3. But even
although2172
| 2172 For
εἰ δὲ
δεῖ καὶ ὡς, etc.,
various codices read εἰ
δὲ δικαίως,
etc. |
we should be
under the necessity of accepting the exegesis advocated by
some,—for the subject is not altogether unworthy of
notice,—and of saying thus, that He hath actually
blinded the
minds
2173
of them that
believe not, we should still have to
affirm that He hath
blinded them
for good, in order that they may
recover their sight to behold things
that are holy. For it is not said that He hath
blinded their
soul,
2174
but only that
He hath
blinded the minds of them that believe not. And that mode
of expression means something like this:
Blind the whorish
mind
of the
whore-monger, and the man is
saved;
blind the rapacious and
thievish
mind of the
thief and the man is
saved. But do you
decline to understand the sentence thus? Well, there is still
another interpretation. For the sun blinds those who have bad
sight; and those who have watery
eyes are also
blinded when they are
smitten by the
light: not, however, because it is of the
nature
of the sun to
blind, but because the
eye’s own
constitution
2175
is not one of
correct vision. And in like manner, those whose
hearts are
afflicted with the ailment of
unbelief are not capable of looking upon
the rays
of the glory of the
Godhead. And again, it is
not said, “He hath
blinded their minds lest they should hear the
Gospel,” but rather “lest the
light of the
glory of the
Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ should shine unto them.”
For to hear the
Gospel is a thing
committed2176
to all; but the
glory of the
Gospel of
Christ is imparted only to the sincere and genuine. For this
reason the
Lord spake in
parables to those who were incapable of
hearing, but to His
disciples He explained these
parables in
private. For the illumination of the
glory is for those who have
been enlightened, while the blinding is for them who believe not.
These
mysteries, which the
Church now declares to you who are
transferred from the lists of the catechumens, it is not her
custom to
declare to the Gentiles. For we do not declare the
mysteries
touching the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit to a Gentile;
neither do we speak of the mysteries plainly in presence of the
catechumens; but many a time we express ourselves in an occult manner,
so that the faithful who have intelligence may apprehend the truths
referred to, while those who have not that intelligence may receive no
hurt.
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