After a long interval, we have returned to our mother, to this church so beloved and desired by all, to our mother and the mother of all churches. A For it is a mother, not only because it is older in time, but because it was founded by apostolic hands; for this reason, though often razed for the name of Christ, it was again set upright through the power of Christ. For not only did apostolic hands found it, but the decree of the Master of the apostles also walled it about with a new and paradoxical kind of fortification. He did not build the enclosure by joining together wood and stones, nor did he surround it with a trench, or drive in stakes, or raise towers to secure it; but he uttered two simple sentences, and these sufficed for it instead of a wall, and a tower, and a trench, and every kind of safety. And what are these words, which possess such great power? "Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). B This is the wall, this the enclosure, this the safety, this the harbor and refuge. Consider, then, the unbreakable nature of this wall. For he did not say that the plots of men would not prevail against her, but that not even the engines of hell themselves would; "The gates of hell," he says, "shall not prevail against her." He did not say, "They shall not attack her," but that "they shall not prevail against her"; for they do attack, but they do not overcome her. But what ever are the "gates of hell"? For the saying is perhaps obscure. Let us learn what the gate of a city is, and then we shall know what the gate of hell is. The gate of a city is the entrance into the city; therefore, the gate of hell is also a danger leading into hell. The meaning, then, is this: If such dangers break forth and attack as to carry us down to hell itself, the Church remains unshaken. He could have prevented her from experiencing these terrors; why, then, did he allow it? Because it is a far greater thing than preventing trials to allow them to come, and yet to allow no harm to be suffered from their onset. For this reason he allowed all the trials to come, so that he might make her more refined; "For tribulation worketh patience, and patience trial" (Rom. 5:3, 4). C And in order that he might display his own power with even greater abundance, he snatches her from the very gates of death. For this reason he allowed the storm to arise, but did not allow the ship to be sunk. We admire the pilot, not when he sails with a fair wind, or when the wind is at the stern, that he saves the ship; but when the sea is restless, and the waves are raging, and the winter storm is breaking, he opposes his art to the force of the winds and snatches the ship from the midst of the storm. Christ did the same. Having allowed the Church to be tossed once more upon the world like a ship upon the sea, he did not destroy the storm, but he snatched her from the storm; he did not calm the sea, but he secured the ship; and when the crowds everywhere were rising up like wild waves, and the evil spirits were attacking her like harsh winds, and the storm was rising from every side, he created great calm for the Church; and the marvel is that not only did the winter storm not sink the ship, but the ship itself destroyed the storm. D For the constant persecutions not only did not sink the Church, but they were dissolved by the Church. How and in what manner, and from whence? From this decree which says, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against her." How much did the Greeks labor, so that they might tear down this saying, so that they might make this decree like chaff, and they could not destroy it? For it was the decree of God. And just as enemies, pelting a tower constructed of adamant stones and precisely joined with iron from every side, neither weaken the structure nor loosen the harmony, but go away having caused no harm to the tower, and having destroyed their own strength; so too did this saying, like a high tower fortified with safety in the midst of the world, remain, while the Greeks, pelting it from every side, both revealed it as strong and, having destroyed their own strength, perished. For what did they not devise against this decree? Armies were prepared, weapons were moved, kings were armed, crowds were stirred up, cities were rising, judges were provoked, every form of punishment was invented; no method of torture was left out—fire, and iron, and the teeth of beasts, and cliffs, and drownings, and pits, and the stake, and the cross, and the furnace, and everything that has ever been seen as instruments of torture were brought into the midst; an unbearable weight of threats, ineffable promises of honors, so that by one means they might frighten, and by the other they might dissolve and entice. No form of deceit or violence was left out. For fathers handed over their children, and children forgot their parents; mothers forgot their pangs; and the laws of nature were overturned. But still, the foundations of the Church were not shaken even so; but through this kinship the war was raised and the...
A assault did not touch or reach its walls, because of that word which said, *The gates of hell shall not prevail against it* (Matt. XVI, 18). For do not dwell on the word itself, but on the fact that it is the word of God. For God strengthened the heaven with a word (Ps. XXXII, 6), and founded the earth upon the waters (Ps. CIII, 5), and caused this dense and heavy nature to be supported by that light and flowing one; and the sea, whose force is indomitable, which rises up with so many waves and storms, he walled in on all sides with a weak rampart of sand by his word. Therefore, if he who strengthened the heaven, who founded the earth, who walled in the sea with a word, B why do you marvel if he has guarded the Church—more precious than heaven, earth, and sea—with this same word? So stable and unshaken is the building, so impregnable the defense. Let us see how the apostles laid the foundations, and how deep a trench they dug so that the building might become unshaken. They did not dig a deep trench, nor did they need so much labor. Why so? They found an ancient foundation, which had been laid by the prophets. Just as a man who is going to build a very large house, after he finds a foundation that is old, strong, and stable, does not pry up the foundations with crowbars or move the stones, but leaving them immovable, imposes the new building: so also the apostles, when they were about to build this great C building, the Church, which is erected everywhere in the world, did not dig a deep trench; but having found the ancient foundation of the prophets, they did not in the least subvert it, nor did they change the building or the doctrine; but leaving that intact, they then imposed their own teaching, namely, this new faith of the Church. And that you may learn that they did not move the ancient foundation, but built upon it, hear the wise architect Paul himself, who declares to us the exact diligence of the building: for he himself is a wise architect. *For as a wise architect*, he says, *I have laid the foundation* (I Cor. III, 10). But let us see how he laid the foundation himself. *Upon another*, he says, *an ancient foundation of the prophets*. Whence is this established? *You are now no longer strangers*, he says, *but citizens of the saints, built upon the foundation of the apostles and D prophets* (Eph. II, 19, 20). You see the foundation and the foundation; one of the prophets, the other of the apostles, which is placed above. And what is surely wonderful is that the apostles did not come immediately after the prophets, but much time elapsed in between. Why so? Because this is what all the best architects do: when they have laid the foundation, they do not immediately impose the building, lest perhaps, while the structure of the foundation is soft and recent, it may not be able to bear the heavy weight of the walls. Therefore, when they have let the stones be strengthened over a long time, when they see them properly joined and compacted, then they also impose a mass of walls. So too did Christ; when he had permitted the foundation of the prophets to be fixed in the minds of the hearers and the doctrine to become firm, when he saw that the building was immovable and 80 stable, when he saw that the dogmas were holy, so that they could even bear this new philosophy, then he sent the apostles, that they might raise the walls of the Church upon the foundation of the prophets. Therefore he did not say, *built upon the foundation of the prophets*, but *built upon* (superædificati), meaning built over. But let us see just how they were built.
Explanation of the title of the Acts of the Apostles; the difference between an action and a miracle; another difference between a miracle and an action.
But whence, truly, shall we know this? Whence, I ask, but from the book of the Acts, about which we discoursed in previous days? For perhaps we owe you some small debt from that source, which it is necessary that we pay this day. What, then, is that debt? Let us endeavor to interpret the very title of the book. For it is not as easy and open as many think, but requires much inquiry. What, then, is the title of the book? *The Acts of the Apostles*. Does it not seem to be a lucid thing, does it not seem clear to all, and manifest? But if you wish to attain to those things that are said, you will see how great the depth of this title is. For why did he not say, *The Miracles of the Apostles*? Why did he not inscribe it, *The Signs of the Apostles*, or *The Virtues and Prodigies of the Apostles*, but only *The Acts of the Apostles*? For *acts* and *signs* are not the same; *acts* and *miracles* are not the same; *acts* and *prodigies* and *virtues* are not the same; but there is much difference between the two. For an *act* is the work of one’s own diligence, but a *miracle* is a benefit of divine favor. You see how great a difference there is between an *act* and a *miracle*? An *act* is the effect of human labors; a *miracle* is a specimen of divine liberality. An *act* takes its beginning from our own will; a *miracle* draws its origin from divine grace; the former is of heavenly assistance, the latter is of human choice. An *act* is woven from both, from our diligence and from divine grace; a *miracle* exhibits only heavenly grace, nor does it stand in need of our labors. An *act* is to have virtuous morals, to be chaste, modest, to control anger, to subdue desires, to bestow alms, to exhibit kindness, to exercise every virtue: this is an action and labor and our sweat. A *miracle* is to drive away demons, to open sightless eyes, to cleanse the bodies of lepers, to knit together disjointed limbs, to raise the dead, and to perform other such wonderful works. You see how great is the difference between acts and miracles, between conduct and signs, between our diligence and the grace of God? For this reason is this discourse instituted by me this day, that you may learn what a miracle and a sign are. A miracle is indeed greater and more formidable, and surpasses our nature; but an action and conduct, although a thing lesser than signs, is more useful and fruitful; for it is the prize of labors and the reward of diligence. And that you may understand that an action is more fruitful and useful than a sign: for a good action, even without signs, leads those by whom it has been performed into heaven; but a miracle and a sign without conduct cannot lead to those vestibules. But I will show how this comes to pass; do you take note.
A For it is in regard to the reward of wages that the matter is handled: in what way the signs, though they are in themselves signs, do not save those who perform them, while conduct, being in itself sufficient, requires nothing else for the salvation of those who possess it. B *Many will say to me,* says Christ, *in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in thy name?* This is a sign and a wonder. *Did we not in thy name cast out many devils, and did many wonderful works?* (Matth. 7:22). Do you see signs and wonders everywhere? Let us see what God says. Since the wonders were bare, and nowhere was there conduct: *Depart from me,* he says, *I do not know you, you who practice lawlessness* (Ibid. v. 23). If he does not know them, how does he know them to be practicing lawlessness? So that you may learn that the words *I do not know you* are not a matter of ignorance, but of hatred and turning away. C *I do not know you.* For what reason, tell me? *Did we not in thy name cast out devils?* It is for this very reason that I cast you out and turn away from you, he says, because not even with these gifts did you become better, because having enjoyed such great honor, you remained in the same wickedness. *Depart from me, I do not know you.*
Why, then, were gifts formerly given to the unworthy; and why did those with corrupted lives demonstrate signs and enjoy the divine gift, without being mindful of excellent conduct? They enjoyed them because of God’s philanthropy, not because of their own worth. For it was necessary for the word of piety to be sown everywhere, since it was the beginning and the prelude of the faith. Just as an excellent gardener, when he first entrusts a newly planted tree to the bosom of the earth, deems it—while it is still tender—worthy of much care, fencing it in on all sides D with stones and thorns, so that it might not be pulled up by the winds, nor harmed by cattle, nor injured by some other such mishap; but when he sees it established and grown to height, he removes the fences—for the tree itself suffices to suffer no such thing—so also has it happened in the case of the faith. When it was newly planted, when it was tender, when it was lately cast into the souls of men, it was deemed worthy of much care from every side; but when it was established and rooted and had grown to height, when it had filled the whole inhabited earth, Christ removed the fences, and finally took away the safeguards. For this reason, in the beginning, gifts were given even to the unworthy; for the early faith, for its own sake, had need of this help; but now they are not given even to the worthy; for the strength of the faith no longer has need of this alliance. And so that you may learn that those men did not lie, but truly performed signs, and that gifts were given to unworthy men, and so that, in addition to what has been said, another thing might be attained, and that they, having revered the gift of God, might put away their wickedness: Judas, the one of the twelve, is acknowledged by all to have performed signs, to have cast out devils, to have raised the dead, to have cleansed lepers; and yet he fell from the kingdom of heaven. For his signs were not able to save him, because he became a thief, and a robber, and a traitor to the Master. A That signs do not possess the power to save without excellent conduct and a pure and precise life is demonstrated by these examples; but that conduct, not having the comfort of signs, and having received no such ally, but appearing by itself, was able with boldness to enter into the kingdom of heaven, hear Christ himself saying: *Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world* (Matth. 25:34). For what reason? Because you raised the dead? Because you cleansed lepers? Because you cast out devils? Not at all; but for what reason? *I was hungry,* he says, *and you fed me; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me* (Ibid. v. 35, 36). Nowhere are there wonders, but everywhere there is conduct. Just as there, everywhere there are wonders, and straightway there is punishment, because the wonders are bare of conduct; so also here, everywhere there is conduct, and nowhere are there wonders, and straightway there is salvation; because excellent conduct has the power in itself to save those who possess it. B For this reason, this blessed and noble and wonderful Luke inscribed his book thus: *Acts of the Apostles*, not *Wonders of the Apostles*; although they did perform wonders. But those came to pass at that time and passed away; but these must be displayed by all who are to be saved throughout all time. Since, therefore, our zeal is not for the signs, but for the deeds of the apostles, for this reason he inscribed the book thus. For so that you might not say—or rather, so that the slothful might not say—when we exhort them to the imitation of the apostles and say: "Imitate Peter, emulate Paul, be like John, follow James," so that they might not say: "We cannot, nor are we able; for those men raised the dead, cleansed the lepers," he stops our shameless excuse, saying: "Be silent, be muzzled; it is not wonders, but conduct that leads into the kingdom of heaven." Emulate, then, the conduct of the apostles, and you will have naught less than the apostles. C For it was not signs that made apostles, but a pure life. And that this is the mark of the apostolic image and of the character of the disciples, hear Christ declaring this sign. For, characterizing the images of the disciples, and showing what the mark of an apostle is, he said thus: *By this shall all men know that you are my disciples* (John 13:35). By this—by what? By performing wonders? By raising the dead? Not so, he says; but by what? *By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.* And love is not a matter of wonders, but of conduct. For *love is the fulfilling of the law* (Rom. 13:10). Have you seen the mark of the disciples? Have you seen the image of the apostolate? Have you seen the form? Have you seen the pattern? Seek no more; for the Master has declared that love characterizes the disciples. If, then, you possess love, you have become an apostle, and the first of the apostles.
A Do you wish to learn this from another source? When he asks Peter, "Do you love me more than these?" he is saying: Nothing is as effective for obtaining the kingdom of heaven as it is to be clearly shown that we love Christ as he ought to be loved. Thus, he designated the evidence. What is it, then? And what must we do to show that we love him more than the apostles? Must we raise the dead? Must we perform other such miracles? By no means. But what must we do? Let us hear it from Christ himself, whom we must love. "If you love me," he says, "more than these, feed my sheep." Observe how here, too, conduct merits praise. For to have care, to be accustomed to sympathy, to offer help, not to seek one's own advantage, and all the rest that a shepherd ought to have—these are all matters of conduct, not of miracles or signs. But someone will say, "Those men became who they are on account of miracles." It was not on account of miracles, but on account of their conduct; and it is for this reason that they were especially famous and illustrious. Therefore, he said to them: "Let your light shine before men, so that men may see," not your miracles, but "your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Do you see how conduct and a life characterized by virtue are praised everywhere? B Do you wish me to show you Peter himself—this leader of the apostles, who both manifested outstanding conduct and performed miracles that surpassed human nature—and to compare both of these, the miracle and the conduct, and prove that he was honored more for his way of life than for his signs? Hear this history: "Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour." Do not pass over this account carelessly, but pause at the very beginning and learn how great their charity was, how great their concord, how great their consensus, and in what manner they communicated all things to one another, and how, bound together by the tie of friendship according to God, they did everything in such a way that both at the table, and in prayer, and in walking, and in all other things, they appeared joined together. But if those who were the columns and towers, who had great confidence before God, needed mutual help and were corrected by mutual support, how much more do we, the weak and miserable, and men of no worth, need mutual help? For "a brother who is helped by a brother is like a fortified city," and again, "Behold, what is good, and what is beautiful, but for brothers to dwell in unity?" Peter and John were together, and they had Jesus in their midst: "For where two or three are gathered," he says, "in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Do you see what it means to be gathered in unity? Nor indeed were they in unity in just any way—for even now we are all in unity—but one must be in unity by the bond of charity and the affection of the will. And just as our bodies are now close to one another and are constricted into one, so also ought our hearts to be constricted. "Peter and John were going up to the temple." The veil has been torn, the holy of holies has been made desolate, and the worship bound to a single place has been removed. Paul cries out and says: "In every place, lift up pure hands." Why, therefore, do these men run to the temple to pray? Have they returned to Jewish infirmity? God forbid! Rather, they were tempering themselves to the weaker ones, fulfilling that which Paul said: "I have become to the Jews as a Jew." They temper themselves to the weak, so that they might not remain weak. C But, on the other hand, the whole city was accustomed to congregate there. Just as the best fishermen pursue those bays in rivers where all the fish gather, so that they may catch their prey more easily, so too did these apostles, the spiritual fishermen, hasten to that bay in which the whole city gathered, so that once they had spread there the net of the Gospel, they might easily catch their prey. And when they did this, they were imitating the Master. For Christ says: "Daily I was with you in the temple." Why in the temple? So that he might catch those who were in the temple. So also did these men go up, indeed as if to pray, but they were going to sow doctrine there. "Into the temple, to pray, about the ninth hour." Nor did they observe the hour itself without cause. For I have often told you about this hour: in it paradise was unlocked, and the thief entered; in it, the curse was removed; in it, the sacrifice of the ends of the earth was offered; in it, darkness was dissipated; in it, light shone forth, both the perceptible and the spiritual. "About the ninth hour." When others, after lunch and drunkenness, are sleeping a deep sleep, then they, sober and watchful, and kindled with much love, were hastening to prayer. And if they needed prayer, such assiduous, such exact prayer—those who had such confidence, who were conscious of no crime—what shall we do, who are full of countless wounds, and do not apply to them the remedy of prayer? Prayer is a great weapon. Do you wish to know how great a weapon prayer is? The apostles were leaving off the care of the poor so that more leisure might be available to them for attending to prayer. "For establish," they said, "from among you seven men of good report: but we will be instant in prayer and the ministry of the word." D (Lest we depart from the argument of the discourse, so that it may be established that Peter both exhibited action, and performed a miracle, and was praised more for the action), he went up, therefore, into the temple to pray: "and behold, a lame man from his mother's womb was carried thither to the gate of the temple." From his very mother's womb his nature had been mutilated, and the illness surpassed the art of medicine, so that the grace of God might appear all the more. This lame man, therefore, was lying at the gate of the temple, and when he saw them entering, he fixed his eyes upon them, seeking to receive alms from them. What, then, did Peter do? "Look upon us," he said. From the appearance alone it can be established how poor he is: there is no need for words, no need for demonstration, no need for a reply, no need for doctrine: the very clothing indicates to you that he is poor. This, therefore, was the whole work and right action of the apostles, to say these things to the poor, so that you might provide a remedy not only to the destitution, but also that you might say, "You shall see greater riches." "Silver," he says, "and gold have I none; but what I have, that I give thee: in the name of Jesus Christ, arise, and walk." [alt-version omitted]
A
6. Come then, let us retract what has been said by us before. In this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another (John 13:35). Behold, it is not from miracles, but from conduct, that the mark of being disciples is demonstrated. "Peter, do you love me more than these? Feed my sheep" (John 21:17). Behold another mark, and this again from conduct. A third mark: "Do not rejoice that the devils obey you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). And this again is a success of conduct. And one might also wish to learn a fourth proof of this? "Let your light," He says, "shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). And here too, works are what appear. And when He says again, "Everyone who has left house, or brothers, or sisters for my sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life" (Matt. 19:29), He praises conduct and an exact life. See you how the disciples are identified by loving one another, and how he who loved Christ more than the apostles is shown by the feeding of the brethren, and how those who ought to rejoice are told to be glad not because they cast out demons, but because their names are written in heaven; and how some by the brightness of their works are shown as glorifying God, and others, having attained to life and receiving the hundredfold, have attained to this gift by the contempt of all present things? Imitate all these, and you shall be able both to be a disciple, B and to be numbered among the friends of God, and to glorify God, and to enjoy eternal life; and there will be no obstacle for you to attaining all these good things, even if you do not perform signs, if you have a well-ordered life. For this name itself, Peter, he did not receive from miracles and signs, but from zeal and genuine affection. For he was not so called because he raised the dead, nor because he set straight the lame; but because he displayed a genuine faith along with his confession, he inherited this name: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church" (Matt. 16:18). For what reason? Not because he performed miracles, but because he said: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Do you see that being called Peter, he received the beginning of it not from miracles, but from burning zeal? But since I have made mention of Peter, there also came into my mind the memory of another Peter, our common father and teacher, who, having succeeded to his excellence, inherited also his chair. For this too is one of the advantages of our city, to have received the leader of the apostles as its teacher from the beginning. For it was necessary that the city which, before all the world, bound upon itself the name of Christians, should receive the first shepherd of the apostles. But having taken him as a teacher, we did not keep him to the end, but yielded him to the queen of cities; or rather, we have had him to the end: for while we do not hold the body of Peter, we hold the faith of Peter as Peter; and holding the faith of Peter, we hold Peter. Thus also we see the imitator of him. C
Behold the gentleness of Peter: "Look upon us." He did not insult, he did not revile, as we often do to those who encounter us, accusing them of being idle. For were you commanded to do this, O man? He did not charge you to rebuke sloth, but to correct poverty; he did not make you an accuser of wickedness, but appointed you a physician of calamity; not that you should reproach laziness, but that you should stretch out a hand to those who have fallen; not that you should blame their way of life, but that you should relieve their hunger. But we do the opposite; instead of comforting those who approach us by giving of our wealth, we additionally grate upon their wounds by the application of reproaches. But he even apologizes to the poor man, and speaks with gentleness: "For bow down," he says, "your ear to the poor without grief, and answer him with peaceable words in meekness" (Eccl. 4:8). "Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that I give thee: in the name of Jesus Christ, arise, and walk." There are two things here: conduct and miracle. Conduct is, "Silver and gold have I none"; for it belongs to conduct to despise earthly things, to reject possessions, to look down upon the present vanity; miracle is to raise the lame, to correct the crippled limbs. Behold then both conduct and miracle. Let us see then whence Peter boasts. What did he say? That he performed miracles? And yet he had performed miracles by then; but he did not say this; but what? "Behold, we have left all, and followed thee" (Matt. 19:27). D Do you see the conduct, and the miracle, and the conduct being crowned? What then does Christ do? He accepted this and praised it. "For I say unto you," He says, "that you who have left houses," and the rest. He did not say, "You who have raised the dead," but "you who have left your possessions, you shall sit upon twelve thrones"; and everyone who has left all his possessions shall enjoy this honor. Are you unable to raise a lame man, as Peter did? But you are able to say, as he did: "Silver and gold have I none." If you say this, you have become near to Peter; or rather, not if you say it, but if you do it. Are you unable to correct a withered hand? But you are able to cause your own hand, which is becoming withered by inhumanity, to be stretched out through philanthropy. For "let not," he says, "your hand be stretched out toward receiving, but drawn in when giving." Do you see that it is not dryness, but inhumanity that withers the hand? Stretch it out then through philanthropy and almsgiving. Are you unable to cast out a demon? But cast out sin, and you shall receive a greater reward. Do you see how everywhere conduct and good works have greater praise than miracles, and provide a larger reward? And if you wish, we will show this from elsewhere. "The seventy disciples," he says, "came to him, and were rejoicing, and saying: Lord, even the demons are subject to us in thy name. And he says to them: Do not rejoice that the demons are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:17–20). Do you see conduct admired everywhere?