Stones And Sons

Illis enim qui de Abraham gloriabantur dicit: Et ne incipiatis dicere vobismetipsis, patrem habemus Abraham. Et de gentibus rursum loquitur: Dico enim vobis, quia potest Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios Abrahae. De quibus lapidibus? Non utque lapides irrationabiles corporeosque monstrabat, sed homines insensibiles et quondam duros, qui quia lapides et ligna adorabunt, impletum est illud quod in psalmo cantabatur: Similis illis fiant qui faciunt ea, et omnes qui confidunt eis. Vere qui faciunt idola, et confidunt in eis, similes sunt diis suis, absque sensu, sine ulla ratione, in lapides lignaque conversi sunt. Cum enim tantum videant creaturarum ordinem, decorem, officium, tantam mundi pulchritudinem, nolunt de creaturis intelligere Creatorem, neque considerant tantae dispensationis aliquam providentiam, aliquem esse rectorem, sed sunt caeci, his tantum oculis mundum videntes, quibus irrationabilia jumenta et bestiae vident. Non enim animadvertunt in his quae vident ratione regi, aliquam inesse rationem. Haec propterea, quia Joannes dixerat: Potest Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios Abrahae. Et nos igitur obsecreumus Deum, ut si quando fuimus lapides, vertamur in filios Abrahae pro his filiis qui ejecti sunt, et repromissonem adoptionemque suo vitio perdiderunt. Unum testimonium adhuc de lapidibus ponam. Siquidem in cantico Exodi scribitur: Vertantur in lapides, donec pertranseat populus tuus, Domine, donec transeat populus tuus iste quem possedisti. Rogatur itaque Deus, ut paulisper convertantur in lapides; hoc enim Graecs sermo significantius sonat, λιθούσθωσαν, donec pertranseat populus Judaeorum. Haud dubium quin postquam illi transierint, gentes lapideae esse cessabunt, et pro duro corde recipient humanam in Christo rationabilemque naturam. Cui est gloria et imperium in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Origenes, Homiliae in Lucam, Homilia XXII, Interprete Sancto Hieronymo Source: Migne PG 13.1858d-1856c

To those who gloried in Abraham John says: 'Do not begin to say yourselves, we have Abraham for a father.' And again about the Gentiles he says, 'I say to you that God can raise up sons of Abraham from these stones.' 1 From what stones? He does not mean irrational material stones but senseless and hard hearted men who adore stones and wood, which fulfills what was sung in the Psalm: 'They who make them are made like them, and so are all who trust in them.' 2 Truly those who make idols and trust in them are made like their gods, without sense, without any reason, they are turned into stone and wood. For when they see only the forms of created things, and the fairness of them, and the usefulness of them, and the beauty of the world, they care not to understand the creator through creatures, nor do they consider any providence in such a great dispensation, or any maker, but they are blind, with their eyes seeing only the world, by which they see like mindless cattle and beasts. Nor are they admonished by these things they see to be ruled by reason, and to be in possession of some reason. Because regarding these things John said, 'God can raise up sons of Abraham from these stones,'  therefore let us entreat God that if we have been stones, that we are turned into sons of Abraham, in place of those sons who have been cast out and in their sin and have died to the promise of adoption. One testimony I shall set forth about stones. In the song in Exodus it is written: 'Let them be turned into stones, until your people pass by, O Lord, until your people pass by, whom you have taken up.' 3 Thus God is asked that they be turned into stone for a little while, (and here the Greek word 'lithousthosan,' that is, let them be petrified, is more meaningful,) until the people of the Jews passes by. Without doubt after they have passed by the Gentiles shall cease to be stone, and receive for a hard heart a human one 4 in Christ, and a rational nature, to whom be glory and power forever. Amen. Origen, Homilies on Luke, from Homily 22, Translated by Saint Jerome 1 Lk 3.8 2 Ps 115.8 3 Exod 15.16 4 Ezek 36.26

The Camel And The Rich Man

Dic mihi, quid est hoc quod dixit Dominus in Evangelio: Facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire, quam divitem in regnum Dei introire? Respondit: Quid per camelum, nisi gentiles homines significat? Quia antequam Christus veniret, tortuosi, et gembrosi erant, idola adorando, vel colendo. Quid per illud foramen, nisi incarnato Christi in utero sanctae Mariae describitur? Quid per illum divitem, nisi Judaei, qui de legis littera se divites sperabant? Sanctus Isidorus Hispalensis, De Veteri et Novo Testamento Quaestiones, Quaestio XXXVI Source: Migne PL 83.206a-b

Tell me, what is this which the Lord said in the Gospel: 'Easier it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven?' 1 Answer: Why a camel, unless it signifies the Gentiles? Because before Christ came they were twisted and deformed, adoring and worshipping idols. And why through that 'eye' unless it is the incarnation of Christ in the womb of Mary that is described? And why that rich man, unless the Jews, who by the letter of the law hoped to make themselves wealthy? Saint Isidore of Seville, Questions on the Old and New Testaments, from Question 36 1 Mt 19.24, Mk 10.25, Lk 18.25

The Spirit's Rebuke

Ex cuius ore Spiritus Sanctus cunctis mundi potestatibus intonuit, denuntiando primo regi apud Hebraeos dumtaxat Sauli pro eo, quod quaedam de mandatis Domini non compleverat, dicens: Stulte egisti nec custodisti mandata Domini Dei tui, quae praecepit tibi. Quod si non fecisses, iam nunc pararet Deus regnum tuum super Israhel in sempiternum: sed nequaquam regnum tuum ultra consurget. Quid ergo simile huius temporis sceleribus?  Adulteriumne vel parricidium fecit ? Nullo modo. Sed iussionis ex parte mutationem, quia, ut bene quidam nostrum ait, non agitur de qualitate peccati, sed de transgressione mandati. Itemquc illum obiecta, velut putabat, purgantem et apologias, ut generi humano moris est, sagaciter hoc modo adnectentem: Immo audivi vocem Domini et ambulavi in via, per quam misit me, tali animadversione multavit. Numquid vult, inquit, Dominus holocausta aut victimas et non potius, ut oboediatur voci Domini? Melior est enim oboedientia quam victimas, et audire magis quam offerre adipem arietum, quoniam sicut peccatum ariolandi est repugnare et quasi scelus idolatriae nolle adquiescere. Pro eo ergo, quod abiecisti sermonem Domini, abiecit et te, ne sis rex. Et post pauca : Scidit, inquit, Deus regnum Israhel a te hodie et dedit illud proximo tuo meliori te. Porro triumphator in Israhel non parcet et paenitudine non flectetur, necque enim homo est, ut agat paenitentiam; subauditur: super duris malorum praecordiis. Notandum ergo est, quod dixit scelus idolatriae esse nolle Deo adquiescere. Non sibi scelerati isti, dum non gentium diis perspicue litant, subplaudant, siquidem conculcantes porcorum more pretiosissimas Christi margaritas, idolatrae. Sanctus Gildas Sapiens, De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae Source:  Migne PL 69.355b-d

From the mouth of Samuel the Holy Spirit thundered out to all the powers of the world, when he denounced Saul, the first king of the Hebrews, because he had not fulfilled certain commands of the Lord, saying, 'You have acted foolishly, you have not kept the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded you, which if you had done God would now establish your kingdom over Israel forever; but your kingdom shall arise no further.' 1 How is there likeness to the crimes of this age? Did he commit adultery or murder? Not at all. But there was a partial change of the command, because, as a certain one of ours has well said, 'It is not a matter of the kind of sin but the transgression of a command.' 2 And he being so charged, cleansed himself, so he thought, and wove together defences, as is the custom with men, in the following plausible manner: 'Truly I have heard the voice of the Lord and walked in the way by which He sent me;' 3 And the Prophet punished him with this censure: 'Does the Lord want,' he says, 'burnt offerings or victims, and not rather obedience to the voice of the Lord? For better is obedience than victims, and  hearing more than to offer the fat of rams, because resistance is as the sin of witchcraft, and refusal as the crime of idolatry. Therefore, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being king.' 4 And a little after : 'God has torn away from you today,' he says, 'the kingdom of Israel and given it to your neighbour, one better than you. Truly the Victor in Israel will not spare and by penitence will He not be bent; for He is not a man, that He should repent,' 5 that is to say, because of the hard hearts of the wicked. We must, therefore, observe that he says that the crime of idolatry is the refusal to obey God. Let not those wicked ones applaud themselves, when they do not offer sacrifice to the gods of the Gentiles, since by treading under foot, like swine, the most precious pearls of Christ, they are idolaters. Saint Gildas The Wise, from On The Destruction and Ruin of Britain 1 1 Kings 13.13-14 2  Source unknown 3 1 Kings 15.20 4 1 Kings 15.22-23,26 5 1 Kings 15.28-29

Knowing Idols

Filiolo, custodite vos a simulacris. Qui verum Deum cognovistis, in quo vitam habetis aeternam, custodite vos a doctinis haereticorum, quae perpetuam ducunt ad mortem, quia, more illorum qui simulacara pro Deo faciunt, gloriam incorruptibilis Dei pravis dogmatibus in similitudinem corruptibilium rerum immutant. Custodite vos philargyria, quae est simulacrorum servitus. Observate, ne quas mundi illecebras Conditoris amori praeponatis. Nam et hoc inter simulacra reputabitur, quatenus solius veritatis curam studiumque habentes, in hujus visione mereamini sine fine laetari. Mundus enim transit, et concupiscentia ejus. Qui autem fecerit voluntatem Domini, manet in aeternum. Sanctus Beda, In I Epistolam Sancti Joannis Source: Migne PL 93 120c

Children, guard yourself from idols. 1   You who know the true God, in which you have eternal life, guard yourself from the teachings of heretics, which lead to eternal death, because in their own way their make idols in opposition to God, changing the incorruptible glory of God into a idol of corruptible things by their depraved teachings. Guard yourselves from the love of money, which is slavery to idols. Be watchful, lest you prefer some snare of the world to the love of God. For even this is reckoned among idols, just as much as having care and desire for the truth alone in His sight we merit endless joy. 'The world passes away, and the desire of it, but he who does the will of God remains in eternity.' 2 Saint Bede, from the Commentary On The First Letter of Saint John 1 1 Jn 5.21 2 1 Jn 2.17

Adam And Idolatry

In eos qui peccaverunt in similitudinem praevaricationis Adae, qui est forma futuri. Qui Adama forma furturi est, quod in subiectis monstrabimus. Itaque non in omnes regnasse mortem manifestum est, quia non omnes peccaverunt in similitudinem praevaricationis Adae, id est, non omnes contempto Deo peccaverunt. Qui autem sunt, qui contempto Deo peccaverunt, nisi qui neglecto creatore servierunt creaturae deos sibi constituentes, quos colerent ad iniuriam Dei? Idcirco laetabatur in istis diabolus, quia videbat illos imitatores suos effectos.  In similitudinem praevaricationis Adae et Thara, pater Abrahae, et Nachor et Laban proprios deos habebant. Et peccatum Adae non longe est ab idolatria. Praeuaricauit enim putans se hominem futurum Deum. Aestimauit enim hoc magis profuturum, quod diabolus suasit, quam quod Deus iussit, in loco Dei diabolum statuens. Unde et subditus factus est diabolo. Ambrosiaster, Commantarius in Epistulas Paulinas, In Epistula Pauli ad Romanos Source: Ambrosiastri qui dicitur Commentarius in Epistulas Paulinas, Volume 81, Part 1

In those who sinned in a likeness of the sinner Adam, who is the type of the one to come. 1 Who Adam is a type of we shall show is he who is subjected. It is obvious that  death has not reigned in everyone  because not everyone sinned in a likeness of the sinner Adam, that is, not everyone sinned in contempt of God. And who are those who sinned in contempt of God unless those who neglected the Creator and served the creature, setting up as gods who they wished, as an insult to God? Therefore the devil rejoiced in these because he saw them as imitators of his own deeds. And in the likeness of the sinner Adam is Thara, father of Abraham, and Nachor and Laban who had their own gods. For the sin of Adam is not far from idolatry. He erred thinking that man would become God. He judged to be more profitable what the devil counseled than what God commanded, putting then the devil in the place of God. Whence he was made subject to the devil. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Epistles of Paul, Epistle to the Romans 1 Rom 5.14