為三章辯護 第 62 章

Therefore let us also bring forward some things from the sayings of the blessed Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium, whom both the most wise John of Antioch, together with the Eastern council, pronounced a most approved teacher, and whom the emperors Gratian and the elder Theodosius so esteemed that they decreed—as we recalled in the fourth book—that those alone should hold the churches who were proved catholic by communion with the aforesaid holy Amphilochius and Diodorus, and others like them. This man, then, when he was discoursing on what was said, 'The Father who sent me is greater than I,' the beginning of which discourse is, 'The contention of the heretics has made us labor,' speaks thus: 'You see that the Father is greater, since He says "Let us go" (Matt. 26:46), not saying:

"I will dwell in them and walk among them" (2 Cor. 6:16). You see that the Father is greater, since He says, "I am the vine" (John 15:4), not saying, "I planted the true vine" (Jer. 2:21). And not to prolong my discourse, briefly, O heretic, I ask you: He who was born of God before the ages, did He suffer, or He who of David was begotten in the last times, Jesus? If indeed the divinity suffered, you have spoken blasphemy; but if the man, as the truth holds, why do you not apply the passion to the man, or sew together the lowly words?' Accordingly, this most approved teacher too can be accused, as though signifying that one is He who said, 'Let us go,' and 'I am the vine,'

but another is He who said, 'I will dwell in them,' and 'I planted the true vine'; and openly proclaiming that not He who was born of God before the ages suffered, but rather He who of David was begotten in the last times. He also, disputing on what was said: 'Amen, amen, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life' (John 5:24), says: 'If you assign the passions to the flesh, assign also to it the lowly words; and to whom you ascribe the miracles, fit the loftier sayings. For He who works miracles, being God, justly speaks lofty things worthy of His works; but He who suffers, being man, fittingly speaks lowly things worthy of the passions.'

Let this one too be blamed, saying likewise that He who works miracles, being God, is not the same one who also suffered, being man. Again, in a certain sermon, the beginning of which is, 'Bring, that we may today engage in contentious discourses,' speaking of what was said: 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God' (John 20:17), he says: 'The Father is common; His Father indeed by nature, but ours by grace; and likewise He is called God in common, but our God indeed He is, because He made us to be from things not existing; but their God He is according to the flesh.

For He Himself formed it in the Virgin, He Himself anointed it in the Jordan, He Himself proclaimed it, He Himself glorified it in the passion, He Himself raised it from the dead, carried it up on an empty cloud, making it worthy of a seat at the right hand. For all these things He who ascends to the Father possesses, having received them—not He who is in the Father.' In this passage too let him be accused, because he says that He who ascends to the Father is not He who is in the Father. Again, on what was said, 'Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,' the beginning of which is, 'Then, like a lawful soldier,' he speaks thus: 'For if the Son of Man must be delivered up, how do you say, "If it be possible, let this cup pass"? And altogether, if you were unwilling to suffer, why did you say, "Let this cup pass"?

It is not I who made heaven, who founded the earth, but according to you the man says it, shrinking from death.' Again from there: 'Since I,' he says, 'am God and man, tell who it is that suffered. If God suffered, you have spoken blasphemy; but if the flesh suffered, why do you not apply the passion to Him on whom you cast the fear? For while one suffers, the other does not dread; and when the man is crucified, God is not troubled.' I think that in this chapter too one cannot but warn the reader that he says the man who suffered is one, and God, who dreaded nothing while the man was crucified, is another.

Wherefore, if anyone condemns Theodore or his sayings, he is consequently compelled to condemn also Eustathius, Athanasius, and Amphilochius, those most approved teachers, or their sayings. What then? If some error of Theodore, or of anyone who has died in the peace of the Church, appears to us, is it to be approved and followed? Far from it. But it must first be inquired into, and conferred upon with the more learned, lest what appears blameworthy to us was put forth by its author with another intention; nor is he who said it to be judged—without being questioned—on the basis of what seems to us, especially if he is found to have said other things contrary to that error into which he is believed to have fallen.

For often a scrupulous and subtle inquiry, just as it has shuddered to discover the wiles of heretics, so has rejoiced to find the simplicity of catholics. But if the error of some who have died in the peace of the Church is so certain that it cannot be excused by what we have said, then, without their disgrace, without offense and disturbance to the Church, with their names kept silent, let the errors themselves be met: so that both the due reverence may be shown to preachers who have died in the peace of the Church, and to no catholic may the defense of the truth be an offense. Thus we know that holy and grave men, who did not boast of reprehending others, have acted—men whom we more fittingly and usefully imitate.

But just as the doctrine of those who, being established outside the Church, have written down many true and necessary things, cannot for those same right and necessary things be judged catholic, so the doctrine of the household members of the Church, even if in some things they are shown to have erred, is not on account of those things to be condemned as heretical.