an account from everyone who speaks falsehood, that we have never been, nor wish to be, enemies of peace. For if we lose peace, we are enemies of those who have heard from Christ. Peace be with you. But that we do wish for peace, and care for it, and long for it, the witness is He who knows; concerning the rest, we shall be silent. For he who expects God as the bestower of rewards will not offer insult to that heavenly tribunal in order to clear himself. God is able to give peace, to confirm peace, to decree peace between preachers and hearers, between teachers and disciples, so that beginning all things from peace, and passing through the middle in peace, and persevering in peace, we may return glory to the God of peace, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for ages upon ages. Amen.
SPURIA
MONITUM
The five homilies on the Assumption of the Lord have been rightly relegated among the spurious works. The first four were published by Morel in Volume 6, while the fifth, which is very brief, is found in Savile; the latter also edited all the others except for the first. From their number, they seem to be of the twenty-two short homilies on the Assumption mentioned by Photius in his Bibliotheca, Cod. 25.The first homily seems to us unworthy of Chrysostom; for the writer here is *ekprosōpōn* (wandering off the point), moving ineptly from one thing to another. In this very short speech, beginning with the Assumption of the Lord, he passes from this subject to another—namely, the apostles, and especially Paul; but then, abruptly, he proceeds to the blow struck upon Paul by the order of Ananias, the high priest, and as if he had forgotten his original purpose, he celebrates the praises of Paul at length here. Furthermore, he employs words never or rarely used by Chrysostom, such as *ekondylizon* (striking with the knuckles), *plēktron tēs zōēs* (plectrum of life) as an epithet for Paul, *Theokaleuntes* (calling upon God), and others of that kind, which we could bring forward in greater number, were it not already established that this little work is not by Chrysostom.
The second homily is of a slightly better quality, but it is not free from the suspicion of *nothias* (spuriousness), for I would gladly believe it to be a *cento* stitched together from various passages of Chrysostom. In Savile’s edition, it is found in Volume 5, page 973, line 37, and it is joined to the other, very brief homily on the Ascension, which is manifestly spurious and which we refer to below as the last of all the homilies on the Ascension; yet it varies in many places, and in some parts it differs not insignificantly from the one with which we are dealing. Whence it is evident that this homily has been handled by different hands. I suspect, therefore, that it is a *cento*, as I have said, adorned from various places in Chrysostom.
ON THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, SERMON I
AThree supreme, wonderful, and stupendous things, unknown in ancient times, surpass indeed the powers of our nature, yet they themselves remain unbroken and unmoved: for a threefold cord is not easily broken. These, truly, are: the birth from an unwedded mother, the Resurrection from a three-day passion, and the Ascension of the flesh into heaven. Time has known of the barren giving birth, but not without marital union; it has known the dead returning to life, but not unto eternal life; it has known a prophet being taken up, but "as if" into heaven—as if, that is, not into the true heaven. For Elijah changed place from place, but the Savior ascended to where He descended from, with many men and women beholding until the limitations of their sight could reach into the heights, with the angels themselves providing witness to this spectacle and announcing the second coming of Christ. And behold, it says, two men stood by them in white garments, who also said: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will so come, just as you saw Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:10-11). O how much the most benevolent Lord accomplished on behalf of wicked servants for their salvation! He descended from the heavens, He ascended into the heavens, and He is to come again from the heavens. But in what manner is He to come? Not indeed by having assumed another person, but in the form of flesh and in human habit; yet not doing humble things as before, not sleeping in the boat, not laboring with the trouble of thirst at the well, nor sitting upon a donkey’s foal, but borne upon the heavens; not leading fishermen, but surrounded by the retinue of angels; not set before a judge’s tribunal, but Himself judging the ends of the earth and providing judicial power to those very fishermen;