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bodies wrought by the Son.

was not therefore seen, after being made and "And greater works than these He will show retained in memory, that the Father might Him." Greater than which? Than healings show it to the Son, as the memory might show of bodies. We have treated of this already, to thought; but, on the contrary, the Father and must not linger upon it now. Greater is showed it to be made, the Son saw it to be the resurrection of the body unto eternity than made; and the Father made it by showing, this healing of the body, wrought in that imbecause He made it by the Son seeing. And potent man, to last only for a time. "And therefore we ought not to be surprised that greater works than these He will show Him, it is said, "But what He seeth the Father that ye may marvel.'' "Will show," as if doing," not showing. For by this it is inti- the act were temporal, therefore as to a man mated that, with the Father, to do and to show made in time, since God the Word is not is the same thing; that hence we may under- made, He by whom all times were made. stand that He doeth all things by the Son But Christ was made man in time. We know seeing. Neither is that showing, nor that in what consulship the Virgin Mary brought seeing, temporal. Forasmuch as all times are forth Christ, conceived of the Holy Ghost. made by the Son, they could not certainly be Wherefore He, by whom as God the times shown to Him at any point of time to be were made, was made man in time. Hence, made. But the Father's showing begets the just as in time, "He will show Him greater Son's seeing, just in the same manner as the works," that is, the resurrection of bodies, Father begets the Son. For the showing" that ye may marvel" at the resurrection of produces the seeing, not the seeing the showing. And if we were able to look into this 13. He then returns to that resurrection of matter more purely and perfectly, perhaps souls: "For as the Father raiseth the dead, we should find that the Father is not one and quickeneth them, so also the Son quickthing, His showing another; nor the Son one eneth whom He will;" but this according to thing, His seeing another. But if we have the Spirit. The Father quickeneth, the Son hardly apprehended this,-if we have hardly quickeneth; the Father whom He will, the been able to explain how the memory exhibits Son whom He will; but the Father quickeneth to the thought what it has received from the same as the Son, because all things were without,—how much less can we take in or made by Him. "For as the Father raiseth explain how God the Father shows to the up the dead, and quickeneth them, so also Son, what He has not from elsewhere, or that the Son quickeneth whom He will." This is which is not other than Himself! We are said of the resurrection of souls; but what of only little ones: I tell you what God is not, I the resurrection of bodies? He returns, and do not show you what God is. What shall says: "For the Father judgeth not any man, we do, then, that we may apprehend what He but all judgment hath He given to the Son.” is? Can ye do this by or through me? I The resurrection of souls is effected by the say this to the little ones, both to you and eternal and unchangeable substance of the to myself; there is by whom we can: we have Father and Son. But the resurrection of just now sung, just now heard, Cast thy bodies is effected by the dispensation of the care upon the Lord, and He will nourish Son's humanity, which dispensation is temthee.' The reason why thou art not able, poral, not co-eternal with the Father. ThereO man, is because thou art a little one; being fore, when He mentioned judgment, in which a little one, thou must be nourished; being there should be a resurrection of bodies, He nourished, thou wilt become full-grown; and saith," For the Father judgeth not any man, what as a little one thou couldst not, thou but all judgment hath He given to the Son;' shalt see when full-grown; but that thou but concerning the resurrection of souls, He mayest be nourished, "cast thy care upon the Lord, and He will nourish thee."

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saith, “Even as the Father raiseth the dead, and quickeneth them, so also the Son quick12. Therefore let us now briefly run over eneth whom He will." That, then, the what remains, and do you see how the Lord Father and the Son together. But this conmakes known to us the things which I have cerning the resurrection of bodies: "The been here commending to your attention. Father judgeth not any man, but hath given "The Father loveth the Son, and showeth all judgment to the Son; that all may honor Him all things which Himself doeth." Him- the Son, even as they honor the Father. self raiseth up souls, but by the Son, that This is referred to the resurrection of souls. the souls raised up may enjoy the substance"That all may honor the Son." How? of God, that is, of the Father and of the Son.

1 Ps. liii. 23.

"Even as they honor the Father." For the Son works the resurrection of souls in the same manner as the Father doth; the Son

There- so also hath He given to the Son to have life let all in Himself.”

quickeneth just as the Father doth.
fore, in the resurrection of souls,
honor the Son as they honor the Father."|
But what of the honoring on account of the
resurrection of the body? "Whoso honoreth
not the Son, honoreth not the Father that sent
Him." He said not even as, but honoreth and
honoreth. For the man Christ is honored, but
not even as God the Father. Why? Because,
with respect to this, He said, "The Father is
greater than I.”1 And when is the Son
honored even as the Father is honored? When
"in the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God; and all things were made
by Him." And hence, in this second honor-
ing, what saith He? Whoso honoreth not
the Son, honoreth not the Father that sent
Him." The Son was not sent, but because
He was made man.

TRACTATE XXIV.
CHAPTER VI. 1–14.

is; let us not only be delighted with its surface, but let us also seek to know its depth. This miracle, which we admire on the outside, has something within. We have seen, we have looked at something great, something glorious, and altogether divine, which could be performed only by God: we have praised the doer for the deed. But just as, if we were to inspect a beautiful writing somewhere, it would not suffice for us to praise the hand of the writer, because he formed the letters even,equal and elegant, if we did not also read the information he conveyed to us by those letters; so, he who merely inspects this deed may be delighted with its beauty to admire the doer: but he who understands does, as it were, read it. For a picture is looked at in

1. THE miracles performed by our Lord Jesus Christ are indeed divine works, and incite the human mind to rise to the apprehension of God from the things that are seen. But inasmuch as He is not such a substance as may be seen with the eyes, and His miracles in the government of the whole world and the administration of the universal creation are, by their familiar constancy, slightly regarded, so that almost no man deigns to consider the wonderful and stupendous works of God, exhibited in every grain of seed; He has, agreeably to His mercy, reserved to Himself certain works, beyond the usual course and order of nature, which He should perform on fit occasion, that they, by whom His daily works are lightly esteemed, might be struck with astonishment at beholding, a different way from that in which a writing not indeed greater, but uncommon works. For certainly the government of the whole world is a greater miracle than the satisfying of five thousand men with five loaves; and yet no man wonders at the former; but the latter men wonder at, not because it is greater, but because it is rare. For who even now feeds the whole world, but He who creates the cornfield from a few grains? He therefore created as God creates. For, whence He multiplies the produce of the fields from a few grains, from the same source He multiplied in His hands the five loaves. The power, indeed, was in the hands of Christ; but those five loaves were as seeds, not indeed committed to the earth, but multiplied by Him who made the earth. In this miracle, then, there is that brought near to the senses, whereby the mind should be roused to atten- 3. The Lord on the mount: much rather tion, there is exhibited to the eyes, whereon let us understand that the Lord on the mount the understanding should be exercised, that is the Word on high. Accordingly, what we might admire the invisible God through was done on the mount does not, as it were, His visible works; and being raised to faith lie low, nor is to be cursorily passed by, but and purged by faith, we might desire to behold Him even invisibly, whom invisible we came to know by the things that are visible.

is looked at. When thou hast seen a picture, to have seen and praised it is the whole thing: when thou seest a writing, this is not the whole, since thou art reminded also to read it. Moreover, when thou seest a writing, if it chance that thou canst not read, thou sayest, "What do we think that to be which is here written?" Thou askest what it is, when already thou seest it to be something. He of whom thou seekest to be informed what it is that thou hast seen, will show thee another thing. He has other eyes than thou hast. Do you not alike see the form of the letters? But yet you do not alike understand the signs. Well, thou seest and praisest; but he sees, praises, reads and understands. Therefore, since we have seen and praised, let us also read and understand.

must be looked up to. He saw the multitude, knew them to be hungering, mercifully fed them: not only in virtue of His goodness, but 2. Yet it is not enough to observe these also of His power. For what would mere things in the miracles of Christ. Let us in- goodness avail, where there was not bread terrogate the miracles themselves, what they with which to feed the hungry crowd? Did tell us about Christ: for they have a tongue not power attend upon goodness, that crowd of their own, if they can be understood. For had remained fasting and hungry. In short, since Christ is Himself the Word of God, even the disciples also, who were with the Lord, the act of the Word is a word to us. Therefore and hungry, themselves wished to feed the as to this miracle, since we have heard how multitudes, that they might not remain great it is, let us also search how profound it empty, but had not wherewithal to feed

them. The Lord asked, whence they might then, brought five loaves and two fishes. If buy bread to feed the multitude. And the we inquire who this lad was, perhaps it was Scripture saith: "But this He said, proving the people Israel, which, in a childish sense, him; namely, the disciple Philip of whom carried, not ate. For the things which they He had asked; 'for Himself knew what He carried were a burden while shut up, but when would do." Of what advantage then was it opened afforded nourishment. And as for to prove him, unless to show the disciple's the two fishes, they appear to us to signify ignorance? And, perhaps, in showing the those two sublime persons, in the Old Testadisciple's ignorance He signified something ment, of priest and of ruler, who were more. This will appear, then, when the sac- anointed for the sanctifying and governing of rament of the five loaves itself will begin to the people. And at length Himself in the speak to us, and to intimate its meaning: for mystery came, who was signified by those there we shall see why the Lord in this act persons: He at length came who was pointed wished to exhibit the disciple's ignorance, by asking what He Himself knew. For we sometimes ask what we do not know, that, being willing to hear, we may learn; sometimes we ask what we do know, wishing to learn whether he whom we ask also knows. The Lord knew both the one and the other; knew both what He asked, for He knew what Himself would do; and He also knew in like manner that Philip knew not this. Why then did He ask, but to show Philip's ignorance? And why He did this, we shall, as I have said, understand afterwards.

out by the pith of the barley, but concealed by its husk. He came, sustaining in His one person the two characters of priest and ruler: of priest by offering Himself to God as a victim for us; of ruler, because by Him we are governed. And the things that were carried closed are now opened up. Thanks be to Him. He has fulfilled by Himself what was promised in the Old Testament. And He bade the loaves to be broken; in the breaking they are multiplied. Nothing is more true. For when those five books of Moses are expounded, how many books have 4. Andrew saith: "There is a lad here, they made by being broken up, as it were; who has five loaves and two fishes, but what that is, by being opened and laid out? But are these for so many?" When Philip, on because in that barley the ignorance of the being asked, had said that two hundred pen- first people was veiled, of whom it is said, nyworth of bread would not suffice to refresh"Whilst Moses is read, the veil is upon their that so great a multitude, there was there a hearts; " for the veil was not yet removed, certain lad, carrying five barley loaves and because Christ had not yet come; not yet was two fishes. "And Jesus saith, Make the men the veil of the temple rent, while Christ is sit down. Now there was there much grass: and hanging on the cross: because, I say, the they sat down about five thousand men. And ignorance of the people was in the law, therethe Lord Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks; fore that proving by the Lord made the ignorHe commanded, the loaves were broken, and ance of the disciple manifest. put before the men that were set down. It was no longer five loaves, but what He had added thereto, who had created that which was increased. "And of the fishes as much as sufficed." It was not enough that the multitude had been satisfied, there remained also fragments; and these were ordered to be gathered up, that they should not be lost: "And they filled twelve baskets with the fragments."

1

6. Wherefore nothing is without meaning; everything is significant, but requires one that understands: for even this number of the people fed, signified the people that were under the law. For why were there five thousand, but because they were under the law, which is unfolded in the five books of Moses? Why were the sick laid at those five porches, but not healed? He, however, there cured the impotent man, who here fed multitudes with five loaves. 5. To run over it briefly: by the five loaves Moreover, they sat down upon the grass; thereare understood the five books of Moses; and fore understood carnally, and rested in the carrightly are they not wheaten but barley loaves, nal. "For all flesh is grass. And what were because they belong to the Old Testament. those fragments, but things which the people And you know that barley is so formed that were not able to eat? We understand them we get at its pith with difficulty; for the pith to be certain matters of more hidden meanis covered in a coating of husk, and the husk ing, which the multitude are not able to take itself tenacious and closely adhering, so as to in. What remains then, but that those matbe stripped off with labor. Such is the letter ters of more hidden meaning, which the mulof the Old Testament, invested in a covering titude cannot take in, be entrusted to men of carnal sacraments: but yet, if we get at its pith, it feeds and satisfies us. A certain lad,

1 2 Cor. iii. 15.

2 Isa. xl. 6.