12. "He that loveth his brother abideth (manet) in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." [2051] --I beseech you by Christ: God is feeding us, we are about to refresh our bodies in the name of Christ; they both are in some good measure refreshed, and are to be refreshed: let the mind be fed. Not that I am going to speak for a long time, do I say this; for behold, the lesson is now coming to an end: but lest haply of weariness we should hear less attentively than we ought that which is most necessary.--"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no scandal," or "none occasion of stumbling, in him." Who are they that take scandal or make scandal? They that are offended in Christ, and in the Church. They that are offended in Christ, are as if burnt by the sun, those in the Church as by the moon. But the Psalm saith, "The sun shall not burn thee by day, neither the moon by night: [2052] i.e., if thou hold fast charity, neither in Christ shalt thou have occasion of falling, nor in the Church; neither Christ shalt thou forsake, nor the Church. For he that forsakes the Church, how is he in Christ who is not in the members of Christ? How is he in Christ who is not in the body of Christ? Those therefore take scandal, or, occasion of falling, who forsake Christ or the Church. Whence do we understand that the Psalm in saying, "By day shall the sun not burn thee, nor the moon by night," saith it of this, that the burning means scandal, or occasion of stumbling? In the first place mark the similitude itself. Just as the person whom something is burning saith, I cannot bear it, I cannot away with it, and draws back; so those persons who cannot bear some things in the Church, and withdraw themselves either from the name of Christ or from the Church, are taking scandal. For see how those took scandal as from the sun, those carnal ones to whom Christ preached of His flesh, saying, "He that eateth not the flesh of the Son of Man and drinketh His blood, shall have no life in him." [2053] Some seventy persons [2054] said, "This is an hard saying," and went back from Him, and there remained the twelve. All those the sun burnt, and they went back, not being able to bear the force of the Word. There remained therefore the twelve. And lest haply men should imagine that they confer a benefit upon Christ by believing on Christ, and not that the benefit is conferred by Him upon them; when the twelve were left, the Lord said to them, "Will ye also go?" That ye may know that I am necessary to you, not ye to me. But those whom the sun had not burnt, answered by the voice of Peter: "Lord, Thou hast the word [2055] of eternal life; whither shall we go?" But who are they that the Church as the moon burneth by night? They that have made schisms. Hear the very word used in the apostle: "Who is offended, and I burn not?" [2056] In what sense then is it, that there is no scandal or occasion of stumbling in him that loveth his brother? Because he that loveth his brother, beareth all things for unity's sake; because it is in the unity of charity that brotherly love exists. Some one, I know not who, offendeth thee: whether it be a bad man, or as thou supposest a bad man, or as thou pretendest a bad man: and dost thou desert so many good men? What sort of brotherly love is that which hath appeared in these [2057] persons? While they accuse the Africans, they have deserted the whole world! What, were there no saints in the whole world? Or was it possible they should be condemned by you unheard? But oh! if ye loved your brethren, there would be none occasion of stumbling in you. Hear thou the Psalm, what it saith: "Great peace have they that love Thy law, and there is to them none occasion of stumbling." [2058] Great peace it saith there is for them that love the law of God, and that is why there is to them none occasion of stumbling. Those then who take scandal, or, occasion of stumbling, destroy peace. And of whom saith he that they take not and make not occasion of stumbling? They that love God's law. Consequently they are in charity. But some man will say, "He said it of them that love God's law, not of the brethren." Hear thou what the Lord saith: "A new commandment give I unto you that ye love one another." [2059] What is the Law but commandment? Moreover, how is it they do not take occasion of stumbling, but because they forbear one another? As Paul saith, "Forbearing one another in love, studying to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." [2060] And to show that this is the law of Christ, hear the same apostle commending this very law. "Bear ye one another's burdens," saith he, "and so shall ye fulfill the law of Christ." [2061]
13. "For he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth." [2062] A great thing, my brethren: mark it, we beseech you. "He that hateth his brother walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes." What so blind as these who hate their brethren? For that ye may know that they are blind, they have stumbled at a Mountain. I say the same things often, that they may not slip out of your memory. The Stone which was "cut out of the Mountain without hands," is it not Christ, who came of the kingdom of the Jews, without the work of man? [2063] Has not that Stone broken in pieces all the kingdoms of the earth, that is, all the dominations of idols and demons? Has not that Stone grown, and become a great mountain, and filled the whole earth? Do we point with the finger to this Mountain in like manner as the moon on its third day [2064] is pointed out to men? For example, when they wish people to see the new moon, they say, Lo, the moon! lo, where it is! and if there be some there who are not sharp-sighted, and say, Where? then the finger is put forth that they may see it. Sometimes when they are ashamed to be thought blind, they say they have seen what they have not seen. Do we in this way point out the Church, my brethren? Is it not open? Is it not manifest? Has it not possessed all nations? Is not that fulfilled which so many years before was promised to Abraham, that in his seed should all nations be blessed? [2065] It was promised to one believer, and the world is filled with thousands of believers. Behold here the mountain filling the whole face of the earth! Behold the city of which it is said, "A city set upon a mountain cannot be hid!" [2066] But those stumble at the mountain, and when it is said to them, Go up; "There is no mountain," say they, and dash their heads against it sooner than seek a habitation there. Esaias was read yesterday; whosoever of you was awake not with his eyes only but with his ear, and not the ear of the body but the ear of the heart, noted this; "In the last days shall the mountain of the house of the Lord be manifest, prepared upon the top of the mountains." [2067] What so manifest as a mountain? But there are even mountains unknown, because they are situated in one part of the earth. Which of you knows Mount Olympus? Just as the people who dwell there do not know our Giddaba. These mountains are in different parts of the earth. But not so that Mountain, for it hath filled the whole face of the earth, and of it is said, "Prepared upon the top of the mountains." It is a Mountain above the tops of all mountains. "And," saith he, "to it shall be gathered all nations." Who can fail to be aware of this Mountain? Who breaks his head by stumbling against it? Who is ignorant of the city set upon a mountain? But marvel not that it is unknown by these who hate the brethren, because they walk in darkness and know not whither they go, because the darkness hath blinded their eyes. They do not see the Mountain: I would not have thee marvel; they have no eyes. How is it they have no eyes? Because the darkness hath blinded them. How do we prove this? Because they hate the brethren, in that, while they are offended at Africans, they separate themselves from the whole earth: in that they do not tolerate for the peace of Christ those whom they defame, and do tolerate for the sake of Donatus [2068] those whom they condemn.
[1991] ["Our fellowship is."-- J.H.M.]
[1992] [Gr. katharizei, cleanses.-- J.H.M.]
[1993] O etheasametha. "Which we have looked upon." Vulg . quod perspeximus. Aug, om.
[1994] John i. 1.
[1995] Ps. lxxviii. 25.
[1996] 1 John i. 2.
[1997] Edd. Non calcibus persequamur: "not virtually trample upon, or kick at them, persecuting the martyrs afresh by turning their festivals into luxurious orgies;" or "not merely walk after them." Morel. Elem. Crit. p. 208, cited by Ed. Par, proposes calicibus persequamur: Complaining of these excesses. S. Aug. says, Enarr. in Psa. 69, sec. 2: Adhuc illi inimici martyrum quia voce et ferro non possunt, eos sua luxuria persequuntur. Atque utinam Paganos tantum doleremus!...Videmus etiam portantes in fronte signum Ejus, simul in ipsa fronte portare impudentiam luxuriarum, diebusque et solemnitatibus martyrum non exultare, sed insultare. On Ps. 59 (al. 60) sec 15, he has, modò eos ebriosi calicibus persequuntur, and one Oxford ms. reads so here. Compare infra, Hom. iv. 4.
[1998] Ps. xix. 4, 5.
[1999] Ante luciferum. Ps. cx. 3.
[2000] Gen. ii. 24.
[2001] Matt. xix. 6.
[2002] Isa. lxi. 10. Enarr. in Ps. ci. sec. 2.
[2003] 1 John i. 3.
[2004] John xx. 25-29.
[2005] Et societas nostra sit. So Vulg. Mill cites one ms. e meta tou patros.
[2006] 1 John i. 4.
[2007] 1 John i. 5.
[2008] Rom. ix. 5. Deus super omnia: so de Trin. ii. 23, c. Faust. iii. 3, 6, Propos. ex Ep. ad Rom. Exp. 59, super omnes Deus. S. Aug. constantly refers this clause to Christ. So S. Iren. iii. 18 (D. super omnes), Tertull. adv. Prax. 13, 15; Origen (Lat.) Comm. in Ep. ad Rom. vii. 13; St. Cypr. adv. Jud. ii. 6; St. Hilar. de Trin. viii. 37; St. Ambros de Sp. Sa. i. 3, sec. 39; in all these it is De super omnia or super omnia Deus.
[2009] 1 John i. 5. [God is Light; God is Love.--The Apostle gives in these two great words indications of the Divine essence, so far as it can be conveyed or suggested in human language. He had before said (John iv. 24), narrating the words of the Lord Jesus, "God is spirit" (not, a spirit). In this epistle he declares to us that God is light, and God is love. God is light, not "a light" (Luther) or even "the light," but "light" in the most absolute sense. In the text, Augustin forcibly employs this language in reference to sins; they, he says, are "our darkness." In the phrase of the apostle we may recognize a declaration altogether unrestricted and absolute with respect to the essence of God. Surely, He cannot be fully or adequately apprehended by man. Yet, He communicates Himself. He is revealed in His works; in them "the invisible things" of Him are clearly seen. His pure and glorious light shines; darkness confines; light is diffusive, without limit: by the light emanating from Him, alone, is God seen (Philo). But God, adds the apostle, is love. Love has its source in God. It belongs to His essence, to His very nature. Like light it is diffusive; in its self-communication it begets love. Love discloses to us the personality of God. His love meets with returns from personal beings to whom it comes and whom it enters; he that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. Apart from creation God is love, and before creation He had in Himself the perfect object of love; in the unity of the One God, in the communion of the Father and the Son, and the perfect response of love in and by the Holy Spirit (the activity of love is affirmed in Scripture of each person of the Holy Trinity), uniting both in the society and fellowship of love. Such love, manifested in the Gospel, encourages us to draw nigh in confidence to Him who is Love, and who may be loved.--J.H.M.]