Caput 16
The Questioner's Challenge
A religious man poses a series of challenging theological questions to the Judge regarding divine judgment, scripture, and providence.
Then the religious man appeared again, standing in his place, and said: "O Judge, I ask you: Why, according to the words of the Gospel, are the goats placed on the left, and the sheep on your right?" Do you really take pleasure in such things?" Also, since you are the Son of God, equal to the Father, why is it written that neither you nor the angels know the hour of judgment? Also, since your Holy Spirit spoke through the evangelists, why is there such a discrepancy among the Gospels? Also, since your incarnation holds such great salvation for the whole human race, why did you wait so long to become incarnate? Also, since the human soul is worth more than the entire world, why don't you send your friends and preachers everywhere, all the time?✦
Divine Wisdom and Allegory
The Judge corrects the man's literalistic understanding of divine judgment and explains the nature of the Godhead and the use of analogy.
The Judge answered: "My friend, you aren't asking so that you might know, but so that your malice might be known." After all, there is nothing carnal in the Godhead, nor is anything shaped in a carnal way, because my Godhead is spirit; nor can the good and the wicked dwell with me at the same time, any more than light and darkness can. But there's no right or left in my divinity as if it had a physical shape, nor are those who will be at my right hand any happier than those at my left; these things are said only by way of analogy. The right hand represents the sublimity of my divine glory, while the left represents the lack and deprivation of all good. But neither sheep nor goats are in that wonderful glory of mine, where there is nothing physical, defiled, or changeable; rather, the habits of people are often written about in the likenesses and figures of animals—just as innocence is signified by the sheep, and lasciviousness—that is, the incontinent person—by the goat, who must be placed on the left, where there is a total lack of all good. Understand that I, God, sometimes use human words and analogies so that the little ones have something to nurse on, and the perfect may become more perfect, and so that Scripture may be fulfilled: that the Son of the Virgin is set for a sign that is spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. As for why I, the Son of God, said that I didn't know the hour of judgment, my answer is this: it's written that Jesus grew in age and wisdom.✦ Everything that grows and diminishes is subject to change; the Godhead, however, is unchangeable. Therefore, the fact that I, the Son of God, coeternal with the Father, grew in wisdom, I had from my humanity. What I didn't know, my humanity didn't know; but according to my divinity, I knew and know all things. For the Father does nothing except what I, the Son, do. Or is there anything the Father knows that I, the Son, and the Holy Spirit don't? Not at all. But the Father alone—with whom I, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one substance, one divinity, and one will—knows that hour of judgment, not the angels nor any creature.
The Manifold Work of the Spirit
The Judge explains the diversity of the Gospels and the Holy Spirit's role in guiding hearts through different modes of operation.
"Again, if the Holy Spirit spoke through the evangelists, why is there such dissonance between them? I answer: It is written that the Holy Spirit is manifold in His operations, because He distributes His gifts to His chosen ones in many different ways." The Holy Spirit is like someone holding a balance in their hand, adjusting and aligning its ends in many ways until the weight of the balance reaches stability. The experienced and the inexperienced handle this scale in one way, while the strong and the weak handle it in another. In the same way, the Holy Spirit rises in the hearts of men like a scale, and then descends again. It ascends when it lifts the mind through the subtlety of the intellect, through the devotion of the soul, and through the kindling of spiritual desire; it descends, however, when it allows the mind to be caught up in difficulties, anxious about trivialities, and disturbed by troubles. Just as a scale has no fixed balance unless the weights are adjusted and the hand of the one holding it is applied, so in the work of the Holy Spirit, moderation is necessary, along with a good life, simplicity of intention, and discernment in your actions and virtues.1 Therefore, when I, the Son of God, was visible in the flesh and preaching different things in different places, I had different kinds of followers and listeners. Some followed me out of love, while others followed to find an opportunity or out of curiosity; among those who followed me, some had more subtle minds, and others were simpler. That’s why I spoke in simple terms, so the simple could be taught; I also spoke of higher things, so the wise would be filled with wonder. Sometimes I spoke in parables and used obscure language, which gave some people an excuse to talk; at other times I repeated what I had said before, and occasionally I added to it or took something away. It's no wonder, then, that those who compiled the narrative of the Gospels included different things, yet all of them true; for some of them recorded the words exactly as they were spoken, while others recorded the meaning of the words rather than the words themselves. Some wrote about what they heard rather than what they saw; others recorded earlier events later, and some wrote more about my divinity—each of them speaking as the Holy Spirit gave them the power to speak. However, I want you to know that you should only accept those evangelists whom my Church accepts. For many have tried to write out of zeal, but not according to my knowledge. Look, I said what is read today: 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up.' Those who testified to what they heard were truthful about the words spoken, but they were false witnesses because they didn't pay attention to the meaning of my words, for I spoke that word intending it to be understood of my Body. In the same way, when I said, 'Unless you eat my flesh, you won't have life,' many turned back because they didn't pay attention to the clause I added.2 "My words are life and spirit," which means they carry spiritual meaning and power. It's no wonder they were mistaken, since they weren't following me out of love. And so, the Holy Spirit rises in the hearts of people like a stater, speaking sometimes physically, sometimes spiritually. He descends, however, when a person's heart hardens toward God, or becomes entangled and darkened by heresies and worldly things.
The Judgment of the Conscience
The Judge turns the inquiry back upon the religious man, challenging his own failure to live according to the truth he understands.
Then, at that very moment, the Judge said to the religious man sitting on a step of the ladder, "My friend, you've asked me so many subtle questions, and now, for the sake of my bride who stands here, I am asking you:" Why does your soul, which has the discernment and understanding of good and evil, love fleeting things more than heavenly ones, and why don't you live according to what you understand? The religious man mentioned above replied, "Because I act against reason and let the senses of the flesh prevail over it." And Christ said, "For that reason, your conscience will be your judge." Then Christ said to the bride, "Look, daughter, at how much power the devil's malice has over a person, and not just that, but a corrupted conscience as well!" This happens because a person doesn't resist temptation as they should. But the teacher you know didn't act that way. For a spirit of temptation descended with him, to such an extent that it was as if all heresies were standing before him, all speaking with one voice: 'We are the truth.' But he didn't trust his own senses, nor did he feel anything above himself. And so he was set free and made wise from 'In the beginning' all the way to 'the Alpha and the Omega,' just as it had been promised to him.✦✦
The Necessity of Incarnation and Grace
The Judge explains the timing of the Incarnation and the purpose of the law, while clarifying why preachers are not sent to all.
As for why I waited so long to become incarnate, I answer: My incarnation was truly necessary, for through it the curse was undone and all things in heaven and on earth were brought into peace. Still, humanity had to be instructed first by natural law, and then by written law. Through natural law, it became clear how great and what kind of love humanity possessed. Through the written law, humanity understood its own weakness and misery, and then it began to seek out medicine. It was right, therefore, for the Physician to come when the sickness had grown severe, so that where sin abounded, grace might abound all the more.✦ Yet, both under the natural law and the written law, many were righteous; many possessed the Holy Spirit, foretold many things, taught others to pursue all that is honorable, and waited for me as their Savior. These drew near to my mercy, not to eternal punishment. If the human soul is better than the world, why aren't preachers sent everywhere and always? I answer: "Truly, the soul is more worthy and noble than the whole world, and more stable than everything in it." It is more worthy because it is spiritual, equal to the angels, and created for eternal joy. It is nobler, however, because it was made in the image of my divinity, and is both immortal and eternal. Therefore, because humanity is more worthy and noble than all other creatures, it ought to live more nobly than them all, since it has been gifted with reason beyond the rest. If, however, someone misuses their reason and my divine gifts, why is it any wonder if I punish in the time of justice what was overlooked in the time of mercy? That is why preachers aren't sent everywhere and always; because I, God, foresee the hardness of many hearts and spare the labors of my chosen ones, so they won't be troubled in vain. Because many people sin deliberately and with full knowledge, choosing to persist in their sins rather than turn back, they aren't worthy to hear the messengers of salvation.
The Finality of Life
The Judge pronounces the end of the questioner's life and warns of the vanity of his intellectual pride.
But my friend, I'm finished with answering your thoughts, and you are finished with life. Now you'll experience what your wordy eloquence and human favor have actually done for you. Oh, how happy you would be if you had only paid attention to your profession and your vow! The Spirit said to the bride, "Daughter, this person who seemed to have sought so many great things is still alive in the body, but he won't remain alive for even one more day." Their affections and the thoughts of their heart have been shown to you through symbols, not for their greater disgrace, but for the salvation of others' souls. But look, their hope and their life will soon come to an end, along with those affections and thoughts.
Read the original Latin
Item apparuit religiosus qui supra stans in gradu suo et dicens: "O iudex, quero a te: Cur secundum dictum euangelii edi ponentur ad sinistram, oues ad dexteram tuam? Numquid talibus delectaris?"
"Item, cum tu sis Dei filius coequalis Patri, cur scribitur, quod nec tu nec angeli sciunt horam iudicii?"
"Item, cum Spiritus Sanctus tuus locutus sit in euangelistis, cur tanta est euangeliorum dissonancia?"
"Item, cum tanta salus sit toti humano generi in incarnacione tua, cur tanto tempore distulisti incarnari?"
"Item, cum anima hominis melior sit toto mundo, cur vbique et semper non mittis amicos et predicatores tuos?"
Respondit iudex: "Amice, non queris, vt scias, sed vt sciatur malicia tua. Denique in deitate nichil est carnale nec carnaliter effigiatum, quia deitas mea spiritus est, nec mecum simul boni et mali cohabitare possunt, non magis quam lux simul et tenebre.
Sed nec dextera et sinistra in deitate mea est tamquam corporaliter effigiata, sed nec feliciores sunt, qui ad dexteram meam erunt quam ad sinistram, sed per similitudinem hec dicta sunt.
Quia per dexteram intelligitur sublimitas mee diuine glorie, per sinistram vero defectus et priuacio tocius boni.
Sed nec oues vel edi in illa admirabili gloria mea sunt, vbi nichil corporale et inquinatum vel transmutabile est, sed in similitudinibus et figuris animalium multociens scribuntur mores hominum, sicut in oue innocencia, in edo lasciuia, idest homo incontinens, significatur, qui ponendus est ad sinistram, vbi defectus est tocius boni.
Ergo scito, quod ego Deus humanis quandoque vtor verbis et similitudinibus, vt habeat paruulus, quod sugat, et perfecti, vt perfecciores fiant, vt impleatur Scriptura, quia filius virginis positus est in contradiccionem, vt reuelentur ex multis cordibus cogitaciones."
"Item, cur ego filius Dei ignorare me dixi horam iudicii, respondeo: Scriptum est, quod Ihesus proficiebat etate et sapiencia. Omne itaque, quod proficit et deficit, habet mutabilitatem; deitas vero immutabilis est.
Ergo, quod ego filius Dei coeternus Patri proficiebam, hoc habui ex humanitate. Quod vero ignorabam, hoc ignorabat humanitas mea; secundum vero deitatem omnia sciebam et scio.
Nam nulla facit Pater, nisi que ego Filius. Aut numquid aliqua scit Pater, que non ego Filius et Spiritus Sanctus? Nequaquam.
Sed solus Pater, cum quo sum ego Filius et Spiritus Sanctus vna substancia, vna deitas et voluntas, scit horam illam iudicii, non angeli nec aliqua creatura."
"Item, si Spiritus Sanctus locutus est in euangelistis, cur tanta est dissonancia inter eos, respondeo: Scriptum est, quod Spiritus Sanctus multiplex est in operacionibus suis, quia multis modis distribuit dona sua electis suis.
Ipse quippe Spiritus Sanctus est sicut homo habens stateram in manu, concordans et coaptans extremitates eius multis modis, donec ad stabilitatem ipsum momentum statere peruenerit.
Quam quidem stateram alio modo disponit assuetus et dissuetus, alio modo fortis et infirmus. Sic eciam Spiritus Sanctus nunc more statere ascendit in cordibus hominum, nunc iterum descendit.
Ascendit autem quando mentem eleuat per subtilitatem intellectus et per deuocionem animi et per inflammacionem desiderii spiritualis; descendit vero, quando mentem permittit inuolui difficultatibus, anxiari superuacuis et tribulacionibus perturbari.
Ergo, sicut statera nichil habet certum, nisi moderentur imposita et adhibeatur eciam manus regentis eam, sic in Spiritus Sancti operacione moderacio necessaria est et vita bona simplicitasque intencionis et discrecio operum atque virtutum.
Igitur ego filius Dei visibilis in carne cum diuersis locis diuersa predicarem, diuersos habui imitatores et auditores.
Nam alii sequebantur me ex caritate, alii ad inueniendam occasionem et propter curiositatem, quidam eciam de sequentibus me erant subtilioris ingenii, quidam simplicioris.
Ideo ego locutus sum simplicia, vnde simplices erudiebantur; locutus sum eciam alciora, vnde sapientes admirabantur.
Quandoque eciam loquebar in parabolis et obscure, de quibus aliqui recipiebant occasionem loquendi; quandoque repetebam prius dicta et quandoque augebam et minuebam.
Ideo non mirum, si hii, qui narracionem euangeliorum ordinauerunt, quod posuerunt diuersa sed tamen vera, quia quidam eorum posuerunt verbum ad verbum, quidam sensum verborum, non verba.
Quidam scripserunt audita, non visa, alii priora posterius, alii plura de deitate mea et vnusquisque, prout Spiritus Sanctus dabat loqui illis.
Verumptamen scire te volo, quod illi euangeliste solummodo recipiendi sunt, quos ecclesia mea recipit. Quia plures conati sunt scribere, qui habuerunt zelum, sed non secundum scienciam meam.
Ecce enim ego dixi, sicut lectum est hodie: 'Soluite templum hoc et ego reedificabo illud'.
Isti, qui hec audita testificabantur, veri fuerunt secundum verbum auditum, sed falsi testes fuerunt, quia non attendebant ad sensum verborum meorum, quia illud verbum intelligendum dixi de corpore meo.
Similiter et quando dixi: 'Nisi manducaueritis carnem meam, non habebitis vitam', multi retrocesserunt, quia non attendebant clausulam, quam dixi:
'Verba mea vita et spiritus sunt', idest spiritualem habent intellectum et virtutem. Nec mirum, quod errabant, quia non sequebantur me ex caritate.
Itaque Spiritus Sanctus more statere ascendit in cordibus hominum, nunc loquendo corporaliter, nunc spiritualiter. Descendit vero, quando cor hominis induratur ad Deum aut heresibus et mundialibus inuoluitur et obscuratur."
Tunc in eodem momento dixit iudex religioso querenti, qui sedebat in gradu scale: "Tu amice, tociens quesisti a me subtilia et ego iam propter sponsam meam, que astat, interrogo te:
Cur anima tua, que habet discrecionem et intellectum bonorum et malorum, magis diligit caduca quam celestia nec secundum ea, que intelligit, viuit?"
Respondit ille religiosus qui supra: "Quia contra racionem ago et facio sensus carnis preualere racioni." Et Christus dixit: "Ideo consciencia tua erit iudex tuus."
Deinde dixit Christus ad sponsam: "Ecce filia, quantum preualet in homine non solum malicia dyaboli sed consciencia deprauata! Et hoc prouenit ex eo, quod homo non reluctatur, sicut deberet, temptacioni sue.
Sed non fecit ita magister tibi notus. Cum ipso quippe descendit Spiritus temptans eum in tantum, quod quasi omnes hereses essent ante eum stantes et quasi loquerentur vno ore: 'Nos sumus veritas'.
Sed ipse non credidit sensibus suis nec sensit supra se. Ideo liberatus est et factus est sciens ab 'In principio' vsque ad 'alpha et o', sicut sibi promissum fuit."
"Item, cur tanto tempore distuli incarnari, respondeo: Vere necessaria fuit incarnacio mea, per quam soluta est malediccio et omnia pacificata sunt in celis et in terris.
Sed tamen necessarium fuit, vt homo prius erudiretur lege naturali, deinde lege scripta.
Nam per legem naturalem apparuit, quanta et qualis fuit dileccio hominis. Per legem scriptam intellexit infirmitatem suam et miseriam et tunc cepit requirere medicinam.
Ergo iustum fuit, vt tunc veniret medicus, quando aggrauata fuit infirmitas, vt, vbi habundauit morbus, superhabundaret medicina.
Verumptamen et in lege naturali et in lege scripta multi fuerunt iusti et multi habebant Spiritum Sanctum et predixerunt multa et erudiebant alios ad omnia honesta et expectabant me saluatorem. Isti appropinquabant misericordie mee, non supplicio sempiterno."
"Item, cum anima hominis melior sit mundo, cur non mittuntur predicatores vbique et semper, respondeo: Vere anima dignior et nobilior est toto mundo et omnibus stabilior.
Nam ideo dignior est, quia spiritualis et equalis angelis et ad eternum gaudium creata est. Nobilior vero est, quia ad ymaginem deitatis mee facta est et immortalis et eternalis.
Ergo, quia homo dignior et nobilior est omnibus creaturis, ideo pre omnibus nobilius viuere debet, quia racione pre aliis ditatus est.
Si vero homo abutitur racione et diuinis donis meis, quid mirum, si ego hoc punio tempore iusticie, quod tempore misericordie est omissum?
Ideo ergo non mittuntur vbique et semper predicatores, quia ego Deus preuidens duriciam cordium multorum parco laboribus electorum meorum, ne in vacuum tribulentur.
Et quia multi ex industria et certa sciencia peccantes deliberant magis perseuerare in peccatis quam conuerti, ideo non sunt digni audire nuncios salutis.
Sed o amice, iam finiam tecum responsionem cogitacionum tuarum et tu finies vitam. Iam experieris, quid tibi profuerunt eloquencia tua verbosa et fauor humanus. O quam felix fores, si attendisses professionem tuam et votum tuum!"
Item dixit Spiritus ad sponsam: "Filia, iste, qui tanta et talia quesisse videbatur, adhuc viuit corpore sed non ad diem vnum mansurus est viuus.
Cuius affecciones et cogitaciones cordis ostense sunt tibi per similitudines, non sibi in maius obprobrium sed in salutem animarum aliorum. Sed ecce iam cum affeccionibus et cogitacionibus finietur spes et vita eius."
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.16.26 — For what will it benefit a person if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will a person give in exchange for their life?
- ↩Luke.2.52 — And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
- ↩John.1.1 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- ↩Rev.1.8 — "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the one who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
- ↩Rom.5.20 — The law came in alongside so that the trespass might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.
Notes
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