Opposition of Wills and Spiritual Food

Therefore, was the world foretold for this reason? So that He might bring the generation of the world to its completion through humans, and after this generation of humans, so that the visit might take placeLamb' is 'of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). Regarding the saying that Adam transgressed 'through disobedience' and the Savior 'through obedience' is justified (Rom 5:19), it is not making a comparison concerning the Savior, who is a type of the one to come, since Adam himself 'is a type of the one to come'; 'this great mystery, which I say refers to Christ and the Church' (Eph 5:32).

But since it is not entirely, es a book upon the hand of God, and says: 'take it and eat, and your belly shall be filled' (Ezek 3:3). 'And I ate', he says, 'and it became sweetness in my belly'. And he says: 'this book is written within and without' (Ezek 3:3). According to the spiritual and intelligible things it is written within, according to the sensible and manifest things without. But the wise man understands both and finds harmony between the symbols and the realities.

And in Isaiah he says again: 'and these words shall be as the words of the book of the sealed, if they give it to a man knowing letters, saying: take, read. He says: I cannot, for it is sealed' (Isa 29:11). And the illiterate man says: 'I do not know letters'. He was asking whether it differed if it were sealed or not sealed. And we take again the inspired Scripture, the one knowing letters but unable to read because of the sealed book representing the circumcised people, and the one not knowing letters being from the Gentiles.

'To do, O God, your will I have desired' (Ps 40:8). Therefore 'I said: behold, I have come' (Heb 10:7), since the will was desired to do your will after you did not desire me for sacrifice and offering. Those who hold false doctrines concerning Christ say that there are different wills; for even here he says: 'I have come, I desire to do your will', in the Gospel: 'I have descended from heaven not to do human will, but the will of him who sent me' (John 6:38). Therefore, concerning those saying that there are two wills, we say that: the different wills occur either according to more or less or...

In opposition. The one progressing in virtue desires righteousness, and the one perfected does too, and the will of the perfected is not the same as that of the one progressing or the one being led in. For there becomes either a multitude or a duality of wills according to the more and the less, and it also happens in opposition, when one chooses good things and another evil, and one wills to be saved and another to sin. Therefore, such a will as this, to approach the Son having opposition, is the extreme of impiety.

Furthermore, I also direct this toward the Manichaeans. One must act toward these: the will of the Savior is found to be good; for he says, having come down from heaven, 'that I might do the will of God' (John 6:38). And to do the will of God is good. And again: 'The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost' (Luke 19:10). And again: 'If you wish, you are able to cleanse me' (Mark 10:51). If this is the will of the Son, he wills all things that are beneficial. But since the will of the Father is being opposite to him, I leave it to you to consider. If it is found according to the more and the less in wills and in disposition, then both the Father and the Son will have a disposition, that is, a way of acting, and the Father is no longer without body, nor is the essence without connection. Nor is it to be said according to the more and the less, nor in opposition; for the will of the Son is demonstrated to be good. Yet it is not right according to God to say, however, that this is his will, to perfect the will of the Father. It is not right according to God to say this. Nor is it opposite, nor according to the more and the less. Therefore, one must take these things regarding the man.

And 'your law in the midst of my belly' (Psalm 119:11). It is spiritual food containing itself in the belly of the inner man. And the law, which is evident everywhere, is spiritual food; for it is not sensible food. This belly is often praised, and in the psalm: 'From the fear of you in the belly we have received' (Psalm 119:11). And just as this belly receives in the belly from the divine spirit—which is the fear of God—so also it receives divine food into itself. No longer desiring your sacrifice or offering or burnt offerings, having the spiritual law as food. I have evangelized righteousness in a great church. 'Great church' is the one of the...