Him in another place; “All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine.”4023 The question is finished,
as to the things which the Father and the Son have: they have them with one consent, do
not thou introduce4024 dissension. What He calleth the works of the Father, are His Own
works; for, “Thine too are Mine,” for He speaketh of the works of That Father, to whom He
said, “All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine.” So then, My works are Thine, and Thy
works are Mine. “For what things soever the Father doeth;”4025 Himself hath said, the Lord
hath said, the Only-Begotten hath said, the Son hath said, the Truth hath said. What hath
He said? “What things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son in like manner.”
Signal expression! signal truth! signal equality. “All things that the Father doeth, these doeth
the Son also.” Were it enough to say, “All things that the Father doeth, these doeth the Son
also”? It is not enough; I add, “in like manner.” Why do I add, “in like manner”? Because
they who do not understand, and who walk with eyes not yet open, are wont to say, “The
Father doeth them by way of command, the Son of obedience, therefore not in like manner.”
But if in like manner, as the One, so the Other; so what things the One, the same the Other.
4. “But,” says he, “the Father commands, that the Son may execute.” Carnal indeed is
thy conceit, but without prejudice to the truth, I grant it to you. Lo, the Father commands,
the Son obeys; is the Son therefore not of the same Nature, because the One commands,
and the Other obeys? Give me two men, father and son; they are two men: he that commands
is a man; he that obeys is a man; he that commands and he that obeys have one and the
same nature. Does not he that commands, beget a son of his own nature? Does he who
obeys, by obeying lose his nature? Now take for the present, as you thus take two men, the
Father commanding, the Son obeying, yet God and God. But the first two together are two
men, the Latter together is but One God; this is a divine miracle. Meanwhile if you would
that with you I acknowledge the obedience, do you first with me acknowledge the Nature.
The Father begat That which Himself is. If the Father begat ought else than what Himself
is, He did not beget a true Son. The Father saith to the Son, “From the womb before the
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day-star, I begat Thee.”4026 What is, “before the day-star”? By the day-star times are signified.
So then before times, before all that is called “before;” before all that is not, or before all that
is. For the Gospel does not say, “In the beginning God made the Word;” as it is said, “In the
beginning God made the Heaven and the earth;”4027 or, “In the beginning was the Word
born;” or, “In the beginning God begat the Word.” But what says it? “He was, He was, He
was.” You hear, “He was;” believe. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
4023 John xvii. 10.
4024 Litigare.
4025 John v. 19.
4026 Ps. cix. 3, Sept. (cx. English version).
4027 Gen. i. 1.
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On the words of the Gospel, John ix. 4 and 31, ‘We must work the works of…