Chapter 3 (43): 1. On Some Rather Obscure Chapters Of Hilary Which Appear To
Distinction XV | 63 pened truly. And so he was sad; but he took up true sadness willingly, just as he took true flesh willingly."'!'—You can clearly see that he would be contradicting himself in these assertions, if he did not distinguish the different causes from which the meaning of these statements is to be drawn. But if the cause of the meaning of the above words is discerned, there is no hint of contradiction.
Chapter 3 (43)
1. ON SOME RATHER OBSCURE CHAPTERS OF HILARY WHICH APPEAR TO
CONTRADICT THE COMMON OPINION. And yet some words of Hilary appear to be more troublesome and to pose a more difficult question, because he appears to say that the blows and wounds fell upon Christ in such a way that they did not inflict the pain of suffering. Just as a spear drawn through water, or fire, or air does all the same things as when it is drawn through animate bodies, because it pierces and wounds, and yet does not inflict pain, because those things are not capable of pain, in the same way, he says that the body of Christ received the force of pain without the sensation of pain because, just as our body does not have a nature such as to be able to walk on water, so he says that Christ's body did not have the nature of our pain because it did not have a nature for suffering.
2. He says as follows, in On the Trinity, book 10: "The only-begotten God, without ceasing from his divinity, took true humanity according to the likeness of our humanity. And although a blow struck him, or a wound befell him, or ropes bound him, or he was lifted up, and these carried the force of the passion, yet they did not inflict the pain of the passion. Some spear which pierces water, or penetrates fire, or wounds the air, does indeed inflict all these sufferings which its nature can: it pierces, it penetrates, it wounds. But the suffering inflicted on these things does not retain its nature because it is not in its nature that water be pierced, or fire penetrated, or air wounded, even though it belongs to the nature of the spear to wound and pierce and penetrate. So too, Christ does indeed suffer when he is struck, when he is lifted up, when he dies; the suffering which rushed into his body indeed was suffering, yet it did not act in accordance with the nature of suffering. Even as the pain savagely struck in the mystery of the punishment, yet that body's power bore the force of the pain that savagely struck it without feeling it. And certainly, that body of the Lord had the nature of our pain, if our body were of such a nature as to tread on the waves and walk upon the waters and find closed doors not to be an obstacle. (PAY ATTENTION HERE!) But if it is the nature of the Lord's body alone to be borne in the waters, and to stand upon the waves, and to pass through walls, how can we judge the flesh conceived by the '° Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, on Ps. 93, 15, n19.
64 | THE SENTENCES, BOOK 3
Spirit by comparison with the nature of the human body? That flesh is from heaven, and that man is from God. He had a body able to suffer, and he suffered, but he did not have a nature able to feel pain."!
3. The same, in the same: "Let us see whether the sequence of his sufferings allows us to discern in the Lord the weakness of bodily pain.
Deferring a discussion of the reasons why heretics ascribe fear to the Lord, let us consider the events themselves as they occurred. For it cannot be that his words signify fear whose deeds demonstrate such confidence.
Does it seem, o heretic, that he feared to suffer? But Peter became a Satan and a scandal because he erroneously held this through ignorance." Was
Christ afraid, who went forth to meet his armed captors? And was there weakness in his body, at whose approach the ranks of his pursuers broke as they fell down to the ground?' (NOTE WELL!) And so what weakness do you believe to have overcome this body, whose nature had such great power? Perhaps he feared the pain of his wounds? But tell me, you who assert the Lord's weakness, how he feared the flesh-piercing nail, who by his mere touch restored the ear that was cut off
?* Does this hand, which creates an ear, feel the pain of the nails? And does he feel the wound, who did not leave another to feel the pain of a wound? Is he sad through fear of the piercing of his own flesh, by whose touch that flesh is healed which has been cut off?"
4. Also: "And so, we have considered the powers of his words and deeds. We have clearly shown that there was no weakness of a bodily nature in the nature of his body, and that even though that suffering was inflicted upon his body, yet it did not inflict upon that body the nature of pain because, although the form of our body was in the Lord, yet the form of our sinful weakness was not in the body which the Virgin brought forth by the conception of the Holy Spirit."® 5. O reader, you have heard Hilary's words, by which he seems to deny
[Christ's] suffering. But set aside all opinionated and impious obtuseness.
If you note with diligence what is said above and explore the context of what was written, you will then be able to understand as best you can the reason and power of what was said and will not try to fault its meaning.
For it is clear that he said that there was no pain of suffering in Christ, and that the power of Christ's body received the force of pain without feeling it because Christ did not have in himself the cause of pain or deserve to feel it. This seems to have been pointed out when he says: 'he did
'Hilary, De Trinitate, bk 10 n23.
*Ci Mie 16923:
*Ch Jn 184-6:
"Cf Le 2 Sie °Hilary, De Trinitate, bk 10 nn26-28.
*Ibid., bk 10 n35.