Tractates on the Gospel of John
TRACTATE 10 219 in those words as in a mirror. Who, then, are they who will the peace of his servant, the peace of his people, the peace of the one that he calls "the only one" "^'' and that he wishes to be rescued from the lion: "Rescue my only one from the hand of the dog"?^*^ They, who forever say, "The Lord be magnified."
(3) Therefore those oxen magnified the Lord, not themselves. See the ox magnifying his Lord because the ox has acknowledged his owner;^^ observe the ox fearing that the ox's owner may be deserted and confidence be placed in the ox. How he is terrified of those who want to put hope in him!
"Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" '^^ What I gave, I did not give. You received it free; the dove descended from heaven. "I," he says, "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." "^^ And let them who will the peace of his servant forever say, 'The Lord be magnified.'"
8. But those men deceive the people from the Scriptures themselves so that they may receive honors and praises from them and that men may not be converted to the truth. Indeed because with the very Scriptures they deceive the people, from whom they seek honors, they sell the oxen; they also sell the sheep, that is, the people themselves. And to whom do they sell except to the devil? For truly, my brothers, if the Church is Christ's only one,*" and is one, who takes away whatever is cut off from it except that lion, roaring and going about, seeking someone whom he may devour?^' Woe to those who are cut off, for [the Church] shall remain whole! For "the Lord knows who are his."^^ Nevertheless, as far as they can, they sell the oxen and the sheep; they sell the doves, too; let them watch out for the scourge of their sins.
(2) Surely when they suffer some such thing for those iniq-
35. Cf. Ps 34. 17. The Latin unica, only one, is a Hebraism for the soul. See Blaise, 857.
36. Cf. Ps 21.21. 37. Cf. Is 1.3. 38. 1 Cor 1.13; cf. Tractate 5.7. 39. 1 Cor 3.6-7; cf. Tractate 5.15. 40. See note 35. 41. Cf. 1 Pt 5.8 and section 1. 42. 2 Tm 2.19.