Our Lord's first Plea for His Miracles. 577 XII.26. For, in truth, both because of the exceeding impudence of MATT. such a suspicion, and because of the fear of the multitude, they durst not publicly make these charges, but were turning them in their mind. But He, to shew them that He knew all that likewise, doth not set down the accusation, nor doth He expose their wickedness; but the refutation He adds, leaving it to the conscience of them that had said it to convict them. For on one thing only was He bent, to do good to them that were sinning, not to expose them. Yet surely, if He had been minded to extend his speech in length, and to make them ridiculous, and withal to have exacted of them also the most extreme penalty, there was nothing to hinder Him. Nevertheless He put aside all these things, and looked to one object only, not to render them more contentious, but more candid, and so to dispose them better towards amendment. How then doth He plead with them? Not by allegation out of the Scriptures, (for they would not so much as attend, but were sure rather to distort their meaning,) but by the events of ordinary life. For every kingdom, saith He, divided against itself shall not stand; and a city and a house, if it be divided, is soon dissolved. For the wars from without are not so ruinous as the civil ones. Yea, and this is the case in bodies too; it is the case even in all things; but for this time He takes His illustration from those that are more publicly known. And yet, what is there more powerful on earth than a kingdom? Nothing, but nevertheless it perishes if in dissension. And if in that case one throw the blame on the great burden of the affairs thereof, as breaking down by its own weight; what wouldest thou say of a city? and what of a house? Thus, whether it be a small thing, or a great, if at dissension with itself, it perishes. If then I, having a devil, do by him cast out the devils, there is dissension and fighting among devils, and they take their stand one against another. But if they stand one against another, their strength is wasted and destroyed. For if Satan cast out Satan, (and He said not "the devils," implying their great unanimity one with another,) he is then divided against himself; so He speaks. But if 578 Our Lord's second Plea for His Miracles: HOMIL. he be divided, he is become weaker, and is ruined; and if he be ruined, how can he cast out another? XLI. 1,2 2. Seest thou how great the absurdity of the accusation, how great the folly, the inconsistency? Since it is not for the same persons to say first, that He stands, and casts out devils, and then to say, that He stands by that, which it was likely would be the cause of His undoing. [2.] This then being the first refutation, the next after it is that which relates to the disciples. For not always in one way only, but also in a second and third, He solves their objections, being minded most abundantly to silence their shamelessness. Which sort of thing He did also with respect to the Sabbath, bringing forward David, the Priests, the testimony that saith, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, the cause of the Sabbath, for which it was ordained; for the Sabbath, I See saith He, was for man'. This then He doth in the present Mat. 12, 3.5.7.' case also: where after the first He proceeds to a second and refutation, plainer than the former. Mark 2, 27. v. 27. ay, For if I, saith He, by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? My See here too His gentleness. For He said not, 66 Disciples," nor, "the Apostles," but your sons; to the end that if indeed they were minded to return to the same 2 2 tyś nobleness with them, they might derive hence a powerful "here- spring that way; but if they were uncandid, and continued ditary in the same course, they might not thenceforth be able to good feeling." allege any plea, though ever so shameless. But what He saith is like this, "By whom do the Apostles cast them out?" For in fact they were doing so already, because they had received authority from Him, and these men brought no charge against them; their quarrel not being with the acts, but with the Person only. As then it was His will to shew that their sayings arose only from their envy against Him, He brings forward the Apostles; thus: If I so cast them out, much more those, who have received their authority from Me. Nevertheless, no such thing have ye said to them. How then bring ye these charges against Me, the Author of their doings, while acquitting them of the accusations? This however will not free you from your punishment, rather it will condemn you the more. Therefore from His Disciples' casting out Devils. 579 XII.28. also He added, They shall be your judges. For when per- MATT. sons from among you, and having been practised in these things, both believe Me and obey, it is most clear that they will also condemn those who are against Me both in deed and word. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the v. 28. Kingdom of God is come unto you. What means the Kingdom?" My coming." See how again He conciliates and soothes them, and draws them to the knowledge of Himself, and signifies that they are warring with their own good, and contentious against their own salvation. "For whereas ye ought to rejoice," saith He, “and leap for joy, that One is come bestowing those great and unutterable blessings, hymned of old by the Prophets, and that the time of your prosperity is at hand; ye do the contrary; so far from receiving the blessings, you do even speak ill of them, and frame accusations that have no real being." 11, 20. Now Matthew indeed saith, If I by the Spirit of God cast out; but Luke, If I by the finger of God cast out the devils'; 1 Matt. implying that to cast out devils is a work of the greatest power, and not of any ordinary grace. And He means indeed that from these things they should If this be so, then the Son of God is come. He saith not, but in a reserved way, and so as not to be galling to them, He darkly intimates it by saying, Then the kingdom of God is come unto you. infer and say, Seest thou exceeding wisdom? By the very things which they were blaming, He shewed His Presence shining forth. Then, to conciliate them, He said not simply, The Kingdom is come, but, unto you; as though He had said, To you the good things are come; wherefore then feel displeased at your proper blessings? why war against your own salvation? This is that time, which the Prophets long ago foretold: this, the sign of that Advent which was celebrated by them, even these things being wrought by Divine power. For the fact indeed, that they are wrought, yourselves know; but that they are wrought by Divine power, the deeds themselves cry out. Yea, and it is impossible that Satan should be stronger now; rather he must of absolute necessity be weak. But it 580 Our Lord's third Plea for His Miracles. HOMIL. cannot be, that he who is weak should, as though he were XLI. 2-5. strong, cast out the strong devil. v. 29. Now thus speaking He signified the power of charity, and the weakness of separation and contentiousness. Wherefore He was Himself also continually charging His disciples, on every occasion, concerning charity, and teaching them that the devil, to subvert it, leaves nothing undone. [3.] Having then uttered His second refutation, He adds also a third, thus saying: How can one enter into the strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man, and then spoil his goods? For that Satan cannot possibly cast out Satan is evident from what hath been said; but that neither in any other way is it possible to cast him out, except one first get the better of him, this too is acknowledged by all. 66 What then is established hereby? The former statement, with more abundant evidence. Why, I am so far," saith He,"from using the devil as an ally, that I make war upon him, and bind him; and an infallible proof thereof is the plundering of his goods." See how the contrary is proved, of what they were attempting to establish. For whereas they wished to shew, that not by His own power doth He cast out devils, He shews that not only the devils, but even their very chief leader is held by Him bound with all authority; and that over him, before them, did He prevail by His own power. And this is evident from the things that are done. For if he be the prince, and they subjects, how, except he were worsted, and made to bow down, could they have been spoiled? And here His saying seems to me to be a prophecy likewise. For not only, I suppose, are the evil spirits the goods of the devil, but also the men that are doing his works. Therefore to declare that He doth not only cast out devils, but also will drive away all error from the world, and will put down his sorceries, and make all his arts useless, He said these things. And He said not, He will take away, but He will spoil, to express what is done with authority. But He calls him strong, not because he is so by nature, God forbid, but 581 His fourth Plea. No Neutrality in His War. declaring his former tyranny, which arose from our remiss- MATT. ness. XII 30. [4.] He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that v. 30. gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad. Behold also a fourth refutation. For what is my desire? saith He. To bring men to God, to teach virtue, to proclaim the kingdom. What, that of the devil, and the evil spirits? The contrary to these. How then should he that gathers not with Me, nor is at all with Me, be likely to cooperate with Me? And why do I say, cooperate? Nay, on the contrary, his desire is rather to scatter abroad My goods. He then who is so far from cooperating that he even scatters abroad, how should he have exhibited such unanimity with me, as with me to cast out the devils? Now it is a natural surmise that He said this not of the devil only, but Himself also of Himself, as being for His part against the devil, and scattering abroad his goods. And how, one may say, is he that is not with me against me? By this very fact, of his not gathering. But if this be true, much more he that is against him. For if he that doth not cooperate is an enemy, much more he that wages war. Luke 9, But all these things He saith, to indicate His enmity against the devil, how great and unspeakable it is. For tell me, if thou must go to war with any one, he that is not willing to fight on thy side, by this very fact is he not against thee? And if elsewhere He saith, He that is not against you is for you', it is not contrary to this. For here I Mark He signified one actually against them, but there He points 9, 40. to one who in part is on their side: For they cast out devils, 50. it is said, in Thy name?. But to me He seems here to be hinting also at the Jews, Luke 9, setting them on the devil's side. For they too were against 49. Him, and were scattering what He gathered. As to the fact that He was hinting at them also, He declared it by speaking thus, 2 Mark 9, 38. Therefore I say unto you, that all manner of sin and v. 31. blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men. [5.] Thus having defended Himself, and refuted their objeetion, and proved the vanity of their shameless dealings, He proceeds to alarm them. For this too is no small part of advice and |