Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

¹⁰ What then do you say? It is the Only Son Himself That speaks; the Only-Begotten Son speaks in the Gospel: the Word Himself has given us the words, we have heard Himself saying, “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do.” Now then the Father does that the Son may see what to do; and nevertheless the Father does nothing but by the Son. Assuredly you are confused, you heretic, assuredly you are confused; but your confusion is as from taking hellebore, that you may be cured.

Even now you can not find your own self, you even yourself condemn your own judgment and your carnal view, I think. Put behind you the eyes of the flesh, raise up what eyes you have in your heart, behold things divine. They are men's words it is true you hear, and by a man, by the Evangelist, by the Gospel you hear men's words, as a man; but it is of the Word of God you hear, that you may hear what is human, come to know what is Divine. The Master has given trouble, that He might instruct; has sown a difficulty, that He might excite an earnest attention.

“The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do.” It might follow that He should say, “For what things soever the Father does, the like does the Son.” This He does not say; but, “What things soever the Father does, the same does the Son likewise.” The Father does not some things, the Son other things; because all things that the Father does, He does by the Son. The Son raised Lazarus; did not the Father raise him? The Son gave sight to the blind man; did not the Father give him sight? The Father by the Son in the Holy Ghost.

It is the Trinity; but the Operation of the Trinity is One, the Majesty One, the Eternity One, the Coeternity One, and the Works the Same. The Father does not create some men, the Son others, the Holy Ghost others; the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost create one and the same man; and the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, One God, creates him.