65. The Apostle knew nothing else, and he
determined to know nothing else: we men of feebler wit, and
feebler faith, split up, divide and double Jesus Christ, constituting
ourselves judges of the unknown, and blaspheming the hidden
mystery. For us Christ crucified is one, Christ the wisdom of God
another: Christ Who was buried different from Christ Who
descended from Heaven: the Son of Man not at the same time also
Son of God. We teach that which we do not understand: we
seek to refute that which we cannot grasp. We men improve upon
the revelation of God: we are not content to say with the
Apostle, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s
elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ Jesus, that died, yea, rather, that was
raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God, Who also maketh
intercession for us Rom. viii. 33, 34.. Is He Who
intercedes for us other than He Who is at the right hand of God?
Is not He Who is at the right hand of God the very same Who rose
again? Is He Who rose again other than He Who died? He Who
died than He Who condemns us? Lastly, is not He Who condemns us
also God Who justifies us? Distinguish, if you can, Christ our
accuser from God our defender, Christ Who died from Christ Who
condemns, Christ sitting at the right hand of God and praying for us
from Christ Who died. Whether, therefore, dead or buried,
descended into Hades or ascended into Heaven, all is one and the same
Christ: as the Apostle says, Now this ‘He
ascended’ what is it, but that He also descended to the lower
parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that
ascended far above all heavens, that He may fill all
things Eph. iv. 9, 10.. How far
then shall we push our babbling ignorance and blasphemy, professing to
explain what is hidden in the mystery of God? He that
descended is the same also that ascended. Can we longer doubt
that the Man Christ Jesus rose from the dead, ascended above the
heavens and is at the right hand of God? We cannot say His body
descended into Hades, which lay in the grave. If then He Who
descended is one with Him, Who ascended; if His body did not go down
into Hades, yet really arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven,
what remains, except to believe in the secret mystery, which is hidden
from the world and the rulers of this age, and to confess that,
ascending or descending, He is but One, one Jesus Christ for us, Son of
God and Son of Man, God the Word and Man in the flesh, Who suffered,
died, was buried, rose again, was received into heaven, and sitteth at
the right hand of God: Who possesses in His one single self,
according to the Divine Plan and nature, in the form of God and in the
form of a servant, the Human and Divine without separation or
division.