Sermons to the People 269.1–269.3

We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit with a yearly festival. To it are owed a solemn assembly, a solemn reading, a solemn sermon. Those two have been paid, since you have come together in great numbers and have listened as it was read. Let us pay the third too: let the service of our tongue not be lacking to him who both gave all tongues to the unlearned, and subdued the tongues of the learned in all nations, and gathered the various tongues of the nations into the unity of faith. For “suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind rushing; and there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, which also sat upon each of them; and they began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.” That wind did not puff up but quickened; that fire did not burn but aroused. There was fulfilled in them what had been prophesied so long before: “There are no speeches or words in which their voices are not heard”; so that afterward, distributed to preach the Gospel, they might do what follows: “Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” For what else did the Holy Spirit foretell in the tongues of all nations, which he gave to those who had learned only the one tongue of their own nation (which he then willed to be the sign of his presence), but that all nations would believe the Gospel, so that first each of the faithful, and afterward the very unity of the Church, would speak in all tongues? What do those say to this who refuse to be incorporated and joined to the Christian fellowship, which bears fruit and grows in all nations? Can they deny that even now the Holy Spirit comes upon Christians? Why then does no one now, either among us or among them, speak in the tongues of all nations (which was then the sign of his coming), except that what was then signified is now fulfilled? For then even one believer spoke in all tongues; and now the unity of believers speaks in all tongues. And so even now all tongues are ours, since we are members of the Body in which they are.

And not without reason is it rightly understood that, though we grant that they have the baptism of Christ, heretics or schismatics do not receive the Holy Spirit unless they cling to the framework of unity through the fellowship of charity. For then the tongues of the nations will be theirs too: because where those are, there they too will be, namely in the same body of Christ growing everywhere, “keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.” Whoever this bond does not bind is a slave. “For we have not received,” as the Apostle says, “the spirit of slavery again in fear; but we have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, in whom we cry, Abba, Father.” Therefore we rightly judge that the Holy Spirit showed his presence at that time in the tongues of all nations so that even at this time, when he does not show himself so, whoever is separated from the unity of all nations should not be understood to have him, even if he is steeped in the sacrament of baptism. And lest it be thought to follow that whoever has the baptism of the Trinity has the Holy Spirit too, therefore even within unity itself so great a distinction was made that we find some baptized who afterward deserved the Holy Spirit, when the apostles came to them in Samaria, they having been baptized in the apostles’ absence; but others (a singular example occurs) received him before baptism, as was granted by power from above to Cornelius and those with him while Peter was speaking, a power which a man can in no way gainsay. On others he came as soon as they were baptized, as on that eunuch to whom Philip had preached Christ from the prophet Isaiah. On others through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, as on very many indeed. On others, with no one laying on a hand, but all praying, as on this very day which we solemnly celebrate today, when there were in one upper room a hundred and twenty souls with the apostles. On some, with no one laying on a hand and no one praying, but all hearing the word of God, as on those I mentioned a little before, Cornelius and his household. Why, then, now this way and now that way, except so that nothing should be attributed to human pride from this, but all to divine grace and power? So this distinction between receiving baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit instructs us well enough not to think that those have the Holy Spirit straightaway whom we do not deny to have baptism. How much more those whom no charity of Christian unity has armed! For “the charity of God has been poured out in our hearts”: not by ourselves, certainly, but, as follows, “through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Therefore, as then the tongues of all nations in one man showed that the Holy Spirit was present, so now the charity of the unity of all nations shows it.

“But the animal man,” in the Apostle’s words, “does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God.” And he certainly rebukes the animal men to whom he says: “Each of you says, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, I of Cephas, I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” For as the spiritual rejoice in unity, so the animal are eager for dissensions. Of these the apostle Jude too writes most openly: “These are they,” he says, “who separate themselves, animal men, not having the Spirit.” What is clearer? What is more explicit? Let the foolish, then, stop flattering themselves and saying to us: “What are we going to receive when we come over to you, since you grant that we already have the baptism of Christ?” We answer them: You have the baptism of Christ; come, so that you may have the Spirit of Christ too. Fear what is written: “But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” You have put on Christ in the form of the sacrament; put him on by the imitation of his example. “For Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps.” Do not be “having the form of piety, but denying its power.” And what greater power of piety is there than the charity of unity? It is said in the Psalms: “Of all perfection I have seen the end: your commandment is exceedingly broad.” What commandment, except the one of which it was said, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another”? Why broad, except because “the charity of God has been poured out in our hearts”? Why is it the end of all perfection, except because “the fullness of the law is charity,” and the whole law is summed up in this word, in what is written, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”? But you love your neighbors as yourselves in such a way that, while you do not want anything bad believed of you which has neither been seen nor proved in you, you believe of the whole world what you have neither seen nor received as proved. You say that you too can say, “Lord Jesus.” And perhaps, not understanding, you appeal to what the Apostle says: “No one says Lord Jesus except in the Holy Spirit.” But this word “says” has been placed significantly, and in a certain proper sense. For “no one says Lord Jesus except in the Holy Spirit”: but if he says it by deeds, not by words alone. For even those can say “Lord Jesus” of whom he says, “Do what they say, but do not do what they do.” All the heresies, which you too surely reject, say “Lord Jesus.” Nor will he shut out from the kingdom of heaven those whom he has found in the Holy Spirit; and yet he says: “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.” But “no one says Lord Jesus except in the Holy Spirit”: no one indeed, but in the way it was said, that is, by deeds. Hence he went on and added: “But he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he will enter the kingdom of heaven.” For the same apostle also says of some: “They profess to know God, but deny him by their deeds.” As he is denied by deeds, so he is said by deeds. In this way of saying, no one says Lord Jesus except in the Holy Spirit. If, then, you do not come over to unity, separating yourselves, you will be animal men, not having the Spirit. But if you come over in pretense, “the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the pretender.” Know, then, that you have the Holy Spirit when you have consented to cling with your mind to unity through sincere charity. This let us answer them when they say, “What are we going to receive?” And let us ourselves, brothers, give them an example of good works, neither proud because we stand nor despairing of those who lie fallen.