Chapter XV.

An explanation of Acts ii. 36and Proverbs viii. 22, which are shown to refer properly to Christ’s manhood alone.

95. To no purpose, then, is the heretics’ customary citation of the Scripture, that “God made Him both Lord and Christ.” Let these ignorant persons read the whole passage, and understand it. For thus it is written. “God made this Jesus, Whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.”183    Acts ii. 36. Cf. 1 John iv. 3. It was not the Godhead, but the flesh, that was crucified. This, indeed, was possible, because the flesh allowed of being crucified. It follows not, then, that the Son of God is a created being.

96. Let us despatch, then, that passage also, which they do use to misrepresent,—let them learn what is the sense of the words, “The Lord created Me.”184    Prov. viii. 22.   Note on Prov. viii. 22, cited in § 96.—The A.V. is “The Lord possessed me,” and the Vulgate likewise Dominus possedit me. The Greek versions of the passage appear to have presented two readings, which might exhibit little difference to the eye in a closely-written ms., though the difference in meaning was by no means small. The two readings were: (1) ἔκτισέ με and (2) εκτήσατό με: the former meaning “founded,” “established,” or “created” me, the latter “acquired me.” The strict Greek equivalent of possedit (Vulgate) or “possessed” (A.V.) would be ἐκέκτητο. It is not “the Father created,” but “the Lord created Me.” The flesh acknowledgeth its Lord, praise declareth the Father: our created nature confesseth the first, loveth, knoweth the latter. Who, then, cannot but perceive that these words announce the Incarnation? Thus the Son speaketh of Himself as created in respect of that wherein he witnesseth to Himself as being man, when He says, “Why seek ye to kill Me, a man, Who have told you the truth?” He speaketh of His Manhood, wherein He was crucified, and died, and was buried.

97. Furthermore, there is no doubt but that the writer set down as past that which was to come; for this is the usage of prophecy, that things to come are spoken of as though they were already present or past. For example, in the twenty-first185    The 22d in the Prayer-Book and Bible. See Ps. xxii. 13—compare S. Matt. xxvii. 36; S. Luke xxiii. 35. psalm you have read: “Fat bulls (of Bashan) have beset me,” and again:186    Ps. xxii. 19. Cf. S. Matt. xxvii. 35; S. Mark xv. 24; S. Luke xxiii. 34; S. John xix. 23–24. “They parted My garments among them.” This the Evangelist showeth to have been spoken prophetically of the time of the Passion, for to God the things that are to come are present, and for Him Who foreknoweth all things, they are as though they were past and over; as it is written, “Who hath made the things that are to be.”187    Is. xlv. 11. A.V.—“Ask me of things to come.” Vulgate, l.c.—Ventura interrogate me.

98. It is no wonder that He should declare His place to have been set fast before all worlds, seeing that the Scripture tells us that He was foreordained before the times and ages. The following passage discovers how the words in question present themselves as a true prophecy of the Incarnation: “Wisdom hath built her an house, and set up seven pillars to support it, and she hath slain her victims. She hath mingled her wine in the bowl, and made ready her table, and sent her servants, calling men together with a mighty voice of proclamation, saying: ‘He who is simple, let him turn in to me.’”188    2 Tim. i. 9; Prov. ix. 1 f. Do we not see, in the Gospel, that all these things were fulfilled after the Incarnation, in that Christ disclosed the mysteries of the Holy Supper, sent forth His apostles, and cried with a loud voice, saying, “If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink.”189    S. John vii. 37. That which followeth, then, answereth to that which went before, and we behold the whole story of the Incarnation set forth in brief by prophecy.

99. Many other passages might readily be seen to be prophecies of this sort concerning the Incarnation, but I will not delay over books, lest the treatise appear too wordy

463 CAPUT XV.

Duobus Scripturae locis quibus factus et creatus Christus dicitur, ut satisfaciat sanctus Praesul: illos non nisi secundum naturam hominis ipsi convenire declarat: in quibus etiam praeteritum pro futuro positum esse ex sacrorum codicum auctoritate planum facit.

95. [Alias cap. VII.] Unde et illud vane jactare consuerunt quod scriptum est: Et Dominum eum et Christum fecit Deus. Imperiti legant totum, et intelligant; sic enim scriptum est: Et Dominum eum fecit, et Christum fecit Deus hunc Jesum, quem vos crucifixistis (Act. II, 36). Non divinitas crucifixa, sed caro est. Hoc utique fieri potuit, quod potuit crucifigi. Non ergo factura Dei Filius.

96. Facessat igitur et illud, de quo calumniari 0551A solent, et discant quemadmodum dictum sit: Dominus creavit me. (Prov. VIII, 22). Non dixit: Pater creavit, sed Dominus creavit me. Caro Dominum agnoscit, gloria Patrem significat: creatura nostra Dominum confitetur, charitas Patrem novit. Itaque quis ignoret quia ob causam incorporationis hoc dicitur? In eo igitur se creatum dicit, in quo et hominem testificatur dicens: Quid me quaeritis occidere hominem, qui veritatem locutus sum vobis (Joan. VII, 20)? Hominem dicit, in quo et crucifixus et mortuus, et sepultus est.

97. Nec dubitandum quod praeteritum posuit, quod erat futurum: haec enim consuetudo est prophetiae, ut quae futura sunt, vel quasi praesentia, vel quasi facta dicantur. Denique in psalmo XXI legisti: 0551B Tauri pingues obsederunt me (Psal. XXI, 13); legisti etiam: Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea (Ibid., 19): quod evangelista de tempore passionis prophetatum esse significat; Deo enim quae sunt futura, praesentia sunt: et ei cui praecognita sunt omnia, ventura pro factis sunt, sicut scriptum est: Qui fecit quae ventura sunt (Esai. XLV).

98. Nec mirum si ante saecula fundatum se esse dicit, cum legeris praedestinatum ante tempora saecularia. Quam vere de incarnatione id videatur expressum, declarant sequentia: Sapientia, inquit, aedificavit sibi domum, et subdidit columnas septem, et interfecit suas hostias: miscuit in cratera vinum suum, et paravit suam mensam; et misit suos servos, convocans cum altissima praedicatione, dicens: Qui est insipiens 0551C declinet ad me (Prov. IX, 1 et seq.). Nonne in Evangelio post incarnationem haec omnia videmus esse completa, quod sacri convivii celebravit mysteria, quod apostolos misit, voce magna clamavit dicens: Si quis sitit, veniat ad me, et bibat (Joan. VII, 37)? Ergo sequentia respondent prioribus, et totius cursum incarnationis videmus prophetiae expositione digestum.

99. Multa alia documenta praesto esse possent hujusmodi de incarnatione dicta videri: sed non me involvo libris, ne tractatus videatur esse diffusior.