Tractates on the Gospel of John (continued)
122 ST. AUGUSTINE
Psalm. It says, "I have prepared a lamp for my Christ; his enemies I will clothe with confusion. "^^ 15. Still in the darkness of this life we walk by the light of the lamp of faith. Let us also hold John as a lamp, let us also, by him, confound Christ's enemies. Even better, let him confound his enemies through his lamp. Let us also ask what the Lord [asked] the Jews; let us ask and say, "The baptism of John, from where is it? From heaven, or from men?"^^ What will they say? See if they, too, are not confounded by the lamp as enemies. What will they say? If they shall say, from men, even their own people will stone them. But if they shall say, from heaven, let us say this to them, "Why then did you not believe him?" Perhaps they say, "We do believe him." "How, then, do you say that you baptize, but John says, 'He it is who baptizes'?" (2) "But," they say, "those through whom baptizing is done, the ministers of so great a judge, ought to be j ust men." And I say, and we all say, that the ministers of so great a judge ought to be just. Let the ministers be just, if they will. But if they who sit upon the chair of Moses wish not to be just, my master has made me untroubled, about whom his Spirit said, "He it is who baptizes." How has he made me untroubled? He says "The scribes and the Pharisees sit upon the chair of Moses. Do what they say; but do not do what they do, for they say and do not."^*^ If the minister is just, I rank him with Paul, I rank him with Peter. I rank just ministers with them, because, in fact, just ministers do not seek their own glory; for they are ministers, they do not wish to be considered as judges, they dread that hope be put in them. Therefore I rank the just minister with Paul. For what does Paul say? "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase."^^ (3) He who is a proud minister, however, is in a class with the devil, but uncontaminated is the gift of Christ which flows
34. Cf. Ps 131.17-18. 36. Cf. Mt 23.2-3. 35. Cf. Mt 21.25. 37. 1 Cor 3.6-7.