PREFACE OF MONTFAUCON
A for the stage was then most shameless, the actors most obscene, and the most impudent women were employed for stage performances; so that they appeared naked in the sight of all, and swam naked in water-basins prepared for that purpose: what evil could be greater than this pestilence, what more deadly? If any stage whatsoever cannot be approached without danger, what kind of danger was that, when under the eyes of all, such obscene things were presented?
Thus he diligently teaches that all vices are to be eliminated, and that virtue, chastity, brotherly love, the forgetting of injuries, and patience in adversity are to be eagerly embraced. He commends and praises almsgiving not only in these homilies on Matthew, but also everywhere in his other works: and he says that the foolish virgins were excluded from the nuptial chamber for the reason that they had not applied themselves to the work of almsgiving.
And what is highly to be observed is that he celebrates virtue in general, and each virtue in particular, by the name of philosophy: a fact which is also observed in his other works. Thus, col. 83, concerning the blessed Virgin’s spouse Joseph, he says: "Thus Joseph shows great philosophy, for he neither accused her, nor rebuked her, but only thought of sending her away"; and col. 228, on the text, *Blessed are they who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake*: "That is," he says, "for the sake of virtue, for the defense of others, for piety." For he is accustomed always to call the whole philosophy of the soul righteousness: and col. 230, he says that in the New Testament philosophy, or virtue, is greater than in the Old, and col. 273, he says that Christ has introduced us into philosophy; so in hundreds of places he uses "philosophy" instead of "virtue."
B § III.—Miscellaneous observations on the Commentaries on Matthew.
It is to be observed that this book of Homilies is praised by Theodoret in his second Dialogue, which he entitles *Asynkletos*, where he brings forward a passage from it (T. 4, p. 105): "And just as if someone standing in the middle of a space between two people distant from each other, by extending both hands on either side, has joined those he has grasped, so too has He done, joining the Old Testament to the New, and His divine nature to ours." This passage is also cited in the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, T. 4, p. 831. But this passage is found in Homily 2, col. 46.
Facundus of Hermiane, in book 3, p. 113 of the edition of Sirmond in the year 1629, brings forward this passage: "But let us also notice what John of Constantinople, the fellow-disciple of the aforementioned Theodore of Mopsuestia, said on this; who, explaining the same passage of the Gospel according to Matthew, says thus: 'He indeed prays more intently, lest the business be seen as mere pretense: and the sweat flows down for the same reason again; and lest heretics say this, that he was pretending agony: therefore the sweat like drops of blood, and the angel appeared comforting him, and a thousand proofs of fear. And lest anyone say that it is a figment of words: for this reason also the prayer. And in saying, *If it be possible, let it pass*, he shows his humanity; but in saying, *Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt*, he shows how we are taught through the study of virtue and patience, and that when nature draws us back, we should follow God.'" This passage is in Homily 83, otherwise 84.
Chrysostom says in Homily 17, col. 256, writing about those who imagine sexual intercourse in their minds, whom Christ has already pronounced adulterers: "What then would they say, who have virgins living with them? For according to this law, they would have committed six hundred acts of fornication, daily looking upon them with lust." Now in the first Volume there are two works, of which the first is *Against men who have virgins living with them*, col. 543; but the second, col. 561, has this title: *That canonical or "regular" virgins ought not to live with men*. By "canonical," as I think, he understands virgins (for it is about virgins here) who publicly professed virginity, and who held the state and order of virgins in the Church. Now he published these two works at Constantinople, according to Palladius, who lived with Chrysostom and wrote his life. Furthermore, from this passage in Homily 17, we learn that this was also the custom in Antioch; for Chrysostom would not have brought it up unless the stain of this evil had also invaded Antioch.
Chrysostom brings up a completely singular matter in Homily 66, col. 630, although in his calculation he is not very accurate. He complains further that the Antiochenes are too sparing in the giving of alms. "For let us examine, if you please, why we sow sparingly: whether, in truth, there are more poor than rich in the city, and who they are that are neither poor nor rich, but hold a middle place. A tenth part of the citizens are rich, a tenth part are poor, who have nothing; the rest are placed in the middle. Let us divide the whole multitude of the city by the number of the needy, and you will see what a disgrace it is. For the very rich are few; those who follow them are very many; again, the poor are far fewer than these. And yet, though there are so many who could feed the hungry, there are many who go to bed hungry: not because the wealthy cannot easily supply them with the necessities; but because they are very hard-hearted and inhuman. For if the rich, and those who have moderate means, were to divide among themselves those who are in need of bread and clothing, scarcely one poor person would be found to be fed by fifty or a hundred men. Yet in such an abundance of those who are able to provide the necessities, the poor daily lament their poverty. And that you may learn their inhumanity: the Church has the income of one very rich man and one of moderate fortune: and consider, I pray you, how many widows, how many virgins it feeds daily: their catalog certainly reaches three thousand. In addition to these, it maintains daily those in prison, the sick in the hospice, others who are healthy, those with mutilated limbs, those sitting by the altar for the sake of food and clothing, and others who come by chance: nor have its resources been diminished. Therefore, if only ten men were willing to supply equivalent amounts, no one would be poor." Certainly, the resources of the Antiochene Church must have been immense, which, besides the daily expenses of the Church and its ministers, could provide for so many widows and virgins, who numbered up to three thousand.