Chapter 15.—23. For it is the Church that gives birth to all, either within her pale, of her own womb; or beyond it, of the seed of her bridegroom,—(either of herself, or of her handmaid.1187
| 1187 The words in parenthesis are wanting in the Mss., and seem to have crept from the margin into the text.
|
) But
Esau, even though
born of the
lawful wife, was separated from the people of
God because he quarrelled with his
brother. And
Asher,
born indeed by the
authority of a
wife, but yet of a
handmaid, was admitted to the
land of
promise on account of his
brotherly good-will. Whence also it was not the being
born of a
handmaid, but his quarrelling with his
brother, that stood in the way of
Ishmael, to cause his separation from the people of
God; and he received no benefit
from the
power of the
wife, whose son he rather was, inasmuch as it was in
virtue of her conjugal rights that he was both conceived in and
born of the
womb of the
handmaid. Just as with the Donatists it is by the right of the
Church, which exists in
baptism, that whosoever is
born receives his
birth; but if they agree with their
brethren, through the
unity of
peace they come to the
land of
promise, not to be again cast out from the
bosom of their true mother, but to be acknowledged in the
seed
of their
father; but if they persevere in discord, they will
belong to the line of
Ishmael. For
Ishmael was first, and then
Isaac; and
Esau was the
elder,
Jacob the younger. Not that
heresy gives
birth before the
Church, or that the
Church herself gives
birth first to those who are
carnal or
animal, and afterwards to those who are
spiritual; but because, in the actual lot of our mortality, in which we are
born of the
seed of
Adam, "that was not first which is
spiritual, but that which is
natural, and afterward that which is
spiritual."
1188
But from mere
animal sensation, because "the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God,"
1189
arise all
dissensions and
schisms. And the
apostle says
1190
that all who persevere in this
animal sensation
belong to the old
covenant. that is, to the desire of earthly
promises, which are indeed the type of the
spiritual; but "the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God."
1191
24. At whatever time, therefore, men have begun to be of such a nature in this life, that, although they have partaken of such divine sacraments as were appointed for the dispensation under which they lived, they yet savor of carnal things, and hope for and desire carnal things from God, whether in this life or afterwards, they are yet carnal. But the Church, which is the people of God, is an ancient institution even in the pilgrimage of this life, having a carnal
interest in some men, a spiritual interest in others. To the carnal belongs the old covenant, to the spiritual the new. But in the first days both were hidden, from Adam even to Moses. But by Moses the old covenant was made manifest, and in it was hidden the new covenant, because after a secret fashion it was typified. But so soon as the Lord came in the flesh, the new covenant was revealed; yet, though the sacraments of the old covenant passed away; the dispositions
peculiar to it did not pass away. For they still exist in those whom the apostle declares to be already born indeed by the sacrament of the new covenant, but yet capable, as being natural, of receiving the things of the Spirit of God. For, as in the sacraments of the old covenant some persons were already spiritual, belonging secretly to the new covenant, which was then concealed, so now also in the sacrament of the new covenant, which has been by this time revealed, many live who are
natural. And if they will not advance to receive the things of the Spirit of God, to which the discourse of the apostle urges them, they will still belong to the old covenant. But if they advance, even before they receive them, yet by their very advance and approach they belong to the new covenant; and if, before becoming spiritual, they are snatched away from this life, yet through the protection of the holiness of the sacrament they are reckoned in the land of the living, where the Lord is
our hope and our portion. Nor can I find any truer interpretation of the scripture, "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect"1192
considering what follows, "And in Thy book shall all be written."
1193
| 1193 Cf. Hieron, and LXX. A.V. "In Thy book were all my members written."
|
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