V.

56 Faith of friends sometimes a substitute for personal faith.

LECT. 8. Yea, so much power hath faith, that not only the person believing is saved, but one man has been saved by others (5.) Mark 2, believing. The palsied man at Capernaum was not faithful; but they who bore him, and let him down through the tiles, believed; for the soul of the sick man shared in the sickness of his body. Think not that I accuse him groundlessly; for Mat. 9, the Gospel itself hath said, Jesus beholding, not, his faith, but their faith, saith to the sick of the palsy, Arise. The bearers believed, and the sick of the palsy enjoyed the blessing of the

2.6.

cure.

9. Wouldest thou see yet more certainly, that some have John 11. been saved by others' faith? Lazarus died: one day passed,

and a second and a third: his sinews were decayed, and corruption was now preying on his body. How could a man four days dead believe, and call to the deliverer on his own behalf? But what was wanting in the dead, was supplied by his true sisters. For when the Lord came, his sister fell at His feet and when to His question, Where have ye laid him? she answered, Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days, He saith, If thou wilt believe, thou shalt see the glory of God. As if saying, "Fill thou up what is wanting, for the faith of this dead;" and so availed the sisters' faith, that it recalled the dead from the gates of hell. Have men then, believing one for the other, availed for a resurrection from the dead, and shalt not thou, if thou believe sincerely concerning thyself, much rather be profited? Nay, though thou be faithless, or have but little faith, yet is the Lord merciful; He will condescend to thee when thou repentest only do thou also say to Him with a honest heart, Mark 9, Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief. And if thou thinkest that thou art indeed faithful, but hast not yet attained the perfection of faith, thou hast need to say with the Apostles, Luke17, Lord, increase our faith: for part thou hast of thine own. self, but the much greater part thou receivest of Him.

24.

6.

(6.)

10. For Faith, though in name one, is distinguished into τὸ δογ two kinds. For there is one sort of faith, which is of docματικόν. yxa trines, implying the acquiescence of the mind concerning

συγκατάθεσιν.

b That faith is an assent of the mind to the truth, or a submission or acquiescence of the mind to a divine message,

is maintained by Clement, Alex. Strom. lib. ii. p. 362. Basil in Psalm cxv. p. 371, 2.

24.

18.

John 5,

some certain thing: and this faith profits the soul, as the Lord saith, He that heareth my words, and believeth in Him John 5, that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; and again, He that believeth on the Son is not John 3, condemned: but is passed from death into life. O the great loving-kindness of God! The righteous were many years 24. in pleasing Him; but what they obtained, by their pleasing Him well for many years, this is now bestowed on thee by Jesus in one hour. For if thou shalt believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved and translated into Paradise, by Him who brought the robber into Paradise. And do not disbelieve the possibility of this; for He who in this holy Golgotha saved the robber in one hour, the same will also save thee when thou shalt believe.

12, 8. 9.

11. But there is a second sort of faith, bestowed as a gift by Christ in the way of grace. For to one is given by the Cor. Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing. Now this faith which is given of grace by the Spirit, is not only a faith in doctrine; but it also worketh things beyond man's power. For he who hath this faith shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder Mat. 17, place, and it shall remove. For when any one shall say this 20. by faith, believing that it shall come to pass, and shall not Mark11, waver in his heart, then he receiveth the grace. And it is of 23. this faith that it is said, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard Mat. 17, seed. For like as a grain of mustard seed is small in bulk, but fiery in operation, and though sown in a narrow space, has a circuit of mighty branches, and being grown up is able even to shelter the fowls; thus faith too accomplishes in the soul, in the briefest moment, the greatest things. Illuminated by faith the soul hath visions of God, yea, and, as far as it may, beholds God: and ranges along the bounds of the universe, and before the end of this world, already gazes upon the judgment, and the giving of rewards that is promised. Cherish then the faith in Him, which is of thyself; that thou (7.) mayest also receive from Him that faith which works things above man's power.

12. But take thou and hold that faith only as a learner and

20.

V.

2 Cor.

58

The Creed founded on Scripture.

LECT. in profession, which is by the Church delivered to thee, and is established from all Scripture. For since all cannot read the Scripture, but some as being unlearned, others by business, are hindered from the knowledge of them; in order that the soul may not perish for lack of instruction, in the Articles which are few we comprehend the whole doctrine of the Faith. This I wish you to remember even in the very phrase, and to rehearse it with all diligence among yourselves, not writing it on paper, but by memory graving it on your heart as on a monument: being watchful, during your exercise, lest haply some of the Catechumens overhear the things delivered to you. This I wish you to keep all through your life as a provision for the way, and besides this to receive no other ever: whether we ourselves should change and contradict what we now teach; or some opposing Angel, transformed into an Angel of light, should aim at leading you astray. For though we, or an Angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. And for the present, commit to memory the Faith, merely listening to the words; and expect at the fitting season the proof of each of its parts from the Divine Scriptures. For the Articles of the Faith were not composed at the good pleasure of men: but the most important points chosen from all Scripture, make up the one teaching of th Faith. And, as the mustard seed in a little grain contains many branches, thus also this Faith, in a few words, hath enfolded in its bosom the whole knowledge of godliness (8.) contained both in the Old and New Testaments. Behold, 2 Thess. therefore, brethren, and hold the traditions which ye now receive, and write them on the table of your hearts.

11, 14.

Gal. 1,

8.9.

2, 15.

Prov. 7,

3.

13. This keep with godly fear, lest haply any of you being puffed up, be spoiled by the enemy; lest some heretic pervert any of the things delivered unto you. For Faith is like casting down money on the table: and this we have now done; but God requires of you an account of the deposit. 1 Tim.5, I charge thee before God, saith the Apostle, who quickeneth 6,13.14. all things, and before Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that ye keep this Faith delivered

21. and

The Nicene Creed follows here in some MSS.

The Articles of Faith a deposit.

59

15. 16.

unto thee without spot, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. The treasure of life hath now been committed to thee, and the Master will seek His deposit at His appearing, which in His own times He shall shew, Who is the Tim. 6, blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to Whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

LECTURE VI.

ON THE UNITY OF GOD".

LECT.

VI.

2 Cor. 1, 3.

ISAIAH xlv. 16, 17.

They shall go to confusion together that are partakers of idols; but Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation, ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

1. BLESSED be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and blessed also be His only-begotten Son. For in the idea of God, let the idea of Father be included; that glory may be ascribed indivisibly to Father and Son with the Holy Ghost. For there is not one glory to Father, and another to Son, but one and the same with the Holy Ghost. Since the Son is the Only-begotten of the Father, and when the Father receives, the Son shares the glory; for the Son's glory is from His Father's honour: and again, when the Son is glorified, the Father of that infinitely good Gift is honoured mightily.

2. Now, though the motions of the intellect are most rapid, yet the tongue requires words, and the medium of discussion drawn out at full length. For the eye takes in at once a great company of stars; but if one wishes to tell of each in particular, which is the morning star, and which the evening, and so of each single star, there is need of many words. In like manner, the mind in the shortest moment of time compasses earth and sea, and all the bounds of the world; but that which is thought of in an instant, takes many words to express. Yet forcible as is the instance I have given, still it is after all weak and inadequate. For we speak, not what we ought concerning God, (for to Him only is this known,) but what man's nature can, and our weakness is equal to. For we explain not what God is; but we honestly confess that

a Пigi so povαgxías, i.e. that God is ence, power, authority, &c. the sole principle of all things, of exist