Therefore, commenting on John 12:8 [Nic. Fathers, 7: 283], "The poor ye have always with you, but me ye have not always," he says: "What does he wish for himself? How is this to be understood,—'me ye have not always'? Do not fear. The words were spoken to Judas. Why, therefore, did Christ not say, 'thou hast,' but 'ye have'? Because there is not one Judas or one wicked person, but Judas represents the body of the wicked, just as Peter represents the body of the good." Further on he says: "In Peter's person the good in the church are represented; in Judas's person the evil in the church are represented. To them it was said: 'But me ye have not always.' What is this 'not always,' and what is this 'always'? If thou art good, if thou belongest to the body which Peter represents, then thou hast Christ both now and in the future—now, by faith; now, figuratively; now, by the sacrament of baptism; now, by the food and drink of the altar. Thou hast Christ now, and thou hast him always, because when thou goest hence thou wilt go to him who said to the thief: 'To-day thou shalt be with me in paradise.' But if thou livest wickedly, thou seemest now to have Christ because thou enterest into the church, signest thyself with the sign of Christ, art baptized with the baptism of Christ, dost mingle with the members of Christ—now thou hast Christ, but on account of wicked living thou wilt not always have him." Thus much Augustine, who shows that Peter's true vicars are the righteous and Judas Iscariot's vicars are the wicked, and especially wicked priests, hypocrites and blasphemers. And he shows the same when he comments upon Psalm 109: "Deus laudem meam ne tacueris." And Ambrose, 22: 20 [Friedberg, 1: 888], says: "Beware, my brethren, against lies.[1] . . . For it is a lie to say one is a Christian and not to do the works of Christ. It is a lie to profess oneself to be a
- ↑ Ambrose continues: "For all who love a lie are children of the devil. For a lie is found not only in false words but also in hypocritical works."
