕψεται τὰ ἄτοπα. Σκόπει γάρ· Εἶπεν, Οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμόν. Οὐκοῦν ἕτερόν ἐστι τὸ αὐτοῦ θέλημα, καὶ σφόδρα ἀποδέον· καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς ἀποδέον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὠφέλιμον οὕτως. Ἐπεὶ εἰ σωτηριῶδες ἦν καὶ συμβαῖνον τῷ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτὸ οὐ ζητεῖς; Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ εἰκότως ἂν τοῦτο λέγοιεν, ὡς πολλὰ θελήματα ἔχοντες παρὰ τὰ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦντα· σὺ δὲ τίνος ἕνεκεν τοῦτο φῂς, κατὰ πάντα ἐοικὼς τῷ Πατρί; Τοῦτο γὰρ οὐδὲ ἀνδρὸς ἠκριβωμένου καὶ ἐσταυρωμένου εἴποι τις ἂν εἶναι τὸ ῥῆμα. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος οὕτως ἑαυτὸν ἐκέρασε τῷ θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς εἰπεῖν, Ζῶ δὲ οὐκ ἔτι ἐγὼ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστὸς, πῶς ὁ πάντων ∆εσπότης εἶπεν ἂν, ὅτι Οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με, ὡς ἑτέρου ὄντος ἐκείνου; Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὅ φησιν; Ὡς ἐπ' ἀνθρώπου προσάγει τὸν λόγον, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῶν ἀκροωμένων φθέγγεται. Ἐπειδὴ