LETTER XLI. [A.D.388.]

In this Letter to his sister S. Ambrose relates the sequel of the affair referred to in the preceding one. That Letter failed to produce the effect which he had hoped for, and so he was driven to fulfil the threat with which he had ended it, and 'make the Emperor listen to him in the Church.' He gives his sister a full account of the sermon which he preached before the Emperor, and how he insisted on a promise that the matter should be quashed altogether, before he would celebrate the Eucharist, and how the Emperor at last gave way, and so all ended as he had wished.

THE BROTHER TO HIS SISTER.

1. You have kindly written me word, holy sister, that you are still anxious about me, because I told you of my own anxiety; this makes me wonder that you have not received the letter, in which I told you that tranquillity had been restored to me. Complaints had been made that a synagogue of the Jews had been burnt by the Christians, at the instigation of their Bishop, and also a conventicle of the Valentinians; and while I was at Aquileia a decree was issued that the synagogue should be rebuilt by the Bishop, and that the monks who had set fire to this building of the Valentinians should be punished. Wherefore, when I found that my personal endeavours were of little avail, I wrote and despatched a letter to the Emperor, and on his going to the Church, I delivered this discourse.

2. In the book of the Prophet it is written,  Take to thyself the rod of an almond tree; and with what intent the Lord said this to the prophet we ought to consider, for it was not written without a purpose, and we also read in the Pentateuch that the rod of Aaron the priest, budded after being long laid up. Now the rod seems to signify that prophetic or sacerdotal authority ought to be unswerving, and to exhort rather to what is useful than to what is pleasing.

3. And the reason why the prophet is bidden to take the rod of an almond is this, that the fruit of this tree has a bitter rind and hard shell, while its inside is juicy, and so in like manner the prophet should hold out what is hard and bitter, and not shrink from declaring painful things. So too with the priest: his teaching may seem bitter for a time to some, and, like Aaron's rod, may for a long while be laid up in the ears of dissemblers, yet afterwards, when it is thought to have withered, it puts forth buds.

4. Hence the Apostle says,  What will ye, shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness. First he speaks of  a rod, and as with  the rod of an almond tree had smitten the wanderers, that he might afterwards comfort them with the spirit of meekness. Just so did meekness restore the man whom the rod had driven from the Divine sacraments. To his disciple too he gave the same injunctions,  Reprove, beseech, rebuke. Here are two harsh terms and one gentle; but they are only harsh, that they may themselves be softened. For like as bitter food or drink becomes sweet to these bodies which are laden with excess of gall, and on the other hand sweet repasts are bitter to them, so also when the mind is wounded it languishes under the flattering touch of pleasure, but is healed again by the bitterness of correction.

5. Thus much let it suffice to have gathered from the lesson from the Prophets, let us next consider what that from the Gospel would teach us:  And one of the Pharisees desired the Lord Jesus that He would eat with him; and He went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman in the city, which teas a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meal in the Pharisee's house brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping.  And then the passage was recited as far as the words,  Thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace. How simple, I added, are the words of this Gospel lesson, how profound its counsels! Wherefore, seeing that it is spoken by the  great Counsellor, let us consider its depth.

6. Our Lord Jesus Christ believed that kindness has a greater power of constraining and inciting men to do what is right than fear; and that love avails more for correction than terror. And so, when He came on earth by the Virgin's womb, He first sent His free grace, forgiving our sins in baptism to make us more grateful to Him. Then if we will repay Him with such services as befit grateful men, He has declared by this example that He will give fresh gifts of grace to every man. Had He only remitted to us our first debt, He would have seemed cautious rather than merciful, more heedful of our amendment than munificent in His rewards. To allure is merely the cunning of a narrow mind, but it is befitting to God that those whom He has invited by grace He should lead forward by the increase of that grace. And so He first bestows on us His gifts in baptism, and afterwards if we serve him faithfully gives more abundantly. And so the benefits of Christ are both the incentives and the rewards of virtue.

7. Let no man be alarmed at the word  creditor. We were indeed under an unforgiving creditor, who could not be satisfied by anything less than the death of his debtor; then the Lord Jesus came and found us burthened with a heavy debt. This debt no man could satisfy by his natural innocence; I had nothing of my own wherewith to purchase my freedom, and therefore He bestowed on me a new kind of acquittance; He made me debtor to Himself, seeing I had no means of discharging my debt. Now we became debtors not by nature but by our own fault; by our sins we contracted heavy debts, so that we who were free came under a bond; for he is a debtor who has received of his creditor's money. Now sin is from the devil, this is the money which belongs to the wicked one as his patrimony; for as virtues are the treasure of Christ, so crimes are the riches of the devil. He had brought the human race under the perpetual slavery of an inherited liability by that heavy debt which our improvident ancestor transmitted by inheritance to his posterity. But then the Lord Jesus came, He gave His life for the life of all, and shed His blood for the blood of all.

8. Thus we have changed our creditor, not discharged our debt, nay we may even say we have discharged it, for although it remains, our bond is cancelled, the Lord Jesus having  said to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves; your sins therefore are forgiven. Thus He has forgiven all, nor is there any one to whom He has not shewn mercy. For so it is written, that He has  forgiven all trespasses; blotting out the hand-writing of the ordinances that was against us. Why then do we hold the bonds of others? why would we exact our claims from others when we have obtained remission of our own? He Who has shewn mercy to all requires of each of us that what he remembers to have been remitted to himself he should himself remit to others.

9. Beware lest you begin to incur heavier blame as a creditor than you did as a debtor; as that servant in the Gospel to whom his Lord forgave all his debt began to exact from his fellow servant what he himself had not paid; wherefore his Lord was wroth, and exacted from him with the greatest severity what he had before remitted to him. Let us beware therefore lest the same evil befal us, lest by not remitting our debts we also be called on to pay what had been forgiven us, for so it is written in the words of the Lord Jesus,  So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Let us then forgive small things to whom great have been forgiven, and understand that the more we forgive the more acceptable we shall be to God, for we are so much the more acceptable to God the more we have been forgiven.

10. Further, when the Pharisee was asked by our Lord,  Which of them loved him most, he answered,  I  suppose that he to whom he forgave most. Whereupon the Lord said,  Thou hast rightly judged. The Pharisees judgment is praised, but his affection is blamed. Of others he judges correctly, but what he believes of others, he does not believe in his own case. Thus you hear the Jew praising the discipline of the Church, praising its true graces, honouring its priests; but when you exhort him to believe he refuses to do so, and thus follows not himself what he praises in us. His eulogy then is not complete, though Christ has said to him,  Thou hast rightly judged, for Cain also offered rightly, but did not divide rightly, wherefore God said unto him,  If thou offer rightly, but divide not rightly, thou hast sinned; be still. And so this man offered rightly, because he judges that Christ, having forgiven Christians many sins, ought to be more earnestly loved by them; but he has not divided rightly, because he believes that He Who remitted the sins of men could possibly be ignorant of them.

11. And therefore He says to Simon,  Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest Me no water for My feet, but she hath washed My feet with tears.  We are all one body of Christ, the Head is God, and we are the members: some perhaps as the Prophets, may be the eyes; others the teeth, as the Apostles, who have filled our hearts with the food of the Evangelical preaching, and of whom it is written,  His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk. They are His hands who perform good works: His belly are they who bestow the strength of nourishment on the poor: Some too are His feet also, and would that I might be counted worthy to be even His heel. He then who pardons the very lowest their sins, pours water on the feet of Christ, and Avhile he frees only the mean, yet washes the feet of Christ Himself.

12. He also pours water on the feet of Christ who cleanses his conscience from the pollution of sin; for Christ walks in the breast of each of us. Beware then lest your conscience be defiled, or you thus begin to stain the feet of Christ. Beware lest He encounter the thorn of wickedness within you, whereby His heel as He walks in you may be wounded. The reason why the Pharisee did not pour water on the feet of Christ was because his soul was not clean from the stain of wickedness. How could he cleanse his conscience, who had not received that water which Christ gives? But the Church has that water, and the Church has tears, the waters of Baptism and the tears of penitence. For faith, which mourns for former sins, is also wont to avoid fresh ones, wherefore Simon the Pharisee as he had no water so neither had he tears. For how could he have them, who did no penance? but as he believed not in Christ so neither had he tears. Had he had them, he would have washed his eyes that he might see Christ, Whom as yet, when he first sat down, he saw not. For had he seen Him, he would not have doubted of His power.

13. Nor had the Pharisee hair, in that he knew not the Nazarite; but the Church had hair, and she sought for the Nazarite. Hairs are considered a superfluous part of the body, but if they are anointed they send forth a good smell, and are an ornament to the head, but if not anointed with oil they grow heavy. So likewise riches are a burthen, if you know not how to use them, if you sprinkle them not with the odours of Christ. But if you feed the poor, if you wash and cleanse their filth, their wounds, you have truly wiped the feet of Christ.

14.  Thou gavest Me no kiss, but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss My feet. A kiss is the sign of love. But how could the Jew possess this, who knew not peace, who received not peace from Christ when He said,  Peace I have with you, My peace 1 give unto you? This kiss belongs then not to the Synagogue but to the Church, to her who looked for Him, who loved Him, who said,  Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth. For the ardour of that lingering desire, which had grown with waiting for the Lord's coming, she sought slowly to quench by His kiss, and to satisfy her thirst by this gift. Wherefore the holy Prophet says,  Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall shew Thy praise. He then who praises the Lord Jesus kisses Him; and he who praises surely believes in Him. Thus David Himself says,  I  believed, and therefore have I spoken ; and before,  Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise, and let me sing of Thy glory. 

15. Concerning the gift of special grace the same Scripture also teaches thee that he who receives the Spirit kisses Christ, for the holy Prophet says,  I  opened my mouth, and drew in the spirit  ^{05-1 1. 1 spiritum. Rom. x. 10.} . He then kisses Christ, who confesses Him;  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the month confession is made unto salvation. He kisses the feet of Christ, who, reading the Gospel, recognizes the acts of the Lord Jesus, and admires them with pious affection; thus religiously kissing, as it were, the Lord's steps as He walks. We kiss Christ then with the kiss of Communion;  Whoso readeth let him understand. 

16. But how can the Jew have this kiss? For as he believed not in His Advent, so neither did he believe in His Passion, for how can that man believe that He suffered, who believes not that He came? Hence the Pharisee had no kiss save haply that of the traitor Judas. But neither had Judas this kiss, and therefore when he would have shewn to the Jews that kiss which was the concerted sign of his betrayal, the Lord says to him:  Judas, betrayest thou  the Son of man with a kiss? that is, 'Thou offerest a kiss, though thou hast not the love that the kiss should express, thou offerest a kiss who art ignorant of the mystical meaning  ^{05-2 2. 2 sacramentum.} of the kiss.' What is required is not the kiss of the lips, but of the heart and mind.

17. But you will say that he kissed the Lord. True it is he kissed Him with his lips, and this kiss the Jewish people has, wherefore it is said,  This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Wherefore he has not the kiss who has not faith and charity; for by a kiss is conveyed the force of love. Where love is not, nor faith, nor charity, how can there be any sweetness in kisses?

19. Now the Church ceases not to kiss the feet of Christ, and therefore in the Song of songs she asks not for one but many kisses; like holy Mary she is attentive to all His discourses, she receives all His words, when the Gospel is read, or the Prophets; she  keeps all His sayings in her heart. The Church, alone, then, as being the spouse, has kisses, for a kiss is, as it were, the pledge of marriage and the privilege of wedlock. How can the  Jew have kisses who believes not in the Spouse, who knows not that He is already come?

19. Nor is it kisses alone that he lacks, but oil also, wherewith to anoint the feet of Christ, for if he had had oil he would before now have bowed down his neck. For Moses says,  It is a stiff-necked people; and the Lord says that the priest and levite passed by on the other side, nor did either of these pour oil and wine into the wounds of him who had been wounded by robbers; had they possessed this oil they would have poured it into their own wounds. But Isaiah says,  They cannot apply ointment nor oil nor bandage. 

20. But the Church has oil wherewith she dresses the wounds of her children, that the hardness of the wound may not sink inwards; she has oil, which she has received secretly. With this oil Asher has washed his feet, as it is written,  A blessed son is Asher; and he shall be acceptable to his brethren, dip Ms foot in oil. With this oil therefore the Church anoints the necks of her children, that they may receive the yoke of Christ; with this oil she has anointed the martyrs to purify them from the dust of this world; with this oil she has anointed confessors, that so they might not yield to labour, or sink down through weariness, or be overwhelmed by the waves of this world; it is for the purpose of refreshing them with spiritual oil that she has thus anointed them.

21. The Synagogue possesses not this oil, for she hath not the olive, she did not recognize that dove which brought back the olive branch after the deluge. This same dove afterwards descended, when Christ was being baptized, and abode upon Him, as John testifies in the Gospel, saying,  I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. But how could he see the dove, who saw Him not upon whom the Spirit descended as a dove?

22. So then the Church both washes the feet of Christ, and wipes them with her hair, and anoints them with oil, and pours ointment upon them, in that she not only tends the wounded and comforts the weary, but also sprinkles over them the sweet odours of grace. Nor is it upon the rich and powerful only that she sheds this grace, but on men of low birth also, she weighs all in an equal balance, she receives all in the same bosom, and cherishes them in the same lap.

23. Christ died once, and was buried once, nevertheless He daily desires that ointment should be poured upon His feet. Now what are these feet of Christ whereon we pour ointment? The feet of Christ are they of whom He saith Himself,  Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. These feet that woman in the Gospel tends  05-3 3. 1 refrigerat. , and washes with her tears, when the lowest have their sins remitted, their faults washed away, their pardon granted. These feet he kisses who loves even the lowest of the holy congregation. These feet he anoints with ointment, who imparts even to the weaker brethren the graces of His meekness. In these the martyrs, in these the Apostles, in these the Lord Jesus Himself declares that He is honoured.

24. Thou seest what instruction the Lord imparts, how by His example He stimulates thee to devotion; for He instructs by His censure. And He thus accuses the Jews,  O My people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against Me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants;  adding,  and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Remember what Balak devised against thee, he, that is, who sought the aid of enchantments, but I suffered him not to hurt thee. Truly thou wert oppressed while sojourning in foreign lands, thou wert laden with heavy burthens: I sent Moses Aaron and Miriam before thy face, and he who had spoiled the strangers was himself despoiled. Thou, who hadst lost thine own goods gainedst others, thou wert delivered from the enemies that surrounded thee, and in the midst of the waters thou sawest in safety the death of thine enemies, for the same wave which had separated and carried thee forward flowed back again and drowned the Egyptians. When thou wert in want of food while journeying through the wilderness, did I not  rain bread from heaven for thee, and scatter food around thee, whereon thou wentest? Did I not subdue all thy enemies and bring thee into the region of the cluster of grapes? Did I not deliver up to thee Sihon (which means 'proud') king of the Amorites (that is, chief of them that provoked thee); did I not also deliver to thee alive the king of Ai, whom, subject to the sentence of the ancient curse, thou nailedst to the wood and hangedst upon a tree? What shall I say of the slaughter of the hosts of the five kings, who strove to exclude thee from the promised land?  And what doth the Lord require of thee, o man, for all these things,  but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 

25. And to king David himself, that meek and holy man, what was His expostulation by the prophet Nathan? I chose thee, He says, the youngest among thy brethren; I filled thee with the spirit of meekness; by the hand of Samuel, in whom was My Spirit and My Name, I anointed thee king. And from an exile I made thee a conqueror, taking out of the way that former king whom an evil spirit instigated to persecute the priests of the Lord. Upon thy throne I set one of thy seed not so much as an heir as a colleague. I made even strangers subject to thee, that they who resisted might serve thee, and wilt thou deliver My servants into the hands of My enemies, wilt thou take away that which was My servant's, whereby both thou wilt be branded with sin, and My adversaries will have whereof to glory?

26. Seeing therefore, O Emperor, (for I will now not only discourse of you but address myself to you) how severe the Lord's censures are wont to be, you must take care, in proportion as you become more illustrious, to submit so much the more humbly to your Maker. For it is written: When the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into a foreign land, and thou shalt eat the fruits of others, say not,'By my own strength and righteousness I obtained these things,' but, 'The Lord God gave them to me, Christ in His mercy conferred them on me,' and therefore by loving His body, that is, the Church, pour water on His feet and kiss His feet; thus shalt thou not only absolve those who have been taken in sin, but in giving to them peace you will bring them into concord and restore to them rest. Pour ointment on His feet, that the whole house wherein Christ sits at meat may be filled with the odour of thy ointment, and let all who sit at meat with Him rejoice in thy fragrance; that is to say, pay such regard even to the lowest, that in their absolution the Angels may rejoice, as they do over one sinner that repenteth, the Apostles may be glad, the Prophets may exult. For  the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Since therefore each member is necessary, do thou protect the whole body of the Lord Jesus, that He also of His divine mercy may protect thy kingdom.

27. On my coming down he says to me, 'You have been preaching at me to-day.' I replied that in my discourse I had his benefit in view. He then said, 'It is true, I did make too harsh a decree concerning the reparation of the synagogue by the Bishop, but this has been rectified. As for the monks, they commit many crimes.' Then Timasius, one of the Generals-in-chief  05-4 4. a The Latin title is 'Magister equitum et peditum 'When the Praefecti Praetorio became civil rather than military officers, the chief command of the armies was transferred to two high officers, called, one 'Magister equitum,'and the other 'Magister peditum. When the empire was divided these became four, and eventually the number was increased to eight, who were all called 'Magistri equitum et peditum.' See Gibbon ch. xvii. 3. , began to be very vehement against the monks. I replied to him, 'With the Emperor I deal as is fitting, because I know that he fears God, but with you, who speak so rudely, I shall deal differently.'

28. After standing for some time, I said to the Emperor, 'Enable me to offer for you with a safe conscience, set my mind at rest.' The Emperor sat still, and nodded, but did not promise in plain words; then, seeing that I still remained standing, he said that he would amend the order. I said at once that he must quash the whole enquiry, for fear the Count  05-5 5. b i. e. the 'Comes Orientis,' under whose jurisdiction the matter was, and who had sent the report to the Emperor, see Lett. xl. 6. should make it an opportunity for inflicting wrong on the Christians. He promised that it should be done. I said to him, 'I act on your promise,' and repeated the words again. 'Do so' said he. Then I went to the altar; but I would not have gone, if he had not given me his distinct promise. And indeed so great was the grace attending the oblation, that I myself was sensible that this favour he had granted was very acceptable to our God, and that the divine Presence had not been withheld. Then all was done as I wished.

956 EPISTOLA XLI.

 Sororem ut de iis quae synagogae ac fani supra dictorum causa evenerant, certiorem faciat, refert quemadmodum loco Hieremiae de sacerdotum verbis, explicato, Evangelicam lectionem enarraverit, ostenderit illic Domini misericordiam commendari, cujus idem a nobis exigit imitationem, ac docuerit qua ratione evangelicam peccatricem Dominicos pedes lavando, tergendo, ungendo atque osculando referamus; alioqui nos propheticae reprehensioni, fore obnoxios; denique quo modo sermone converso ad Theodosium, tandem ut revocaret edictum, obtinuerit. 

FRATER SORORI.

 1113B 1. Sollicitam sanctitatem tuam esse adhuc scribere dignata es mihi, eo quod sollicitum me esse scripserim; unde miror quod litteras non acceperis meas, quibus refusam mihi scripseram securitatem. Nam cum relatum esset synagogam Judaeorum incensam a christianis, auctore episcopo, et Valentinianorum conventiculum; jussum erat, me Aquileiae posito, ut synagoga ab episcopo reaedificaretur, et in monachos vindicaretur, qui incendissent aedificium Valentinianorum. Tum ego, cum saepius agendo parum proficerem, epistolam dedi imperatori, quam simul misi; et ubi processit ad Ecclesiam, hunc sermonem habui:

2. In libro prophetico scriptum est:  Sume tibi baculum nucinum (Jerem. I); et qua ratione hoc dixerit  1113C Dominus prophetae, debemus considerare; non otiose etenim scriptum est; quandoquidem et in Pentateucho legimus quod virga nucina Aaron sacerdotis, cum diu reposita fuisset, effloruit (Num. XVII, 8). Nam videtur per virgam significare quod directa esse debeat prophetia vel sacerdotalis auctoritas; ut non tam delectabilia, quam utilia persuadeat.

3. Ideoque nucinum baculum sumere jubetur propheta, quia memoratae pomum arboris amarum in cortice, durum in testa, intus est fructuosum; ut ad ejus similitudinem propheta quoque amara et dura praetendat, et denuntiare tristia non reformidet. Similiter etiam sacerdos, quia praeceptio ejus etsi ad tempus aliquibus amara videatur, et tamquam virga Aaron reposita diu in auribus dissimulantium;  1113D tamen aliquando cum aestimatur aruisse, florescit.

 1114A 4. Unde et Apostolus ait:  Quid vultis, in virga veniam ad vos, an in charitate, spirituque mansuetudinis (I Cor. IV, 21)? Prius enim virgam dixit, et tamquam 957 virga nucina percussit errantes, ut postea consolaretur eos spiritu mansuetndinis. Itaque quem virga sacramentis abdicavit coelestibus, eumdem mansuetudo restituit. Discipulo quoque talia praescripta dedit, dicens:  Argue, obsecra, increpa (II Tim. IV, 2). Duo dura, unum mite: sed ideo dura, ut etiam ipsa molliret; quia sicut aegris redundanti felle corporibus ciborum aut potus amaritudo dulcescit, et contra epularum suavitas amaritudini est: ita ubi animus est saucius, voluptariae fotu adulationis aegrescit, et rursum correctionis temperatur amaritudine.

 1114B 5. Haec de prophetica lectione libata sint: Evangelii quoque lectio quid habeat consideremus:  Rogavit quidam pharisaeus Dominum Jesum, ut manducaret cum illo; et ingressus domum Pharisaei, discubuit. Et ecce mulier, quae erat in civitate peccatrix, ut cognovit quod Jesus accubuit in domo Pharisaei, attulit alabastrum unguenti: et stans retro secus pedes ejus,   lacrymis coepit rigare pedes ejus (Luc. VII, 36 et seq.). Et reliqua recitavit usque ad locum:  Fides tua te salvam fecit, vade in pace. Quam simplex, subjunxi, in verbis, quam profunda in consiliis Evangelii lectio! Itaque quia magni consiliarii sermo est, altitudinem ejus consideremus (Esai. IX, 6).

6. Dominus noster Jesus Christus judicavit magis homines beneficiis alligari posse, et provocari ad  1114C ea quae sunt recta facienda, quam metu: plusque charitatem proficere, quam formidinem ad correctionem. Itaque praemisit gratiam, veniens per Virginis partum; ut in baptismo peccata donaret, quo sibi faceret gratiores. Deinde si competentia gratis viris officia reponeremus, ipsius gratiae remunerationem futuram omnium in hac muliere declaravit. Nam si tantummodo prima debita nobis remisisset, videretur cautior, quam indulgentior; correctionisque providentior quam remunerationis magnificentior. Angusti animi sola astutia est, ut illiciat: Deo autem convenit, ut quos invitaverit per gratiam, eosdem gratiae ipsius incrementis provehat. Ideoque nobis et ante donat per baptismum, et post bene servientibus uberiora largitur. Ita ergo Christi beneficia  1114D et incentiva virtutis et praemia sunt.

 1115A 7. Sed nemo vocabulum feneratoris horrescat. Fuimus ante sub feneratore duro, qui nisi morte debitoris expleri ac satiari nequiret (Luc. 7, 41). Venit Dominus Jesus, vidit gravi nos obligatos fenore. Nemo fenus suum patrimonio innocentiae suae poterat exsolvere: de meo, unde me liberarem, habere non poteram, novum genus absolutionis mihi detulit; ut creditorem mutarem, quia fenus unde solverem, non habebam. Debitores autem nos non natura, sed culpa fecerat; peccatis enim nostris aera gravia contraximus, 958 ut essemus obnoxii, qui eramus liberi; debitor enim est, qui aliquid accepit de feneratoris pecunia. Peccatum vero a diabolo est: tamquam in ejus patrimonio has habet impius opes; sicut enim Christi divitiae virtutes sunt,  1115B ita diaboli opes crimina sunt. Redegerat humanum genus in perpetuam captivitatem obnoxiae haereditatis gravi fenore, quod obaeratus auctor ad posteros de fenerata successione transmiserat. Venit Dominus Jesus, mortem suam pro morte omnium obtulit, sanguinem suum pro sanguine fudit universorum.

8. Mutavimus ergo creditorem, non evasimus; immo evasimus, manet enim debitum, fenus intercidit, dicente Domino Jesu  qui in vinculis sunt: Exite; et his qui in carcere sunt: Procedite; dimissa sunt ergo peccata vestra (Esai. XLIX, 9). Omnibus igitur dimisit, nec quisquam est, cui non relaxarit. Sic enim scriptum est, quia donavit  omnia delicta, delens quod adversum nos erat chirographum decreti (Coloss. II, 13, 14). Cur nos aliorum tenemus chirographa,  1115C et volumus exigere aliena, qui nostrorum utimur indulgentia? Qui donavit omnibus, ab omnibus exigit; ut quod unusquisque sibi dimissum meminit, alii ipse dimittat.

9. Vide ne graviorem causam incipias habere fenerator, quam debitor: sicut ille in Evangelio, cui Dominus suus dimisit omne debitum, ille postea a conservo suo coepit exigere, quod ipse non solverat; unde iratus dominus ejus de ipso summis exegit injuriis, quod ei ante donaverat (Matth. XVIII, 27 et seq.). Caveamus ergo ne nobis hoc accidat, ut non remittendo, quae nobis debentur, incipiamus et illa solvere quae remissa sunt nobis; ita enim scriptum est, dicente Domino Jesu:  Sic et vobis faciet Pater meus, qui in coelis est, si non remiseritis unusquisque   1115D   fratri suo de cordibus vestris (Ibid., 34). Dimittamus ergo pauca, quibus plura donata sunt: et intelligamus eo nos Deo acceptiores fore, quo etiam plura donamus; quia hoc gratiores Deo sumus, quo nobis dimissa sunt.

10. Denique interrogatus a Domino pharisaeus:  Quis, inquit,  eum plus diligit? Respondit:  Aestimo quia is cui plus donavit. Cui Dominus dixit:  Recte   1116A   judicasti (Luc. VII, 42, 43). Laudatur Pharisaei judicium, sed arguitur affectus. De aliis bene judicat: sed quod de aliis opinatur, ipse non credit. Audis laudantem Judaeum Ecclesiae disciplinam, ejusque veram gratiam praedicantem, honorantem sacerdotes Ecclesiae, hortaris ut credat, renuit; ita quod in nobis laudat, ipse non sequitur. Non ergo plena ejus laudatio est, quia audivit a Christo:  Recte   judicasti; nam et Cain recte obtulit, sed non recte divisit: ideoque dixit illi Deus:  Si recte offeras, non recte autem dividas: peccasti, quiesce (Gen. IV, 7). Ergo et hic recte 959 obtulit, quia judicat Christum a christianis amplius diligendum; quia multa nobis peccata donavit: sed non recte divisit, quia putavit quod peccata hominum posset ignorare,  1116B qui hominibus peccata dimitteret.

11. Ideoque ait Simoni:  Vides hanc mulierem? Intravi in domum tuam, aquam pedibus meis non dedisti: haec autem lacrymis suis rigavit pedes meos (Luc. VII, 44). Omnes unum corpus Christi sumus, cui caput Deus, membra autem nos sumus (I Cor. XII, 12): alii fortasse oculi, ut prophetae: dentes: ut apostoli, qui Evangelicae praedicationis cibum nostris infudere pectoribus; meritoque scriptum est:  Oculi ejus hilares a vino, et dentes candidiores lacte (Gen. XLIX, 12). Sunt et manus ejus illi, qui videntur exsecutores bonorum operum. Sunt et venter ejus, qui vires alimoniae pauperibus largiuntur. Sunt ergo et pedes ejus aliqui: atque utinam merear ejus esse calcaneum! Aquam igitur mittit in pedes Christi, qui  1116C etiam ultimis quibusque peccata concedit; et dum plebeios liberat, Christi tamen lavat vestigium.

12. Mittit et ille aquam in pedes Christi, qui a peccatorum colluvione mundat conscientiam suam; ambulat enim Christus in pectoribus singulorum. Cave igitur ne pollutam habeas conscientiam, et pedes Christi incipias inquinare. Cave ne spinam in te improbitatis offendat, qua ejus in te deambulantis calcaneum saucietur (Luc. VII, 44). Nam ideo aquam pedibus Christi non dedit pharisaeus, quia mundum a colluvione perfidiae animum non habebat. Unde enim suam mundaret conscientiam, qui aquam non susceperat Christi? Ecclesia autem et aquam habet, et lacrymas habet: aquam baptismatis, lacrymas poenitentiae. Fides namque, quae superiora peccata  1116D deplorat, nova cavere consuevit. Ergo Simon pharisaeus, qui aquam non habebat, utique et lacrymas non habebat. Quomodo enim haberet lacrymas, qui poenitentiam non gerebat; quoniam vero non credebat in Christum, nec habebat lacrymas? Nam si habuisset, lavisset oculos suos; ut Christum videret quem adhuc, cum simul accumberet, non videbat. Nam si vidisset, non utique de ejus potestate dubitasset.

 1117A 13. Non habebat capillos pharisaeus, qui Nazaraeum scire non poterat: habebat Ecclesia, quae Nazaraeum quaerebat. Capilli veluti in superfluis corporis aestimantur; iidem tamen si ungantur, bonum reddunt odorem, et ornamento sunt capiti: si non ungantur oleo, ingravant; ita et divitiae oneri sunt, si his uti nescias, si non aspergas iis Christi odorem. Si vero alas pauperes, laves eorum vulnera, illuviemque detergas; tersisti utique pedes Christi.

14.  Osculum mihi non dedisti: haec autem ex quo intravi, non cessavit osculari pedes meos (Ibid., 45). Osculum utique insigne est charitatis. Unde ergo Judaeo osculum, qui pacem non recognovit, qui pacem a Christo non accepit dicente:  Pacem meam do vobis, pacem meam relinquo vobis (Joan. XIV, 27)? Non  1117B habet Synagoga osculum; habet Ecclesia, 960 quae exspectavit, quae dilexit, quae dixit:  Osculetur me ab osculis oris sui (Cant. I, 1); diuturnae enim cupiditatis ardorem, quem adventus Dominici exspectatione adoleverat, osculo ejus volebat stillanter exstinguere, hoc explere sitim suam munere. Ideoque sanctus Propheta ait:  Os meum aperies, et annuntiabit laudem tuam (Psal. L, 17). Qui ergo laudat Dominum Jesum, osculatur eum: qui laudat, credit utique. Denique ipse David ait:  Credidi, propter quod locutus sum (Psal. CXV, 10); et supra:  Repleatur os meum laude tua, et cantem gloriam tuam (Ps. LXX, 8).

15. De specialis quoque gratiae infusione eadem te Scriptura docet, quod osculetur Christum, qui accipit Spiritum, dicente propheta sancto:  Os meum   1117C   aperui, et attraxi Spiritum (Psal. CXVIII, 131). Osculatur ergo Christum, qui confitetur illum:  Corde enim creditur ad justitiam, ore autem confessio fit ad salutem (Rom. X, 10). Osculatur vero pedes Christi, qui Evangelium legens, Domini Jesu gesta cognoscit et pio miratur affectu; ideoque religioso osculo velut quaedam deambulantis Domini lambit vestigia. Osculamur ergo Christum communionis osculo:  Qui legit, intelligat (Matth. XXIV, 15).

16. Unde hoc Judaeo osculum? Qui enim non credidit in adventum ejus, nec in passionem credidit. Quomodo enim credit passum, quem venisse non credidit? Non ergo habebat osculum pharisaeus, nisi forte Judae proditoris. Sed nec Judas habebat, ideoque cum Judaeis promissum osculum, tamquam signum proditionis vellet ostendere, dicit ei Dominus:  1117D   Juda, osculo Filium hominis tradis (Luc. XXII, 48): hoc est, osculum offers, qui non habes osculi charitatem: osculum offers, qui nescis osculi sacramentum. Osculum non labiorum quaeritur, sed cordis et mentis.

17. Sed dicis: Osculatus est Dominum. Verum osculatus est labiis. Hoc habet osculum populus Judaeorum,  1118A ideoque dictum est:  Populus hic labiis me honorat, cor autem eorum longe est a me (Matth. XV, 8). Ergo non habet osculum, qui fidem et charitatem non habet; osculo enim vis amoris imprimitur. Ubi non est amor, non est fides, non est dilectio; quae potest esse suavitas osculorum?

18. Ecclesia autem non cessat osculari pedes Christi; et ideo non unum, sed multa in Canticis canticorum exigit oscula (Cant. I, 1), quae velut sancta Maria ad omnes ejus est intenta sermones, omnia ejus verba excipit; cum legitur Evangelium, vel propheta, et omnia ejus dicta conservat in corde suo (Luc. II, 51). Sola ergo Ecclesia habet oscula quasi sponsa; osculum enim quasi pignus est nuptiarum, et praerogativa conjugii. Unde Judaeo oscula,  1118B qui non credit in Sponsum? Unde Judaeo oscula, qui Sponsum adhuc venisse non novit?

19. Nec solum oscula non habet, sed nec oleum habet, quo ungat pedes Christi (Luc. VII, 46); nam si haberet oleum, cervicem utique suam ante molliret. Denique Moyses dicit:  Populus hic dura cervice est (Exod. XXXIV, 9); et Dominus ait quod levita et sacerdos praeterierunt, nec quisquam eorum 961 oleum aut vinum illius a latronibus percussi vulneribus infudit (Luc. X, 31, 32): non enim habebant quod infunderent; nam si habuissent oleum, suis quoque vulneribus infudissent. Sed clamat Esaias:  Non est malagma imponere, neque oleum, neque alligaturam (Esai. I, 6).

20. Ecclesia autem habet oleum, quo suorum  1118C vulnera fovet; ne duritia vulneris alte serpat: habet oleum, quod accepit absconse. Hoc oleo Aser pedem suum lavit, sicut scriptum est:  Benedictus filius Aser; et erit acceptus fratribus suis, et intinget in oleo pedum suum (Deut. XXXIII, 24). Hoc ergo oleo ungit Ecclesia eervices suorum, ut suscipiant jugum Christi: hoc oleo unxit martyres, ut saecularem ab eis pulverem detergeret: hoc oleo confessores unxit; ne labori cederent, ne succumberent fatigati, ne aestu mundi istius vincerentur: ideo unxit eos, ut spiritali ipsos oleo refrigeraret.

21. Synagoga hoc oleum non habet, quae olivam non habet, quae non intellexit illam columbam, quae ramum oleae detulit post diluvium (Gen. VIII, 11). Illa enim columba postea descendit, cum Christus baptizaretur, et mansit super eum, sicut in Evangelio  1118D testatur Joannes dicens:  Quia vidi Spiritum descendentem de coelo quasi columbam, et mansit super eum (Joan. I, 32). Quomodo ergo vidit columbam, qui non vidit eum, super quem Spiritus quasi columba descendit?

22. Ecclesia igitur et lavat pedes Christi, et capillis suis tergit, et oleo ungit, et perfundit unguento;  1119A quia non solum saucios curat, et lassos fovet; verum etiam suavi gratiae odore respergit: nec divitibus tantum ac potentioribus, sed etiam plebeiae familiae viris eamdem transfundit gratiam, aequa omnes lance examinat, omnes eodem sinu suscipit; eodem gremio fovet.

23. Semel mortuus Christus est, semel sepultus est: et nihilominus quotidie vult in pedes suos mitti unguentum. In quos ergo Christi pedes mittimus unguentum? Pedes Christi illi sunt, de quibus ipse dicit:  Quod uni horum minimorum fecistis, mihi fecistis (Matth. XXV, 40). Hos pedes illa mulier Evangelica refrigerat, hos lacrymis suis irrigat (Luc. VII, 38); quando infimis peccatum remittitur, culpa lavatur, donatur indulgentia. Hos pedes osculatur ille, qui etiam infimos plebis sacrae diligit. Hos pedes  1119B unguento ungit ille, qui etiam tenuioribus mansuetudinis suae gratiam impertit. In his se martyres, in his apostoli, in his ipse Dominus Jesus honorari indicat.

24. Vides quam moralis Dominus sit, ut exemplo sui te ad pietatem provocet: moralis est etiam, cum arguit. Denique accusans Judaeos ait:  Popule meus, quid feci tibi, aut quid contristavi te, aut quid molestus fui tibi? Responde mihi. Quia e duxi te de terra Aegypti, et de domo servitutis liberavi te  (Mich. VI, 3, 4)? Et addidit:  Et misi ante faciem tuam Moysen et Aaron et Mariam (Num. XXIII, 2 et seq.). In mente habeto quid cogitaverit in te Balac, hoc est, ille magicae artis opem quaerens; sed tamen eum tibi non permisi nocere. Deprimebaris utique in peregrinis exsulans terris, gravibus 962 urgebaris oneribus: misi ante  1119C faciem tuam Moysen et Aaron et Mariam, et primum ille, qui spoliaverat exsulem, spoliatus ipse est (Exod. XIV, 29). Tu, qui amiseras tua, acquisisti aliena, liberatus ab hostibus circumvallantibus, atque inter aquas medias tutus stragem vidisti inimicorum tuorum, cum eadem unda, quae te circumfusa provexerat, hostem refusa demergeret. Nonne cum tibi per desertum venienti alimenta deessent, altricem tibi pluviam, et commeatus, quocumque pergeres, circumfluos ministravi (Exod. XVI, 4 et seq.)? Nonne te, debellatis inimicis omnibus, in regionem Botryonis induxi (Num. XIII, 24)? Nonne ipsum Sehon Amorrhaeorum regem (Num. XXI, 26), hoc est, superbum, exasperantium ducem: nonne regem Hai viventem tibi tradidi, quem suffixum ligno ac sublatum  1119D in cruce maledicto vetere condemnasti (Josue VIII, 23 et seq.)? Quid dicam caesa quinque regum agmina, quae debitas tibi terras negare contendebant (Josue X, 26)? Et nunc pro his omnibus quid aliud a te quaeritur, homo, nisi ut facias judicium et justitiam, et diligas misericordiam, et paratus sis ire cum Domino Deo tuo (Mich. VI, 8)?

 1120A 25. Ad ipsum regem David, illum pium atque mansuetum, qualis per Nathan prophetam expostulatio? Ego, inquit (II Reg. XII, 7 et seq.), te minorem elegi de fratribus tuis: ego te mansuetudinis replevi spiritu: ego te per Samuelem, in quo ego eram, et meum nomen, unxi in regem. Ego te, sublato illo rege superiore, quem malus spiritus exagitabat, ut persequeretur sacerdotes Domini, de exsule feci triumphatorem. Ego de semine tuo in throno tuo non prius haeredem quam consortem locavi. Ego tibi feci etiam alienigenas subditos, ut tibi serviant, qui te impugnabant: et tu servientes mihi in potestatem deduces inimicorum meorum: et tu auferes quod erat servuli mei, in quo et tibi peccatum inuritur, et habebunt de quo mei adversarii glorientur?

26. Ergo imperator, ut jam non solum de te, sed  1120B etiam ad te verba convertam; quoniam advertis quam graviter Dominus convenire soleat, quo gloriosior factus es, eo amplius auctori tuo deferendum noveris. Scriptum est enim (Deut. IX, 4): Cum te induxerit Dominus Deus tuus in terram alienam et manducaveris fructus alienos, non dicas: Virtus mea et justitia mea hoc mihi dedit; sed Dominus donavit Deus, sed Christus misericordia sua contulit; et ideo corpus ejus, hoc est, Ecclesiam diligendo, aquam da pedibus ejus, osculare pedes ejus (Joan. XII, 3); ut non solum absolvas eos, qui in peccatis deprehensi sunt, verum etiam pace tua dones concordiae, et quieti relaxes. Mitte unguentum in pedes ejus, ut tota domus in qua Christus recumbit, tuo repleatur unguento, omnes recumbentes cum eo gaudeant tuis  1120C odoribus, hoc est, sic honora ultimos, ut eorum absolutione gaudeant angeli, sicut super uno peccatore poenitentiam agente (Luc. XV, 10); laetentur apostoli, delectentur prophetae. Non enim possunt dicere oculi manui:  Operam tuam non desideramus; aut caput pedibus: 963  Non estis mihi necessarii (I Cor. XII, 21). Ergo quia omnes necessarii sunt, tuere omne corpus Domini Jesu; ut ipse quoque regnum tuum coelesti sua dignatione custodiat.

27. Ubi descendi, ait mihi: De nobis proposuisti. Respondi: Hoc tractavi, quod ad utilitatem tuam pertineret. Tunc ait: Re vera de synagoga reparanda ab episcopo durius statueram, sed emendatum est. Monachi multa scelera faciunt. Tunc Timasius magister equitum et peditum coepit adversum  1120D monachos esse vehementior. Respondi ei: Ego cum imperatore ago, ut oportet; quia novi quod habeat Domini timorem: tecum autem aliter agendum, qui tam dura loqueris.

28. Deinde cum aliquamdiu starem, dico imperatori: Fac me securum pro te offerre, absolve animum meum. Cum assideret, annueretque, non  1121A tamen aperte polliceretur, atque ego starem, dixit se emendaturum rescriptum. Statim dicere coepi, ut omnem cognitionem tolleret; ne occasione cognitionis comes aliqua christianos attereret injuria. Promisit futurum. Aio illi: Ago fide tua; et repetivi: Ago fide tua. Age, inquit, fide mea. Et ita ad altare accessi, non aliter accessurus, nisi mihi plene promisisset. Et vere tanta oblationis fuit gratia, ut sentirem etiam ipse eam Deo nostro commendatiorem fuisse gratiam, et divinam praesentiam non defuisse. Omnia itaque ex sententia gesta sunt.