222

of my Father. Showing that these things are not contrary to the Father, he again takes refuge in him. They say to him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, God. What say you? You have God for your Father, and you accuse Christ for saying this? Do you see that he said that God was his Father in a special way? 3. Since, therefore, he cast them out from kinship with Abraham, having nothing to say, they dare something greater, running back to God. But he also casts them out of this honor, saying: If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came forth from God and am here; and I have not come of myself, but he sent me. Why do you not know my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he has not stood in the truth. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own. He cast them out from the kinship of Abraham; and since they dared greater things, he then adds the blow, saying that they are not only not of Abraham, but that they are also of the devil, giving a cut proportionate to their shamelessness; and he does not leave it unattested, but establishes it with proofs. For to murder, he says, is of his wickedness. And he did not simply say, the works, but, You do his lusts, showing that both he and they are vehemently attached to murder, and that envy was the cause. For having nothing to accuse Adam of, but only being envious, he destroyed him. So this he also hints at here. And he has not stood in the truth; that is, in the upright life. For since they were continually accusing him, that he is not from God, he says that this too is from that one. For he first gave birth to the lie, saying, On whatever day you eat, your eyes will be opened. And he was the first to use it himself. For men do not use it as their own, but as another's; but he, as his own. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. What is the consequence of this? Having nothing to accuse me of, you want to kill me. For since you are enemies of the truth, for this reason you persecute me. 59.300 Since if not for this reason, state the charge. For on account of this he added, Which of you will convict me of sin? Then they said, We were not born of fornication. And yet many were born of fornication; for they engaged in improper unions; but he does not rebuke this, but stands against that other point. For since he has shown that they are not of God, but of the devil, from all these things (for to murder is of the devil, and to lie is of the devil; both of which you do) he shows that to love, this is the sign of being of God. Why do you not know my speech? For since they were always at a loss, saying, What is this that he says, Where I go, you cannot come? for this reason he says, You do not know my speech, because you do not have the word of God. And this happens to you because of the groveling nature of your mind, and because my things are much greater. What then, if they could not understand? Here, not being able, is not willing, because you have taught yourselves to be base, because you imagine nothing great. For since they said they persecuted him as being zealous for God, for this reason he everywhere tries to show that persecuting him is the act of those who hate God; but on the contrary, loving him is the act of those who know God, he says. We have one Father, God. From these things they take pride, from honor, not from achievements. Therefore, your not believing is not proof of me being a stranger; but your unbelief is a sign that you do not know God. And the cause is from your will to lie and to do the things of the devil. And this baseness of soul produces, just as the Apostle says: For where there is strife and jealousy among you, are you not carnal? And why are you not able? Because the lusts of your father you will to do, you are eager, you are contentious. Do you see that "You are not able" means "You are not willing"? Because Abraham did not do this. But what are his works? Gentleness, forbearance, obedience. But you stand on the opposite side, being harsh and cruel. From where did it occur to them to

222

τοῦ Πατρός μου. ∆εικνὺς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐναντία τῷ Πατρὶ ταῦτά ἐστι, πάλιν ἐπ' αὐτὸν καταφεύγει. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Ἡμεῖς ἐκ πορνείας οὐ γεγεννήμεθα· ἕνα Πατέρα ἔχομεν, τὸν Θεόν. Τί λέγεις; ὑμεῖς Πατέρα τὸν Θεὸν ἔχετε, καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ ἐγκαλεῖτε τοῦτο λέγοντι; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐξαιρέτως ἔλεγεν αὐτοῦ Πατέρα εἶναι τὸν Θεόν; γʹ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοὺς ἐξέβαλε τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, οὐδὲν ἔχοντες εἰπεῖν, ἕτερόν τι μεῖζον τολμῶσιν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἀνατρέχοντες. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτης αὐτοὺς ἐκβάλλει τῆς τιμῆς, λέγων· Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἦν, ἠγαπᾶτε ἂν ἐμὲ, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἥκω· καὶ ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλήλυθα, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνός με ἀπέστειλε. ∆ιατί οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν λαλιὰν τὴν ἐμήν; Ὅτι οὐ δύνασθε ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμόν. Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ, καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν. Ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐχ ἕστηκεν. Ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ. Ἐξέβαλεν αὐτοὺς τῆς συγγενείας τοῦ Ἀβραάμ· καὶ ἐπειδὴ μείζονα ἐτόλμησαν, τότε λοιπὸν ἐπάγει τὴν πληγὴν, λέγων, ὅτι οὐ μόνον τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ εἰσὶν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου εἰσὶν, ἀντίῤῥοπον τῆς ἀναισχυντίας διδοὺς τὴν τομήν· καὶ οὐδὲ ἀμάρτυρον αὐτὴν ἀφίησιν, ἀλλ' ἐλέγχοις αὐτὴν κατασκευάζει. Τὸ γὰρ φονεύειν, φησὶ, τῆς ἐκείνου κακίας ἐστί. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, τὰ ἔργα, ἀλλὰ, Τὰς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτοῦ ποιεῖτε, δεικνὺς ὅτι σφοδρῶς κἀκεῖνος καὶ οὗτοι φόνων ἔχονται, καὶ ὅτι φθόνος ἦν ἡ αἰτία. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχων τι τῷ Ἀδὰμ ἐγκαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ἢ βασκαίνων μόνον, ἀνεῖλε. Τοῦτο οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεται. Καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐχ ἕστηκε· τουτέστιν, ἐν τῷ ὀρθῷ βίῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ συνεχῶς αὐτοῦ κατηγόρουν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστι, λέγει ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο ἐκεῖθέν ἐστιν. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἔτεκε τὸ ψεῦδος πρῶτος, λέγων· Ἧ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε, διανοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί. Καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτῷ πρῶτος ἐχρήσατο. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ὡς ἰδίῳ αὐτῷ χρῶνται, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀλλοτρίῳ· οὗτος δὲ ὡς ἰδίῳ. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὅτι ἀλήθειαν λέγω, οὐ πιστεύετέ μοι. Ποία αὕτη ἀκολουθία; Οὐδὲν ἐγκαλοῦντες, ἀνελεῖν με θέλετε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐχθροί ἐστε τῆς ἀληθείας, διὰ τοῦτό με διώκετε. 59.300 Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦτο, εἴπατε τὸ ἔγκλημα. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε· Τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐλέγξει με περὶ ἁμαρτίας; Εἶτα ἐκεῖνοι· Ἡμεῖς ἐκ πορνείας οὐ γεγεννήμεθα. Καὶ μὴν ἐκ πορνείας ἐγεννήθησαν πολλοί· καὶ γὰρ οὐ προσηκούσας ἐπιμιξίας ἐποιοῦντο· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐλέγχει, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἵσταται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔδειξεν οὐκ ὄντας ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου, ἐκ τούτων ἁπάντων (καὶ γὰρ τὸ φονεύειν διαβολικὸν, καὶ τὸ ψεύδεσθαι διαβολικόν· ἅπερ ἀμφότερα ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε) δείκνυσιν ὅτι τὸ ἀγαπᾷν, τοῦτο σημεῖον τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι. ∆ιατί οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν λαλιὰν τὴν ἐμήν; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀεὶ ἠπόρουν λέγοντες· Τί ἐστιν ὅτι λέγει, Ὅπου ἐγὼ ὑπάγω, ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν; διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιὰν, ὅτι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔχετε. Τοῦτο δὲ ὑμῖν γίνεται διὰ τὸ χαμαίζηλον τῆς διανοίας, καὶ διὰ τὸ πολὺ μείζονα εἶναι τὰ ἐμά. Τί οὖν, εἰ μὴ δύναιντο συνιδεῖν; Ἐνταῦθα τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι, τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαί ἐστιν, ὅτι ταπεινοὺς ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι ἐπαιδεύσατε, ὅτι οὐδὲν μέγα φαντάζεσθε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλεγον διώκειν αὐτὸν ὡς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζηλοῦντες, διὰ τοῦτο πανταχοῦ πειρᾶται δεῖξαι, ὅτι τὸ διώκειν αὐτὸν, τοῦτο μισούντων ἐστὶ τὸν Θεόν· τοὐναντίον δὲ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν εἰδότων τὸν Θεὸν, φησίν. Ἕνα Πατέρα ἔχομεν, τὸν Θεόν. Ἀπὸτούτων σεμνύνονται, ἀπὸ τιμῆς, οὐκ ἀπὸ κατορθωμάτων. Οὐκ ἄρα τοῦ ἀλλότριόν με εἶναι, τὸ μὴ πιστεύειν ὑμᾶς τεκμήριον· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ὑμᾶς μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν Θεὸν, ἡ ἀπιστία σημεῖον. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ἐκ τοῦ θέλειν ψεύδεσθαι καὶ τὰ τοῦ διαβόλου ποιεῖν. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ ψυχῆς εὐτέλεια, καθάπερ ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησιν· Ὅπου γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔρις καὶ ζῆλος, οὐχὶ σαρκικοί ἐστε; ∆ιατί δὲ οὐ δύνασθε; Ὅτι τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν, σπουδάζετε, φιλονεικεῖτε. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ, Οὐ δύνασθε, τὸ μὴ θέλειν λέγει; Ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησεν. Ἀλλὰ τίνα ἐστὶναὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα; Τὸ ἥμερον, τὸ ἐπιεικὲς, τὸ πειθήνιον. Ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐναντίας ἵστασθε, ἀπηνεῖς ὄντες καὶ ὠμοί. Πόθεν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐπῆλθεν ἐπὶ