Exposition of the Christian Faith, Book I

Book I

• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.1 — Prologue. The author praises Gratian’s zeal for instruction in the Faith, and speaks lowly of his own merits. Taught of God Himself, the Emperor stands in no need of human instruction; yet this his devoutness…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.2 — The author distinguishes the faith from the errors of Pagans, Jews, and Heretics, and after explaining the significance of the names “God” and “Lord,” shows clearly the difference of Persons in Unity of Essence. In…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.3 — The Emperor is exhorted to display zeal in the Faith. Christ’s perfect Godhead is shown from the unity of will and working which He has with the Father. The attributes of Divinity are shown to be proper to Christ,…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.4 — By evidence gathered from Scripture the unity of Father and Son is proved, and firstly, a passage, taken from the Book of Isaiah, is compared with others and expounded in such sort as to show that in the Son there is…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.5 — The Unity of God is necessarily implied in the order of Nature, in the Faith, and in Baptism. The gifts of the Magi declare (1) the Unity of the Godhead; (2) Christ’s Godhead and Manhood. The truth of the doctrine of…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.6 — The various blasphemies uttered by the Arians against Christ are cited. Before these are replied to, the orthodox are admonished to beware of the captious arguments of philosophers, forasmuch as in these especially…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.7 — By way of leading up to his proof that Christ is not different from the Father, St. Ambrose cites the more famous leaders of the Arian party, and explains how little their witness agrees, and shows what defence the…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.8 — The likeness of Christ to the Father is asserted on the authority of St. Paul, the prophets, and the Gospel, and especially in reliance upon the creation of man in God’s image. 48. The Apostle saith that Christ is…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.9 — The likeness of the Son to the Father being proved, it is not hard to prove the Son’s eternity, though, indeed, this may be established on the authority of the Prophet Isaiah and St. John the Evangelist, by which…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.10 — St. Ambrose questions the heretics and exhibits their answer, which is, that the Son existed, indeed, before all time, yet was not co-eternal with the Father, whereat the Saint shows that they represent the Godhead…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.11 — Christ’s eternity being proved from the Apostle’s teaching, St. Ambrose admonishes us that the Divine Generation is not to be thought of after the fashion of human procreation, nor to be too curiously pried into.…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.12 — It cannot be proved from Scripture that the Father existed before the Son, nor yet can arguments taken from human reproduction avail to this end, since they bring in absurdities without end. To dare to affirm that…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.13 — Further objections to the Godhead of the Son are met by the same answer—to wit, that they may equally be urged against the Father also. The Father, then, being in no way confined by time, place, or anything else…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.14 — Discussion of the Divine Generation is continued. St. Ambrose illustrates its method by the same example as that employed by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The duty of believing what is revealed is shown…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.15 — That the Son of God is not a created being is proved by the following arguments: (1) That He commanded not that the Gospel should be preached to Himself; (2) that a created being is given over unto vanity; (3) that…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.16 — An explanation of Acts ii. 36 and Proverbs viii. 22, which are shown to refer properly to Christ's manhood alone. An explanation of Acts ii. 36 and Proverbs viii. 22, which are shown to refer properly to Christ’s…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.17 — The Arians blaspheme Christ, if by the words “created” and “begotten” they mean and understand one and the same thing. If, however, they regard the words as distinct in meaning, they must not speak of Him, of Whom…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.18 — That Christ is very God is proved from the fact that He is God’s own Son, also from His having been begotten and having come forth from God, and further, from the unity of will and operation subsisting in Father and…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.19 — The errors of the Arians are mentioned in the Nicene Definition of the Faith, to prevent their deceiving anybody. These errors are recited, together with the anathema pronounced against them, which is said to have…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.20 — Arius is charged with the first of the above-mentioned errors, and refuted by the testimony of St. John. The miserable death of the Heresiarch is described, and the rest of his blasphemous errors are one by one…vatican.va
• Exposition of the Christian Faith I.21 — St. Ambrose declares his desire that some angel would fly to him to purify him, as once the Seraph did to Isaiah—nay more, that Christ Himself would come to him, to the Emperor, and to his readers, and finally prays…vatican.va