A and seek aid from the Spirit, and persuade him to wish to remain with us? Through good works and an excellent way of life. For just as the flame of a lamp is sustained by oil, and when this is consumed, that also is consumed and vanishes; so too the grace of the Spirit, when we have good works and much almsgiving poured out for the soul, remains like the flame sustained by oil; but when this is absent, it departs and withdraws. This is what happened with the five virgins. For even they, after many labors and toils, because they did not have the help that comes from philanthropy, were unable to retain the gift of the Spirit with themselves; and for this reason they were cast out of the bridal chamber, and heard that terrible voice: I do not know you (Matt. 25:12), which was even more grievous than Gehenna. For this reason he also called them foolish; and rightly so, because after they had overcome more tyrannical desires, they were captured by a weaker one. See, I pray: they overcame the violence of nature, they bridled maddened insanity, they calmed the waves of desire, they dwelt on earth while manifesting an angelic life, and while clothed in a body they vied with incorporeal powers; and after such labor, they did not control the desire for money—they were truly foolish and senseless. For this reason they were not even deemed worthy of forgiveness. It was solely a failure of negligence; for those who had been able to extinguish the furnace of desire in such a flame, and had leaped over the race-course, and had shown more than what was enjoined (for virginity is not a law, but is left to the choice of those who hear), then to be defeated by money—who would not be more pitiable than they, having cast the crown from their heads for the sake of a few pieces of silver? I say these things, not to loosen the hands of virgins, nor wishing to extinguish virginity, but so that they may not run to no purpose, so that after myriads of toils they may not depart from the race-course uncrowned and filled with shame. Virginity is good, and the accomplishment is above nature; but this good and great thing, which is above nature, if it does not have philanthropy yoked to it, will not even be able to set foot on the thresholds of the bridal chamber. And mark for me the strength of philanthropy, and the power of almsgiving. Virginity without almsgiving could not lead even to the thresholds of the bridal chamber; but almsgiving without virginity has escorted its own foster-children with many praises into the kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world. For they, because they did not show abundant almsgiving, heard: I do not know you; but those who have given drink to the thirsty and fed the hungry Christ, although they did not put forward virginity, heard: Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Ibid., v. 34). And very rightly: for the one who remains a virgin and fasts is useful to himself; but the one who shows mercy is a common harbor for those who are shipwrecked, correcting the poverty of neighbors, and dissolving the necessities of others. And among good deeds, those are accustomed to be most approved which happen to be to the advantage of others. B
7. And that you may learn that these commandments are more pursued by God than the others: while discoursing about fasting and virginity, he mentions the kingdom of heaven; but when legislating about almsgiving, philanthropy, and making yourselves merciful, he has set a reward much greater than the kingdom of the heavens: That you may become like your Father who is in the heavens, he says. For those laws most of all make men like God—as it is fitting for men to become like God—which result in the common good. And declaring this very thing, Christ said: That he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and rains on the just and the unjust. So also you, having exhausted your power for the common good of your brothers, imitate him who sets his good things before all alike. Great is the dignity of virginity, and for this reason I wish it to be more firmly established. For the dignity of virginity is not just to abstain from marriages, but to be philanthropic, brotherly, and sympathetic. For what is the profit of virginity with cruelty? What is the gain of self-control with inhumanity? You were not overcome by the desire for the beauty of bodies, but you were overcome by the desire for money; you did not admire the beauty of gold; you overcame the greater antagonist, but the lesser and weaker one controlled you and prevailed. For this reason, it made your defeat more shameful; for this reason you did not obtain forgiveness, since after overcoming such violence, and having stripped yourself against nature itself, you were captured by avarice, which servants and barbarians have often been able to overcome without toil.
8. Knowing all these things, beloved, both those who occupy themselves with marriages and those who practice virginity, let us show great zeal regarding almsgiving, since there is no other way to attain the kingdom of heaven. For if virginity without almsgiving could not lead into the kingdom, what other good deed will be able to do this, or will be able to without it? There is none. With all soul and strength, therefore, let us pour oil into the lamps, and let it be abundant and continuous, so that the light may remain bright and rich. For do not look at the poor man who is receiving, but at God who is paying back; not at the one receiving the silver, but at the one who becomes liable for the debt. For on this account one receives and another pays back, so that the poverty and calamity of the one receiving may incline toward mercy and sympathy; C and D the wealth of him who is to pay back, guaranteeing the deposit, and the repayment following with much addition, may make one confident about the loan and the interest, and call forth almsgiving with greater abundance. For who, tell me, being about to receive a hundredfold, and being confident in every way about the repayment, would not give up everything? Let us not, therefore, spare our money, or rather let us spare our money; for he who spares his possessions deposits them into the hands of the poor, into the inviolable treasure-house, which is unassailable to robbers, servants, malicious sycophants, and all assaults. If, even hearing these things, you hesitate to give up any of your possessions, and neither the hope of receiving a hundredfold, nor the calamity of the poor man, nor anything else can incline you, then reflect on your transgressions and enter into the conscience of your sins; examine your whole life; understand your failings.
And even if you are the most inhuman of all men, surely being compelled by fear of your sins at all times, and hoping for the remission [of these] through almsgiving, you would expend your very body, not to mention your money. For if we are injured, and wishing to repel bodily diseases, we spare no resources, even if it be necessary to sell one's very clothing, so that we may be freed from that infirmity: how much more shall we, intending to heal the infirmity of the soul and the most grievous wounds of our sins through almsgiving, perform this with the greatest alacrity? B And yet, when you are ill, you are not immediately freed from the disease by the counting out of money, but often there is need of surgery, and cauterization, and bitter drugs, and hunger, and cold, and other more grievous mandates: here, however, it is not so, but it is enough to place money into the hands of the poor, and you are immediately cleansed of all your sins, without any pain or labor. For the Physician who heals the soul has no need of art, nor of the instruments of art, nor of iron or fire: but the mere wish alone suffices, and at once all sins are taken away from the soul and vanish.
B Do you not see those monks who embrace the solitary life, and withdraw to the mountain peaks, what a hard way of life they endure? For they lay down on ashes, and wear sackcloth, and weigh down their whole body with iron chains, and shutting themselves within a cell, they struggle perpetually with hunger, living in lamentation and intolerable vigils, so that they may wash away a small portion of their sins: but you, though without all that hard living, may enter upon this easy and ready way of piety. For what labor is it, I ask, to enjoy what is present, and to spend what is superfluous upon the needy? For even if no reward were proposed, and even if no such ample retribution were set, would not the very nature of the thing be able to persuade even the most inhuman to use what they have left over for the consolation of the needy? Now, since such a quantity of crowns, such a quantity of retributions, such a great oblivion of sins is prepared through almsgiving, what excuse, I ask, have those who spare their money, and sink their soul into the depths of sins? For even if nothing else moves and excites you to show compassion and to give alms, at least reflect how uncertain the end of life is, and consider that even if you do not give to the poor, yet when death comes, whether you will it or not, you will yield your possessions to others. Therefore, dispense your riches, and while you may, be humane. For it would be of extreme madness not to be willing to share voluntarily with the needy those things which you will yield to others even against your will, and that when such great goods are to come to you from this kindness. "That your plenty," he says, "may supply their want": you receive what you give. You give visible things, you receive invisible and spiritual things; you give money, you receive remission of sins; you free the poor man from hunger, he frees you from divine wrath. This is a kind of retribution and commerce, which has a greater and more useful return than the expense. For the expense is of money: indeed, the return brings not only money, but also the remission of sins, and at the same time confidence before God, and the kingdom of heaven, and those goods which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have ascended into the heart of man (1 Cor. 2:9). C Is it not, therefore, absurd that merchants spare nothing for their business, and that when they are accustomed to exchange not some unique things, but things almost equal for equal: yet we, when it is permitted to exchange not corruptible and momentary things, but incorruptible and everlasting ones for our corruptible and momentary ones, do not apply the same diligence as they?
Faith requires the help of the Spirit. Unbelief arises from the depravity of morals.
C Not so, brothers, let us not take such ill counsel for our salvation, but moved by the example of the virgins, and of those who are led into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels, because they did not feed, nor give drink to Christ, let us retain the fire of the Holy Spirit through large kindness and profuse almsgiving, lest we make shipwreck regarding the faith. For faith has need of the help of the Spirit and of perseverance, so that it may remain unshaken: but the help of the Spirit is wont to be retained among us by purity of life and by approved morals. Wherefore, if we desire to have faith rooted, we have need of a pure way of life, which retains the Spirit, upon whom the whole strength of faith is agreed to depend. For it is impossible, indeed impossible, if you have an impure life, not to falter in faith.
D Those who are held by [the doctrine of] fate, and who do not believe in the resurrection by the word, cast themselves down into this abyss of unbelief because of an evil conscience and depraved morals. And just as those laboring with fever, while they wish to drive away the heat, often throw themselves into cold water, and with the evil mitigated for a little while, kindle for themselves a more grievous burning: so they who are oppressed by an evil conscience, and seek some consolation, yet do not wish to wash away their sins through repentance, flee to the tyranny of fate and to the denial of the resurrection: and in this way, while they console themselves for a little while in this life with cold reasonings, they kindle for themselves a greater flame of hell; since, having become more slothful here, after they reach there, they will see that every man pays the due punishments for his own sins. And so that you may know this to be true, namely that evil works vehemently hinder the strength of faith, hear what Paul says writing to Timothy: "That you may wage," he says, "a good warfare, having faith and a good conscience (now a good conscience is wont to come about from life and good works): which some," he says, "rejecting, have made shipwreck concerning the faith" (1 Tim 1:18-19). Again elsewhere: "The root of all evils is avarice, through the desire of which some have strayed from the faith" (Ibid. 6:10). Do you see that both they made shipwreck for that reason, and these strayed for this very cause: because those rejected a good conscience, but these clung to avarice? Thinking on all these things, let us have great concern for living as well as possible, so that a double reward may fall to us, one from the retribution of works, the other from the strength of faith. For as it stands in relation to the heart, it is right...
that the body of Scripture should not be wasted without the nourishment of good works; for faith without works is dead. A One thing remains to be said: what is it, "The Same"? For he did not say simply, "Having the Spirit of faith," but what? "Having the same Spirit of faith." And I indeed wished to pursue this also in my discourse; but because I see many rivers of thoughts flowing out from this brief phrase, I fear that by the multitude of things about to be spoken, I might overwhelm all that has been said, and render the instruction useless to you by harming it with immoderation. Therefore, halting the discourse here, I pray and beseech you to keep with accuracy the things that have been said—as much as you have heard concerning conduct, and faith, and virginity, and philanthropy, and almsgiving—and holding these securely, to come together for the hearing of what is to follow. For thus our building of the things said will be firm and unshakeable, when, the former things being well-founded in your minds, we cast the second upon them. But may God, who gave to us both to speak these things and you to hear with eagerness, deign to show forth the fruit through works, by the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
On the same words of the Apostle, "Having the same spirit of faith," as it is written (2 Cor. 4:13); and against the Manichaeans, and all who slander the Old Testament and attempt to separate it from the New, and concerning almsgiving.
1. B Being mindful of the things promised. I owe you a debt of apostolic exposition from long ago; but you perhaps have forgotten this debt because of the time, and I have not forgotten it because of the longing I have for you. For such is love: it is an unsleeping thing, and full of care; and those who love do not only carry the beloved in their minds, but they also have a more accurate memory of whatever they promised them than those who are to receive it. Just so, a very loving mother, having kept the remnants of the table for her children, even if *they* happen to forget, she at least will not forget, but with all diligence she preserves them and brings them into the midst and feeds those who are hungry. If mothers are so very loving towards their offspring, much more ought we to show greater diligence and care concerning your love, by as much as the pangs of the Spirit are stronger than those of nature. What then was the table, the remnants of which we kept for you? It was an apostolic phrase, which at that time provided us with much spiritual nourishment, of which we placed a part in your minds, and a part we postponed to the present day, so as not to overwhelm the power of your memory with the multitude of things spoken. What then is the phrase? "Having the same Spirit of faith, according to what is written: I believed, therefore I spoke; and we believe, therefore we speak." Concerning what faith it is spoken—whether that which produces signs, about which Christ says, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move,' and it shall move"; or that which implants knowledge in us, according to which we are all faithful; and why "Spirit of faith" is said, and what this faith is—all these things we discussed according to our ability with your love at that time, when we also stirred up our discourses concerning almsgiving. But since it remained to say why it is said, "The same Spirit of faith," and the multitude of things said then did not permit us to pursue this point with accuracy, for this sake we saved it for the present day, and now we have risen to pay you this debt. Why then did he say, "The same"? C He wishes to show the great kinship of the New Testament with the Old; for this reason he reminded us of the prophetic phrase, saying, "Having the same Spirit," and adding, "According to what is written: I believed, therefore I spoke." This David had said from above and many years before, which Paul produced now, declaring that the grace of the Spirit is the same both in him then, and in us now, that has rooted the power of faith; as if to say: "The same Spirit of faith that spoke in him, has also worked in us."
2. D Against the Manichaeans. Where now are those who slander the Old Testament, who tear apart the body of Scripture, who attribute one God to the New and another to the Old? Let them hear Paul, who seals the mouths that are full of impiety, and who muzzles the God-fighting tongue, and through this phrase shows that the same Spirit is both in the Old and in the New. For the very names themselves show us much harmony of the Testaments. For the New is named because of the Old, and the Old because of the New; just as Paul also says, "In saying 'New,' he has made the former old" (Hebr. 8:13). And if they were not of the same Master, neither could this be called New, nor that Old. So this difference in the names shows the kinship of each. And this difference is not according to essence, but according to the change of times; for the commonality with the old is only distinguished according to this; and the change of times introduces neither a difference of master nor a lessening. And Christ again indicated this, saying: "Therefore I say to you, every scribe trained in the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who brings out from his treasure new and old things" (Matth. 13:52). Do you see that the possessions are different, but the mastery is one? Just as he there is able to bring out new and old things as one master of a house, so truly even here it is possible for the New and the Old to be of one God; for this very thing especially indicates His wealth and abundance, that He not only possesses new things, but also demonstrates His abundance in the old ones. So that there is only a difference of names in the Testaments.
A And it is true that to differentiate by name alone is not a conflict, nor is there a contradiction. For the Old Testament is made the "old" by the New, but this is not out of conflict or contradiction, but merely out of a difference of name. I add, moreover, that even if the laws of the Old were contrary to the laws of the New, I would still assert that it would not have been necessary to introduce another God. For if He had established contrary laws at the same time, to the same people, about the same matters, performing the same duties, their fabrication might perhaps have had some ground. But if these laws were written for others, and those for these, at one time for one group and another time for another, with those people being in one state and these in another, what necessity is there to introduce two contrary legislators because of the difference in laws? Indeed, I see no necessity; let them bring one forward if they have anything to say, but they can have nothing. For a physician very often does many contrary things, yet not from a contrary intention, but from the same and suitable one. He burns and does not burn, he cuts and does not cut B the same body; he offers bitter medicine to drink at one time, and sweet at another. He does indeed perform contrary acts, but with a similar and identical intention; for he keeps one end in view, namely, the health of the invalid. Is it not, therefore, absurd not to accuse the physician for doing many contrary things regarding the nature of a single body, but to criticize God for having given different commands to different people at different times?
What I am saying, I will make clearer to you as follows. The training of the Old Testament is like the nourishment of milk, while the philosophy of the New Testament is like solid food; and no one provides solid food before the nourishment of milk. This is what the God of the New Testament did, if He is not the same one who also gave the Old; for before He nourished with milk, that is, the discipline of the Law, He led us to solid food. They hold Him guilty not only of this, but also of a greater crime, in that He finally undertook the providence of our race after five thousand years or more. If He who was dispensing our affairs through the prophets and patriarchs and righteous men was not the same, but someone else apart from Him, He will seem to have undertaken our providence very late and tardily, as if He returned to Himself through repentance for what had been done before; which is so far from being true of God, that it does not befit any ordinary person to allow so many to perish for so long a time, and only at the very end of the ages to attend to the providence and care of a few. C
But that we may know they are not contrary, but only different, let us bring the laws themselves into the middle. "You have heard," He says, "that it was said to those of old, You shall not kill" (Matt. 5:21). This is the old law; let us now see the new: "But I say to you, everyone who is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to the fire of Gehenna" (Matt. 5:22). Are these, I ask, contrary commands? And what mortal, provided he is in his right mind, would say so? For if the former law forbade killing, and the latter ordered it, perhaps someone might say there is a conflict of laws in these words; now, however, when the former commands not to kill, and the latter commands not even to be angry, the prior command is increased, not contradicted. For it prunes away the fruit of malice, that is, murder; but this one tears out the very root, that is, anger; it removes the stream of vice, while the latter dries up the fountain itself. For the fountain and root of murder is fury and anger. That law made our nature more prepared for the latter, and this one coming afterward supplied what was lacking. What kind of contradiction is this, when one removes the end of evils, and the other removes even the beginning? The former makes the hand clean from blood, the latter also preserves the mind from evil thought. These are the characteristics of concurring laws, not conflicting ones, as the enemies of the truth attempt to construct—not noticing that in doing so, they object to the God of the New Testament a great crime of neglect and sloth; for God will be found (which blasphemy may it turn back upon the heads of those who impose on us the necessity of speaking these things) to have dispensed our affairs at the wrong time. D
The error of the Samosatene. Do you see to how many blasphemies they make God liable, those who say the legislator of the New Testament is one, and the legislator of the Old is another? All of which evaporate if we agree that God is one for both Testaments. For thus it will appear that He dispenses our affairs with order and good reason, then indeed through the Law, but now through grace; and that He has governed all our affairs not recently, nor just now, but from the beginning and from the very first day. But in order that we may the more stop their mouths, come let us now bring forward the testimonies both of the prophets and of the apostles, crying out that the legislator of both Testaments is one. Let Jeremiah, then, sanctified in the womb, proceed into the middle and prove this manifestly, that the God of the New Testament and of the Old is one and the same. What then does he say here, crying out from the person of the legislator? "I will make a new testament with you, not like the testament that I made with your fathers" (Jer. 31:31). It is God who had once given that Old testament as well. Here, certainly, the mouths of the followers of Paul of Samosata are also stopped, who deny that the Only-begotten of God existed before the ages. For if He did not exist before the birth of Mary, and before He presented Himself to be seen in the flesh, how was He establishing the law when He did not exist? Or how was He saying: "I will make a new testament with you, not like the testament that I made with your fathers"? For how was He giving a testament to their fathers when He did not yet exist, as they indeed affirm? But against the Jews, and the Paulians who suffer from the same disease, the testimony of this prophet is sufficient to be opposed; but that we may also restrain the mouths of the Manichaeans, let us bring forth a testimony from the New Testament, since they count the Old as nothing; nay rather, they even treat the New, to which they wish to seem to pay respect, with no less injury than the other, in one way indeed, because while they cut it off from the Old, they also undermine the authority of this one.