Sermon XC.
[CXL. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, John xii. 44, “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me,
but on him that sent me.” Against a certain expression of Maximinus, a bishop of the Arians,
who spread his blasphemy in Africa where he was with the Count Segisvult.
1. What is it, Brethren, which we have heard the Lord saying, “He that believeth on Me,
believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me”?4174 It is good for us to believe on Christ,
especially seeing that He hath also Himself expressly said this which ye have now heard,
that is, that “He had come a Light into the world, and whosoever believeth on Him shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”4175 Good then it is to believe on Christ;
and a great evil it is not to believe on Christ. But because Christ the Son is, Whatsoever He
is, of the Father, but the Father is not of the Son, but is the Father of the Son; He recommends
to us indeed faith in Himself, but refers the honour to His Original.4176
2. For hold this fast as a firm and settled truth, if ye would continue Catholics, that God
the Father begat God the Son without time, and made Him of a Virgin in time. The first
nativity exceedeth times; the second nativity enlighteneth times. Yet both nativities are
marvellous; the one without a mother, the other without a father. When God begat the Son,
He begat Him of Himself, not of a mother; when the Mother gave birth to her Son, she gave
Him birth as a Virgin, not by man. He was born of the Father without a beginning; He was
born of a mother, as to-day4177 at an appointed beginning. Born of the Father He made us;
born of a mother He re-made us. He was born of the Father, that we might be; He was born
of a mother, that we might not be lost. But the Father begat Him equal to Himself, and All
Whatsoever the Son is, He hath of the Father. But What God the Father is, He hath not of
the Son. Accordingly we say that the Father is God, of none; the Son, God of God. Wherefore
all that the Son doeth marvellously, all that He saith truly, He attributeth to Him of whom
He is; yet can He not be ought else than He of whom He is. Adam was made a man; he had
power to become something other than he was made. For he was made righteous, and he
had power to become unrighteous. But the Only-Begotten Son of God, What He is, This
cannot be changed; He cannot be changed into anything else, cannot be diminished, What
He was He cannot but be, He cannot but be equal to the Father. But undoubtedly He who
gave all things to the Son by His Birth, gave it to One not needing ought; without doubt this
very equality too with the Father, the Father gave to the Son. How did the Father give It?
4174 John xii. 44.
4175 John xii. 46; John viii. 12.
4176 Authorem.
4177 The Bened. conjecture that the word “hodie” here and at the end was added in order to adapt this Sermon
to be preached on Christmas Day.
On the words of the Gospel, John xii. 44, ‘He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.’ Against a certain expression of Maximinus, a bishop of the Arians, who spread his blasphemy in Africa where he was with the Count Segisvult.
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On the words of the Gospel, John xii. 44, ‘He that believeth on me, believeth…