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| Chapter IX.—There is but one author, and one end to both covenants.
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Chapter IX.—There is but one author,
and one end to both covenants.
1. All things therefore
are of one and the same substance, that is, from one and the same God; as
also the Lord says to the disciples “Therefore every scribe, which
is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is an
householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and
old.”3899
He did not teach that he
who brought forth the old was one, and he that brought forth the new,
another; but that they were one and the same. For the Lord is the good
man of the house, who rules the entire house of His Father; and who
delivers a law suited both for slaves and those who are as yet
undisciplined; and gives fitting precepts to those that are free, and
have been justified by faith, as well as throws His own inheritance open
to those that are sons. And He called His disciples “scribes”
and “teachers of the kingdom of heaven;” of whom also He
elsewhere says to the Jews: “Behold, I send unto you wise men, and
scribes, and teachers; and some of them ye shall kill, and persecute from
city to city.”3900
Now, without
contradiction, He means by those things which are brought forth from the
treasure new and old, the two covenants; the old, that giving of the law
which took place formerly; and He points out as the new, that manner of
life required by the Gospel, of which David says, “Sing unto the
Lord a new
song;”3901
and Esaias, “Sing
unto the Lord a new hymn.
His beginning (initium), His name is glorified from the height of
the earth: they declare His powers in the isles.”3902
And Jeremiah says: “Behold, I will
make a new covenant, not as I made with your fathers”3903
in Mount Horeb. But one and the same
householder produced both covenants, the Word of God, our Lord Jesus
Christ, who spake with both Abraham and Moses, and who has restored us
anew to liberty, and has multiplied that grace which is from Himself.
2. He declares:
“For in this place is One greater than the temple.”3904
But [the words] greater and less
are not applied to those things which have nothing in common between
themselves, and are of an opposite nature, and mutually repugnant; but
are used in the case of those of the same substance, and which possess
properties in common, but merely differ in number and size; such as water
from water, and light from light, and grace from grace. Greater,
therefore, is that legislation which has been given in order to liberty
than that given in order to bondage; and therefore it has also been
diffused, not throughout one nation [only], but over the whole world. For
one and the same Lord, who is greater than the temple, greater than
Solomon, and greater than Jonah, confers gifts upon men, that is, His own
presence, and the resurrection from the dead; but He does not change God,
nor proclaim another Father, but that very same one, who always has more
to measure out to those of His household. And as their love towards God
increases, He bestows more and greater [gifts]; as also the Lord said to
His disciples: “Ye shall see greater things than these.”3905
And Paul declares: “Not that I have
already attained, or that I am justified, or already have been made
perfect. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that
which is perfect has come, the things which are in part shall be done
away.”3906
| 3906 These words
of Scripture are quoted by memory from Phil. iii.
12, 1 Cor. iv. 4, and 1 Cor.
xiii. 9, 10. It is remarkable that the second is incorporated
with the preceding in a similar way, in the ancient Italic version known
as the St. Germain copy. | As, therefore, when that which is
perfect is come, we shall not see another Father, but Him whom we now
desire to see (for “blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall
see God”3907
); neither shall we look for
another Christ and Son of God, but Him who [was born] of the Virgin Mary,
who also suffered, in whom too we trust, and whom we love; as Esaias
says: “And they shall say in that day, Behold our Lord God, in whom we have
trusted, and we have rejoiced in our salvation;”3908
and Peter says in his Epistle: “Whom, not seeing, ye love;
in whom, though now ye see Him not, ye have believed, ye shall rejoice
with joy unspeakable;”3909
neither do
we receive another Holy Spirit, besides Him who is with us, and who
cries, “Abba, Father;”3910
and we
shall make increase in the very same things [as now], and shall make
progress, so that no longer through a glass, or by means of enigmas, but
face to face, we shall enjoy the gifts of God;—so also now,
receiving more than the temple, and more than Solomon, that is, the
advent of the Son of God, we have not been taught another God besides the
Framer and the Maker of all, who has been pointed out to us from the
beginning; nor another Christ, the Son of God, besides Him who was
foretold by the prophets.
3. For the new covenant having been known and preached
by the prophets, He who was to carry it out according to the good
pleasure of the Father was also preached, having been revealed to men as
God pleased; that they might always make progress through believing in
Him, and by means of the [successive] covenants,
should
gradually attain to perfect salvation.3911
| 3911 This is in accordance with Harvey’s text—
“Maturescere profectum salutis.” Grabe, however, reads,
“Maturescere prefectum salutis;” making this equivalent to
“ad prefectam salutem.” In most mss. “profectum” and
“prefectum” would be written alike. The same word
(“profectus”) occurs again almost immediately, with an
evident reference to and comparison with this clause. | For
there is one salvation and one God; but the precepts which form the man
are numerous, and the steps which lead man to God are not a few. It is
allowable for an earthly and temporal king, though he is [but] a man, to
grant to his subjects greater advantages at times: shall not this then be
lawful for God, since He is [ever] the same, and is always willing to
confer a greater [degree of] grace upon the human race, and to honour
continually with many gifts those who please Him? But if this be to make
progress, [namely,] to find out another Father besides Him who was
preached from the beginning; and again, besides him who is imagined to
have been discovered in the second place, to find out a third other,
—then the progress of this man will consist in his also proceeding
from a third to a fourth; and from this, again, to another and another:
and thus he who thinks that he is always making progress of such a kind,
will never rest in one God. For, being driven away from Him who truly is
[God], and being turned backwards, he shall be for ever seeking, yet
shall never find out God;3912
but
shall continually swim in an abyss without limits, unless, being
converted by repentance, he return to the place from which he had been
cast out, confessing one God, the Father, the Creator, and believing [in
Him] who was declared by the law and the prophets, who was borne witness
to by Christ, as He did Himself declare to those who were accusing His
disciples of not observing the tradition of the elders: “Why do ye
make void the law of God by reason of your tradition? For God said,
Honour thy father and mother; and, Whosoever curseth father or mother,
let him die the death.”3913
And
again, He says to them a second time: “And ye have made void the
word of God3914
| 3914 Another
variation from the textus receptus borne out by the Codex Bezæ,
and some ancient versions. | by reason of your
tradition;” Christ confessing in the plainest manner Him to be
Father and God, who said in the law, “Honour thy father and mother;
that it may be well with thee.”3915
For
the true God did confess the commandment of the law as the word of God,
and called no one else God besides His own Father.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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