Sermon LXXXIX. [CXXXIX. Ben.] On the words of the Gospel, John x. 30, “I and the Father are one.” 1. Ye have heard what the Lord God, Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, born of God the Father without any mother, and born of a Virgin mother without any human father, said, “I and My Father are One.”4164 Receive ye this, believe it in such wise that ye may at- tain4165 to understand it. For faith ought to go before understanding, that understanding may be the reward of faith. For the Prophet hath said most expressly, “Unless ye believe, ye shall not understand.”4166 What then is simply preached is to be believed; what is with ex- actness discussed, is to be understood. At first then4167 to imbue your minds with faith we preach to you Christ, the Only Son of God the Father. Why is added, “The Only Son”? Be- cause He whose Only Son He is, hath many sons by grace. All the rest then, all saints are sons of God by grace, He Alone by Nature. They who are sons of God by grace are not What the Father is. And no saint hath ever dared to say, what that Only Son saith, “I and My Father are One.” Is He not then our Father too? If He be not our Father, how say we when we pray, “Our Father, which art in heaven”?4168 But we are sons whom He hath made sons by His Own will, not begotten as sons of His Own Nature. And in truth He hath begotten us too, but as it is said, as adopted ones, begotten by the favour of His adoption, not by Nature. And this too are we called, for that “God hath called us into the adoption of sons;”4169 we are though adopted, men. He is called the Only Son, the Only Begotten, in that, He is That which the Father is; but we are men, The Father is God. In then that He is That which the Father is; He said, and said truly, “I and My Father are One.” What is, “are One”? Are of one Nature. What is, “are One”? Are of one Substance. 2. Peradventure, ye but imperfectly understand what “of one Substance” is. Take we pains that ye may understand it; may God assist both me who speak, and you that hear; me, that I may speak such things as are true and fit for you; and you, that before and above all things ye may believe; and then that ye may understand as best ye can. What then is “of One Substance”? Let me make use of similitudes to you, that what is imperfectly understood may be made clear by example. As, suppose, God is gold. His Son is gold also. If similitudes ought not to be given for heavenly things from things earthly, how is it written, “Now the Rock was Christ”?4170 So then, Whatsoever the Father is, This is the Son also; as I have said, for 4164 John x. 30. 4165 Mereamini. 4166 Isa. vii. 9, Sept. 4167 He seems to be addressing the Catechumens (Bened. note). 4168 Matt. vi. 9. 4169 Eph. i. 5. 4170 1 Cor. x. 4. On the words of the Gospel, John x. 30, ‘I and the Father are one.’ 1089 On the words of the Gospel, John x. 30, ‘I and the Father are one.’