VER. 17 20. ST. LUKE. 403
Spiritinferiorto the Son, since whose kingdom is one,
theirpower isone also.
CHRYS. This then is the firstanswer ; the second which Chrys.
relatesto His disciplesHe givesas follows,And ifI by Beel-i,,°Matt.'
zebubcast out devils,by whom do your sons cast them out?
He says not, "My disciples,"but your sons, wishing to
soothetheirwrath. CYRIL. For the disciplesof Christwere
Jews, and sprung from Jews according to the flesh,and
they had obtained from Christ power over unclean spirits,
and deliveredthose who were oppressedby them in Christ's
name. Seeing then that your sons subdue Satan in My
name, is it not very madness to say that I have My power
from Beelzebub ? Ye are then condemned by the faithof
your children. Hence He adds, Thereforeshallthey be your
judges. CHRYS. For since they who come forthfrom you Chrys.
are obedient unto Me, it is plain that they willcondemn utsup"
thosewho do the contrary.
BEDE. Or else,By the sons of the Jews He means the
exorcistsof that nation, who cast out devilsby the invo
cationof God. As ifHe says,If the castingout of devils
by your sons is ascribedto God, not to devils,why in My
case has not the same work the same cause? Therefore
shallthey be your judges,not in authorityto exercisejudg
ment, but in act,sincethey assign to God the castingout
ofdevils,you to Beelzebub,the chiefof the devils.
CYRIL. Since then what you say bears upon it the mark
of calumny, it is plainthat by the Spiritof God I castout
devils.Hence He adds,But if I by thefingerof God cast
out devils,no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
AUG. That Luke speaksof thefingerof God, where Matthew Aug.de
has said,theSpirit,does not take away from theiragreement i""'j^;
in sense,but itratherteachesus a lesson,thatwe may know
what meaning to giveto thefingerof God, whenever we read
itin the Scriptures.AUG. Now the Holy Spiritiscalledthe Aug.de
fingerof God, because of the distributionof giftswhich are EvTtt
giventhrough Him, to every one hisown gift,whether he be qu-17.
of men or angels. For in none of our members isdivision
more apparent than in our fingers. CYRIL. Or the Holy
Spiritis calledthe fingerof God forthisreason. The Son Ps.98.1.
was saidto be the hand and arm of theFather,fortheFather