Homilies on the Statues

THE WORKS OF OUR HOLY FATHER JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

HOMILIES XXI ON THE STATUES, DELIVERED TO THE PEOPLE OF ANTIOCH. HOMILY ONE, DELIVERED AT ANTIOCH IN THE PALÆA OR OLD CHURCH, WHILE HE WAS STILL A PRESBYTER, ON THAT SAYING OF THE APOSTLE: USE A LITTLE WINE FOR THY STOMACH’S SAKE AND THINE OFTEN INFIRMITIES (1 TIM. 5:23).

^A Did you hear the apostolic voice, the trumpet sounding from heaven, the spiritual lyre? And just as a trumpet, sounding a terrible and martial note, strikes down the enemies but rouses the drooping spirits of its own, so too... ^{B C D}

does it impart confidence, rendering those who attend to it invincible to the devil. And like a lyre, giving delight again with much spiritual joy, it calms the passions of strange thoughts, and brings us much profit along with the pleasure. ^A Since you have heard, then, about many and necessary matters being discussed today with Timothy—for even regarding ordinations he sent word to him, saying: *Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins* (1 Tim. 5:22), and he displayed the intolerable danger of such a transgression, showing that others will endure the punishment for what was failed by others along with them, because they provide the authority for wickedness through ordinations. Then again he says: *Use a little wine for your stomach and your frequent infirmities* (Ibid. v. 23). And he discussed with us today about the subjection of servants, and about the madness of the greedy, and about the arrogance of the wealthy, and about many other things. Since, therefore, it is impossible to go through everything, what would you have us select from what has been said to speak to your love? For just as in a meadow I see many and various flowers of reading, and much rose-bed, and many violets, and no fewer lilies—but various and abundant fruit of the Spirit sown everywhere, and much fragrance; or rather, the reading of the divine Scriptures is not just a meadow, but a paradise. For these flowers have not only bare fragrance, but also fruit capable of nourishing the soul. What, then, would you have us bring into the midst today? Would you have us handle ^B now that which seems the most trivial of all, and easily understood by anyone who chances upon it? It pleases me, and I know that it will also please you. What, then, is that which is easier than the others? What else, but that which seems simple and easy to speak about to anyone at all? What is this, then? *Use a little wine for your stomach and your frequent infirmities.* Come, then, let us spend the whole discourse on this one saying. We do this not for the sake of ambition, nor striving to provide a display of power in speaking (for the things said are not ours, but whatever the grace of the Spirit might inspire), but that we might rouse the more indolent of the hearers and persuade them how great the treasure of the Scriptures is, and how it is unsafe and fraught with danger to pass it by. For if this bare saying, which is easy to understand and seems to the many to contain nothing necessary, should appear to provide us with motives and grounds for the highest philosophy, much more will those things that demonstrate their own wealth from the very outset fill those who attend to them with countless treasures. Let us not, therefore, pass by even those thoughts of the Scriptures that are thought to be bare; for these also are of the grace that comes from the Spirit. And the grace of the Spirit is never small and trivial, but great and wonderful and worthy of the magnificence of the Provider. Let us not, therefore, listen carelessly, since even those who refine metallic earth, when they cast it into the furnace, ^C gain not only the masses of gold, but also collect the small particles with great care. Since, therefore, we also refine gold taken from the apostolic mines—not casting it into a furnace, but letting it down into the understanding of your soul—not kindling a flame, but lighting the fire of the Spirit, let us collect even the small particles with great care. For even if the saying is brief, the power is great; for pearls do not hold their inherent wealth in the bulk of the body, but in the beauty of the nature of the thing. So it is with the reading of the divine Scriptures. For secular education, unrolling much nonsense and pouring much garrulity upon the hearers, sends the hearers away with empty hands, having harvested nothing good, neither great nor small. But the grace of the Spirit is not so, but on the contrary, it inserts philosophy into all who attend through small words; and it often suffices to have taken one saying from here to have provisions for one’s whole life.

2. Since, therefore, the wealth is so great, let us rouse ourselves and receive what is said with a sober mind; for I am preparing to let the discourse down into a great depth. For to many this exhortation seemed to be superfluous and to be something redundant; and they say such words as: Was Timothy not able to discern for himself, or know what he should use, but did he wait to learn from the teacher? Then the teacher not only commanded it, but also committed it to writing, as if upon a bronze tablet, having engraved it in the letter to him; and was he not ashamed to send word about such things publicly, writing to the disciple? In order, therefore, that you may learn that the exhortation not only is not redundant, but has become necessary and most useful, and that this is not of Paul, but of the grace of the Spirit—I do not mean only that it was spoken, but that it was also put into writing, and handed down to all who are to come through this letter—I will proceed at last to the proof itself. For along with the things mentioned, some also raise this other question, no less important, asking among themselves why God permitted a man having such boldness, whose bones and relics cast out demons, to fall into such great and continual and frequent and constant illnesses; for he did not simply live in illness, but in illnesses, and those not giving him even a little to breathe. Whence is this evident? From Paul’s own words; for he did not say, *Because of the infirmity*, but *Because of the infirmities*, and not even simply infirmities, but signifying their continuity he said: ^D *Your frequent infirmities*. Let them hear, whoever are handed over to long-term disease and are indignant and despair. For this is not the only question, that being a saint he was sick, and so was sick continually, but that he was also entrusted with the common affairs of the inhabited world. For if he were one of those who had withdrawn to the summits of the mountains, and had set up a hut in the wilderness, and had chosen this life free from affairs, the question would not be so difficult; but for him to have been put forward in the midst, and entrusted with the cares of so many Churches, and managing whole cities and nations and the entire inhabited world with such zeal and eagerness, to be abandoned to the necessity of illness, this is what most…

^A of those who do not attend to it can cause to fall into amazement. For even if it were not for his own sake, it was fitting that he should be healthy for the sake of others. He was an excellent General; a war was being waged by him not only against the faithless, but also against demons and against the devil himself. With great vehemence all the enemies were pressing in, scattering the army and dragging them into captivity; he, however, could lead infinite numbers toward the truth, yet he was falling ill. For even if, he says, no other harm besides this were brought upon affairs by this illness, this alone was enough to make the faithful more sluggish and torpid. For if soldiers, seeing their general kept to his bed, become slower and more reluctant to fight, much more was it reasonable that the faithful, seeing their teacher, after so many signs and works, continuously ailing and suffering from bodily disease, might feel something human. And not these things only, but they also seek another question: for what reason, again, did neither he himself nor his teacher heal him in this state? But they raised the dead, and cast out demons, and easily overcame death, yet they did not restore one sick body; and those who exhibited such power in the bodies of others, both living and dead, did not relieve a stomach that had collapsed. And what is greater, ^B Paul is not ashamed nor does he blush, after so many and such signs which he performed even by a bare word, to write to Timothy to flee to the medicine of wine. Not that drinking wine is a shameful thing—far be it, for these are the injunctions of heretics—but that he did not think it a disgrace that one could not raise up a suffering limb without that assistance. Verily, however, he was so far from being ashamed of this, that he even made it manifest to all posterity. Do you see to what depth we have brought the discussion? How that which seems small teems with countless questions? Come, therefore, and let us bring the solution. For we have descended to the bottom for this reason, that exciting your mind, we might place our thoughts in safety.

3. Timotheus's virtue.

Nihil tale dixit aut cogitavit: sed quanto magis innumeris affluebat meritis, tanto magis timebat et tremebat: et hanc a praeceptore philosophiam discebat.

and castaway person, even if he be tripped and fall, does not bring such great damage to the community; but he who stands as if on a certain height, on the pinnacle of virtue, with much conspicuousness, and is manifest and known to all, and admired by all, when he has been ensnared and has fallen, he works a great fall and damage: not only because he has fallen from a height, but because he has made many of those who look towards him more slothful. And just as in a body, when one limb is corrupted, the damage is not great, but when the eyes are blinded or the head is injured, the whole body becomes useless: so also it may be said regarding the saints and those who have achieved great things; when they are extinguished, when they contract some stain, they bring damage that is entire and unbearable to the rest of the body.

^A 4. Timothy, therefore, knowing all these things, fortified himself from every side; for he knew that youth is difficult, that it is easily turned, easily deceived, easily slips, and has need of a more vigorous bridle; for it is a kind of fire laying hold of all things from outside, being kindled easily and quickly. Because of this, he fenced it in from every side so that it might be brought into a narrow compass, and he strove in every way to dampen this flame, and he pulled the horse, being hard to bridle and hard to rein, with much vehemence, until he had cut off its caperings, until he made it easily governed, and with much authority handed it over to the hands of the charioteer, which is reason. Let the body be infirm, he says, and let not the soul be infirm; let the flesh be bridled, and let not the race of the soul towards heaven be hindered. And besides these, one would especially admire him for this, because even having become so weakened, and wrestling with such illness, he did not neglect the things of God, but rather flew everywhere more than those who are healthy and vigorous in their bodies, now to Ephesus, now to Corinth, often in Macedonia, in Italy, everywhere on earth, everywhere on the sea, appearing with his teacher, and partaking with him in all his contests and in his ^B successive perils; and the infirmity of the body did not put to the proof the philosophy of the soul: so great is the zeal according to God, so great a wing does it create. For just as to those who have bodies that are thriving and healthy, there will be no benefit from this thriving, if the soul be cast down and slothful and sluggish, so to those who have been weakened, there will be no damage from the infirmity, if the soul be noble and awakened.

Concerning the moderate use of wine.

5. When, therefore, we hear some saying these things, let us stop their mouths; for it is not the use, but the immoderacy that causes drunkenness, drunkenness, the root of all evils. Wine was given, that it might correct the infirmity of the body, not that it might cast down the strength of the soul; that it might take away the weakness of the flesh, not that it might ruin the health of the soul. Do not, therefore, by using the gift of God immoderately, provide handles to the foolish and more shameless of men. For what is more pitiable than drunkenness? The man who is drunk is a living corpse; he is a voluntary demon, a disease having no excuse, a fall devoid of an apology, a common disgrace of our race. For not only in gatherings is the man who is drunk useless, nor in private and public matters, but even in simple appearance he is more disgusting than all, breathing forth a stench; his belchings and yawnings, and the voices of the drunken, are unpleasant and disgusting, filling those who see him and are with him with the utmost loathing; and the head of evils, that this disease makes heaven inaccessible to those who are drunk, and does not allow them to attain the eternal goods, but along with the disgrace here, an unbearable punishment awaits those who are diseased with such things there. Let us therefore cut off this wicked habit, and let us hear Paul saying, "Use a little wine"; for he permitted even that little for the sake of the infirmity; as if there were no infirmity disturbing him, he would not have

compelled the disciple, nor would he have urged him to take even a little. For we ought always to measure the food and drink given to us according to the times and our needs, and in no way to exceed the necessity, nor should we do anything imprudently or rashly. But after we have learned of Paul’s care and Timothy’s virtue, come, let us now lead the discourse to the solution of these questions themselves. What, then, are the questions? For it is necessary to repeat them, so that the solution may be made clearer. For what reason did God permit such a holy man, handling such great affairs, to fall into illness, and neither he nor the teacher could cure the sickness, but they had need of the aid of drinking wine? And these were the things searched out: but it is necessary to bring forth the solution itself, so that not only those who fall into such disease and illness, but also whoever might fall into poverty, and famine, and bonds, and tortures, and temptations, and calumnies, and the other inconveniences of the present life—even holy and great and admirable men—might, through the things to be said today, be able to find a suitable and most manifest defense against those wishing to accuse [them] in those instances as well. For you have heard many asking such things: Why, pray, is that humble and gentle man dragged into judgment every day by some other impious and wicked person, and suffers innumerable troubles, and God permits it? Why was another accused [and] unjustly put to death? "That one was drowned," he says, "another was thrown down": and we could recount many holy men, both in our own times and in those of our ancestors, who endured many and various tribulations. Therefore, in order that we may see the reason for all these things, and that we ourselves may not be perturbed, nor neglect others who are scandalized, let us now attend most diligently to what is to be said.

6. Various causes why God permits the saints to suffer evils.

For I can tell your charity eight reasons, various and of every kind, for the affliction of the saints. Therefore, give your minds to [this] with diligence, knowing that no pardon or excuse will be given to us henceforth if we are scandalized by the things that occur, given that, when there are so many reasons, we are nevertheless so tumultuously disturbed as if there were none at all. And so the first [reason] is that God permits them to be afflicted ^A so that they may not easily be carried away into arrogance on account of the magnitude of their merits and miracles. The second, so that others may not have a greater opinion of them than human nature allows, and may not judge them to be gods, and not men. The third, so that the virtue of God may appear through those who are sick and bound, being surpassing and victorious, and increasing the preaching. The fourth, so that their patience may become more manifest, not [serving] for the sake of the wages of men serving God, but [also] manifesting such gratitude that even after so many evils, a sincere benevolence toward Him is shown. The fifth, so that we may think of the resurrection: for when you see a just man, full of much virtue, suffering innumerable evils everywhere, and thus departing from here, it behooves you—even if unwillingly—to think of the judgment to come there. For if a man does not allow those who labor for him to depart without rewards and retribution, much more will God decree that those who have labored so much shall never remain unrewarded. But if He does not wish to deprive them of the retribution for their labors, it is absolutely necessary that there be some other time after the end of the present [life], in which they may receive the rewards for the labors of the present life. The sixth, so that all who fall into adverse circumstances may have sufficient consolation ^B and mitigation, looking to them, and being mindful of the evils which happened to them. The seventh, so that when we exhort you to their virtue, and say to each one, "Imitate Paul, imitate Peter," you may not grow sluggish toward imitation, thinking that, on account of the sublimity of their deeds, they were partakers of another nature. The eighth, so that when it is necessary to judge who are blessed or who are wretched, we may learn whom we ought to deem blessed and whom [we ought to deem] wretched and miserable. Therefore, these are indeed the causes: but it is necessary to confirm them all from the Scriptures, and to demonstrate diligently that all the things said above are not inventions of human thoughts, but the judgments of the divine Scriptures. For in this way the discourse will be more worthy of belief for us, and will better settle in your minds. That tribulation indeed confers this upon the saints—that they should be modest and humble, and not be puffed up by their deeds and signs, and that for this reason God permits it to happen—let us hear the prophet David and Paul saying the same things. The former indeed says: "It is good for me, O Lord, that Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn Thy justifications" (Ps. CXVIII, 71): but the latter, having prefaced, "I was caught up into the third heaven, and to paradise," ^C subjoined, "And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of the flesh, an angel of Satan, that he might buffet me" (2 Cor. XII, 2, 4, 7). What is more manifest than this? "Lest I be exalted," he says, "for this reason God permitted the angels of Satan to buffet me." But by "angels of Satan" he does not mean some demons, but men ministering to the devil, infidel tyrants, Gentiles, who were assiduously troublesome to him and harassed him. But what he says is of this kind: "God could," he says, "restrain the persecutions and the assiduous hardships; but since I was caught up into the third heaven and carried off to paradise, lest I be exalted and think highly because of the magnitude of these revelations, He permitted these persecutions, and [permitted] the angel of Satan to buffet me through persecutions and tribulations, lest I be exalted." For even if Paul and Peter, and all who are such, are saintly and admirable, yet they are men, ^D and they have need of much caution, that they may not be easily exalted, and most of all the saints: for nothing is so accustomed to exalt into arrogance as the full consciousness of merits, and a soul living with confidence. Lest, therefore, they should suffer any such thing, He allowed there to be temptations and tribulations, which could correct them and persuade them to act moderately in all things.

7. That this very greatly contributes to demonstrating the power of God, and learn this from the same apostle, who had previously said this. For lest you say, as infidels think, that God, in permitting such things, is weak, and unable to rescue His own from dangers, in that He permits them to be afflicted continually: consider this, how Paul demonstrated through these things that not only did they not argue his own imbecility, but rather displayed his power to all. For when he had said: "There was given me a sting of the flesh, an angel of Satan, that he might buffet me"; and with these

having by this ^A indicated his frequent temptations, he added: "Concerning this I thrice besought the Lord, that it might depart from me; and he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for my power is made perfect in infirmity." My power, he says, is displayed when you are in infirmity, and through you who seem weak, the word of preaching is increased, and sown everywhere. When, therefore, he was led into the prison having received a thousand stripes, he bound the jailer; his feet were in the stocks, his hands in chains, and the prison was shaken at midnight, while they were singing hymns. Do you see how his power was made perfect in infirmity? If Paul had been loose, and had persuaded that room, it would not have been so wonderful a thing that occurred. For this reason, he says, remain bound, and let the walls be shaken on every side, and let the prisoners be loosened, that my power may appear the more through you who are held and shackled, while all the captives are loosed. This very thing, therefore, also struck the jailer with amazement at that time, that being held under such necessity, by prayer alone he was able to shake the foundations, to open the doors of the prison, and to loose all who were bound. And one might see this occurring not only here, but also in the case of Peter, and Paul himself, and the other apostles, and that the grace of God was always flourishing in persecutions, and appearing in afflictions, and thus proclaiming his power. Wherefore he said, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my power is made perfect in infirmity."

But that many were often about to suspect ^B something greater than human nature concerning them, if they had not seen them suffering such things, hear how Paul fears this. "For if I also choose to boast," he says, "I shall not be foolish; but I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me." What does he mean by this? I might, he says, speak of far greater miracles, but I do not wish to, lest the magnitude of the signs should provide men with a greater suspicion concerning me. For this reason also, those around Peter, when they had straightened the lame man, and all were gaping at them, restraining them and persuading them that they showed forth nothing of their own, nor from their own power, they say: "Why look you at us, as though by our own power or piety we made him to walk?" And again in Lystra, not only were they amazed, but they brought oxen crowned with garlands, and attempted to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. See the devil's cunning: through these same men by whom the Lord was striving to cleanse the world of impiety, the devil was striving to introduce it, again persuading men to consider them gods, which he also did in former times. And this is most of all that which introduced the beginning and root of idolatry. For many who had achieved even wars, and set up trophies, and built cities, and bestowed other such favors upon the men of their time, were thought to be gods by the many, ^C and were honored with temples and altars, and the whole catalog of Greek gods is composed of these men. In order, therefore, that this might not happen also in the case of the saints, he permitted them to be driven continually, to be scourged, to fall into illnesses, so that the excess of bodily infirmity and the multitude of temptations might persuade those who were present at that time, that those who were performing such miracles were also men, and contributed nothing of their own, but that the grace was nakedly working everything through them. For if they considered those who had done small and trivial things to be gods, much more, if they had suffered nothing human, would they have suspected these men, who had done such things as no one ever saw or heard before. For where, even when they were being scourged, thrown down, bound, driven, and in danger every day, some nevertheless fell into this impious suspicion, much more, if they had suffered nothing human, would this have been suspected.

8. This, then, is the third cause of the affliction; but the fourth is that the saints should not be thought to worship God in the hope of present prosperity. For many living in debauchery are often accused by many, and when called to the labors of virtue, and hearing the saints being praised for their fortitude in misfortunes, they attempt to slander them from these things; and not only men, but the devil himself suspected this very thing. Because Job was clothed in much wealth, and enjoyed great abundance, being taunted by God on his account, that wicked demon, having nothing to say, and not being able to apologize for his own crimes, nor to check the virtue of the just man, immediately takes refuge in this defense, saying thus: "Does Job worship thee for nothing? Thou hast hedged round his inner and outer things." For a reward, he says, is that man virtuous, enjoying such abundance. What then does God do? Wishing to show that ^D the saints do not worship him for a reward, he took away all his abundance, and delivered him up to poverty, and permitted him to fall into a grievous disease. Then, refuting him for having suspected these things in vain, he says, that "He still holds fast to integrity; but you have said to destroy his substance in vain." For to the saints this suffices as a reward and recompense, to worship God; since even to one who loves, this is sufficient as a reward, to love his own beloved, and he seeks nothing more, nor considers anything greater than this. And if this is true of a man, much more of God; which thing, therefore, God, wishing to show, gave more than the devil requested. For he says: "Stretch forth thy hand, and touch him"; but God does not so, but, "I deliver him to you," he says. For just as in the contests of the world, those athletes who are muscular and in good condition do not appear so, when they are covered from all sides with a garment soaked in oil, but when, having thrown it aside, they are dragged naked to the pits, then most of all they amaze the spectators with the proportion of their limbs, with no one then able to overshadow it; so also Job, when he was wearing all that wealth, was not manifest to the many, who he was; but when, having divested himself of it as a garment, the athlete cast it aside, and entered naked into the contests of piety, thus divested he amazed all the spectators, so that the very theater of angels cried out loudly at the endurance of his soul, and applauded the

^A valiant athlete. For, as I said before, he did not appear to men thus clad in all his riches, as he did when, having cast them away like a cloak, he stood naked, in the midst of the inhabited world, as in a theater; and all were amazed at the good habit of his soul, and he was admired not only for the casting away of his goods, but also from the struggle of his patience amid infirmity.

Why God delivered Job into the power of the devil

For just as I said, God did not strike him Himself, lest the devil say again: "You have spared him and have not brought upon him as much temptation as you ought," but He gave him over to the devil, both for the destruction of his flocks and for power over his flesh. "I trust in the champion," He says, "and therefore I do not prevent the contests, whatever you wish to bring upon him." But just as experienced wrestlers, trusting in their art and the strength of their body, do not usually grapple with their adversaries in a straight-on match, nor on equal terms, but present themselves to them mid-way to be seized, so that they may win a more glorious victory, so also God gave the saint into the middle, for the devil to seize, so that when he had overcome after such a preeminence of struggle, and had laid his enemy low, the crown might be rendered more glorious. "Gold is refined; prove it as you wish, examine it as pleases you; you will not find filth in it." It does not show us his strength alone, but brings another great consolation. For what does Christ say? "Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so did they treat the prophets who were before you" (Matt. V, 11, 12). ^B And again, Paul, wishing to console the Macedonians: "For you, brethren, became imitators of the Churches of God which are in Judea; for you have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, as they also have from the Jews" (I Thess. II, 14). And he consoles the Hebrews again in the same way, recounting all the just who lived in furnaces, in pits, in deserts, in mountains, in caves, in famine, in distress (Hebr. XI, 36-38); for a communion of troubles brings a certain consolation to the fallen. That he also introduces this same argument regarding the resurrection, hear the same Paul saying: "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me, if the dead rise not? And if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable" (I Cor. XV, 32, 19). We suffer countless evils in the present life, he says: if, therefore, another life is not hoped for, what could be more miserable for us?

Our affairs are bounded by the limits of this life

Whence it is manifest that our affairs are not encompassed by the limits of this age. And this is clear from temptations; for God would never have permitted those who had suffered so many and such great evils, and who were spending their whole present life in temptations and infinite dangers, not to be repaid with much greater rewards. But if He cannot endure that, it is certain that He has prepared another, a better and more illustrious life, in which He must crown and praise the champions of piety with the whole world looking on. Therefore, when you see a just man ^C straitened, afflicted, ending his present life in infirmity, poverty, and countless other miseries, say within yourself: "If there were no resurrection and judgment, God would never have permitted one who had suffered so many evils for His sake to depart from here without having obtained any good." Whence it is plain that He is preparing for them another life, more pleasant and much better than the present. For if this were not so, He would never have permitted many of the wicked to rejoice throughout this life, while many of the just are involved in very many miseries; but because another age is prepared, in which He must render to the one the rewards of wickedness and to the other those of virtue, for this reason He allows the one to be afflicted, and the other to live in luxury.

But I shall endeavor to bring another reason from the Scriptures. What, then, is this? That we may not say, because we are summoned to the same virtue, that they were partakers of a different nature or that they were not men. For this reason someone, speaking of the great Elijah, says thus: "Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are" (Jac. V, 17). Do you see how by the communion of passions he demonstrates that he is a man like us? And again: "For I also am a man, subject to the same sufferings as you" (Sap. VII, 4). And this pledges a communion of nature. But that you may learn that he is here teaching whom we ought to consider blessed, it is clear from this: for when you have heard Paul saying, "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place, and labor" (I Cor. IV, 11); and, "Whom the Lord loves, He chastens; and He scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebr. XII, 6); it is certain that we are not to praise and emulate those who live in quiet, ^D but those who are afflicted and vexed for God’s sake, and who cultivate virtue and piety. So also the Prophet says: "Their right hand is a right hand of iniquity, their daughters are adorned, set off like the likeness of a temple. Their storehouses are full, bursting from this to that: their sheep are full of young, abounding in their goings out, their oxen are fat. There is no ruin of a wall, nor passage, nor crying in their streets. They called the people blessed to whom these things belong" (Psal. CXLIII, 11-15). But you, O Prophet, what do you say? "Blessed," he says, "is the people whose Lord is their God" (lb. v. 15). Not the one flowing with money, but the one adorned with piety, I consider this man blessed, he says, even if he suffers countless evils.

But if it is necessary to give a ninth reason, we could add this, that tribulation makes those who are tribulated more approved. "For tribulation works patience, and patience probation, and probation hope; and hope does not confound" (Rom. V, 3-5). Do you see that from tribulation, probation brings us the hope of future things, and makes us remain in temptations and hope well for the future? Therefore, I was not speaking in vain, that these tribulations designate for us the hope of the resurrection, and make the vexed better. For just as, he says, "Gold is examined in the furnace, so also a man acceptable in the camino of humiliation" (Eccli. II, 5). We can also say a tenth reason. What is this? Which I have already said often above, that if we have any stains, we lay them aside here. And the patriarch, declaring this, said to the rich man: that Lazarus received his evils here, whence he receives his consolation (Luc. XVI, 25).

^A And we shall find another again, following this one. What, then, is this? That the crowns and the prizes for us are multiplied; for in proportion as ^B tribulations are intensified, so too the rewards increase, or rather, even by much more: For the sufferings of the present time, he says, are not worthy to be compared to the future glory which shall be revealed to us (Rom. VIII, 18). Having, therefore, so many causes to name for the suffering of the saints, let us not be distressed in temptations, nor despond, nor be troubled, but let us ourselves instruct our own souls, and teach others these things; and if you see a man living in virtue, laying hold of philosophy, pleasing to God, and then suffering myriad ^C terrible things, do not be scandalized, beloved; and if you see someone setting himself to spiritual works, and being about to accomplish something useful, and then being tripped up, do not be troubled. For I know many who often enquire about this: "Such a one," he says, "went abroad for martyrdom, carrying money for the poor, and fell into a shipwreck, and lost everything; another again, doing this same thing, encountered robbers, and barely saved his own soul, departing naked from there." What then shall we say? That one ought not to be distressed at any of these things. For even if he fell into a shipwreck, he has the fruit of righteousness brought to perfection; for he fulfilled all his own duties; he collected the money, he set it aside, he took it and departed, he set out on his journey, but the shipwreck was not a matter of his own will. But for what cause did God allow this? That He might work this man as approved. "But the poor," he says, "were deprived of the money." You do not care for the poor as does God, who created them; for even if they were deprived of this, yet from elsewhere He can provide for them a greater opportunity of prosperity.

^D 10. Let us not, therefore, demand of Him an accounting for the things that occur, but let us glorify Him in all things. For He does not allow such things to happen often simply or in vain, but with the intent not to overlook those who are to enjoy the consolation from these goods, but to provide for them another means of support in their stead; thus He makes the one who has endured the shipwreck more approved, and procures a greater reward for him; for to give thanks to God upon falling into such circumstances is a much greater thing than to give alms. For not only what we give through alms, but also what we endure bravely after being robbed of our goods by others—these things also bring us much fruit. And that you may learn that this is greater than that, I will make it manifest from the things that happened to Job. That man, when he possessed wealth, opened his house to the poor, and gave away all that he had; but he was not so brilliant when he opened his own house to the poor as when, having heard that it had collapsed, he did not lose heart; he was not so brilliant when he clothed the naked from the shearing of his sheep, as he was brilliant and approved when, having heard that fire had fallen and consumed all his cattle, he gave thanks. At that time he was a philanthropist, now he became a philosopher; then he was showing mercy to the poor, now he was giving thanks to the Master, and he did not say to himself: "What is this that has happened? The flocks have been consumed, from which myriads of poor were fed; and if I was unworthy to enjoy such prosperity, through these poor, at least, one ought to have been spared." But he did not say any of these things, nor did he think them, but he knew that God manages all things for the common good. And that you might learn that he gave the blow to the devil greater afterwards, when having been robbed he gave thanks, than when he had possessions and was showing mercy, consider that when he had possessions, the devil might have had some suspicion—even if it were false—to say: Does Job worship You for nothing? (Job I, 9). But when he had received everything and had stripped him of all things, and he [Job] had maintained the same benevolence toward God, then finally the shameless mouth was stopped, and he had nothing more to say; for the just man was more brilliant than he was before. For to bear everything having been snatched away, and with thanksgiving, is much greater than to give alms while living in wealth, just as it has been demonstrated in the case of this just man; at that time there was much kindness toward fellow servants, now a great love toward the Master was displayed. I do not draw out this argument simply, but because many, often doing alms and supporting widows, have had all their substance plundered, others by some fire losing everything, others falling into shipwrecks, others by calumnies and such like injuries being brought down into extreme poverty after many alms, and sickness and disease, and have enjoyed no assistance from anyone. So that we may not say, as many often say, "No one knows anything," the things that have been said are enough to cast out such turmoil. "Such a one," he says, "doing so many alms, lost everything." And what is this that he lost everything? For if he gives thanks over this loss, he will draw to himself an even greater benevolence from God, and he will receive not a double reward, as Job did, but a hundredfold in the life to come. If he suffers badly here, this very thing brings him a greater treasure there, through the bearing of all things bravely; for God let him fall into poverty from prosperity, calling him to greater arenas and greater struggles. Fire having come, did it often consume your house and spend all your substance? Remember the things that happened to Job, give thanks to the Master who had the power to prevent, and yet did not prevent, and you will receive as much reward as if you had stored all those things into the hands of the poor. But you live in poverty and hunger, and among myriad dangers? Remember Lazarus, who wrestled with disease and poverty and solitude and myriads of other such things, and this after such virtue; remember the apostles, who lived in hunger and thirst and nakedness, the prophets, the patriarchs, the righteous—and you will find all of them to be those who were not rich, nor living in luxury, but those who were poor.

troubled, and in straits. Reflect, then, on why He made you of this lot: not out of hatred, but out of immense love; for He would not have permitted them to suffer so many grievous things, had He not loved them vehemently, since He rendered them more glorious through these very evils. There is no good equal to thanksgiving, just as there is nothing worse than blasphemy. Let us not be amazed that, when we are intent upon spiritual things, we suffer many adversities. For just as thieves do not dig and keep diligent watch where there is hay, straw, and stubble, but where there is gold and silver, so too the devil is most persistent against those who apply themselves to spiritual concerns; there are many snares where there is virtue; there is envy where there is almsgiving. But we have a mighty weapon, which is capable of repelling all such machinations, namely, that we should give thanks to God for all these things. Abel, tell me, did he not fall by his brother's hand while sacrificing the first-fruits to God (Gen. 4)? Yet God permitted it, not out of hatred for the one who honored Him, but out of deep love, providing him with yet another crown—that of martyrdom—in addition to the crown of that most beautiful sacrifice. Moses wished to assist one who was being treated unjustly, and he was in danger of death, and he was driven from his fatherland (Exod. 2); and God permitted it, so that you might learn the patience of the saints. For if we had foreseen that we would suffer no harm, and yet had set ourselves to spiritual affairs, we would have seemed to accomplish nothing great, having already such a pledge of security; but as it is, they are most admirable, those who do such things, that, while anticipating dangers, and losses, and deaths, and infinite evils, they do not refrain from such duties, nor have they become slower on account of the expectation of fears. As, therefore, the three children said: "There is a God in heaven who is able to save us, and if not, be it known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, and we do not adore the golden image which you have set up" (Dan. 3:17-18)—so too, when you ought to work some good according to God, look ahead to many dangers, many losses, many deaths; and do not wonder, nor be troubled, if these things occur. "My son," it says, "if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation" (Ecclus. 2:1). For no one who chooses to fight expects to carry off a crown without wounds. And you, therefore, dearest one, having set out to fight with the devil with all your might, do not pursue a life of security and luxury. For God has promised you the rewards and the promises not here, but in the world to come. When, therefore, you either do a good work yourself and receive the opposite, or you see another suffering this, rejoice and be glad; for it is an occasion of a greater reward for you. Do not collapse, nor loosen the earnestness of your spirit, nor become slower, but rather press on with greater alacrity. For the apostles also, when they were preaching—though they were scourged, stoned, and living continually in prisons—were proclaiming the gospel not only after their liberation from dangers, but even in the very midst of dangers with greater alacrity. And it is possible to see Paul in the very prison, in the very chains, instructing and initiating others, and doing the same thing again in the courthouse, and in shipwreck, and in the tempest, and in countless dangers. You too should emulate these holy ones, and do not fall away from good works, so long as you are able; and even if you see the devil interceding a thousand times, never give up. You, indeed, while carrying your money, perhaps suffered shipwreck; but Paul, carrying the word more precious than all money, was on his way to Rome, and fell into a shipwreck, and underwent infinite hardships. And he himself declared this, saying: "We often wanted to come to you, but Satan hindered us" (1 Thess. 2:18). And God permitted it, displaying His own power out of superabundance and showing that, while the devil was doing and prohibiting infinite things, the preaching was in no way diminished or interrupted. Therefore, Paul gave thanks to God in all things, knowing that God was rendering him more approved through these things; and he exhibited the vehemence of his own zeal in all things, unhindered by any of these obstacles. As often, therefore, as we are frustrated, let us so often engage in spiritual works; and let us not say, "Why did God permit the obstacles?" For it is for this reason He permitted them, that you might demonstrate your zeal and great love much more. For it is characteristic of the one who loves, never to desist from the things that are pleasing to the beloved. For the soft and cowardly man will collapse from the first attack; but the vehement and aroused man, even if he be hindered a thousand times, will press on all the more to divine things, fulfilling all things within his power, and giving thanks in all things; let us also do this. Thanksgiving is a great treasure, great wealth, an inexhaustible good, a strong armor; just as blasphemy brings a present loss, and causes more than what we have lost to perish besides. Have you lost money? If you give thanks, you have gained your soul, and you have acquired greater riches, because you have won the benevolence of God more fully for yourself; but if you have blasphemed, you have lost your salvation besides, and you have not recovered those things, and the soul which you had, this too you have killed.

12. He commands that blasphemers be reproved and beaten

12. But since our discourse has now concerned blasphemy, I wish to ask one reward from you all for this assembly and sermon: that you should punish for me those blaspheming in the city. If you should hear someone in a crossroads or the forum blaspheming God, approach, rebuke him; and if it should be necessary to inflict blows, do not refuse: strike him with your hand, smite his face, crush his mouth, and by that blow, sanctify your own hand. And if any should accuse you and drag you to court, follow; and if the judge should demand penalties for the tribunal, say with freedom that he has blasphemed against the King of the angels; for if those who blaspheme against an earthly king must be punished, much more those who heap contumely upon Him. It is a common crime, a public injury, and allowed for every person who wishes to accuse. Let the Jews and the Greeks learn that the Christians are the saviors of the city, and its guardians and teachers; and let those who have not learned this fact, the unruly and perverted, learn that they too...

^A must fear the servants of God, so that if they should ever choose to say anything of the sort, they may peer about everywhere, and tremble at their own shadows, anxious lest a Christian hear them, leap upon them, and punish them all the more severely. Have you not heard what John did? He saw a man, a tyrant, overturning the laws of marriage, and with boldness in the middle of the marketplace he said: "It is not lawful for you to have the wife of Philip your brother" (Mark 6:18). But I have not led you to a tyrant, nor a judge, nor for the sake of illicit marriages, nor for the sake of fellow-servants being insulted, but for the sake of insolence against the Master, I am asking that you correct your peer. Would you not have said that I was mad if I had told you to correct or punish kings or judges who were acting unlawfully? And yet John did this; thus, this is not a greater task than ours. But now, correct even your fellow-servant, even your peer; if it should be necessary even to die, do not hesitate to correct your brother; this for you is martyrdom, since John too was a martyr. ^B And yet, he was not ordered to sacrifice, nor to worship an idol, but he laid down his head for the sake of the sacred laws being insulted; and you, therefore, struggle even unto death for the sake of the truth, and the Lord will fight for you. And do not say to me that cold word: "What is it to me? I have nothing in common with him." We have nothing in common with the devil alone, but with all men we have many things in common. For they share the same nature with us, they inhabit the same earth, they are nourished by the same foods, they have the same Master, they have received the same laws, they are called to the same goods as we are. Let us not, therefore, say that we have nothing in common with them; for this is a satanic voice, a diabolical inhumanity. Let us not, therefore, say these things, but let us demonstrate the care appropriate for brothers. I myself promise this with all accuracy, and I pledge to you all, that if you who are present here all wish to distribute among yourselves the salvation of those who inhabit the city, quickly everything will be set right for us. And yet, the smallest part of the city is here—the smallest in number, but the principal part in piety. Let us divide up, therefore, the salvation of our brethren; one person afire with zeal is enough to correct the entire populace. But when it is not one, nor two and three, but a multitude so great that it is able to take hold of the care of the neglected—that the majority are perishing and falling is due to nothing else than our own sloth, and not to weakness. For how is it not absurd, if we see a fight in the marketplace, to go up and reconcile those who are fighting—and why do I say a fight? If we see an ass that has fallen, all hasten to stretch out a hand and help lift it up—yet to neglect ^C our brethren as they are perishing? The blasphemer is an ass, and unable to bear the burden of his anger, he has fallen; approach and lift him up, both by words and by deeds, and by gentleness and severity; let the medicine be varied. If we manage our affairs in this way, and take hold of the salvation of our neighbors, quickly we shall be desirable and lovable even to those who are enjoying the benefits of this correction. And, which is greater than all things, we shall enjoy the goods laid up for us, which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY TWO

Preached in Antioch in the church called "the Old," while he was still a presbyter, concerning the calamity that had happened in the city, on the occasion of the disorder of the destruction of the statues of the emperor Theodosius the Great, the pious king; and on the saying of the Apostle: "Charge the rich of this age not to be high-minded" (1 Tim 6:17); and against avarice.

1. What shall I say and what shall I speak? The present time is for tears, not for words; for lamentations, not for sermons; for prayer, not for oratory. Such is the magnitude of the deeds performed, so incurable the ulcer, so great the wound, and surpassing all treatment, and in need of help from above. Thus indeed Job, having lost everything, sat upon the dung-heap, and his friends, hearing what had happened, arrived, and seeing him from afar, tore their garments, and sprinkled themselves with ashes, ^D and wailed loudly. Now this was what it was fitting for all the cities round about to do, and to come to our city, and to lament the things that have happened with complete sympathy. He was sitting then upon the dung-heap; she sits now in a great trap. For just as then the devil danced over the flocks and the herds, and all the substance of the righteous man, so now he has run riot over the entire city. But God both then and now allowed it: then, in order to make the righteous man more brilliant by the magnitude of his temptations; now, in order to make us more sober by the enormity of this affliction. Give me leave to lament the present state of things. We kept silence for seven days, just like the friends of Job; give me leave today to open my mouth, and to bewail this common calamity. Who has cast an evil eye upon us, beloved? Who has envied us? Whence has this great change come about? Nothing was more venerable than our city; nothing has become more miserable now. A populace so orderly and mild, and just like a horse trained and tame, always obedient to the hands of the rulers, suddenly has reared up against us so much now, as to have committed such evils as it is not even lawful to speak of. I lament and mourn now, not because of the magnitude of the threatened punishment, but because of the excess of the madness that has occurred. For if the emperor should not be provoked, and should not be angry, and should not devise punishments and vengeances, how shall we bear, tell me, the shame of what has happened? My discourse of teaching is interrupted by the sorrow; I am barely able to open my mouth, and part my lips, and move my tongue, and let forth words; so, like a bridle, the weight of my despondency pulls back my tongue, and catches at the words. Nothing was more blessed than our city before; nothing is…

^A more miserable now. Just as bees buzzing about the hive, so the citizens once flitted to and fro in the market-place each day, and everyone called us blessed because of that multitude.

But see, now this hive has become deserted; for just as smoke drives away those bees, so has fear driven away these; or rather, that which the prophet said long ago while weeping for Jerusalem, we too shall say for the present time: "Our city has become like a terebinth that has cast its leaves, and like a garden that has no water" (Is. I, 30). For just as a garden, when it lacks irrigation, shows trees stripped of their leaves and bare of fruit, so too has our city become now; for, deserted by aid from above, it stands desolate, stripped of almost all its inhabitants. Nothing is sweeter than one's homeland, but nothing has become more bitter now. Everyone flees the land that bore them as if it were a snare, deserts it as if it were an abyss, and recoils from it as if from fire. And just as when a house is caught by fire, not only the inhabitants of the house, but all those nearby retreat with great haste, studying to save their bare bodies, so too now, while the imperial wrath is expected from above like a certain flame, before it slowly creeps forward on its path and reaches them, everyone is eager to get out, and to save their bare body. And our disaster has even become a riddle: flight without enemies, migration without battle, and captivity without the city's destruction; we did not see a barbarian fire, nor did we behold the face of enemies, and yet we suffer what the captives suffer. Now everyone is learning of our calamities; for those who receive our exiles hear from them of the city's ruin. ^B Let all understand the dangers of the city, that, grieving with the mother, they may raise up a common voice from the whole earth to God, and with one heart beseech the common mother and foster-nurse of all from the King of the heavens. Our city was shaken, but now the very souls of the inhabitants are shaken; then the foundations of the houses were shaken, now the very depths of each heart are moved, and we all see death daily before our eyes, and we live in continuous fear, suffering the punishment of Cain, living more miserably than those who dwell in prison, and besieged by a kind of unusual and new siege, and one far more grievous than has ever been imagined. For those who suffer such things from enemies are only shut up within walls, but for us, the market-place is inaccessible, and each person is shut up in his own house; and just as it is not safe for those besieged to cross the walls when the enemies are sitting around outside, so neither is it safe for many of those dwelling in the city to go out of their house, nor to appear in the midst, because of those who are hunting both the guilty and the innocent from everywhere, and snatching them from the midst of the market-place, and dragging them to judgment simply and as it happens. Therefore, free men, together with their servants, sit fettered within, asking and inquiring curiously who was caught, who was led away, who was punished today, and in what manner and by what means, from those who can safely learn of such things; and they spend a life more miserable than any death, forced daily to lament the miseries of others, and trembling for their own safety, they have nothing better than the dead, in that they have died long ago through fear. If anyone, however, who is outside of this fear and anguish should wish to proceed into the market-place, they are immediately driven ^C back into their house by the sad sight, scarcely seeing one or two people and walking with great dejection, where a short time before a multitude used to surpass the flow of rivers, but now all those have been chased away. And just as when many trees are cut down from a forest here and there, the appearance becomes disagreeable, like a head having much baldness, so too has the city's ground now become disagreeable, with men taken away and a few appearing here and there, and it pours out much fog of dejection upon those who look on. And not only the earth, but the very nature of the air and the circle of the solar rays seems to me now to mourn and shine more dimly, not because the elements are changing their nature, but because our eyes, troubled by a cloud of dejection, are not able to receive the light of the rays purely or with the same disposition. This is what the prophet once lamented saying, "The sun shall set on them at midday, and the day shall be darkened" (Amos VIII, 9). He said this not because the star was being hidden, nor because the day was vanishing, but because those who are dejected are not able to see the light even at midday because of the fog of pain; which is what has also happened now; and wherever one looks, whether to the ground, or to the walls, or to the columns of the city, or to those nearby, one seems to see night and deep darkness; and so everything is full of much dejection. There is silence everywhere, full of horror, and solitude, and that desirable clamor of the multitude is extinguished; just as if all were going under the earth, so now a taciturnity holds the city; all are like stones, and as if held by some bond of the tongue through the disaster, they maintain the deepest silence, just as much as if enemies had rushed in and had consumed everyone at once with fire and sword. Now it is the time to say: "Send for the mourning women, and let them come; and for those who are wise, and let them raise a cry" (Jer. IX, 17). "Let your eyes drop tears, let your eyelids ^D flow with waters. Hills, take up a lamentation, and mountains, a mourning." Let us call every part of creation to pity our evils. A city so great, the head of the East, is in danger of being taken away from the midst of the inhabited world; now the one that had many children has suddenly become childless, and there is no one to help. For he who has been insulted has no equal upon the earth; for he is an emperor, the summit and head of all men upon the earth. Therefore let us take refuge with the King above, let us call upon Him for help; unless we obtain grace from above, no remedy remains for those things that have been committed.

Homily 2

to pour forth its words with ease, so neither does it allow the heart of the listener to receive them with its own proper power. For this reason, the Jews, at a time when they were enslaved to clay and brick-making, could not bear to hear Moses ^A frequently speaking great things about their own salvation; because their despondency made their mind inaccessible to the word, and stopped up their hearing.

I wished indeed myself to end the discourse here; but reflecting that the nature of a cloud does not only obstruct the forward course of the ray, but does also itself often suffer the opposite; for when the sun, falling more warmly upon it, has rubbed it continuously, it has often broken it through the middle, and shining forth suddenly, it falls bright upon the eyes of those who see it—this I also hope to do today; and as the discourse constantly converses with your souls and lingers longer, I hope that the cloud of despondency will break, and again illuminate your mind with the customary teaching. But yield to me your soul, yield to me your hearing for a little while; shake off this despondency; let us return to our former custom, and just as we were always accustomed to arrive here with cheerfulness, so let us do even now, ^B casting everything upon God. This will also contribute to the resolution of the trouble itself. For if He sees us listening with precision to His words, and our philosophy not being found wanting in the difficulty of this present time, He will quickly intervene, and will bring about calm and a good change from the present storm.

For a Christian must differ from the faithless even in this: in bearing all things generously, and being winged by the hope of things to come, so as to be above the assault of human evils. The believer stands upon the rock: for this reason he is invincible to the assaults of the waves. For if the waves of temptations are raised, they do not reach his feet; he stands higher than all such plotting. Let us not, therefore, lose heart, beloved. We are not as concerned for our own salvation as the God who made us; we are not as anxious that we suffer no terrible thing as He who bestowed upon us our soul, ^C and who gave so many good things after that. By these hopes let us wing ourselves, and let us listen to what is to be said with our customary zeal.

Previously, I extended a long discourse to your affection, and I saw that all were following, and that not one turned back from the middle of the way. I have gratitude to you for that zeal, and I have received the reward of my labors; but I also asked of you at that time another reward together with that; perhaps you know and remember. And what was that reward? To punish and to school the blasphemers throughout the city, to restrain those who were insulting and behaving insolently toward God; I do not think I said these things of my own accord then, but that God, foreknowing what was to come, injected these steps into our mind; for if we had punished those who dared such things, those things which have now happened would not have happened. How much better it would have been, if indeed ^D it were necessary to run a risk, to suffer something while schooling and educating them—which also brought us a crown of martyrdom—than now to fear, and tremble, and await death because of their disorder! Behold, the sin was committed by a few, and the accusation becomes common; behold, because of those men we all are fearing now, and we are enduring the punishments for those things which were dared by them. But if we had anticipated and cast them out of the city, and had schooled them, and had corrected the member which had been overcome, we would not have feared this present fear. I know that the character of the city is from of old free, but some strangers and mixed multitudes, small and destructive, and having despaired of their own salvation, dared the things which they dared. Because of these things, I did not cease crying out and protesting: let us punish the madness of the blasphemers, let us school their mind, let us provide for their salvation; and even if we had to die for doing this, the matter would have brought us great profit; let us not overlook the common Master being insulted: overlooking such things will produce some great evil for the city.

4.

Chapter 4

The church is not a theater, that we might listen for amusement; it is necessary to depart from here having been benefitted, having gained something more and great; so it is necessary to depart; since we come in vain and to no purpose, if we should depart in this way, having been entertained for a time, becoming empty and void of the benefit from the things said. What is the benefit to me of these applauses? What of the praises and the clamors? My praise is to show through works that you have done all the things said; then I am blessed and enviable, not when you approve, but when you do with readiness of mind whatever you hear from us. Let each one correct his neighbor: "Build up one another," he says. For if we do not do this, the transgression committed by each one will bring a common and unbearable damage to the city. Behold, having no knowledge ourselves of the things that have occurred, we are not less afraid than those who dared them, and we shudder, lest the wrath of the king seize everyone; and it does not suffice for our defense to say: "I was not present, I did not know, I did not share in what occurred." For this very reason, he says, be punished and pay the final penalty, because you were not present, and did not hinder, and did not restrain those who were acting in disorder, and did not risk your life for the honor due to the king. You did not participate in the things that were dared? I praise this and I approve; but neither did you restrain the things that were happening; this is worthy of accusation. We shall hear these words also from God, when we bear in silence the insults and insolence committed against Him; since even the one who buried that talent was not accused then for the sake of his personal deeds (for he returned the deposit intact), but because he did not make it increase, because he did not teach others, because he did not lay out the money...

^A to neighbor-sinners who were living in disorder, he was for this reason sent away to those intolerable punishments without mercy. But if not before, let us hopefully at least now pay heed to this amendment, and not neglect God when He is treated with contumely. For what has occurred—even if no one else is here to advise—can persuade even the most senseless among you to claim your own salvation. But for us, it is now time to set before you the table customary for you from Paul, to bring forth the reading appointed for today, and to place it in the midst for all. What then is it that has been read today? "Charge the rich of this world not to be high-minded" (1 Tim. 6:17), "and [that they be] different, [being] rich in the world to come." What kind of person was that Lazarus? In the present life indeed poor, but in the future rich: not overflowing with gold and silver and any such corruptible and perishable matter, but with those arcane goods, which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man" (1 Cor. 2:9). ^B

What then are the true riches? These, indeed, are true riches and wealth, since they are both imperishable goods and admit of no change. But that contemptuous rich man was not of this sort, but became the poorest of all. After these things, therefore, wishing to obtain a drop and failing to become partaker even of that, he had come to such extreme poverty. For this reason he called them "the rich of the present age," so that you might learn that with the present life, opulence is dissolved: it does not proceed further, it does not depart together with the departing owners, but it very often deserts them even before the end; which he also demonstrates by saying, "Nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches" (1 Tim 6:17). For nothing is as unfaithful as riches; something I, because I have said often, will not cease to say: that it is a fugitive and ungrateful servant, holding no faith, even if you cast upon it countless chains; it thus flees away, even with those chains. The owners have often shut it in with bolts and doors, having applied a guard of servants; yet it, having bribed the servants, flees away with the guards themselves, ^C dragging them along like a chain, and the guarding was of no avail. What is more unfaithful than this? Indeed, what is more miserable than those who place their zeal around it? Since they set out to collect with all zeal a thing so unstable, and do not hear the prophet saying, "Woe to them who trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches" (Ps. 48:7). Tell me, why "Woe"? "He treasures up," he says, "and knows not for whom he shall gather them" (Ps. 38:7); since the labor is certain, but the fruit is uncertain. You often labor for enemies and are afflicted with troubles; often after your death, the inheritance coming to those who have treated you with injury and surrounded you with countless treacheries, bestowed your sins upon you, but the possession upon others. ^D

Chapter 4

Chapter 5.

Chapter 6.

The praise and reward of hospitality.

and the wealth stored up within it, because he had enjoyed this gift. Let us, therefore, not adorn our houses, but rather our souls before our houses. For how is it not shameful to overlay the walls with marble in vain and to no purpose, while overlooking Christ wandering about naked? What profit is the house to you, O man? For you shall not take it with you when you depart. ^A You shall not take it with you when you depart, but you shall certainly take your soul. Behold, such danger has now overtaken us: let our houses stand by us, let them release us from the impending danger; but they will not be able. And you yourselves are witnesses, who leave them desolate and leap away toward the wilderness, fearing them as if they were traps and nets. Let money now provide help; but it has no time. And if, where human wrath exists, the power of money is put to the test, much more will this happen at the divine and impartial judgment seat. If it is a man who is being provoked and is indignant, and gold does not help us at all now, much more, when God is angry—who does not need money—will the power of gold be utterly infirm. We build houses so that we may dwell in them, not so that we may vaunt ourselves: what is beyond need is beyond need, and is useless. Put on a shoe larger than your foot; you will not endure it, for it hinders you in walking. So too, a house larger than what you need hinders your journey to the heavens. Do you wish to build bright and large houses? I do not forbid it, but not on earth: build tents in the heavens, so that you may be able to receive others as well—tents that are never pulled down. Why are you mad about things that pass away and leave those that abide? There is nothing more dangerous than wealth; it is with you today, and tomorrow against you; it arms the eyes of envious men on every side. Your housemate is an enemy, your fellow-inhabitant is a foe; and you who possess it are witnesses, who in every way bury it and hide it away; for even now wealth makes the danger more unbearable for us. You see, then, the poor are light-footed and unencumbered, and prepared for everything; but the rich have much difficulty, and go about seeking where they might bury their gold, seeking with whom they might deposit it. Whom do you seek, O man, among your fellow-servants? Christ stands ready to receive and to keep your deposits for you, and not merely to keep them, but also to increase them, and to return them with much addition; from his hand no one snatches. And he does not only keep the deposits, but on account of this very thing he also dissolves the dangers for you. For among men, those who have received deposits think that they have done us a favor by guarding what they received; but with Christ, it is the opposite: he does not think he has done you a favor, but that he has received a favor when he accepts your deposits. He says that even for the very guard which he exhibits over your money, he does not demand payment from you, but he gives you payment. ^B

6. From what defense would we be worthy, or from what forgiveness, when we pass by him who is able to guard, and who knows how to grant favor for the guarding, and who pays back secret and great rewards in return for this guarding to those who are infirm according to this guarding—while we hand over our things to those who think they are doing us a favor, and who only return the very things given later—when we hand over our things to them? Are you a stranger and a sojourner in the things here? You have a country in the heavens; transfer everything there, so that even before your departure you may enjoy the reward here. For he who is fed by good hopes and trusts in the things to come has already tasted of the kingdom from this point on. For nothing is so wont to restore the soul and make it better as the good hope of things to come, if you transfer your wealth there and take care of your own soul with the appropriate leisure. For those who expend all their zeal on the adornment of their own house, being wealthy in things without, neglect those within, overlooking their own soul, leaving it desolate and parched and full of cobwebs; but if, having neglected those things without, they consume all their eagerness in their own mind, adorning it from every side, the soul of such men will be a lodging-place for Christ. But for him who has Christ as a dweller, what could ever be more blessed? Do you wish to be wealthy? Have God as your friend, and you will be more resourceful than all. Do you wish to be wealthy? Do not think highly of yourself; this is not only fit for the things to come, but also for the present; for nothing is so fraught with envy as a man who is wealthy. But when arrogance is added, the cliff becomes double, and the war becomes more grievous from all sides. But if you know how to be moderate, you cut off the tyranny of envy by humility, and you possess whatever you may possess with security. For such is the nature of virtue; it benefits us not only for the things to come, but it even now gives the rewards from this point on. Let us not, therefore, think highly of ourselves because of wealth, nor indeed because of anything else. For if he who thinks highly of himself in spiritual matters is lost and ruined, much more so in carnal ones. Let us consider our nature, let us reflect on our sins, let us learn who we are, and this suffices for us as a subject for all humility. Do not tell me that "I have the revenues of so many years stored up, ten thousand talents of gold, ^C gains accruing every day." Whatever you may say, you will say everything in vain and to no purpose; often in one hour, and in a brief moment of time, just as when a wind falling from above makes dust fly, so all these things are blown out of the house. And our life is full of such examples, and the Scriptures are full of such teachings: he who is rich today is poor tomorrow. Wherefore I have often laughed when reading wills saying: "Let such-a-one have the ownership of the fields, or of the house, but let another have the use." For we all have the use, but no one has the ownership. Even if wealth remains with us throughout our whole life receiving no change, both willingly and unwillingly at our end we shall yield to others, having enjoyed only the use of it, but departing toward that life naked and desolate of the ownership. Whence it is clear that only those have the ownership, who have also despised the use of it, and mocked at the enjoyment of it. For he who has cast away his possessions and given them to the poor has both used his possessions as was necessary, and has departed possessing the ownership of them, not falling away from that possession even in death itself, but receiving all things back at that time, and much more than those, when he mostly needs their protection in the [50]

^A hour of judgment, and when we are all required to give an account of our deeds. So if anyone wishes to possess both their acquisition and their use, and the ownership, let him be detached from all things; for whoever does this, at the end they will surely follow him, and often, even after death, they will deliver him from dangers and many evils. And it is not only the fearful thing that this change happens suddenly, but also that while the rich man, because of his neglect, does not possess patience, the poor man is not such a one—for he does not rely on gold and silver, on inanimate materials, but on God who abundantly provides all things. Thus the rich man is placed in more uncertainty than the poor, since he receives frequent and continuous changes. And what indeed is that saying: *Who provides us abundantly with all things to enjoy* (1 Tim. 6:17)? God gives all things with abundance, which are much more necessary than money, such as the air, water, fire, the sun, and all such things. It is not possible to say that the rich man enjoys the rays more, and the poor man less; it is not possible to say that the rich man breathes a more abundant air than the poor, but all things are set forward equally and in common. Why then did God make the greater and more necessary things, and those which sustain our life, common; while the lesser and viler things are not common, namely money? ^B For what reason? So that our life may be preserved, and we may have training grounds for virtue. For if these necessary things were not common, perhaps the rich, practicing their accustomed avarice, would have suffocated the poor; for if they do this with wealth, they would have done so much more with those. Again, if money were also common, and likewise set before all, the occasion for almsgiving would have been taken away, and the opportunity for charity.

7. In order, therefore, that we may live securely, the causes of life have been made common to us; again, so that we may have an occasion for crowns and praises, money was not made common, so that, hating avarice and pursuing justice, and distributing our own to those in need, we might take some remedy for our sins through this path. God made you rich; why do you make yourself poor? He made you rich so that you might assist the needy, so that you might resolve your sins through the liberality shown to others: He gave you money, not so that you might lock it away for your own death, but so that you might pour it out for your own salvation. For this reason, He made their possession uncertain and unstable, so that by this He might dissolve the madness of the intention concerning them. For if those who now possess them, who are not able to trust in them, and who rather see many snares arising from this thing, are so inflamed with desire for them; if this had also been added, that they were stable and not at all fleeting, who would have spared? From whom would they have abstained? From what widow? From what orphans? From what poor persons? Let us not, therefore, think that wealth is a great good: for the great good is not to possess money, but to possess the fear of God and reverence. Behold now, if there were any righteous man, having much confidence before God, even if he were the poorest of all men, he would be able to resolve present evils; for it would be enough only to extend his hands to heaven and invoke God, and this mist would pass away. But gold stored up is more useless than any mud for the solution of impending evils: and not only in this danger, but even if sickness seizes one, or death, or any other thing of this kind, the impotent power of money is refuted, being unable to bring forward any consolation of its own in adversities.

One thing there is in which wealth seems to surpass poverty: to flow over with daily delights, and to be filled with much pleasure at banquets. Yet this also happens to be seen at the table of the poor, and them to enjoy a greater pleasure than all the rich. And do not wonder, nor think it an incredible thing that has been said: for from the very demonstration of things I will make this manifest to you. You all know, and confess this, that pleasure at banquets is accustomed to be made not by the nature of the dishes, but by the disposition of those feasting: for example, when someone comes to the table with hunger, he will taste the food as more pleasant than every delicacy and seasoning and innumerable charms of food, even if it be the most common of all: but one who anticipates necessity and hunger—which the rich do—even if he finds cakes set before him, he will not feel the pleasure, as his appetite has not been excited. And so that you may learn that this is so, you are all witnesses; but let us also hear the Scripture saying this very thing: *A satiated soul mocks honeycombs, but to a needy soul even bitter things seem sweet* (Prov. 27:7). And surely what is sweeter than honeycombs and honey? But it is not pleasant, it says, to one who is not hungry. What indeed contains more unpleasantness than bitter things? Yet they are sweet to those established in poverty. But that the poor come to food with necessity and hunger, while the rich do not expect it, this is manifest to everyone: whence they do not capture a legitimate and sincere pleasure. And it is possible to see that the same happens not only in food, but also in drink: and just as there hunger induces a pleasure beyond the nature of the foods, so here too thirst is accustomed to make the drink most pleasant, even if it be pure water that is drunk. And the Prophet, demonstrating this very thing, was saying: *And He satisfied them with honey from the rock* (Ps. 80:17). And yet, nowhere in Scripture have we read that Moses brought forth honey from the rock, but everywhere rivers, and waters, and cold streams. What therefore is it at last that is being said? For neither is the Scripture lying. For after they, being thirsty and exhausted by need, came upon the cooler waters, desiring to assert the pleasure from the drink, he called the water honey, not as though the nature had been changed into honey, but because the disposition of those drinking made the streams sweeter than honey. Have you learned how the affection of the thirsty is accustomed to render even drink sweet? Many, therefore, are the poor who, often laboring and exhausted, and burning with thirst, have sipped such streams with the said pleasure: but the rich, draining sweet wine, and the smell of the flower, and having every virtue that could be desired in wine, have not felt the same delight.

8. This also one might see happening in sleep. For not a soft bed, nor a silver-plated couch, nor quiet made in the chamber, nor any other thing of this kind is accustomed to make sleep sweet and pleasant, as much as laboring and being tired, and those strongly in need of sleep and drowsy reclining: and this indeed the experience of things also testifies; but even before the experience of things, the judgment of the Scriptures testifies. For Solomon, inured to delights, wishing to demonstrate the same thing, was saying: *Sweet is the sleep of a servant, whether he eats little or much* (Eccl. 5:11). Why then does he add, *whether he eats little or much*? Both these are accustomed to induce sleeplessness: need and gluttony—the former indeed parching the body, and making the eyelids horny, and not permitting them to be shut;

the latter restricting and crushing the spirit, and causing many pains. But yet such is the consolation of labors, that even if both of these should be present, the servant is able to sleep. For since they run about everywhere throughout the entire day serving their masters, beaten and exhausted and not even breathing for a moment, they obtain as a sufficient reward for those toils and labors the pleasure that is found in sleeping. And this has come to be a work of God’s loving-kindness, that pleasures are not to be purchased with gold and silver, but with toil and labor and need and every form of philosophy.

But those who are wealthy are not so; but lying upon their beds, they often spend the whole night sleepless, and devising many things, they do not enjoy such pleasure. But the poor man, rising from his daily labors, having limbs that are weary, before he has even fallen, has received a sudden and sweet and genuine sleep, receiving this not as a small reward for his righteous toils. Since, therefore, the poor man both sleeps and drinks and eats with greater pleasure, of what value, henceforth, is wealth, which seems to have an advantage over poverty, and is even deprived of this?

For this reason, God from the beginning linked labor to man, not punishing or chastening him, but disciplining and teaching him. When Adam lived a life without labor, he fell from Paradise; but when the Apostle lived a laborious and toilsome life, and was saying, *In labor and toil, working night and day* (2 Cor. 11.27; 1 Thess. 2.9), then he went to Paradise, and ascended to the third heaven. Let us not, therefore, disparage labor, nor let us despise work; for even before the kingdom of heaven we receive from this the greatest reward, gathering the pleasure that comes from the act itself, and not only pleasure, but also, which is much greater than pleasure, the purest health. For to the wealthy, along with discomfort, many diseases flow; but the poor are free from the hands of physicians; and if they should ever fall into any malady, they quickly recover themselves, being freed from all luxury and having robust bodies.

Poverty is a great possession to those who bear it with wisdom.

9. Let us, therefore, philosophize in all things, beloved, and nothing can cause us harm through poverty, but it will even benefit us in the most important ways, and will make us more brilliant, and more affluent than all who are wealthy. For, tell me, who was more impoverished than Elias? ^D Yet for this reason he overcame all who were wealthy, because he was such a poor man, and he chose poverty itself from a rich heart. Because he considered all the wealth of money to be inferior to his own greatness of soul, and not worthy of his philosophy, for this reason he embraced such great poverty; had he considered the things present to be great, he would not have acquired only a sheepskin, but he so condemned all the vanity that is present, and saw all the gold as cast-away mud, that he acquired nothing more than that covering. For this reason the king desired the poor man, and hung upon the mouth of the one who had nothing more than a sheepskin, he who had so much gold; so much more brilliant than the purple was the sheepskin, and the cave of the righteous man more than royal courts. For this reason also, as he was ascending into heaven, he left nothing else to his disciple but his sheepskin. "With this," he said, "I wrestled with the devil; you also, having taken this, arm yourself against him"; for voluntary poverty is a powerful weapon, an unconquerable lodging, and an unshaken tower. Elisha received the sheepskin as the greatest inheritance; for it was truly the greatest inheritance, more precious than all gold. And from that time on that Elias was twofold; and there was an Elias above, and an Elias below. I know that you bless that righteous man, and each of you wished that he were that man. What, therefore, if I point out to you that we, all the initiated, have received something else much greater than that? For Elias left a sheepskin to his disciple; the Son of God, ascending, left His own flesh to us; but Elias stripped it off, whereas Christ both left it to us, and having it, ascended. Let us not, therefore, fall into despair, nor let us lament, nor let us fear the difficulty of the times; for He who did not refuse to pour out His own blood for the sake of all, and who shared His own flesh and His own blood with us again, what will He refuse to do for the sake of our salvation? Therefore, let us trust in these...

we remain firm in hope, as we call upon Him unceasingly, and entrust ourselves to prayers and supplications, and attend to the rest of virtue with all diligence, so that we may flee the impending danger and attain the goods of the future: to which may we all be deemed worthy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On the Departure of Bishop Flavian, Who Undertook an Embassy to the Emperor for the City: and What True Fasting Is: and That Detraction Is Worse Than Eating Human Flesh: and Concerning Those Slain on Account of the Sedition: and Against Those Who Complained That Many Innocent Were Arrested. — Homily III.

^A When I look at this throne, widowed and emptied of its teacher, I rejoice and weep at the same time; I weep, indeed, because I do not see the father present; but I rejoice because, having gone forth for our salvation, he has departed to snatch so great a multitude from the anger of the Emperor. This is both an ornament to you and a crown to him; an ornament to you, because you have been deemed worthy of such a father; and a crown to him, because he is so affectionate toward his children, and has confirmed by his deeds what was said by Christ. For hearing that saying, "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11), he departed to lay down his life for us all, although there were many things which prevented him from leaving and compelled him to remain: first, age advanced to extreme old age, then the weakness of the body, and the time of year, and the necessity of the holy festival, and in addition to these, his only sister placed on the brink of death. Yet, nevertheless, he disregarded kinship, old age, weakness, the difficulty of the season, and the hardships of the journey; and preferring you and your salvation to all these things, he broke through all these bonds, and like a young man, the old man is carried off, now winged by the greatness of his spirit. For if Christ, he says, gave Himself up for us, what excuse or pardon would we be worthy of, having had the care of such a people entrusted to us, and not choosing to do and suffer all things for the security of those committed to us? For if the patriarch Jacob, he says, placed over flocks, shepherding irrational sheep, and about to give an account to man, spent sleepless nights and endured heat, cold, and every intemperance of the air, so that none of those flocks might perish (Gen. 29), much more ought we, set over not irrational ^B but spiritual sheep, and about to give an account of this prefecture not to man, but to God, to be sluggish and hesitant in nothing of those things which could benefit the flock. But by as much as this flock is better than that flock, and men are better than brutes, and God is better than men, by so much more ought he to exhibit more intense zeal and diligence. He knows full well that it is not for one city alone that he has business now, but for the whole East. For the head and mother of the cities situated under the East is our city; therefore he underwent every danger, and nothing could hold him back here. And therefore I hope for good opportunities of hope; for God will not disregard such great zeal and care, nor will He permit His servant to return with his tasks unaccomplished. I know that once placed before him, and having beheld the religious Emperor, he will be able to compress his anger immediately from his mere look. For the faces of the saints, not just their words, are full of spiritual grace. But this man is also full of much wisdom, and being skilled in the divine laws, he will say to him what Moses also said to God: "If thou wilt forgive them their sin, forgive; but if not, slay me also with them" (Exod. 32:31-32). Such, indeed, are the hearts of the saints; they think death with their children is sweeter than life without them. He will add the intercession from the time, and will set forth the holy Passover, and will remind him of the season in which Christ forgave sins to the whole world; he will exhort him to imitate the Master, and will remind him of that parable of the ten thousand talents and the hundred denarii. I know the boldness of our father; he will not hesitate to terrify him through this similitude and to say: "See that thou too do not on that day hear: 'Thou wicked servant, I forgaved thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me; oughtest not thou also to have forgiven thy fellow-servants?'" (Matt. 18:32). With the forgiveness of sins, he will receive the oblivion of greater ones. ^C He will add to what has been said that prayer which they who initiated him into the holy mysteries taught him to say while praying: "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12). To these things, he will teach that the sin was not common to the city, but of certain outsiders and strangers, who did nothing with reason, but with audacity and every crime; and that it is not just that for the rashness of a few so great a city should be ransacked, and those who have done nothing unjustly should pay the penalties. Otherwise, even if all had sinned, they would have paid worthy penalties, consumed by fear for so many days, and expecting to die each day, driven out, exiled, living more miserably than the accused, carrying blood on their hands, and not confident about their own life. Let this penalty suffice for thee; do not proceed further in anger: render the supernal Judge mild to thee through kindness toward fellow-servants; consider the magnitude of the city, and that it is not about one, or two, or three, or ten souls that we now have consideration, but about thousands and infinities, about the head of the whole world. This is the city in which first they were called Christians; honor Christ, revere her, who first ^D assigned this name to all...

those who were so dear to Him, and who became a lodging-place for the apostles, a habitation for the righteous. ^A Now this was the first and only transgression committed against those in power, and all previous time bears witness to the character of the city. For if they had been continually seditious, one would have had to condemn their wickedness; but if this happened once in all time, it is clear that the fault belongs not to the character of the city, but to those who were swept into this lawless act simply and rashly.

The priest will say these things, and more than these, with greater boldness; the Emperor will hear these; and the former is humane, and the latter ^B is faithful, so that from both sides we have good hopes. But rather, even before the faith of the teacher and the humanity of the Emperor, we trust in the mercy of God; for when the Emperor is besought and the priest is beseeching, He Himself will stand in the midst, softening the heart of the Emperor, rousing the tongue of the priest, making his words prosperous, preparing the mind of the former to receive what is said, and to grant pardon to the petitions with much grace. For our city is more dear to Christ than all others, both because of our ancestors ^C and because of your own virtue. And just as Peter was first among the apostles to preach Christ, so among cities, as I just said, this one first, as if donning a wondrous crown, took up the name of Christians. But if, where there were only ten righteous men, God promised to save all the inhabitants (Gen. 18:32), where not ten and twenty, nor twice that many only, but far more are they who serve God with all diligence, how must we not expect good things, and be confident concerning the common life of us all? I have heard many saying that ^D "The threat of a king is like the wrath of a lion," and they are falling down and suffering pain (Prov. 19:12). What then shall we say to them? That He who said, "Wolves and lambs shall feed together, and the leopard shall rest with the kid, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox" (Is. 11:6, 7), will be able to make even this lion a gentle sheep. Let us therefore beseech Him, and let us go as ambassadors unto Him, and He will surely calm the Emperor’s wrath and will deliver us from the pressing anxiety. The father is there as an ambassador; let us from here be ambassadors to the King of the heavens; let us help him with our prayers. Great is the common power of the Church, if we offer up our prayers with a grieving soul and with a contrite heart. There is no need to cross the sea, no need to undertake a long journey; each man and each woman, both meeting in the Church and remaining at home, let us call upon God with great fervor, and He will surely assent to the petitions. Whence is this clear? Because He greatly wills that we always flee to Him, and ask of Him in all things, and do or say nothing without Him. For people, when we continually disturb them about our own affairs, grow numb and draw back, and are ill-disposed toward us; but God is the opposite of all this; not when we continually encounter Him about our own affairs, but when we do not do this, then He is most indignant. Hear, then, what He blames the Jews for, saying: "You have taken counsel, and not through Me; and covenants, and not through My Spirit" (Is. 30:1). For such is the custom of those who love: they wish all the affairs of those they love to be accomplished through them, and wish them to do or say nothing without them. Therefore God, not here only, but elsewhere as well, again reproaching this same thing, said: "They reigned, and not by Me; they were rulers, and did not make Me known" (Hos. 8:4). Let us not, therefore, hesitate to flee to Him continually, and whatever may be dire, it will surely receive the appropriate resolution. Has a man caused fear? Run to the Master on high, and you shall suffer nothing dire. Thus the ancients solved calamities, not men only, but also women. There was a certain Hebrew woman, Esther was her name; this Esther rescued the whole nation of the Jews, who were about to be delivered to total destruction, in this way. For since the King of the Persians ordered all the Jews to be killed off, and there was no one who could stand against that wrath, the woman, putting off her more splendid robe, and wrapping herself in sackcloth, and lying in ashes, besought the humane God to go in with her to the king, and praying such words to Him, she said: "Make my words graceful, O Lord, and give me well-ordered speech in my mouth" (Esth. 14:15). We, too, now beseech God for our teacher with these words. For if a woman, entreating for the Jews, had the power to calm barbarian wrath, much more will our teacher, entreating for such a city and with such an Church, be able to persuade this most gentle and most humane king. For if he received the authority to release sins against God, much more will he be able to undo and wipe away those committed against man. He is a ruler, and this one is a ruler more honorable than that one. For the holy laws have subjected even the imperial head itself to the hands of this servant; and whenever some good thing must needs happen from above, the Emperor is accustomed to flee to the priest, not the priest to the Emperor. He has also this one’s breastplate of righteousness; he has the belt of truth; he has shoes much more honorable, those from the gospel of peace; he has a sword, not of iron, but of the Spirit; he has a crown resting upon his head. More splendid is this total armor, more honorable the weapons, greater the boldness, more powerful the strength. So that both from the weight of his office, and from his own magnanimity, and above all others, from his hope in God, with much boldness and with much wisdom he shall converse with the Emperor. Let us not, therefore, despair of our own salvation, but let us ask, let us entreat, let us implore, let us act as ambassadors to the King on high with many tears. We have also this fast as an ally and as one joining with us in this good embassy. Just as, therefore, when winter has passed and summer has appeared, the sailor draws his ship toward the sea, and the soldier cleans his weapons and prepares his horse for war, and the farmer sharpens his sickle, and the traveler confidently undertakes a long journey, and the athlete strips and is laid bare for the contests; so let us, too, just as when some spiritual summer of the fast has appeared, as soldiers let us cleanse our weapons, and as farmers let us sharpen our sickle, and as helmsmen let us set our reasoning against the waves of absurd desires, and as travelers let us be led to the journey to heaven, and as athletes let us...

be ready for the struggle. For the faithful man is also a husbandman, and a helmsman, and a soldier, and an athlete, and a traveler. Therefore, Paul says: "Our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the powers; ^A prepare yourselves, therefore, with the armor of God" (Ephes. VI, 12). Have you seen the athlete? Have you seen the soldier? If you are an athlete, it is necessary to descend into the contest naked; if you are a soldier, it is necessary to stand ready for battle armed. How, therefore, can both of these exist at once, being naked and not naked, clothed and not clothed? In what way, then? I say: lay aside the concerns of life, and you have become an athlete; put on the weapons of the spirit, and you have become a soldier. Strip yourself of the concerns of life; for it is the time of the struggle. Put on the weapons of the spirit; for a grave war has been kindled against us by the demons. Therefore, it is necessary to be naked, so that we may provide no handle to the devil who is wrestling with us, and to be armed on every side, so that we may nowhere receive a lethal blow. Cultivate your soul, and excise the thorns; sow the word of piety, insert the beautiful plants of philosophy, and with much diligence till the earth, and you have become a husbandman, and Paul will say to you: "It is necessary for the laborer who is a husbandman to be the first to partake of the fruits" (II Tim. II, 6). ^B He himself also practiced this art; therefore, writing to the Corinthians, he said: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" (I Cor. III, 6). Sharpen your sickle, which you have dulled through gluttony; sharpen it through fasting, approach the journey leading to heaven, reach and walk the steep and narrow path. But how will you be able both to reach it and to walk it? By chastising your body and bringing it into servitude; for where the path is narrow, the obesity of the flesh from gluttony is a great impediment. Restrain the waves of absurd desires, repel the storm of wicked thoughts, save the vessel, show great skill, and you have become a helmsman. The subject and master of all these things for us is fasting; I speak, however, not of this common fasting, but of accurate fasting: not merely abstinence from foods, but also from sins; for the nature of fasting is not capable of delivering those who fast unless it is done in accordance with the law. For the athlete, he says, "is not crowned unless he contends lawfully" (II Tim. II, 5). ^C Lest, therefore, we fall away from the crown of fasting in the midst of the labor of fasting, let us learn in what quality and in what manner we ought to conduct this kind of business; for that Pharisee also fasted, but after that fasting he descended empty and devoid of the fruits of fasting. The publican did not fast, and he who did not fast surpassed the Pharisee who was fasting (Luc. XVIII, 10-14), so that you may learn that the utility of fasting is nothing unless all the other things follow as well.

The utility of fasting is nothing unless we abstain from vices. The Ninevites fasted, and they elicited the mercy of God; the Jews also fasted, and they accomplished nothing, but went away blamed. Since, therefore, there is such great danger in fasting for those who do not know how they ought to fast, let us learn the laws of fasting, so that we may not run as into uncertainty, ^D so that we may not beat the air, nor as we fight, wrestle with a shadow. Fasting is a medicine, but medicine, although it may be a thousand times useful, often becomes useless through the inexperience of the person using it; for it is necessary to know both the time when it is necessary to apply it, and the quantity of the medicine itself, and the constitution of the body, and the nature of the region, and the season of the year, and the appropriate diet, and many other things; if any of these should be omitted, it will harm all the rest that have been spoken of. But if, where it is necessary to cure the body, we have need of so much diligence, much more when we are curing the soul and healing our thoughts is it necessary to examine and consider everything with all care.

4. Let us see, therefore, how the Ninevites fasted, and how they were delivered from that wrath. "Let men and beasts, and sheep, and oxen not graze," he says (Jon. III, 7). What are you saying? Tell me; do even brutes fast, and horses; and are mules clothed in sackcloth? "Yes," he says; "for just as, when some rich person has died, they order not only servants and handmaids, but also the animals to be clothed by those in charge of them with sackcloth, and order them to follow to the tomb, showing the magnitude of the calamity, and attracting everyone to pity; so also, since that city was in danger of its extinction, they also wrapped the brute nature in sackcloth and subjected it to the yoke of fasting. It is not allowed for brutes to learn the wrath of God through speech; let them learn through hunger that the scourge is being inflicted by God; for if the city were to be razed," he says, "not only would the burial be a common one for us who inhabit it, but also for these." Therefore, those who are to have a share in the punishment, let them also take a share in the fasting. And they did another thing then, which the prophets also do; for when they see some intolerable scourge being brought down from heaven, and that those who are to be punished are without confidence, full of confusion, and worthy of neither pardon nor any excuse, and they have neither what to do, nor whence they might provide a defense for those condemned, they take refuge in the brutes, and lamenting their death, they make from these their supplication, 41 proposing their miserable and mournful destruction. When, therefore, hunger had once seized the Jews, and a great drought was pressing upon the region, and everything was being consumed, one of the prophets was saying: "The heifers leaped at their mangers, the herds of oxen wept, because there was no pasture; all the beasts of the field looked to you, because the water-brooks were dried up" (Joel I, 17); another, lamenting the evils born from the drought, again speaks thus: "The hinds calved in the field and abandoned them, because there was no grass; the wild asses stood on the cliffs, they drew in the wind like a dragon; their eyes failed, because there was no hay" (Jer. XIV, 5). Therefore, you heard Joel today saying: "Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her bridal chamber, gather the infants sucking at the breasts" (Joel II, 16). For what cause, tell me, does he call the tender age to supplication? Is it not certain that it is for this very same cause? Because, since all men of mature age have provoked God and stirred Him to wrath, "Let the age," he says, "guileless of sins, supplicate the One who is angry." But, as I was saying, let us see what it is that has dissolved that inevitable wrath: is it fasting alone and sackcloth? By no means, but the change of the entire life. Whence is this manifest? From the prophetic words themselves.

^A For it says: And God saw the works of them. What works? That they fasted? That they put on sackcloth? None of these things; but having passed all these over in silence, He added: That each one turned from his evil ways, and repented of the wickedness which the Lord had spoken to do to them. Do you see that it was not fasting that snatched them from danger, but the change of life that rendered God propitious and favorable to the barbarians?

These things I have said, not that we might dishonor fasting, but that we might honor it. For the honor of fasting is not abstinence from food, but the withdrawal from sins; so he who defines fasting by abstinence from foods alone, is the one who most dishonors it. Do you fast? Prove it to me by these very works. What works, you ask? If you see a poor man, have mercy; if you see an enemy, be reconciled; if you see a friend prospering, do not envy; if you see a beautiful woman, look away. Let not only the mouth fast, but also the eye, and the hearing, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our body. Let the hands fast, being pure from rapine and covetousness; let the feet fast, refraining from running to unlawful spectacles; let the eyes fast, being trained never to leap at beautiful sights, nor to curiously scrutinize others’ beauty. For the food of the eyes is sight; but if it be unlawful and forbidden, it ravages the fast, and overturns all the salvation of the soul; but if it be lawful and safe, it adorns the fast. For it would be most absurd, while abstaining from foods and permitted nourishment for the sake of fasting, to lay hold of that which is forbidden with the eyes. ^B Do you not eat meat? Do not eat profligacy through your eyes. Let the hearing also fast. And the fasting of the hearing is not to receive slander and accusations. For it says: You shall not receive a foolish report.

Let the mouth also fast from shameful words and reviling. For what is the benefit when we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brethren? He who slanders has eaten the flesh of his brother; he has bitten the flesh of his neighbor. For this reason Paul also caused fear, saying: But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another. You have not stuck your teeth into the flesh, but you have stuck slander into the soul; you have wounded the evil opinion; you have wrought infinite evils to yourself, and to him, and to many others; for you have made the listener worse by slandering the neighbor. For if he is a sinner, he becomes more sluggish, having found a partner in his sin; and if he is righteous, he is lifted up into arrogance, and is puffed up by the sins of others, being led on to imagine great things about himself. Along with these things, you have harmed the common state of the Church; for it is not just the one who has sinned that all who hear reproach, but the slurs are rubbed off onto the race of Christians; and it is not possible to hear the unbelievers saying that such and such a person is a fornicator and profligate, but instead of the one who has offended, they slander all Christians. In addition to these things, you have caused the glory of God to be blasphemed; for just as when we prosper the name of God is glorified, so when we sin it is blasphemed and insulted. Fourth, you have put to shame the one who has been evil-spoken of, and by this you have made him more shameless, having set him up as an enemy and an adversary. Fifth, you have made yourself liable to punishment and vengeance, having involved yourself in affairs that do not at all concern you. Do not let anyone say to me, "I slander then, since I speak what is false; but if I speak the truth, no longer." Even if you speak evil while telling the truth, even this is a crime; for indeed that Pharisee spoke evil of the publican while telling the truth, but yet this availed him nothing. For tell me, was the publican a tax collector and a sinner? It is clear to everyone that he was a tax collector; but yet, because the Pharisee reviled him, he went away having lost everything. Do you wish to correct your brother? Weep, ask of God, take him aside in private and exhort him, advise him, entreat him. So too did Paul: Lest, he says, when I come, God will humble me, and I shall mourn many of those who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness which they have committed. ^C Show love toward the one who has sinned; persuade him that you are caring and concerned, not wanting to make a show of him, regarding which you remind him of his sin. ^D Hold his feet, kiss them, do not be ashamed, if indeed you truly wish to heal. Doctors do this very often; for, kissing those who are sick and averse, they persuade them to take the saving medicine; so too, do you. Show the wound to the priest; this is the act of one who cares, who provides, who is concerned. I advise not only those who speak evil, but also those who hear others being spoken ill of, to stop their ears, and to imitate the prophet who says: The one who slanders his neighbor in secret, him I drove out. Say to your neighbor: "Do you have anyone to praise and commend? I open my ears, so that I may receive the perfume; but if you wish to speak evil, I block the entrance to the words; for I cannot bear to receive dung and mire. What is the gain to me from learning that someone is wicked? It is a very great harm from this, and the ultimate loss." Say to him: "Let us be concerned with our own affairs, how we may give an account for our own transgressions, and let us display this curiosity and meddlesomeness in our own life. What defense shall we have, what pardon, when we do not even take into our mind our own things, but look so curiously into the things of others?" And just as peering into a house, and inspecting the things inside as one passes by, is shameful and full of much disgrace; so too is curiously prying into the life of another, out of the utmost illiberality. And that which is more laughable than this, that having such a life, and neglecting their own affairs, whenever they say any of these things that are secret, they entreat the one who hears, and bind him by oath no longer to tell another, from this very act revealing that they have done a thing worthy of accusation. For if you entreat him not to tell another, much more did it not become you, before this, to have spoken these things to him. You were holding the word in safety; when you betrayed it, do you then care for its preservation? If you wish it not to be brought out to another, do not yourself tell it; but when you have betrayed the guard of the word to another, you do superfluous and useless things by giving orders and swearing oaths for the preservation of what has been said. But is it sweet to speak evil? It is sweet indeed not to speak evil. For he who has spoken evil is henceforth in straits, he suspects and fears, and repents, and gnaws his own tongue, fearing and trembling, lest the word brought out to others might bring upon him great danger, and work useless and superfluous enmity for those who have spoken; but he who has

contained himself will live in great security with much pleasure.

Detraction to be avoided.

6. Let us flee, therefore, beloved, let us flee from detractions, having learned that it is entirely the devil’s pit and the lair of his snares. For in order that we might neglect our own affairs and constitute ourselves as having greater guilt, the devil has led us into this habit; nay rather, the evil there consists not only in the fact that we will then have to give an account of those things which we have said, but also in the fact that we will thus make our own sins heavier, depriving ourselves of every excuse; for he who harshly inquires into the affairs of others will never find any pardon for his own offenses. For God will bring forth sentence not only from the nature of our sins, but also from our own judgment concerning others; therefore He admonished us, saying: Judge not, that you be not judged (Matt. VII, 1); for the sin will not appear there in the future as it was, but it will receive a certain great and unavoidable addition from the judgment that was rendered. For just as the humane and mild and clement man cuts down the weight of sins, so the bitter and cruel and implacable man adds a great weight to his own sins. Let us therefore eliminate every detraction from our mouth, knowing that even if we eat ashes, there will be no benefit to us in this rough life, unless we abstain from detraction; for it is not what enters that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth (Matt. XV, 17, 18). If someone were to stir up dung as you were passing by, would you not, I ask, afflict him with reproach and contumely? Do this also toward detractors. For the stirred-up dung does not so much strike the membrane of the brain of those smelling the stench, as detractions, when brought out and a life made impure, are wont to sadden and disturb the souls of those who hear them. Let us therefore abstain from detraction, foul language, and blasphemy, and let us not speak evil of either our neighbor or God; for many of the detractors have fallen into such madness that they have turned their tongue from their fellow-servants against God. But learn how great this evil is from the circumstances now pressing upon us. For behold, a man has suffered injury, and we all fear and tremble—both those who inflicted the injury and those who are conscious of nothing of this kind concerning themselves—while God is injured every single day; and what do I say, every single day? nay rather, every single hour, by the rich, by the poor, by the at-ease, by the afflicted, by those who calumniate, and by those who bear the calumny, and no one anywhere cares about it. For this reason He allowed the fellow-servant to be violated, that from the danger arising through the contumely, you might learn the benignity of the Lord. And yet this has now happened for the first and only time; and yet we do not expect to obtain any pardon or excuse for this reason; but we irritate God every day, and we make no conversion, and He still sustains us with all long-suffering. Have you seen how great the Lord’s clemency is? And in this prevarication, indeed, those who have sinned have been captured and thrust into prison and have paid the penalties; but we are still afraid, for the injured man has not yet heard the deeds, nor has he pronounced sentence, and we all tremble; but God hears the contumelies committed against Him every day, and no one is converted, although He is so clement and mild. For him, it is sufficient to say the sin, and the crime is solved; but among men the contrary is completely the case, as when sinners have confessed, they are then punished more; which indeed has also happened now.

Description of the present calamity.

sedition, yet He is present, and sees, and hears, and has neither let loose the thunderbolt, nor commanded the sea to overflow the earth and submerge us all, nor ordered the earth to open and swallow up all those who have committed such outrages, but He bears with it, and is long-suffering, ^A and promises that He will grant pardon to those who have committed these outrages, if only they repent and promise to do these things no more. Truly is it seasonable now to proclaim: Who shall speak of the powers of the Lord? Who shall make all His praises heard? (Ps. CVI, 2.) How many have not only cast down the images of God, but have even trampled them underfoot? For when you strangle him who is indebted to you, when you strip him, when you drag him, when you cast him down, you are trampling underfoot the image of God. Hear, at any rate, Paul saying that a man ought not to cover his head, being the image and glory of God (1 Cor. XI, 7); and again God Himself saying: Let us make man after our image and likeness (Gen. I, 26). But if you say that man is not of the same substance as God, what of that? For neither is the bronze of a statue of the same substance as the king, yet those who have dared to injure the statue have paid the penalty; so also in the case of men, even if men are not of the same substance as God—as indeed they are not—yet they have been called His image, and because of this title they ought to have enjoyed honor; but you, for the sake of a little gold, trample ^B underfoot, strangle, drag, and have not yet paid any penalty today. May it be that some good and fortunate change takes place. I predict this, however, and bear witness: that even if this cloud should pass, if we remain in the same sloth, we shall again suffer things far more grievous than those now expected; for even now I do not fear the anger of the Emperor so much as I fear your sloth. For surely not to supplicate for two or three days is enough to clear us of responsibility, but we need to make a change of our whole life, and having departed from wickedness, to remain in virtue continuously. For just as those who are ill, if they do not lead an orderly life throughout, receive no benefit from their temperance of three or four days; so also those who sin, if they are not sober-minded at all times, will have no gain from the correction of two or three days. For just as he who is washed, and then again wallows in the mire, has gained nothing; so he who has repented for three days, and again returned to his former ways, has accomplished nothing. Let us not, therefore, do what we always do; for when earthquakes have often seized us, and famine and drought, having been sober-minded for three or four days and become more gentle, we have again returned to our former ways; for this reason these things have happened. But if not before, at least now let us remain in the same reverence, and preserve the same gentleness, so that we may not again have need of another scourge. For could God not have prevented what has happened? But he permitted it, in order to make those who despise Him more prudent through the fear of a fellow-servant. And let no one say to me that many of the guilty escaped, while many of the innocent fell; for ^C I often hear many saying this, not only regarding the present sedition, but also in many other such circumstances. What then should I say to those who say such things? That even if he who was caught was innocent of the present sedition, yet he once committed another sin far more grievous, and then, not changing, he paid the penalty in the present. For it is the custom of God to do this: when we sin, He does not immediately proceed against our transgressions, but lets them go, giving us a fixed time for repentance, so that we may correct and change ourselves; but if, because we have not paid the penalty, we have thought that the sin also has been blotted out, and we despise Him, then where we do not suspect, there we shall afterwards surely be caught. This happens so that when we sin and are not punished, we may not grow confident if we do not change, knowing that where we do not expect, we shall surely fall. So, if you sin and are not punished, do not despise Him, beloved; but because of this very thing fear the more, knowing that it is easy for God, when He wills, to render recompense again. For this reason He did not punish you then, in order that you might receive a fixed time for repentance. Let us not, therefore, say that such a one fell while innocent, and another was guilty and escaped; for the innocent one who fell, as I said, paid the penalty for other sins, and he who for now escaped, if he does not change, will be caught in another snare. If we are so disposed, we will never forget our own sins, but always fearing, trembling lest we should ever pay the penalty, we will quickly call them to mind. For nothing so much brings sins to mind from without as punishment and chastisement; and this is clear from the brothers of Joseph. For since they had sold that righteous man, and thirteen years passed, suspecting they might be punished, and fearing for the worst, they were reminded of the sin, and said to one another: Yes, we are indeed guilty concerning our brother Joseph (Gen. XLII, 21). Do you see how fear reminded them of that transgression? And when they were sinning, they did not perceive it; but when they expected to be punished, then they remembered. Knowing all these things, therefore, let us make a change and correction of our life, and before the release from the impending anxiety, let us concern ourselves with reverence and virtue. And for the present, I wish to entrust to you three commandments, in order that you may perform these for me during the fast: that no one speak ill of another, that no one have an enemy, and that in general all the evil habit of oaths be banished from the mouth. And just as when we hear that a tax has been imposed, each one going home, and calling his wife ^D and children and servants, considers and deliberates with them from where he may pay this tax; so also let us do with these spiritual commandments. Let each one having returned home call his wife and children, and say that a spiritual tax has been imposed today, a tax through which it will not make those who pay it poor, but richer—there will be some release and deliverance from these terrible evils, a tax that causes one to have no enemy, to speak ill of no one, and not to swear at all. Let us consider, let us deliberate, how we may fulfill these commandments; let us bring all diligence, let us remind one another, let us correct one another, so that we may not, by being debtors, depart thither, and then, having need to borrow from others, we suffer the fate of the foolish virgins, and fall away from the immortal salvation. If we thus arrange our life, I guarantee and promise you from this very point that there will be some release even from the present calamity.

calamity, and a resolution provided, and a deliverance from these evils: and what is greater than all, the enjoyment of future goods. ^B It was indeed necessary that you should take upon yourselves the whole of virtue, but I think this is the best mode of correction, that we should satisfy the law accepted by parts, and then proceed to others. For just as when a field is laid out, the farmer digging bit by bit, thus arrives at the end: so also we if we set this law for ourselves, that through the present Lent we should diligently exercise these three commandments, beyond doubt when you shall have prudently exhibited the custody of good custom, with greater ease we shall also come to the rest, and having arrived at the very summit of discipline, we shall both pass the present life with good hope, and also in the future shall stand with much confidence before Christ and enjoy the ineffable goods: which may it be given us to attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the holy Spirit, be glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Exhortation to the people concerning patience and endurance, from the examples of Job and the three youths; and concerning abstinence from oaths. Homily IV.

^C

Homily IV.

Blessed is God, who has comforted your grieving souls, and strengthened your wavering minds: for that you have received sufficient consolation, you have demonstrated by this eagerness and readiness of hearing. For it is not possible for a soul grieving and pressed by a cloud of sadness to hear with readiness what is said; but I see you attending to us with much benevolence and sharp eagerness, having shaken off all sadness, and by the desire of hearing having repelled the impending distress. Therefore I give thanks to God with you, because misery has not overcome your philosophy, nor has fear relaxed your vigor, nor has tribulation extinguished your alacrity, nor has the magnitude of danger shaken your zeal, nor has the fear of men overcome the love for God, nor has the iniquity of the time cast down your eagerness: not only did it not cast down, but it even confirmed: not only did it not relax, but it even intensified: not only did it not extinguish, but it even kindled it more. The forum is indeed empty, but the church is filled: the former is a source of mourning, the latter an occasion of joy and spiritual gladness. ^D When, therefore, you have betaken yourself to the forum, beloved, and having seen the solitude have lamented, flee to the mother, and forthwith she will comfort you with the multitude of her own children, and will show you the perfect choir of brothers, and will repel all sadness. In the city indeed we desire to see men as though dwelling in a desert; but those fleeing into the church we see compressed by the multitude. And as when the sea is swelling, and raving with many storms, fear compels all to flee to the port, so also now the storms of the forum and the winter of the city compel all on every side into the church, and bind the members to one another with the bond of charity. Let us therefore give thanks to God for these things, that we have plucked such profit from tribulation, that we have received such utility from temptation. If no temptation, neither any crown: if no struggles, neither any prizes: if no race-courses, neither any honors: if no tribulation, neither any remission: if no winter, neither any summer. And this it is permitted to see not in men only, but in seeds themselves. For in these too there must be much rain, and much roaring of clouds, many collisions, and finally much frost, in order that the verdant ear of corn may arise; where indeed there is the season of sowing, there is also the season of rains. Since therefore even now winter has encroached, a winter of souls, not of air: let us also sow in this winter, that we may reap in the summer: let us sow tears, that we may reap exultation. This is not my discourse, it is a prophetic denunciation: *They that sow in tears*, he says, *shall reap in exultation* (Ps. cxxv, 5). Not so does a fallen shower make seeds to germinate and grow, as the shower falling from tears excites the seed of piety and makes it verdant: this cleanses the soul, irrigates the mind, and makes the germ of doctrine proceed quickly: therefore also it is necessary to cut a deep furrow: for indeed the prophet also admonished this, saying: *Break up for yourselves fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns* (Jer. iv, 3). Just as a plow furrows the earth, preparing a safe custody for the seeds, lest they remain cast upon the surface, but may be stored in the very bosoms of the earth, and may fix their roots in safety: so also it is necessary for us to do, and using tribulation as a plow, to cleave the depth of the heart: for this also another prophet admonishes, saying: *Rend your hearts, and not your garments* (Joel ii, 13). Let us therefore rend our hearts, that if any evil herb and guileful thought is in us, we may pull it up by the roots, and show the lands pure for the seeds of piety. For if we do not renew now, if we do not sow now, if we do not shed tears, when tribulation and fasting are present, when ever shall we come to compunction? when perhaps there shall be remission and delicacies? But this cannot be: for remission and delicacies are accustomed to lead into sloth, just as tribulation is accustomed to recall to eagerness, and to convert to itself the mind wandering and occupied outwardly about many things. Let us not therefore be grieved concerning this sadness, but let us give thanks to God: for there is much gain from tribulation. For even when the farmer has sown seeds collected with much labor, he yearns for the rain to arrive: and some ignorant person seeing all that is done will marvel, and perhaps will say to himself: What is this man doing at length? he dissipates what was collected, and not only dissipates, but also mixes it with the earth with much care, lest they may easily be collected; and he does not only mix it with the earth, but also prays for a vehement downpour, so that he may extinguish all that was cast, and it may become mud. And

when he sees thunderbolts breaking forth and lightnings descending, he is troubled; but the farmer is not so, rather he rejoices and is glad when he sees winter; for he does not look at the present things, but awaits those that are to come. He does not gaze at the thunders, but counts the sheaves; not at the rotting seeds, but at the luxuriant ears of corn; not at the heavy rain, but at the most pleasant dust of the threshing floor.

Thus, therefore, let us not look at the present affliction, nor at the pain, but at the benefit resulting from it, the fruit born from it. ^B Let us await the sheaves of the threshing floor; for if we are sober, we shall be able to gather much fruit from this time and fill the storehouses of our mind. If we are sober, we shall not only suffer nothing evil from this affliction, but we shall also harvest countless good things; but if we are slothful, even comfort will destroy us. For while both harm the one who does not heed, they both profit the one who lives with precision.

And just as gold, even if it encounters waters, shows its innate beauty, and even if it falls into a furnace, becomes even brighter; but mud and hay, if it happens to be mixed with waters, the one dissolves and the other rots; ^C and if it falls into fire, the one is dried out and the other is burnt up: so indeed is the just man and the sinner. For the one, even if he enjoys comfort, remains bright, like gold washed by water; and even if he falls into temptation, he becomes brighter, like gold tested by fire. But the sinner, even if he happens upon comfort, dissolves and rots, just like hay and mud encountering water; and if he endures temptation, he is burnt up and perishes, just like hay and mud by fire.

Do not, therefore, be dismayed at the present terrible things; for if you have sins, they are erased and burnt up easily by the tribulation; but if you have virtue, you are made bright and radiant by it; ^D for if you are sleepless continually and sober, you will be above all harm. For it is not the nature of temptations, but the sloth of those who are tempted, that is accustomed to produce falls. So if you wish to live in luxury and enjoy comfort and pleasure, do not seek pleasure or comfort, but seek a soul full of patience and capable of displaying endurance; for if you do not have this, not only will temptation convict you, but comfort will destroy you and cast you down more greatly.

For that it is not the assault of terrible things, but the sloth of our own mind that overturns our salvation, hear what Christ says: Every one who hears these words of mine, and does them, shall be likened to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock, and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it did not fall: for it had been founded upon the rock. And again: Everyone who hears these words of mine, and does not do them, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand, and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matt. 7: 24-27).

Do you see that it is not the assaults of temptations, but the folly of the builders that caused the fall? For there was rain there, and here rain; there rivers, and here rivers; there the assaults of winds, and here this very same thing; and he built, and this one built; and the same building, and the same temptations; but not the same end, because the foundation was not the same. For it is not the nature of temptations, but the folly of the one who built that caused the fall; since the house built on the rock ought also to have fallen, but as it is, it suffered nothing of the kind.

But do not think that these things are said concerning a house; for the word is concerning the soul, which shows or obscures the hearing of the divine words through deeds. Thus Job built his soul; the rain descended, for fire fell from heaven and consumed all his flocks; the rivers came, the messengers of the calamities, thick and continuous and succeeding one another, one of the goat-herds, another of the camels, another of his children, announcing their destruction; the winds blew, the bitter steps of his wife: Speak, she says, some word to the Lord, and die (Job 2. 9); and the house did not fall, the soul was not tripped up, the just man did not blaspheme, but even gave thanks, saying thus: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so it came to pass (Job 1. 21).

Do you see that it is not the nature of temptations, but the negligence of those who are slothful that causes the fall? For indeed, tribulation makes the strong man stronger. Who says these things? He who was reared in tribulation, the blessed Paul, saying thus: Tribulation produces patience, and patience probation, and probation hope (Rom. 5. 3-4). And just as the impetuous rush of winds, falling upon strong trees and tossing them from every side, does not pull them up, but renders them more solid and stronger by these assaults: so also do the occurrences of temptations and tribulations not trip up a soul that is holy and living in piety, but incite it toward greater patience, just as they also made the blessed Job more splendid and venerable.

Now, therefore, a man is angry with us, a man liable to the same passions and of the same soul, and we are afraid; but then for him, a demon was wicked and savage, the one who was angry, and he did not simply become angry, but moved all machines, and applied every sorcery, and not even so did he convict the endurance of the just man. And this man, being a man, now is angry, now is reconciled, and yet we have died from fear; but then the devil was the one warring, who is never reconciled to the nature of humans, but who declared a quenchless war and an undeclared battle against our race; and yet the just man laughed at his arrows.

What defense, therefore, could we have, or what pardon, we who do not bear human temptation, we who philosophize so much in grace, when those men before grace and before the Old Testament endured that unbearable war so nobly? Let us, therefore, always discuss these things, beloved, with one another, and through these words let us exhort ourselves. For you yourselves are witnesses, and your conscience, how much profit we have had from this temptation; the licentious man has now become sober, the bold man more gentle, the slothful man diligent; those who never saw the church, but were sitting in theaters, are now spending their days in the church. Because of these things, therefore, tell me, are you pained that God has made you diligent through fear? That he has brought you through tribulation to a perception of your own salvation?

But your conscience is being tormented? But your mind is being struck daily, awaiting death and the greatest threats? Yet from this source also there will be a great increase in virtue for us, as our devotion grows through the distress. For God can resolve all grave things on this very day, but until he sees us cleansed, ^A until he sees our conversion made, and our repentance firm and unshaken, he does not dissolve the tribulation. For just as a goldsmith, until he sees the gold well purified, does not draw it out of the crucible, so also God does not remove this cloud until he has thoroughly mended us. For he who permitted the temptation, he himself knows the time for the temptation to be resolved. And just as a lyre-player neither stretches the string too much, so as not to snap it, nor slackens it beyond measure, so as not to spoil the harmony of the tuning, so also God acts: he does not establish our soul either in a state of continuous relief or in a long tribulation, doing both according to his own wisdom. For he does not allow us to enjoy continuous relief, lest we become more sluggish; but neither does he allow us to be in continuous tribulation again, lest we collapse and fall into despair.

3. On the result of tribulations

Did you see how great the proximity was? Neither was the fire deprived of its own power, nor did it dare to proceed further than the bonds. The tyrant bound them, and the flame released them, so that you might learn both the cruelty of the barbarians and the obedience of the element. And for what reason did he bind them when he was about to cast them into the fire? So that the miracle might be greater, so that the sign might be more wonderful, lest you think what was being seen was an error of the eyes. For if that fire had not been fire, it would not have consumed the bonds, ^D and it would not have snatched away the soldiers sitting on the outside, which was a much greater thing. But now, it showed power toward those on the outside, but obedience toward those on the inside. You, however, consider for me everywhere how the devil, through the very means by which he attacks the servants of God, destroys his own power—not willingly, indeed, but because the wisdom and providence of God use his own arms and devices against his own head. Which is what happened here also. For the devil, at that time insinuating himself into the tyrant, neither permitted the heads of the saints to be severed with iron, nor to be delivered to beasts, nor to be punished in any other such way, but persuaded that they be cast into the fire, so that not even the relics of those saints would remain, with the bodies themselves being consumed, and their ashes mixed with the ashes of the brushwood. But God used this very thing for the destruction of impiety, and in the manner which I shall speak of shortly.

Fire is considered a god among the Persians. Among the Persians, fire is considered to be a god, and the barbarians inhabiting that region continue to worship it even now with great care. Therefore, God, wishing to remove the matter of impiety by the root, allowed a method of punishment of this kind, so that before the eyes of all who worship it, He might confer victory upon His own servants; by the very deeds themselves wishing to persuade them that the gods of the Greeks do not fear God only, but also fear the servants of God.

4. And consider the crown of victory woven through opposites, and the enemies themselves having become witnesses of the trophy. For he says, "Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather all magistrates, and captains, and governors, and leaders, and tyrants, and those set in powers, and all the prefects of the regions, that they might come to the dedication of the new statue; and they were gathered together all" (Dan. 3:2). The enemy prepares the theater, and gathers the spectators, proposes the stadium; he himself calls for the spectacle, and the theater is not of common men, not of private individuals, but of all the honored and all the magistrates, so that the testimony might become trustworthy among many. They had come having been called to another spectacle, and, having seen another, they all departed. They had come to worship the statue, and they did indeed deride the statue; but they departed having admired the power of God through the signs shown in the children. And see where he had established this stadium: not in a city, nor in any field, but the plains and desolate fields receive this theater of the world. For in the plain of Dura, outside the city, he erected the image; and the herald, passing through, was shouting: "It is said to you, nations, tribes, peoples, languages: at whatever hour you hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, and the cithara, the sackbut, and the psaltery, and the symphony, and every kind of music, falling down, worship the golden statue" (for truly to fall down was to worship the idol); "and whoever does not fall down and worship, in the same hour he will be thrown into the furnace of fire."

^A You see how difficult the contests become, and how many are the necessities of the plot, and how deep the chasm, and the precipice on either side? But do not fear; for the more the enemy increases his engines of war, so much the more does he demonstrate the courage of the children. For it was for this reason there was the concert of so many musical instruments, for this reason the furnace burning, so that both pleasure and fear might besiege the souls of those present. Is there someone bitter and unyielding among those present? Let him be softened, he says, by the melody of the all-harmonious music charming him. But if one should be superior to this plot? Let him be terrified and struck down by the sight of the flame. And there was fear and pleasure, the one entering the soul through the ears, the other through the eyes; but the nobility of those young men overcame none of these things; but just as, having fallen into the fire, they mastered the flame, so they mocked at every desire and distress. ^B For the devil had prepared all these things on their account; for he was not in doubt about the subjects, but was even very confident that no one would oppose the king's law; but since everyone fell and was defeated, the children are brought into the middle alone, so that in this way also the victory might become more brilliant, with them being victorious and proclaimed in the midst of such a multitude. For it would not have been so wonderful if, with no one having been tripped up, these had stepped forth first. But the greatest and most paradoxical thing is that the multitude of those who had fallen did not frighten them, nor did it weaken them, nor did they say to themselves any such thing as many are accustomed to say: "For if we were about to be the first to worship the image, the act would be a crime; but if we do this along with so many myriads, who will pass judgment? Who will not deem it worthy of an apology?" But they neither said nor pondered any such thing, seeing the corpses of so many tyrants. ^C But you, observe for me also the malice of those who were slandering them, how they accused them maliciously and bitterly. For there are, he says, Jewish men, whom you have set over the works of the province of Babylon; for they did not simply remember the nation, but also reminded him of the honor, so as to inflame the king's anger, saying as it were that you have made the slaves, the captives, the men without a country, our rulers; and they are abusing even such great honor, and act insolently towards the one who honored them. For this reason they say: "The Jews, whom you have set over the works of the province of Babylon, have not obeyed your decree, and to your gods they do not pay homage." The accusation is the greatest praise, and the crimes become panegyrics, and the testimony is beyond suspicion, since the enemies provide it. What then did the king do? He ordered them to be brought into the middle so that he might frighten them from every side. But nothing dismayed them, not the king's anger, not the rage of being hemmed in in the midst of so many, not the fire being seen, not the trumpets sounding, not all seeing with fire at them, but having mocked at all these things, as if they were about to fall into a cool spring of waters, they entered into the furnace, ^D uttering that blessed utterance, that "We do not pay homage to your gods, and to the golden image which you have set up we do not bow." And I have not moved this history simply, but so that you may learn that even if there is kingly anger, or a plot of soldiers, or the envy of enemies, or captivity, or desolation, or fire, or a furnace, or ten thousand terrible things, nothing will be able to defeat or frighten a just man. For if, where the king was impious, those young men were not struck with fear at the tyrant's anger, much more ought we to be confident, having a philanthropic and gentle king, and to offer thanks to God for this affliction, having learned from the things mentioned that afflictions make those who know how to bear them nobly more brilliant both before God and before men. For indeed, if they had not become slaves, we would not have known their freedom; if they had not become captives, we would not have learned of the nobility of their soul; if they had not fallen from their lower fatherland, we would not have known the virtue of their way of life above; if the king on earth had not been angry with them, we would not have learned of the favor which the celestial King had for them. 5 And you, therefore, if you have Him well-disposed, even if you fall into a furnace, do not despair; just as if He is angry, and you are in paradise, do not be confident. For Adam was in paradise, and since he angered God, paradise did not profit him; these men were in a furnace, and since they proved worthy, the furnace did not harm them; Adam was in paradise, and since he was slothful, he was tripped up; Job sat upon the dung-heap, and since he was sober, he prevailed. And yet how much better is paradise than a dung-heap! But the virtue of the place did not profit the one dwelling there, since he surrendered himself; just as the meanness of the place did not harm the one fortified everywhere by virtue. Let us, therefore, secure our own soul; for even if the loss of wealth should come, even if death, if no one takes our piety from us, we are more blessed than all. Christ also commanded this, saying: "Be therefore prudent as serpents." For just as that one releases his whole body so as to save its head, so also you, even if money, even if the body, even if the present life, even if all things must be released so as to preserve piety, do not be downhearted. For if you depart holding that, God will return everything to you with greater brilliance, and He will raise up the body again with greater glory, and in return for money, goods that surpass every power of reason. Did not Job sit naked on the dunghill, enduring a life more grievous than ten thousand deaths? But since he did not cast away his piety, all things returned to him with greater abundance—the previous health and beauty of the body, the whole chorus of children, the possessions, and the greatest of all, the brilliant crown of endurance. For just as it happens with trees, even if someone takes away the fruit along with the leaves, and even if he cuts off all the branches, the root remaining, the tree rises again whole and with greater beauty; so also with us, if the root of piety remains, even if wealth is taken away, even if the body is destroyed, all things will return to us again with greater glory. Let us, therefore, cast out every worry and superfluous care from the soul, and let us return to ourselves, and let us adorn both the body and the soul with the adornment of virtue, making our limbs weapons of righteousness, but not weapons of sin; and first of all let us train the tongue to be a minister of the grace of the Spirit, casting out every malice and the practice of shameful words from the mouth. For we, too, are…

67 S. JOANNIS CHRYSOSTOMI ARCHIEP. CONSTANTINOP.

⟨...⟩ and, more truly, one may see of the tongue of this man, as he says: “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Ps. XLIV, 2). That one committed murder, this one wrote the divine law; therefore, that was a sword, but this was a pen, not according to its own nature, but according to the choice of those who used it. For the nature of the tongue was one and the same for both, but the operation was not one. And one may see the same thing concerning the mouth again; for those men had mouths full of pus and wickedness; therefore, in accusing them he said: “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (Ps. XIII, 3); but his was not like that, but “My mouth,” he says, “shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding” (Ps. XLVIII, 4). Others again had hands full of iniquity, and accusing them he said again: “In their hands are iniquities, and their right hand is filled with bribes” (Ps. XXV, 10). But he himself had hands accustomed to doing nothing other than being raised to heaven; therefore, he said concerning these: “The lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice” (Ps. CXL, 2). One may see the same thing in the heart; for the heart of some is vain, but his is true; therefore, of them he says: “Their heart is vain” (Ps. V, 10); but of his own: “My heart hath uttered a good word” (Ps. XLIV, 2). Concerning the hearing, he had a heart that was the receptacle for divine words, and this he made manifest by saying: “I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my riddle upon the harp” (Ps. XLVIII, 5).

^C 5. Knowing these things, let us wall ourselves in from every side with righteousness, and thus we shall repel the wrath of God; and let us make the members of our bodies weapons of justice—the eyes, the mouth, the hands, the feet, and the heart, the tongue, and our whole body—that it may be useful for virtue alone. And let us remember those three things of which I spoke to your charity, begging that you have no enemy, nor curse any of those who have caused you grief, and that you cast out the wicked custom of oaths from your mouth. And we shall discuss the two commandments at another time; but throughout this present week we shall speak to you about oaths, beginning with the simpler commandment: for it is no labor at all to overcome the custom of swearing, if we are willing to expend even a little zeal, reminding one another, admonishing, watching, and demanding an accounting and penalties from those who have forgotten. For what use, I ask, is the abstinence from foods, if we do not drive out the wicked habits of the soul? Behold, today we have spent the whole day fasting, ^D and this evening we shall set a table not like yesterday's, but changed and more seemly. Does any one of us, therefore, have it in his power to say that he has changed his life today just as he has his table; that he has changed his wicked habit just as he has his food? I, for my part, do not think so. What, therefore, is the profit of the fast for us? For this reason I exhort, and I will not cease to exhort, that you take up each commandment individually and spend two or three days in achieving it. And as there are some among you who vie with one another in abstinence from food, and perform a marvelous competition—some passing two whole days without food, others abstaining not only from wine and oil but from the use of every dish at their table, using only bread and water, and so they spend the whole Quadragesima—so let us also contend with one another, that we may remove the frequency 68 of oaths: for this is more useful than any fast, this is more fruitful than any harshness of life; and the zeal which we have regarding abstinence from food, let us show this regarding abstinence from oaths: since we incur the crime of extreme madness, because we despise what is forbidden, but apply all our zeal to matters that are indifferent. For to eat is not forbidden, but to swear is forbidden; yet we abstain from the permitted things, but dare to do the forbidden. Therefore, I exhort your charity that you make some change, and demonstrate the beginning to us from now on. For if we pass the present fast with such zeal, making it our aim this week that we do not swear at all, the next week extinguishing wrath, and in the following one rooting out detraction, and after that correcting other things again in greater numbers; so advancing little by little, we shall come to the very summit of virtue, we shall escape the present danger, we shall render God placated, and the multitude will return to us, and to the city, again. Then we shall teach those who have fled not to place the hope of our salvation in the safety of places, nor in refuge and retreat, but in the piety of the soul and the virtue of our character. And thus it will come to pass that we attain the good things both of this life and of the life to come, to which may we all be counted worthy to attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the holy Spirit, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

HOMILY V

^A An exhortation to the people concerning bearing the impending threats generously, having examples from the things that happened to Job and the Ninevites; and that one ought not to fear death, but sin; and regarding what it is to die badly; and that oaths are to be avoided by all means; and concerning the earthquake.

1. The story of the three children and the Babylonian furnace comforted your charity yesterday, not moderately, and, moreover, the example of Job, who was more venerable than any royal throne. For from the throne to see Job is nothing, it is temporary pleasure, having no...

utility. But by seeing Job in his refuse, one will receive all profit, much philosophy, and comfort toward the reason of patience. Therefore, many now undertake a long and transmarine pilgrimage from the ends of the earth, running into Arabia, that they might see that refuse, and having seen it, that they might kiss the earth which received the wrestling-ground of that crowned victor, and blood more precious than all gold. ^A For neither is purple so bright as that body then shone, being dyed not in another’s, but in its own blood. And those wounds were more precious than all gems. For the nature of pearls confers no benefit upon our life, nor does it fulfill any necessary need for those who possess them; but those wounds are comfort for all despondency. And that you may learn that this is true, if someone casts off a genuine and only-begotten son, show him ten thousand pearls, and you will not soothe the passion, nor will you heal the grief; but having reminded him of the wounds of Job, you will easily be able to heal him, saying thus: Why do you mourn, O man? You have indeed lost one child, but that blessed one, after the entire company of his children had been taken away, received a wound in his very flesh, and sat naked upon the refuse, flowing with ichor on all sides, his flesh being consumed little by little; the just, the truthful, the God-fearing man, who abstained from every evil thing, who even had God as a witness of his virtue. For if you say these things, you have extinguished all the despondency of the mourner, and you have taken away all the grief, and thus the wounds of the just man become more useful than pearls. ^B Therefore, portray to yourselves the athlete and you as well, and imagine that you see that refuse, and him sitting in the midst of the refuse, the golden statue, the gem-encrusted one, the... how shall I say it, I know not: for I have no precious material to find such that I could compare it to that blood-stained body; thus, in terms of the exceeding abundance from that flesh, its nature was more precious than any most valuable material, and the wounds were more radiant than solar rays: for the latter illuminate the visions of the body, but the former enlighten the eyes of our understanding; those once and for all struck the devil blind. ^C For this reason, after that stroke he leapt away and appeared no more. But you, beloved, learn from this point how much the profit of affliction is. For when the just man was wealthy and enjoying ease, he had a pretext to slander him—falsely, to be sure, but he had one nonetheless to say: Does Job worship You for nothing? But since he stripped him and made him a beggar, he did not dare to mutter any longer; and when he was wealthy, he promised to wrestle with him, and threatened to trip him up; but since he had made him a beggar, and had deprived him of all things, and had cast him into the most extreme grief, then he leapt away; and when his body was healthy, he lifted up his hands, but when he had hacked his flesh to pieces, then he fled defeated. Do you see how much poverty is better and more useful than wealth, and infirmity and sickness than health, and temptation than ease for those who are sober, and how it makes the athletes more bright and robust? Who has seen, who has heard such marvelous wrestlings? The boxers of the exterior contests, when they hack off the heads of their opponents, then they are victorious and are crowned; but this one, when he had hacked off the body of the just man, having pierced it through with all manner of ulcers, and had made it weaker, then he was defeated and withdrew; ^D and after he had dug through his sides on all sides, for him nothing more was gained, for he had not pillaged the treasure laid up within, but for us he made him more manifest, and through that piercing he allowed everyone to look inside, and to discern all of his wealth. And when he expected to prevail, then with much shame he withdrew, and emitted no voice any longer. What has happened, O devil? On what account do you withdraw? Did not all things happen which you wished? Did you not destroy his flocks, his herds, his droves of horses and mules? Did you not destroy the company of his children, and hack his flesh all to pieces? On what account have you withdrawn? Because all things happened which I wished, he says; but the thing I most wished to happen, and for the sake of which I did all those things, this did not happen; for he did not blaspheme. For I did all those things, he says, so that this might come forth. But since this did not happen, there was no more gain for me from the loss of his possessions, and the destruction of his children, and the stroke of his body, but on the contrary, the outcome was the opposite of what I wished: he made the enemy more bright, and I made him more radiant. Have you known how much the profit of affliction is, beloved? For the body was indeed good and healthy, but it became much more venerable when it was sliced through by those wounds: since also wool is good even before the dyeing, but when it becomes purple, it takes on an unspeakable beauty and much dignity. And if he had not stripped him, we would not have known the well-being of the crowned victor; if he had not pierced his body with weals, the rays would not have shone forth from within; if he had not sat him upon the refuse, we would not have known his wealth.

2. Chrysostom rejects the applause of the audience.

the point of enjoying them, do you delay and neglect and grow sluggish? And not only sluggish, but you even fear and shudder? And how is it not disgraceful for you to grieve at death, when Paul groaned for the present life, and writing to the Romans said: The whole creation groaneth together, and we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, do groan (Rom. 8. 22. 23)? And he said this not condemning the present things, but desiring those to come. I have tasted, he says, the grace, and cannot bear the delay: I have the firstfruits of the Spirit, and I hasten to the whole: I ascended into the third heaven, I saw that unspeakable glory, I saw the brilliant kingdom, I learned what good things I am missing by lingering here, for this reason I groan. For tell me, if someone had led you into royal halls, and had shown you gold shining everywhere from the walls, and all other ornament; afterwards had led you thence into a pauper's hut, and had promised to bring you back after a short time into the royal halls, and to give you an everlasting dwelling there: would you not necessarily be filled with longing, and resent even those few days? Think this also regarding the heavens and the earth, and groan with Paul, not because of death, but because of the present life. ^A But "give me," you say, "to become like Paul, and I will never fear death." And what prevents you from becoming like Paul? Was he not poor? Was he not a tentmaker? Was he not an uneducated man? For if he had been wealthy and noble, perhaps the poor, being invited to imitate him, would have found cause to plead their poverty; but now you can say none of these things: for he was a working man, and supported himself by daily labors. And you have received piety from your parents from the beginning, and have been nurtured in the sacred writings from early age; he, however, was also a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and insulting, and devastated the Church; yet he was changed so suddenly that he surpassed all in zeal and fervor, and cries out saying, Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ (1 Cor. 11. 1). He imitated the Lord, do you not imitate your fellow-servant, you who have been reared in piety from the start, as well as he who later through a change came to the faith? Do you not know that those who are in sins, though they live, are dead? but those who are in righteousness, though they have died, they live? Nor is this my own speech; it is the judgment of Christ saying to Martha: "Everyone who believes in me, even if he should die, shall live" (John 11. 25). Are our dogmas, then, fables? If you are a Christian, believe in Christ: if you believe in Christ, demonstrate faith to me through works. But how will you demonstrate faith through works? If you despise death. For in this we differ from the infidels. ^B

Death is not to be feared by those hoping in the future life.

The unjust death is to be feared less than the just.

our own home, and from the very events that have befallen us in these days, I will attempt to make clear. For when letters arrived from the Emperor ordering [us] to pay this tax that seemed intolerable, everyone was in turmoil, everyone was contending, they were vexed, they were indignant, and meeting one another they said: "Life is unlivable for us, the city is overturned, no one will be able to sustain the magnitude of this tax." And everyone was in distress as if they were in danger concerning their very lives. After that, when the rash acts occurred, and certain worthless and most abominable men trampled the laws, tore down the statues, and hung the danger of life over everyone, and we now fear for life itself because we have provoked the Emperor, the loss of money no longer stings us, but I hear everyone saying instead of all those things: "Let the Emperor take the property, we will depart from both our lands and our wealth willingly, if only someone promises to keep our body naked/safe." Just as, therefore, before the fear of death fell upon us, the loss of money stung us, but when those lawless acts were dared, the fear of death entering in drove away the pain of the loss; so if the fear of Gehenna had occupied our souls, the fear of death would not have occupied [them]. But just as in our bodies, when two pains take hold of us, the stronger is accustomed to hide the lesser, so it would have happened now: if the fear of the coming punishment remained upon the soul, it would have obscured every human fear. So that if someone is diligent to remember Gehenna at all times, he will laugh at ^A every death. And this will not only free him from the present agony, but will also save him from that flame. For he who fears Gehenna at all times will never fall into the fire of Gehenna, being kept sober by this constant fear. Give me leave to say this to you now opportunely: "Brethren, do not be children in your minds, but in wickedness be infants" (1 Cor. 14.20). For we fear a childish fear, fearing death, but not fearing sin. For little children fear masks, but do not fear fire; but if they happen to be carried by a lamp-stand having a lamp, they thoughtlessly put their hand to the lamp and the flame. And they tremble at the contemptible mask, but they do not fear the truly terrible fire. So we too fear death, which is a contemptible mask, but we do not fear sin, which is truly terrible, and like fire devours the conscience. And this is accustomed to happen to us not by the nature of things, but from ignorance. For if we calculate what death is, we shall never fear it. What then is death? It is that which is to put off a garment. For, like a garment, the body is worn by the soul, and if we lay this aside for a short time through death, we shall receive it again more brightly. What is death? A temporary departure, a sleep longer than the usual. Therefore if you fear death, fear sleep too. If you grieve because of those dying, grieve also because of those eating and because of those drinking. For as this is natural, so is that. Let not natural things grieve you; let the things of a wicked choice grieve you more. And do not mourn the one dying, but mourn the one living in sins.

4. Do you wish me to say also another reason why we fear death? We do not live with precision; we do not have a good conscience. For if this were so, nothing would have terrified us—not death, not famine, not the loss of money, nor anything else of that sort. For nothing of these things will be able to harm ^B the one living in virtue, nor to take away the inward pleasure; for the one nurtured with good hopes, nothing will be able to cast into dejection. For what could someone do of such a kind, through which he would prepare the noble man to be grieved? Will he take away money? But he has wealth in the heavens. Will he banish him from his fatherland? But he will send him to the city above. Will he put on bonds? But he has a conscience loosed [from sin], and does not feel the outward chain. Will he kill the body? But it will rise again. And just as the one boxing with a shadow and beating the air will be able to strike no one, so the one warring against the just man shadow-boxes only, and destroys his own strength, but will be able to inflict no blow upon the other. Give me therefore ^C to take courage concerning the kingdom of the heavens, and if you wish, slaughter me this day, and I will be grateful to you for the slaughter, because you send me quickly to those good things. For this is what we most of all ^D lament, he says, that being hindered by the multitude of sins, we shall not attain the kingdom there. Do not therefore cease lamenting death, lament your sins, that you may destroy them. For it is for this that sorrow was created: not that we should grieve over the loss of money, not over death, nor over any other such thing, but that we might make use of it for the destruction of sins. And that this is true, I will make it clear to you from an example. Medical remedies were created only for those ailments which they are able to take away, not for those which receive no help from them. What do I mean? For I wish to make the argument even clearer. The medicine that is able to benefit ailing eyes alone, and no other ailment, one might rightly say was created only because of the eye disease, not because of the stomach, not because of the hands, nor because of any other member. Let us therefore transfer the argument to sorrow, and we shall find that it benefits nothing of the other things that happen to us, but it corrects sin alone; it is evident that it was created only for the destruction of this. Let us therefore go through each of the evils that befall us, and let us bring on the dejection, and let us see what profit comes from it. Has someone lost money? He was grieved, he did not correct the loss. Has someone lost a son? He grieved, he did not raise the dead, nor did he benefit the one who has departed. Has someone been whipped, slapped, insulted? He was grieved, he did not recall the insult. Has someone fallen into illness, and a most grievous disease? He was dejected, he did not remove the disease, but even made it more grievous. Do you see it benefiting something in any of these? Has someone sinned, was he grieved? He has obliterated the sin, he has loosed the offense. Whence is this clear? From the judgment of the Lord; for disputing about one who had sinned, he said: "For a sin I grieved him for a little while, and I saw that he was grieved, and he went about downcast, and I healed his" (Is. 57.17, 18). And Paul says: "For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of" (2 Cor. 7.10).

^A Therefore, since the discourse has clearly demonstrated that neither loss of money, nor insult, nor calumny, nor scourges, nor disease, nor death, nor any other such thing can repair sorrow, but that only the destruction of sin can, and that sorrow is effective for this destruction, it is evident that it came into being for this reason alone. Let us no longer, therefore, grieve at the loss of money, but let us grieve only when we sin; for there is great profit here from sorrow. Have you been fined? Do not grieve; for it will not help. Have you sinned? Grieve, for it is useful; and consider the prudence and wisdom of God. Sin produced these two things for us: sorrow and death. "For in the day that thou eatest thereof," He says, "thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2.17); and to the woman: "In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children" (Gen. 3.16). And through both of these, He took away sin, and provided for the mother to be destroyed by her children. That death with sorrow destroys sin is manifest even from the martyrs; it is manifest also from what Paul said to those who sin, speaking thus: "For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11.30); he says that you die because you sin, so that by death sins may be dissolved. He added, therefore, saying: "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (v. 31, 32). And just as a worm is born from wood and gnaws it, and a moth eats wool, having its origin from it, so also sorrow and death are born from sin, and consume sin. Therefore, let us not fear death, but let us fear sin only, and grieve on account of it. And I say this not out of expectation of anything grave—God forbid—but wanting you, who fear, to be always thus affected, and to fulfill the law of Christ by deeds: "For he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me," He says (Matt. 10.38). This He said not that we should carry wood on our shoulders, but that we should always have death before our eyes, just as Paul also "died daily" (1 Cor. 15.31), and mocked death, and despised the present life. For you are a soldier, always stationed in the battle line; but a soldier who fears death ^B will never conduct himself strenuously; so, therefore, neither will a Christian man, fearing dangers, exhibit anything great and admirable; rather, he will be easily conquered; but being intrepid and magnanimous, he remains unassailed and invincible. Just as, therefore, the three children, not fearing the fire, escaped the fire, so we too, if we do not fear death, shall escape death. They did not fear the fire in the least; for it is not a crime to be burned, but they feared sin; for it is a crime to follow impiety. Let us imitate them, and everyone similar to them; and let us not fear dangers, and we shall escape dangers.

^C 5. I am not, indeed, a prophet, nor the son of a prophet (Amos 7.14); yet I know the future clearly, and I proclaim with a great and loud voice that if we change, and take some care of our soul, and depart from wickedness, nothing troublesome or grievous will attack us; and I know this clearly from the clemency of God, and from what He did to men, and cities, and nations, and whole peoples. For He threatened the city of the Ninevites, and said: "Yet three days, and Nineve shall be overthrown" (Jon. 3.4). What then, tell me? Was Nineve overthrown, and was the city destroyed? The direct opposite happened; and it rose up, and became more glorious, and so much time did not destroy its past glory, but we all celebrate it even now, and admire it to this day; because it became an excellent harbor for all who were sinning from that time on, not allowing them to fall into despair, but calling everyone to repentance, and through what it did, and through what it obtained of God's providence, persuading them never to despair of their own salvation, but while leading a good life, and proposing the best hope, to trust as concerning a future that is finally good. For who would not be stirred up hearing their example, even if he were the most slothful of all? God chose, therefore, that His prophecy should rather fall void than that the city should perish; nay, indeed, neither did the prophecy fall. For if the sentence had not proceeded to an effect while the men remained in the same malice, one could perhaps accuse what was said; but since they changed, and desisted from malice, and God also desisted from His wrath, who can any longer carp at the prophecy, and condemn what was said as a lie? For the law which God laid down for all men from the beginning, speaking through the prophet, this He conserved even then. What law? "I will speak," He says, "concerning a nation and kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy; and it shall be, if they repent of their malice, I will also repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them" (Jer. 18.7, 8). ^D Preserving this law, therefore, He saved the penitent, and freed from wrath those departing from vice. He knew the virtue of the barbarians, and therefore He urged on the prophet; for so, too, the city was agitated at the time upon hearing the prophetic voice, but it was harmed in nothing, but rather was helped by the fear. For that fear produced salvation, and the threat freed it from danger; and the sentence of overthrow restrained the overthrow. O new and admirable thing! The denunciation threatening death produced life. After the sentence was passed, then it became invalid, contrary to what happens among secular judges; for among them, once the sentence is brought into the middle, it becomes ratified; but with God, on the contrary, that the sentence was pronounced makes it invalid; for if it had not been pronounced, the sinners would not have heard; and if they had not heard, they would have neither repented, nor repulsed the punishment, nor would they have obtained that wonderful salvation. For how is it not wonderful, when the judge has passed sentence, but they have resolved the sentence through repentance? For they did not flee the city, as we do now, but remaining, they strengthened it while it was tottering. It was a snare, and they rendered it a bulwark; it was a chasm and a precipice, and they made it a tower of safety. They heard that the buildings would fall, and they did not flee the buildings, but they fled their sins; they did not depart, each one, from his house, as we do now, but each one departed from his evil way. For, "Do not the walls," he says, "produce wrath?"

^A 5. These were the barbarians! And are we not ashamed, nor do we hide our faces, while they changed their ways, but we exchange the good for the bad, doing the works of drunken men and setting aside our wealth? The Master is angry with us, and we, leaving off putting an end to the anger, turn our attention to the things of the house and go to and fro, seeking where we might store our wealth, when it was necessary to seek where we might deposit our soul; or rather, it is not even necessary to seek, but to entrust its safety to virtue and the uprightness of life. For if, when we are angry and indignant at a servant, he were to omit to apologize for the anger, and should go down into his little room, gathering up and tying together all his clothes and furniture, and should deliberate about flight, we would have borne such contempt with patience. Let us, therefore, cease from this untimely eagerness, and let us say, each one to God: "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy face?" (Ps. 138. 7). Let us imitate the philosophy of the barbarians. Those men repented for things uncertain; for the decree did not contain this: "If you return and repent, I will establish the city," but simply: "Yet three days, and Nineveh will be overthrown." What, then, those men? "Who knows if God will repent of the evil which he spoke to do to us?" Who knows? They do not know the end of the matter, and they do not neglect repentance; they do not know the manner of God's philanthropy, and yet they change on grounds of uncertainty; for they had no other Ninevites to look to who had repented and been saved, nor did they read prophets, nor did they hear the patriarchs, nor did they enjoy counsel, nor did they share in admonition, nor had they persuaded themselves that they would surely appease God by repentance; for the threat did not provide this, but they were doubting and debating concerning this, and yet they repented with all diligence. What account, then, shall we have, when they indeed, not having confidence concerning the outcome, are seen to have shown such a transformation, but you, who have reason to be confident concerning the philanthropy of God and have received many, many times over pledges of His care, and have heard prophets and apostles, and have been instructed through the events themselves, do not even strive to reach the same measure of virtue as they?

^B Great indeed, then, is the virtue of these men, but much greater is the philanthropy of God, and this one can see from the very magnitude of the threat. For this reason, He did not add to the verdict, "But if you repent, I will spare," in order that, by casting the judgment indefinitely, He might increase the fear, and having increased the fear, might drive them the more quickly to repentance. And the prophet is ashamed, knowing the future, and guessing that the things spoken will remain unfulfilled; but God is not ashamed, but seeks only one thing, the salvation of men, and corrects His own servant. For since that man entered the ship, he immediately stirred up the sea, so that you might learn that where there is sin, there is a storm; where there is disobedience, there is a billowing wave; and the city was being shaken because of the sins of the Ninevites, and the ship was being shaken because of the disobedience of the prophet. Those men, therefore, cast Jonah into the sea, and the ship stood firm; let us sink sin, and the city will certainly stand. So that there is no benefit to us from flight; for flight did not even benefit that man; on the contrary, it ^C harmed him. He fled the land, and he did not flee the wrath of God; he fled the land, and he brought the storm into the sea; and not only did he himself reap no good from the flight, but he also cast those who had received him into extreme danger; and he, indeed, while sitting on the ship, was sailing, and sailors and pilots were present, and the entire equipment of the ship was in danger of the extremes; but since, having been cast into the sea, and having put away sin through the punishment, he was carried down into the boundless ship, I mean the belly of the whale, he enjoyed great relief; so that you might learn that just as a ship does not benefit one living in sin, so the sea does not destroy one, nor do beasts harm one, who has put away sin. For the waves took him, and did not drown him; the whale took him, and did not destroy him; but both the creature and the element returned the deposit unharmed to God, and through all things the prophet learned to be philanthropic and gentle, and to be no more brutal than thoughtless sailors, or savage waves, or wild beasts. For the sailors did not immediately, from the first, but after much necessity, cast him forth, and the sea and the beast likewise guarded him with much goodwill, God ordering all these things. ^D He returned, therefore, and preached, and threatened, and persuaded, and saved, and frightened, and corrected, and established them from one and a few sermons. For he did not need many days or constant counsel, but having said those bare words, he led everyone to repentance. For this reason God did not immediately lead him by the hand from the ship into the city, but the sailors handed him over to the sea, the sea to the whale, the whale to God, God to the Ninevites, and through a long journey He brought back the fugitive, so that He might instruct all that it is impossible to flee the hands of God, that wherever one might arrive, dragging sin along with him, he will sustain myriad evils, and even if no man be present, the creation itself from everywhere will resist him with great violence. Let us not, therefore, entrust our salvation to flight, but to the transformation of our way of life. For do not think that because you remain in the city, for this reason God is provoked, so that you should flee; because you sinned, for this reason He is angry. Therefore, put away sin, and whence is the cause of the wound, thence repress the source of the evil; for physicians' students also command that one should cure opposites with opposites. Did a fever arise from gluttony? They use abstinence to treat the ailment. Has someone fallen ill from despondency? They say that cheerfulness is a suitable medicine for him. It is necessary to do likewise regarding the diseases of the soul. Did negligence stir up anger? Let us strike it down with diligence, and let us show forth a great transformation. We have as a helper and ally fasting, and along with fasting the agony pressing upon us and the fear of danger. Let us therefore apply these to the soul now, to the occasion; for we shall easily be able to persuade it to do everything we wish. For the one who is fearful and trembling and relieved of all luxury and living in fear, can easily live philosophically, and with much eagerness receive the seeds of virtue.

7. Let us, therefore, persuade it to make its first transformation toward the better from fleeing from oaths; for even though I discussed this with you yesterday and the day before yesterday...

I shall not desist today, nor tomorrow, nor the day after, from giving the same advice. And what do I say "tomorrow" or the "third day"? I will not stop until I see you corrected. For if those who transgress the law are not ashamed, it is surely fitting that we, who command you not to transgress, should not be ashamed at frequent admonition. For to keep reminding you of the same things is not the fault of the one speaking, but of the hearers, who require a long training in simple and easy-to-accomplish matters. For what is easier than not to swear? It is only a matter of habit; it entails no bodily effort, no expenditure of money. Do you wish to learn how it is possible to overcome the vice? How one may be freed from this wicked habit? I will teach you a method ^A which, if you follow, you will surely overcome it. When you see yourself or anyone else, whether a slave or a child or a wife, caught in this evil, and though continually reminded they are not corrected, order them to sleep without supper, and impose this penalty upon yourself and upon them—a penalty not as harm, but as a gain. For such are spiritual things: they bring both gain and the swiftest correction. For the tongue, continually harassed and getting no refreshment from anyone, will, by being compressed by thirst and pinched by hunger, receive sufficient instruction. Although we may be the most insensible of all, being reminded all day long by the magnitude of this torment, we shall need no other counsel or admonition. You have praised what was said, but show the praise in your deeds. For what other benefit is there to this gathering? If a little child goes to school every day but learns nothing later, will his going there every day suffice for us as an excuse? Shall we not consider this the greatest crime, that by going there every day, he does it in vain? Let us think this also of ourselves and say among ourselves: "Having come so often to the assembly and enjoyed the most awesome synaxis, if we depart again such as we arrived, correcting none of our defects, what will be the usefulness of this journey for us?" For many things are done not for their own sake, but for the sake of what comes from them. As, for example, the sower does not sow just to sow, but to reap; for if this did not happen, he would suffer the loss of the sowing, with the seeds rotting in vain. The merchant does not sail just to sail, but to make his property greater by traveling; for if this result is not present, both the greatest loss occurs and the merchant's voyage is useless. Let us reason this same thing within ourselves; for we also assemble in the church not for this ^B reason alone, that we may stay here, but that we may depart having gained something great and spiritual. If, therefore, we depart empty and having obtained nothing, this zeal will bring upon us condemnation. To ensure this does not happen, and that we avoid such a great loss, when you depart from here, friends with children, fathers with servants, masters meditate and labor together on how you may fulfill what has been commanded, so that when you return again and hear us persuading you about the same things, you may not be filled with shame, with conscience biting you, but may rejoice and be glad, seeing that the greater part of the admonition has been fulfilled for you. Let us not philosophize about this only here; for this momentary admonition cannot eradicate the whole matter, but at home let the husband hear this from the wife, and the wife from the spouse, and let a certain emulation arise for all who are eager to arrive at the fulfillment of this law; and let him who has fulfilled it first rebuke the one who lags behind, so as to rouse him more; and let him who lags behind and has not yet fulfilled it, look to the one who has gotten ahead and strive to arrive at him quickly. If we meditate on these things, if we care for these things, shortly our other affairs will also be managed prosperously. You take care of what concerns God, and He will provide for yours. And do not say to me: "What, then, if someone imposes the necessity of swearing upon us? What if he does not believe us?" Indeed, where the law must be violated, one ought not to remember necessity. For there is one unavoidable necessity: not to offend God. Nevertheless, in the meantime, perform this: cut off the superfluous oaths, uttered rashly and without necessity at home, with friends, with servants; if you take these away, you will need nothing more of me in those matters; for the mouth itself, practiced in this so that it fears and flees the frequency of swearing, will not admit falling into that habit again, even if someone should force it a thousand times. But just as now with much labor and infinite agitation, by terrifying, threatening, admonishing, and counseling, we have with difficulty been able to ^C persuade it to shift into another habit, so also then, even if someone should impose infinite necessity, he will not be able to persuade one to transgress this law; but just as one would never choose to taste some poison, even when necessity is pressing, so neither would one admit oaths. And if this comes to pass, it will be a consolation for you and an exhortation to attain to the remaining parts of virtue. For he who has yielded nothing becomes sluggish and quickly falls in spirit, but he who is conscious that he has fulfilled even one command, having learned from this to hope well, will proceed to the rest with greater zeal; afterward taking up another, he will quickly arrive at another, and will not desist before he arrives at the summit itself. For if in money, the more one acquires, the more he desires, much more would you see this happening in spiritual duties. Therefore I am eager and I urge that the matter may receive its beginning, and that the foundation of virtue may be cast in your souls, and we pray and beseech that you may not be mindful of these words only at the present hour, but also at home, and in the marketplace, and wherever you may tarry. If only it were given to me to converse with you! I would not have needed a long speech for this; but now, since this is not allowed, you, in my absence, be mindful of my words, and when you sit at table, think that I am there and standing by, and that I am echoing all the things I now say to you here; and wherever there is talk of me among you, remember this command above all, and return this recompense of my love for you; if I see that you have fulfilled this, I have received all, I have taken a reward worthy of my labors. Therefore, to make us more prompt, and to make you become of good hope, and to prepare greater ease for the remaining commands, store this law with much zeal in your souls, and then you shall know the usefulness of the admonition. For even with ^D a golden garment...

benefit from the truth. For just as a golden garment is beautiful to look upon, yet appears much more beautiful to us when it is wrapped around our body, so too are the commandments of God good when they are merely praised, but they appear much more beautiful when they are fulfilled. For at present, in this brief moment of time, you praise the things that are spoken; but if you perform them, throughout the whole of the day and throughout all time, you will praise both us and yourselves. And this is not the great thing, that we should praise one another, but that God also will accept us—and not only accept us, but will also reward us with those great and unspeakable gifts, of which may it be granted that we all be accounted worthy, by the grace and love toward man of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen. ^B

That the fear of magistrates is useful, and a narrative of the events by the way to those who were carrying the report of the sedition to the emperor; and that he who suffers something unjustly and gives thanks to the God who permits it, is equal to him who suffers the same things for the sake of God; and again, examples from the three children and the Babylonian furnace; and concerning abstinence from oaths.

Homily VI.

1. We have spent many days comforting your love; yet we shall not for this reason desist from this subject, but as long as the wound of despondency remains, we shall apply the medicine of consolation. For if the attendants of physicians do not cease ^C poulting the wounds of the body until they see the malady has ceased, much more is it necessary to do this for the soul. For despondency is a wound of the soul, and it is necessary to constantly poultice it with gentle words. For the nature of warm waters is not so accustomed to slacken the swelling of the flesh as the power of comforting words is wont to assuage the passion of the soul. There is no need of a sponge here, as with physicians, but instead of a sponge we shall use our tongue; there is no need of fire here, so that we may heat waters, but instead of fire we shall use the grace of the Spirit. Come then, and let us do this very thing today. For if we do not comfort you, from what other source will you receive consolation? Magistrates strike fear; therefore let priests comfort. The authorities threaten; therefore let the Church console. For it happens thus even with little children: teachers frighten and beat the children, and send them away to their mothers in tears; but the mothers, having received them into their own bosoms, hold and press them close, and having wiped away their tears, they kiss them, and restore their pained soul, persuading them by the things they say that the fear of the teachers is useful to them. ^D

Since, therefore, authorities have also frightened you and made you anxious, the Church, the common mother of us all, having spread out her bosom and received you with open hands, consoles you each day, saying that the fear of the magistrates is also useful, and that the consolation from this source is also useful. For the fear of the former does not allow one to be unstrung by sloth; but the consolation of the latter does not allow one to fall down through despondency; and by both, God manages our salvation. For both the magistrates He Himself armed, so that they might frighten those who act wantonly; and the priests He Himself ordained, so that they might comfort those who are in pain; and both of these things, along with the Scriptures, the very experience of events teaches. For if, when magistrates were present and soldiers alive and in arms, the madness of a few men, mongrels and strangers, in a brief moment of time set such a fire for us, and raised such a storm, and forced everyone to fear a shipwreck—if the fear of magistrates had been entirely removed, where would these men not have gone in their madness? Would they not have overthrown the city for us from its very foundations, and having turned all things upside down, would they not have taken away our very lives? For if you remove the courts of justice, you have removed all the good order of our life; and just as if you remove the pilot from a ship, you have sunk the vessel, and if you lead the general away from the camp, you have handed the soldiers over, bound, to the enemies; so if you remove the leaders from the cities, we shall live a life more irrational than irrational beasts, biting and devouring one another—the rich the poorer, the more powerful the weaker, the more brazen the more moderate. But now none of these things exist, by the grace of God; for the pious, living together, require none of this tutelage; for "to the righteous, law is not set," he says. But the many, looking toward wickedness, if they did not have the fear of these men hanging over them, would have filled the cities with ten thousand evils, which Paul also, perceiving, said: "For there is no authority except from God, and the existing authorities have been ordained by God." For what the fastenings of timber are in houses, this also are the magistrates in cities; and just as if you remove those, the walls, having been released, fall upon one another of their own accord; so if you remove the leaders of the world and the fear from them, both houses and cities and nations will fall together with one another in great anarchy, there being no one who holds them back and restrains them, and persuades them, by the fear of punishment, to be quiet.

Let us not, therefore, feel pain, beloved, because of the fear from the magistrates, but let us also give thanks to God that He has checked our despondency and made us more earnest. For what, tell me, has become a harm from this concern and anxiety? That we have become more solemn and more moderate? That we have become more earnest and more attentive? That we do not see anyone drunk and singing bawdy songs? But that there are continuous litanies, and tears, and prayers? That untimely laughter, and shameful words, and all dissipation has been driven away, and our city now entirely mimics a decorous and free woman? Because of these things do you feel pain, tell me? For these things indeed it is just to rejoice and give thanks to God, that He has dissolved such folly by the fear of a few days. Yes, he says, but if we were in danger only as far as fear, we would have reaped sufficient benefit; but now we fear lest the evil go further, and we all be in danger of the ultimate consequences. But do not fear; Paul comforts you, saying that "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will make with the temptation also the..."

way out, so that you may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13). For He Himself has said, "I will not leave you, neither will I forsake you" (Heb. 13:5; Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:5). For if He had wished to punish us by the deeds themselves, and by the experience of evils, He would not have handed us over to fear for so many days. For when one does not wish to punish, he terrifies; since if he were truly going to punish, fear would be superfluous, and threats would be redundant. But now we have endured a life more grievous than countless deaths, trembling and shaking for so many days, fearing even the very shadows, paying the penalty of Cain himself, and leaping out of our sleep because of the continuous anxiety; so that even if we had provoked God, having now suffered so great a punishment, we would have rendered Him propitious. For even if we have not paid a penalty worthy of our sins, it is yet sufficient for the clemency of God.

^B.

That the messengers of the insurrection of Antioch are delayed on their way.

^C.

Concerning the clemency of Theodosius at Easter.

from wrath. And not only does this fasting provide us the greatest alliance for persuading the King, but also for bearing bravely what happens; for we reap no small consolation from this season. For the very fact of gathering every day, and enjoying the hearing of the divine Scriptures, and seeing one another, and lamenting to one another, and praying and receiving blessings, and thus departing home, cuts away the greater part of our pain. Let us not, therefore, fall, nor abandon ourselves to anxiety, but let us remain expecting good things, and let us attend to what is about to be said. For I desire today to discourse again concerning contempt of death. I said to you yesterday that we fear death, not because it itself is fearsome, but because neither the longing for the kingdom has fired us, nor the fear of Gehenna has taken hold of us, and besides these, because we do not possess a good conscience. Do you wish that I tell a fourth cause of this untimely anxiety, not less than the previous ones, and more true? We do not live with the rigor becoming to Christians, but we have envied this fluid and dissolute and vapid life; therefore we quite naturally linger in present affairs. For if we were passing this life in fastings and all-night vigils and frugality of diet, cutting off our absurd desires, restraining pleasures, enduring the sweat of virtue, according to ^A the word of Paul, "buffeting our body and bringing it into subjection," not "making provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts," walking the narrow and constricted way, we would quickly have longed for the things to come, hastening to be delivered from our present toils. And that our statement is not false, ascend to the peaks of the mountains, and observe the monks there, those in sackcloth, those in bonds, those in fastings, those in darkness—shut away—and you will see them all longing for the end, and calling the [act of] dying a respite. For as the boxer longs to step out of the stadium that he may be rid of his wounds, and the athlete desires for the theater to rise, that he may be liberated from his labors; so too he who ^B is in rigid and most rugged life, living with virtue, desires the end, that he might both be rid of present toils, and have confidence concerning the crowns that are laid up, having sailed into the serene harbor, and having crossed over to where it is no longer possible to fear shipwreck. For this reason God also fashioned our life as laborious and burdensome by nature, so that, being squeezed by the affliction here, we might gain a desire for the things to come. For if now, with so many griefs and dangers and fears and cares ringing us about from every side, we so linger in the present life, if none of these things existed, but our whole life to us was painless and without distress, when would we have desired the things to come?

4. On the Jews

4. Thus also did God do to the Jews; for wishing to urge them into a desire for the return and to persuade them to hate Egypt, He allowed them to be troubled by mud and brick-making, so that by the magnitude of their toils and that trouble they might, distressed, raise their voices to God regarding the return. For if, even when these things had happened, having gone out, they again remembered Egypt, and the grievous slavery, and hastened to return to the former tyranny, if they had not experienced such things from the barbarians, when would they have been willing to forsake the foreign land? ^C So that we might not be fastened to the earth and, gaping at present things, be pained and forget the things to come, God made our life burdensome. Let us not, therefore, linger beyond what is necessary in the present life. For what is the benefit to us? What is the gain from being fastened excessively with a desire for the present life? Do you wish to learn why the present life is good? Because it becomes a foundation for us, and an occasion, and an arena, and a training ground for the crowns of the life to come; so that if it did not provide this to us, it is more pitiable than ten thousand deaths. For if we are not going to please God while living, it is better to die. For what is the more? What is the surplus? Do we not see the same sun and the same moon every day? Not the same winter? Not the same summer? Not the same affairs? ^D What is that which has happened? It is that which will happen. What is that which has been made? It is that which will be made. Let us not, therefore, simply call either the living blessed, or lament those dying; but let us lament those who are in sins, whether they are living or have died; but let us call those in righteousness blessed, wherever they may happen to be. You indeed fear one death, and you lament; but Paul, dying every day, not only did not weep because of this, but even rejoiced and exulted. "Would that I were in danger for the sake of God," he says, "and I would not have cared." But do not even now fall; for not only does he who suffers something for the sake of God win approval, but also he who suffers something unjustly, and bears it bravely, and gives thanks to God who permits it, is no less than he who suffers these things for the sake of God. For even the blessed Job received those many and unbearable wounds, with the devil acting maliciously in vain and for no reason, yet because he endured bravely, and gave thanks to God who permitted these things, he bound on for himself the complete crown. Do not, therefore, grieve because of death; for it is of nature; grieve because of sin; for the accusation is of choice. But if you grieve because of those who have died, ache also because of those who are born; for just as this is of nature, so also is that of nature. If, therefore, someone threatens death, say to him: "I have been instructed by Christ not to fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul" (Matt. 10.28). If he threatens confiscation of substance, say to him: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there" (Job 1.21). "We brought nothing into this world, it is evident that we shall not be able to carry anything out" (1 Tim. 6.7); and even if you do not take it, death coming will take it; and even if you do not slaughter, the law of nature arriving will bring the end. Let us, therefore, fear nothing of the things brought upon us by nature, but those things which arise in us from an evil choice; for those are what breed for us the punishment. And let us consider this continuously regarding the things which happen to us unexpectedly: that we shall not correct them by being pained, and we shall cease being pained; and with this, this too again, that if we suffer something terrible in the present life unjustly, we dissolve many of our sins. Therefore it is a great good to receive here the [penalty for] sins, and not there; for the rich man received nothing terrible here, and for this reason he is roasted there. And that…

this was the cause of his enjoying no consolation there, hear what Abraham says: “Son, you received your good things; therefore you are tormented” (Luc. 16. 25). ^A That the good things were given to Lazarus, however, because he had suffered infinite troubles here with virtue, hear the patriarch saying this as well. For when he had said to the rich man: “You received your good things,” he added, “And Lazarus [received] the evil things, and on account of this he receives consolation.” For as those who live in virtue and are afflicted have a twofold benefit from God, so also he who lives in vice and enjoys luxuries will have a twofold penalty. Again I say this, not to accuse those who flee—for “Do not disturb a soul that is humbled” (Eccli. 4. 3), it says; not wishing to rebuke, for one who is suffering needs consolation, but desiring to correct: that we may not seek our salvation by flight, but that we may flee from our sins, and depart from the evil way. ^B If we flee these, even if we are among ten thousand soldiers, no one will be able to strike us; if we do not flee these, even if we ascend to the very top of the mountains, we will find enemies there in ten thousand numbers. Remember, therefore, those three youths again, who were within the furnace and suffered nothing terrible, and those who had cast them in and remained outside the furnace—how many stood around, all were consumed. What is more marvelous than this? Whom the fire contained, it set free; whom it did not contain, it snatched away. So that you may learn that it is not the place, but the quality of one's morals, that brings about salvation and punishment. ^C The interior ones escaped, the exterior ones were destroyed. It was the same bodies for both, but not the same sensations; therefore, not the same sufferings. For hay, even if it lies around outside, is quickly ignited; just as, on the contrary, gold, even if it remains within, shines all the more brightly.

V. Or to those who say: “Could the king take everything and leave our body free?” Let them learn what it is to be free in body. For it is not immunity from punishment that makes a body free, but living continually in justice. Therefore, the bodies of these youths were free even when surrendered to the furnace, for they had long since cast off the slavery of sin. And indeed, this alone is liberty: not to escape punishment, nor to suffer nothing grave. But you, hearing of the furnace, remember the rivers of fire on that fearful day. ^D For just as here the fire snatched away some but respected others, so it will be in those rivers; and if anyone has wood, hay, and stubble, he ignites the fire, but if anyone has gold and silver, he becomes more splendid. Let us therefore gather this material, and bear present things generously, knowing that the present tribulation has freed us from that punishment, if we know how to philosophize, and it will make us better here, and not only us, but often those who torture us, if we are watchful; such is the power of this philosophy, which even happened in the case of the tyrant then. For after he saw that they had suffered nothing grave, hear how he was changed: “Servants of the most high God, come out and come hither” (Dan. 3. 93). Were you not saying a little before, “And who is that god who can deliver you out of my hands?” (Dan. 3. 15). What has happened? Whence this change? You saw those outside consumed, and you call those standing inside? Whence did it come to you to think such things? You saw what a change was wrought in the king; when he had not yet seized them, he was blaspheming; but after he cast them into the fire, he was philosophizing. Therefore, God also permitted all these things to occur, whatever the tyrant wanted, that he might demonstrate that no one can offend those who are guarded by Him; and what He did in Job, this He also wrought here. For there He permitted the devil to show all his power, and after he had exhausted all his arrows and no means of treachery remained, then he led the pugilist out of the stadium so that the victory might be made clear and indubitable; and here He did this very same thing. He wanted to overthrow their city, and He did not prevent it; he wanted to take them captive, and He did not hinder it; he wanted to bind them, He granted it; to cast them into the furnace, He permitted it; to raise the flame beyond measure, and this He permitted. And when nothing remained, but the tyrant had exhausted all his strength, then God demonstrated His own power and the patience of the youths. You see, therefore, that God permitted the tribulations until the end, so that He might demonstrate to those who were plotting and to those who were being plotted against, the philosophy and His own providence? Both of which the king then learning, cried out: “Servants of the most high God, come out and come hither.” But you, consider for me the magnanimity of the youths; for they did not leap out before the voice, lest anyone think they had feared the fire; nor did they remain inside when called, lest they appear to be ambitious and contentious. “After you have learned,” they say, “whose servants we are, after you have recognized our Lord, then we come out, in the presence of all, becoming heralds of the divine power to those who are to be.” Nay, indeed, not they alone, but the enemy himself, with his own voice and tongue, and through letters to all, was prattling the constancy of the pugilists and the virtue of the Agonothete. And just as heralds, pronouncing the victorious athletes in the middle of the theater, also state their cities, “He is from such a city,” so also here, in place of the city, he proclaimed their Lord: “Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, servants of the most high God, come out and come hither.” What has happened, that you call them servants of God? Were they not your servants? “But they dissolved my kingdom,” he says, “they trampled upon my pride, but they demonstrated their Lord through their works.” If they had been servants of men, the fire would not have stood in awe, the flame would not have yielded, for creation does not know how to respect and honor the servants of men. Therefore, again he says: “Blessed be the God of Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago” (Dan. 3. 95). But you, contemplate for me how first he proclaims the remunerator: “Blessed be God who sent his angel and delivered his servants” (Ibid.). This is of the power of God: say also the virtue of the athletes: “Because they trusted in him, and they changed the word of the king, and they surrendered their bodies, so that they might not serve strange gods” (Ibid.). But what could be equal to virtue? Before, when they said, “We do not serve your gods” (Ibid. v. 18), he was kindled more fiercely than the furnace; but after they showed this through the works themselves, not only was he not indignant, but he praised and admired them, because they had not obeyed him. Such a good thing is virtue, that it has even its enemies as admirers and praisers. They fought, they overcame, and he himself, having been defeated, gave thanks that it was not the flame of the sight that had terrified them, but hope in the Lord that had consoled them.

And he calls upon the God of the universe to witness the three youths, not ^A limiting His sovereignty, but because the three youths were worthy of the whole world; for this reason he commends those who had despised him, and passing over the tyrants and kings and prefects who had obeyed him, he marveled at the three captives and slaves who had laughed at his tyranny. For it was not out of contentiousness but out of wisdom that they did these things, nor through arrogance, but for piety; not puffed up by pride, but inflamed by zeal. For it is indeed a great good to hope in God; which the barbarian himself acknowledged, and it is clear that it was from this that, having escaped the impending danger, he cried out: "Because they trusted in Him."

^B 6. These things I say now, and I select all the histories in which there are temptations and tribulations, and the rages and conspiracies of kings, so that we may fear nothing but the sinning against God alone. For even then the furnace was burning, and they mocked it, but they feared sin. For they knew that even if they were burned, they would suffer nothing terrible, but that if they were impious, they would suffer the ultimate torments.

For the greatest punishment is to sin, even if we are not punished; just as the greatest honor and relief is to live with virtue, even if we are punished. For sins separate us from God, just as He Himself says: "Do not your sins separate between you and Me?" (Isa. 59: 2). But punishments bring us to God; for he says: "Give us peace, for Thou hast rendered everything to us" (Isa. 26: 12) [82]. If anyone has a wound, what is worthy to be feared, the putrefaction or the surgeon’s cut? The iron, or the spread of the ulcer? Sin is putrefaction, punishment is the surgeon’s iron. Therefore, just as he who has putrefaction, even if he is not cut, is ill, and is then all the more in evil when he is not cut, so also he who sins, even if he is not punished, is of all men the most wretched, and is then most wretched when he is not punished, nor undergoing any terrible thing. And just as those who have a spleen or dropsy, when they enjoy a lavish table, and cold drink, and costly dishes and seasonings, then most of all are they of all men most miserable, increasing the disease with luxury; but if they are constrained by hunger and thirst according to medical laws, they have some hope of salvation; so also those who live in wickedness, if they are punished, have good hopes, but if they enjoy security and luxury along with wickedness, they would be far more miserable than those afflicted by dropsy, and by so much the more, as the soul is better than the body. If, therefore, you see some who are in such sins, and some struggling with perpetual hunger and ten thousand evils, while others are drunk and gluttonous and living in luxury, call those who suffer the terrible things more blessed. For the flame of pleasure is cut away by these tribulations, and they depart having received no small consolation ^C for the judgment to come and that fearful tribunal, and having dissolved the many sins through the terrible things they suffered here.

But enough of this consolation; it is time now for us to move on to the exhortation concerning the avoidance of oaths, and to remove the comfort that the swearers believe is cold and useless. For when we urge them, they put forward others doing this very thing to us, and say: "So-and-so and so-and-so swear." Let us therefore say to them: "But such-and-such a person does not swear." God brings the judgment to you from those who have succeeded. For those who sin do not benefit the ones sinning by the communion of transgressions, but those who succeed condemn the ones sinning. For those who did not feed Christ nor give Him a drink were many, but they did not benefit each other; just as also the five virgins found no pardon from each other, but these and those were punished, having been condemned by those who had succeeded. Having therefore been delivered from this senseless diversion, let us not look at those who fall, but at those who succeed, and let us strive to depart having taken a souvenir of the present fast. And just as having often acquired a garment, or a servant, or a precious vessel, we remember the times, and say to one another: "I acquired this servant on such-and-such a day, I bought this garment at such-and-such a time"; so also if we succeed in this law, we shall say that "I succeeded in this oath during this Lent"; for up until then I was swearing, and having heard a simple exhortation I abstained ^D from the sin. "But habit is difficult to overcome." So I say, and for this reason I am eager to lead you into another habit, one that is good and has profit. When you say, "I have difficulty in departing from the habit," for this very reason be eager to depart, knowing clearly that if you make for yourself the habit of not swearing, you will have need of no further labor. What is more difficult, not to swear, or to be without food for the whole day, and to drink water and be disciplined with a meager diet? It is evident that this is more difficult than that; but habit is such a powerful and easy thing that when the fast arrives, even if one were to exhort you a thousand times, even if one were to constrain and force you to partake of wine drinking or to taste something else of those not permitted in fasts, one would rather choose to suffer everything than touch forbidden food; and this is so even if we are not unwillingly disposed toward the table, but yet we bear everything courageously through the habit from the conscience. This indeed will also be in the case of oaths; and just as now, even if someone imposes ten thousand necessities upon you, you remain keeping the habit; so also then, even if someone exhorts you ten thousand times, you will not depart from the habit.

7. Departing therefore to your homes, discuss these things with everyone in your household; and just as many, often departing from a meadow, carry off roses or violets or some such flowers, and carry them around in their fingers as they depart; while others again, departing home from gardens, bring along branches of trees having fruit; others again from lavish dinners carry the leftovers of the table to their own companions; so also you, departing from here, carry away an exhortation to your wife, to your children, to all your companions. For this counsel is more useful than a meadow, and a garden, and a table; these roses never wither, these fruits never fall, these dishes never rot; from those the pleasure is fleeting, but from these the benefit is perpetual; not only after it has been achieved, but also in the very act of being achieved. For consider what it is, leaving all other things, both public and private, to discuss always about the divine laws, both at table, and in the marketplace, and in other gatherings. If we provide ourselves for these, we shall say nothing...

91 ^A asking one another, “Has the Emperor heard the news? Has he become angry? What sentence has he pronounced? Has anyone interceded for us? Will he really destroy such a great and populous city?” Casting these concerns and all such things upon God, let us take care only of His commandments; for in this way we shall dissolve all these troubles. And if only ten among us perform these works of righteousness, soon the ten will become twenty, the twenty fifty, the fifty a hundred, the hundred a thousand, and the thousand the whole city. Just as once ten lamps are lit, anyone can easily fill a house with light, so too in spiritual matters, if only ten men act rightly, we shall kindle a torch that will illuminate the entire city and bring us security. For the nature of a flame, once it has fallen upon material, does not so ignite the neighboring sticks as zeal for virtue, once it has fallen into a few souls, will be able, by advancing gradually, to fill the entire city. Grant me, therefore, the opportunity to boast of you, both in the present life and in the coming day, when those entrusted with the talents are brought forward. Your progress is sufficient reward for my labors, and if I see you living with piety, I have received everything. Do, therefore, what I advised yesterday and what I repeat today; and I shall not cease in telling you: prescribe a penalty against those who swear, a penalty that holds gain, not loss; prepare yourselves now as if you are to give proof of progress to us. For I shall endeavor to prolong my discourse for each one of you after this assembly is dismissed, that I may find you reformed by the length of my words; and if I see anyone swearing, I shall declare him to everyone after they have been corrected, so that by rebuking, arguing, and correcting him, we may soon free him from this evil habit. For it is better to be reproved and corrected here than to be put to shame and punished on that day openly, in the presence of the whole world, with our sins revealed under the eyes of all. But may it never happen that anyone from this honorable assembly should appear there having suffered such things; rather, through the prayers of the holy fathers, correcting all our sins and exhibiting much fruit of virtue, may we depart hence with great confidence, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom, to the Father, be glory, together with the holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

THAT THE AFFLICTION OF SADNESS IS USEFUL ONLY FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN: AND ON THE TEXT, “IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED HEAVEN AND EARTH,” AND THAT THE APPARATUS OF CREATION IS THE GREATEST SUBJECT FOR CONSOLATION: AND ON THE TEXT, “ADAM, WHERE ART THOU?” AND ON NOT SWEARING. HOMILY VII.

^B 1. Much was said yesterday, beloved, toward your charity about many things; but if it is not easy for you to retain all of them, I beseech you above all else to remember this: that God has implanted sadness within us for no other reason than for the sake of sin alone, and He has manifested this by the very experience of things. For in the case of a fine of money, death, sickness, and other afflictions that befall us, while we grieve and mourn, we not only receive no consolation, but we actually increase our troubles; whereas, if we grieve and are sad because of our sins, we diminish the gravity of sin, rendering what was great small; indeed, we often destroy it completely. Keep this constantly in your memory, so that you may grieve only for sin and for no other reason besides it; and furthermore, remember this also—that while sin brought death and sadness into our life, it is in turn destroyed by both of them; a fact we have already demonstrated more clearly. Let us, therefore, fear nothing so much as sin and transgression. Let us not fear punishment, and we shall escape punishment; just as the three youths did not fear the furnace, and escaped the furnace. It is fitting that the servants of God should be like this. ^C For if those reared in the Old Testament, when death was not yet abolished, nor the bronze gates broken, nor the iron bars shattered, displayed such noble courage against death, what excuse or what pardon shall we have, who have obtained such great grace, and yet have not attained the same ranks of virtue as they, when death is now a name only, stripped of its reality? For death is nothing other than sleep, and departure, and translation, and rest, and a tranquil harbor, and a release from disturbance, and a relief from the cares of life. ^D But let us conclude our discourse of consolation here; for this is already the fifth day we have been here comforting your charity, and we have begun to seem burdensome. For to those who are attentive, what has been said is sufficient; but to the faint-hearted, even if we added more to what has been said, it would be of no profit. The time has now come for us to turn our teaching to the exposition of the Scriptures; for just as if we had said nothing about this calamity, someone would have condemned us for cruelty and inhumanity, so if we always discourse on the same subject, he would rightly condemn us for faint-heartedness. Commending your hearts, therefore, to God, who is able to speak to your minds and to expel all sadness from your breasts, let us now take up our customary teaching, especially since all exposition of Scripture is an exhortation and a consolation. And so, although we seem to be stopping from consoling, we are falling back into the same subject through the exposition of the Scriptures. For that the entire Scripture is a consolation to those who apply their minds to it, I shall now make clear to you. For I shall not attempt to go around the history of the Scriptures looking for certain words of consolation; but to provide a clearer demonstration of the promise, I shall today treat the book that has been read; and if you wish, its beginning and its proem,

^A what it is that this proem contains? "In the beginning God made heaven and earth; and the earth was invisible and unformed, and darkness was upon the face of the abyss" (Gen. 1: 1, 2). Does what has been said not seem to some of you to have a consolation for your sadness? Is it not an account of history and a teaching of creation?

3. Do you wish, then, that I should show you the consolation hidden in this phrase? Rouse yourselves, therefore, and attend with precision to what is about to be said. For when you hear that God made heaven, earth, sea, air, waters, the many stars, the two great luminaries, plants, quadrupeds, swimming and flying creatures—in short, all things that are visible—for your sake and for your salvation and honor, do you not immediately receive a sufficient consolation, and receive this as the greatest proof of the love of God, when you consider that He brought into being such and so great a world, so beautiful and grand and admirable, for your sake, small as you are? When, therefore, you hear, "In the beginning God made heaven and earth," do not pass over what has been said simply, but run through in your mind the breadth of the earth, and consider how He set forth for us an opulent and abundant table, and provided us with much joy from many sources. And most important of all, that He did not give this world, so great and so grand, as a reward for labors, nor as a recompense for good deeds, but He fashioned us at the same time and honored our race with this sovereignty. "Let us make man," He says, "after our image and likeness" (Gen. 1: 26). What does it mean, "After our image and likeness"? It speaks of the image of authority, and just as no one is higher than God in heaven, so let no one be higher than man upon the earth. ^B In this one thing, therefore, and first, He honored him, by making him according to His image; second, by not providing us the sovereignty as a reward for labors, but making the grace nakedly from His own philanthropy; third, by granting it to us naturally. For of authorities, some are natural, and some are appointed. Natural are, as that of the lion over the quadrupeds, as that of the eagle over the birds; appointed are as that of the king among us. For this one does not rule his fellow-servants by nature; therefore he often loses his authority. For such are things that do not belong by nature: they easily receive change and displacement. The lion is not so, but naturally rules the quadrupeds, just as the eagle the birds. At any rate, the form of sovereignty is always assigned to their kind, and one would never see a lion at any time lose this authority. Such was the sovereignty God granted to us from the beginning, and He set us over all things; and He honored our nature not only in this, but also by the very pre-eminence of the place, by assigning paradise as a peculiar dwelling for us, and by giving reason and granting an immortal soul.

But do not let me say only these things; for I declare that there is so great a wealth of God’s providential care, that not only from the things by which He honored us, but also from those by which He chastised us, we are equally able to demonstrate His goodness and philanthropy. And this, most of all, I implore you to know with precision: that God is good not only when He honors or bestows benefits, but also when He castigates and punishes. ^C And even if struggles and wars be moved against us on the part of the Gentiles or heretics concerning the philanthropy and goodness of God, we may demonstrate His goodness not only from the things by which He honored us, but also from those by which He punished us. For if He were good only when honoring, but not good when punishing, He would be half-good; but this is not the case—God forbid! For among men it is likely that this happens, because they inflict punishments out of anger and passion; but God, being dispassionate, whether He benefits or whether He punishes, is equally good, and the threat of Gehenna shows His goodness no less than the kingdom. And how? I say: if He had not threatened Gehenna, if He had not prepared punishment, many would not have attained the kingdom. For the promise of good things does not so much call many to virtue as the threat of evils compels them by fear, and rouses them to the care of the soul. So that even if Gehenna is contrary to the kingdom of heaven, yet both look to one end: the salvation of men; that one drawing them to itself, this one compelling them toward that, and correcting by fear those who are disposed more carelessly.

3. I do not draw out this statement without purpose, but because when famines and droughts frequently occur, and wars, and royal wrath breaks out, and other such unwelcome things, many, deceiving the simpler ones, say that these things are not worthy of the providence of God. ^D In order, therefore, that we may not be deluded, but clearly see that even if He brings on famine, or war, or any other dread thing, this is from His philanthropy and great providential care, I have been compelled to dwell upon this argument. For even fathers, who love their offspring most of all, exclude them from the table, and inflict blows, and punish with dishonor, and correct their children by ten thousand other such things when they are wanton. But nevertheless they are fathers; they are not only honoring, but also doing these things; and they are fathers most of all when they do such things. But if men, often carried away by anger and wrath—not out of cruelty and inhumanity, but out of providential care and affection—are thought to punish those whom they love, much more is it necessary to be disposed in this way toward God, who surpasses all paternal affection by the excellence of His own goodness. And so that you may not think that what is said is conjecture, come, let us lead the argument to the Scripture itself. For since man was deceived and misled by the wicked demon, let us see how God used him when he had sinned such a sin. Did He wipe him out completely? And yet the argument of justice demanded this: that he who displayed no good, but having enjoyed so much favoritism, then deviated from the very beginning, should be taken from the midst and wiped out entirely. But God did not do this, nor did He loathe or turn away from him who had proven so ungrateful toward his benefactor, but He comes to him, just as a physician to a sick person. [D (repeating/extending)] And do not pass over what has been said simply, O beloved, but consider how great a thing it is that He neither sent an angel, nor an archangel, nor any other of his fellow-servants, but the Master Himself descended to him who had fallen, and raised up him who was lying there, and appeared only to him who was alone—just as a friend to a friend who is acting badly and has fallen into great misfortune. For that He did this out of much providential care, the very words which He spoke to him demonstrate His ineffable affection. And what do I say...

^A that I should recount all the words? The first utterance straightway demonstrated His affection. For He did not say, as it was meet for one suffering a wrong to say: "O wicked and most villainous one, having enjoyed such benevolence from me, and having been adorned with such a kingdom, preferred before all things on earth, and having obtained by works a true proof of my care and providence, have you judged the wicked demon and enemy of your salvation as more trustworthy than your Lord and guardian? What did he ever provide for you in any way such as I did? Did I not create the heaven for your sake, the earth, the sea, the sun, the moon, and all the stars? For surely none of the angels had need of this creation, but for your sake and for your rest I made so great and marvelous a world; and you, having deemed mere words and a false promise and a pledge full of deceit to be more trustworthy than the kindness and providence conferred by the works themselves, have surrendered yourself to him and trampled upon my laws?"

^B For it was meet for one who had been wronged to say these things and more than these: but not so God, but on the contrary, everything. For from the very first word He immediately raised him up, and made him who lay fallen, and fearful and trembling, to be of good cheer, by being the first to call him: nay, not only by calling him first, but by even addressing him by his own name, and saying: "Adam, where are you?" (Gen. 3:9); He showed His affection and the much care He had concerning him. For you all surely know that this is a token of genuine friendship: so do those who call back the dead, frequently repeating their names; just as, conversely, those who bear hatred and are inimically disposed toward some, cannot bear even to recall the names of those who have injured them. For Saul, who had suffered no injury, yet had plotted many and great injuries against David, after he was turned against him and hated him, could not bear to even recall his name; but when all were sitting together and he saw that he had not come, what does he say? He did not say, "Where is David?" but "Where is the son of Jesse?" (1 Kings 20:27), calling him by his father. And again, the Jews do the same concerning Christ: for since they were turned against Him and hated Him, they did not say, "Where is Christ?" but "Where is He?" (John 7:11). ^C But God, wishing to show by this that though sin had quenched the affection, yet it had not quenched His own goodwill toward him, nor did disobedience take away His benevolence toward him, but He still provides and takes thought for the fallen one, says, "Adam, where are you?" Not as one who did not know where he was dwelling, but because for those who have sinned, the mouth is sewn shut, with sin turning away the tongue, and conscience restraining it, and they remain mute, held fast as if by some bond. Wishing, therefore, for God to provoke him to confidence and freedom of speech, and to induce him to purge that which he had committed, so that he might enjoy some pardon, He Himself called him first, cutting off much of his anxiety by the address, and expelling the fear, and opening his mouth by the calling. And therefore He said, "Adam, where are you? I left you elsewhere," He says, "and now I find you elsewhere: I left you in confidence and glory, ^D now, however, I find you in confusion and silence." And consider the care of God: He did not call Eve, He did not call the serpent, but him who had sinned most lightly of all, him He summons to judgment first, so that by starting with him who could enjoy some pardon, He might also render a milder sentence against her who had sinned much. And judges, indeed, cannot bear to examine their fellow-servants and those who share the same nature with them by themselves, but by setting some one of their ministers in the middle, they order him to proffer their own questions to the accused, and through him they say and hear whatever they wish, while they examine the accused; but God had need of no mediator toward man, but He Himself judges and consoles by Himself. And this is not the only thing that is admirable, but also that He amends what has been committed. For judges, when they have caught thieves and temple-robbers, do not consider how to make them better, but how they may exact the punishments for their sins from them; but God, on the contrary, when He has caught some sinner, does not consider how He may exact punishment, but how He may correct him, and make him better, and in the future impregnable. And so God is at once a judge, and a physician, and a teacher; for He examines as a judge, and corrects as a physician, and teaches as a teacher, leading those who have transgressed into every form of discipline. If indeed a single and brief word demonstrated such great care of God, what if we were to read the whole case before you, and explain the entire record? Do you see how the whole Scripture is consolation and exhortation? And this, indeed, we shall say in due time; but before these things it is necessary to say when this book was issued: for it was not written in the beginning, nor immediately after Adam, but after many generations: and it is worth the effort to inquire why after many generations, and why at length only to the Jews, and not to all men? Why in the Hebrew tongue, and why in the desert of Sinai? For the Apostle does not simply pass over the place, but even in this demonstrates great contemplation for us, saying thus: "For these are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bearing children into slavery" (Gal. 4:24). And it would be necessary to inquire into many other things; but I see that time does not permit us to commit our discourse into such a sea: therefore, having deferred these things to a convenient time, we will again discourse to you concerning abstinence from swearing, and we will entreat your charity to use much diligence concerning this matter. For how is it not absurd that a servant does not dare to call his master by name and without a preface of honor, while he tosses about the Master of the angels rashly and contemptuously everywhere? And if it is fit to handle the Gospel with washed hands, and take it up with much reverence and religion, trembling and fearing, yet you toss about the Master of the Gospel rashly with your tongue in every place? Do you wish to learn how the supernal Powers call Him, with how much trembling, with how much horror, with how much awe? "I saw the Lord sitting," He says, "on a throne high and lifted up, and the Seraphim were standing around Him, and they cried one to another, and..."

[97] ...one to the other, and saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth: the whole earth is full of His glory (Isa. 6:3). You have seen with what fear, with what trembling they call upon Him while glorifying and praising Him! But you, in your prayers and supplications, call upon Him with much sluggishness, when you ought to shudder, to be awake, and to be sober. And in swearing, when you ought not at all to bring forth this wondrous name, you string together varied and successive oaths. And what pardon, what defense will there be for us, even if we put forward custom a thousand times? It is said that one of the orators of old ^A was driven by some foolish habit to move his right shoulder constantly while walking; but nevertheless, he overcame the habit, and having sharpened swords, he placed them on both shoulders, so that by fear of being cut he might discipline the member that was moving at the wrong time. Do this also yourself in the case of your tongue, and instead of swords, lay upon it the fear of the punishment of God, and you will certainly prevail. For it is impossible, I say, it is impossible for those who take heed and are earnest and make this their work to be defeated. You praise what has now been said, but when you have accomplished it, you will be praised the more—not only by us, but by yourselves—and you will listen to what is said with greater pleasure, and with a pure conscience you will call upon God, who so spares you as to say: Do not swear by your head (Matt. 5:36); yet you so despise Him as even to swear by His glory. And what shall I do, he says, against those who impose necessity? What necessity, O man? Let everyone learn that you should choose to suffer all things rather than transgress the law of God, and they will depart from the necessity. For it is not the oath that makes a man trustworthy, but the testimony of his life, and the strictness of his conduct, and good repute. Many have often been cut to pieces while swearing, and have persuaded no one; others, by merely nodding assent, appeared more trustworthy than those who had sworn so much. Knowing all these things, then, and keeping before your eyes the punishment prepared for both those who swear and those who swear falsely, let us depart from this wicked habit, so that, walking hence toward the remaining virtues, we may attain the good things to come, of which may it be granted that we all be deemed worthy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

Exhortation to virtue; and on the text, "God was walking in the afternoon in Paradise" (Gen. 3:8); and on avoiding oaths. Homily VIII.

^B 1. You heard recently how every Scripture brings consolation and comfort, even if it is an historical narrative. For the text, *In the beginning God created heaven and earth* (Gen. 1:1), was an explanation of history, but the discourse showed that the passage was full of abundant comfort: such as that God prepared a double table, placing earth and sea together; and double luminaries, the sun and the moon, lighting them from above; and provided time with a double course, day and night, the one for work, the other for rest. The night does not bring us less service than the day; but as I said in the case of trees, that those which are fruitless provide a service to be compared with those that are fruitful, not forcing us to touch the cultivated trees for our buildings, so also among animals, the wild and untamed provide us no less service than the domestic, both by driving us with fear into the cities, and by making us more cautious, and by binding us to one another, and by *exercising the strength of some and curing the ailments of others* (for the sons of doctors fashion many medicines from them), and by reminding us of our ancient sin. For when I hear that *The fear and the trembling of you shall be upon all the wild beasts of the earth* (Gen. 9:2), and then I see this honor mutilated, I am reminded of the sin which released our fear and cut off our authority, and I become better and more prudent, having learned the loss that has befallen us from sin. Just as, then, as I said, what has been spoken does not contribute to our life merely for the sake of the ordinary, and other things more than these, which God, who made them, knows; so also the night brings no less use than the day, being a rest from labors, and a medicine for illnesses. For often doctors, having performed many tasks and compounded many medicines, have not been able to free the invalid from his malady; but sleep, having come of its own accord, dissolved the whole sickness, and freed them from their myriad pains; and the night is a medicine not for bodily sufferings alone, but also for the ailments of the soul, resting the grieving souls. Often, for instance, someone lost a son, and although a myriad of people were consoling him, it was not possible for him to cease from wailings and lamentation; but when the night arrived, he yielded, defeated by the tyranny of sleep, and closed his eyelids, and received some small comfort from his daily evils. ^C Come then, let us proceed to the subject from which we even said these things. For I know that you are all gaping for this, and each of you is in travail to learn for what reason this book was not given from the beginning, but neither do I see the time being right for this interpretation. Why so? The week has met us at the end, and I fear to touch the subject and then immediately interrupt the teaching. For the subject requires many days in succession and constant remembrance; therefore, let us postpone it again. But do not be vexed; we will surely repay you the debt with interest; for so it is also profitable for those who lend to us. But for now, we will speak of what was passed over yesterday. What was it that was passed over yesterday? *God was walking*, he says, *in paradise in the afternoon* (Gen. 3:8). What are you saying, tell me, *God was walking*? God was not walking; for how could He, who is present everywhere and fills all things? But He instilled such a perception in Adam, in order that he might draw himself into himself, that he might not be scattered, that he might put forward the fleeing and hiding as a part of his defense, which even before the words [he had done].

^A Just as those who are to be brought into court, and are about to undergo punishment for their committed offenses, appear to the judges sullen, filthy, and depressed, so that by their bearing they may draw the judges toward humanity, mercy, and forgiveness: so too it happened concerning Adam. For it was necessary that he, when led into judgment, should be drawn in such a state; therefore God anticipated him and constrained him. But that he noticed someone walking—whence did he think that God was walking? Such is the custom of those who sin: they suspect all things, they tremble at shadows, they fear every noise, and they imagine that everyone is coming against them. Frequently, therefore, having seen many people running to some other service, sinners have imagined that they were coming for them; and when others converse with one another, those who are conscious of their own sin imagine that they are speaking of them.

^B For sin—with no one exposing, no one accusing—makes the sinner afraid and cowardly, just as justice is the opposite. Hear, therefore, how Scripture has described the cowardice of the one and the boldness of the other: "The wicked flees when no one is pursuing" (Prov. XXVIII, 1), it says. How does he flee when no one is pursuing? He has within him an accusing conscience stirring him up, and this he carries everywhere; and just as he cannot flee from himself, so neither can he from the one who stirs him up within; but wherever he goes, he is scourged and has an incurable wound. But the just man is not so; but what kind is he? Hear: "The just man is confident as a lion" (Ibid.). Such was Elias: he saw the king coming toward him; and when the king said, "Why do you pervert Israel?" "I do not pervert Israel," he said, "but you and your father’s house" (III Reg. XVIII, 17, 18). Truly, the just man is confident as a lion; for as a lion he rose up against the king as if against a vile puppy; although the king wore purple, yet the other wore a sheepskin, a garment more venerable than that purple.

Eliseus, a double Elias according to the interpretation of Chrysostom.

The ashes of the holy martyrs drive away demons.

^A For it is not easy for everyone to heal sickly bodies, but it is easy for all to heal a soul that is ailing. Moreover, the sickness of the body requires both medicines and money for its cure, whereas the healing of the soul is cheap and costless. The nature of the flesh is freed from the ailments that harass it with much labor; for it is often necessary to bring in the iron and bitter medicines. But regarding the soul, there is nothing of the kind; it suffices only to will and to desire, and everything is set right. And this has been the work of God’s providence; for since no great harm would come from the body’s sickness (for even if we do not fall ill, death coming on will destroy it and dissolve it entirely), while everything depends on the health of our soul, He has made the healing of the far more useful and necessary part easy, costless, and painless. ^B What defense, then, shall we have, or what pardon, when we take such great care of the body when it is ill—where there is the possibility of paying out money, and calling in physicians, and undergoing much pain—and that too when the harm resulting from that illness is not great, while we neglect the soul, even though we need pay no money, nor pester others, nor endure pains, but without all these things, by merely choosing and willing, we are able to effect its entire correction, and know accurately that if we do not do this, we shall undergo the final penalty and the inescapable punishments and tortures? Tell me, if someone promised to teach you the medical art in a brief moment of time without money and without labor, would you not have considered him a benefactor? Would you not have agreed to do and suffer everything that he, having promised these things, commanded? Behold, now it is possible, without labors—not of bodies, but of the wounds of the soul—to find the medicines, and without any pain to restore it to health. Let us not, therefore, neglect it. ^C For what pain, tell me, is it to remit anger to one who has grieved you? To bear a grudge and not be reconciled, that is pain. What labor is it to pray and ask for countless good things from God who willingly gives? What labor is it to speak ill of no one? What difficulty is there in being freed from envy and malice? What toil is there in loving one’s neighbor? What hardship is there in not speaking shameful words, nor reviling, nor insulting? What toil is it not to swear? For I shall return again to the same exhortation. It is indeed a very great labor to swear; for often, being possessed by anger and fury, we have sworn never to be reconciled to those who have grieved us, and then, the anger having been quenched and the fury having subsided, when we wish to be reconciled and are held fast by the necessity of the oaths, we suffer as if held by some trap and bound in indissoluble chains. Which the devil, knowing, and understanding accurately that anger is a fire, and is easily quenched, and that once anger is quenched, reconciliation and friendship follow, wishing this fire to remain unquenched, often bound us with an oath so that, even if the anger ceases, the necessity of the oath remaining might preserve the pyre within us, and one of two things might happen: either, having been reconciled, we commit perjury, or, not being reconciled, we render ourselves liable to the penalties of grudge-bearing.

^D Knowing these things, then, let us flee from oaths, and let our mouth practice saying continually: “Believe me,” and this shall be to us a foundation of all piety. A tongue trained to say this one phrase is ashamed and blushes to bring forth shameful and absurd words; and even if it should ever be led by habit, having many accusers, it will be checked. For when someone sees the one who does not swear speaking shameful things, he will easily step in and laugh at him, and mocking him, will say: “You who say ‘Believe me’ in all things, do you not hold back from uttering an oath, and do you disgrace your tongue with shameful words?” So that even against our will, being driven by those present, we shall return to piety. What then, he says, if there is necessity? Where there is transgression of the law, there is no necessity. And is it possible, he says, not to swear at all? What are you saying? God has commanded, and you dare to ask if it is possible to keep the law? It is, on the contrary, impossible not to keep it; and I wish to persuade you of this from present circumstances, that it is not impossible not to swear, but that it is impossible to swear. For behold, the inhabitants of the city were ordered to bring in gold, a sum which exceeds the strength of many, and more has been brought in, and it is possible to hear from those demanding it, saying: “Why are you delaying, man? Why are you putting us off day by day? For is it possible to escape? The emperor’s order does not endure waiting.” What are you saying, tell me? The emperor ordered money to be brought in, and it is not impossible to bring it in; God ordered us to flee from oaths, and you say that it is impossible to flee from oaths? For the sixth day now I have been exhorting you regarding this, and I wish to conclude with you from now on as one departing, so that you may secure yourselves. There will no longer be any defense for you, nor pardon; for most of all, if nothing had been said, it was necessary for you to correct this of yourselves; for it is not a wall, nor does it require much construction. When, however, you have enjoyed such great exhortation and counsel, what defense will you have to say when being accused, and standing before the dreadful judgment seat, and being required to render an account for this transgression? There is no defense whatsoever to be said, but it is necessary either to have succeeded and depart, or, not having succeeded, to be punished and undergo the final penalty. Having considered all these things, then, and departing from here with much concern, charge others to keep what has been said during so many days with all the watchfulness of your mind, so that even when we are silent, by instructing, edifying, and exhorting one another, you may show great progress, and having fulfilled all the remaining laws, you may enjoy the eternal crowns, which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory together with the Holy Spirit, to the ages of ages. Amen.

LAUDATION OF THOSE WHO HAD ABANDONED THE CUSTOM OF SWEARING: AND THAT NO ONE OUGHT TO BE HELD BY SUPERSTITION AGAINST HEARING DIVINE SERMONS IN CHURCH AFTER REFECTION: WHY THE DIVINE SCRIPTURES WERE DELIVERED AFTER MUCH TIME: AND ON THAT PHRASE, THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD (Ps. XVIII, 2): DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURAL WORLD: AND IN THE END, ON NOT SWEARING.

HOMILY IX.

1. Both recently to you, and now to you I make my speech: would that it were indeed always with you, or rather, always with you, if not by the presence of the body, at least by the power of charity; for there is no other life for me, except you and the care of your salvation. For just as a farmer cares for nothing else besides seeds and crops, and a sailor for waves and ports; so also he who speaks cares for his hearers and their progress, just as I do now. Therefore I carry you all in my mind, and not only here, but also at home. For even if the people are many and the measure of my heart is small, yet charity is broad, and *You are not cramped in us* (2 Cor. VI, 12); but I will not add what follows, for we are not cramped among you. Whence is this manifest? I know many who report, "We have made a mandate, setting laws for ourselves, and defining penalties for those who swear, and inflicting a penalty on those who transgress the law," a penalty suitable for you, which is the greatest proof of charity. For I am not ashamed to be busy with such things, since there is nothing of prying involved in this, but this is a solicitude of providence. For if it is no disgrace for a physician to inquire about a sick man, neither is it a crime for us to inquire always about your salvation. For thus, being advised as to what is expedient for you and what is left behind, we will bring the remaining remedies with suitable discipline.

^A Having thus curiously investigated these things, we learned them, and gave thanks to God that we did not sow among rocks, nor did we cast seeds into thorns, nor did we require much time and long delay in order to reap the crops. Therefore I carry you assiduously in my heart; therefore I do not feel the labor of teaching, being relieved by the gain of the hearers. For this reward can restore us and lift us up and make us eager and ready to endure every labor for you. Since, therefore, you have given many signs of a grateful mind, come now, let us also pay the debt which we recently promised: although I do not see present all those who had come here when I made the promise. What, therefore, is the cause? What drove them away from our table? He who touched the corporeal table, it seems, thought it unworthy to come after the nourishment of the body to the hearing of divine oracles. But they do not think rightly in this: for neither, if this were absurd, would Christ have spent many and long sermons after that mystic supper: certainly, if this were incongruous, he would not have shared sermons with them after the meal, having frequently fed the multitude in the desert. For if it is right to say something even beyond common opinion, then in fact it is most useful to accommodate one's ears to divine oracles. For when you have persuaded yourself that it is necessary to assemble for the synaxis ^B after food and drink, you will altogether, even against your will, take great care of sobriety, and you will never be led into drunkenness or gluttony; for the care and expectation of assembling in the church teaches one to take food and drink with an honest measure, lest, having entered and mingled with the brethren, you be later mocked by all those present, smelling of wine and belching immodestly. I say these things not to you who are present now, but to those who are absent, that they may learn these things through you. For eating does not provide an obstacle to hearing, but being sluggish; but you, thinking it a crime not to be fasting, fall into another crime, much greater and heavier, that you are not made a participant of this sacred table, and that while feeding your body, you consume your soul with hunger: and what excuse will you have? In fasting, indeed, you might perhaps be able to pretend the weakness of the body, but in hearing, what finally could you say? For the infirmity of the body does not forbid one from becoming a participant of divine oracles. For if I had said, "Let no one who has lunched mingle with others, let no one hear after food," you would have had some pardon; but now indeed, ^C when we draw you and entice you and call you to us, what excuse will the ones who shrink away have? For that person would not be a suitable hearer, not he who had eaten or drunk, but he who did not attend to the words, yawning and dissolute, who while having his body here, wandered elsewhere in his mind; this person, even if he fasts, is useless for hearing; but the one who is excited and vigilant, and attentive in mind, whether he has eaten or drunk, will be for us the most apt hearer of all. For in external courts and councils, that law has rightly prevailed; for they do not know how to philosophize, therefore they do not eat in order to be nourished, but to be burst; for often they drink beyond satiety; therefore, rendering themselves inept for the administration of affairs, they abstain from the senate and the courts in the evening and at midday. But here, not so, far from it; but he who eats will be equal to the fasting one in the modesty of his mind; for he does not eat and drink in order to burst his belly or to darken his reason, but in order to restore his weakened body.

2. But enough of this by way of admonition; but now it is time to pass to the argument, although our thought shrinks and is sluggish regarding this instruction because of those who did not come. And just as a pious mother setting a table, when not all her children are present, laments and groans; this I also suffer now, and thinking of the absence of our brethren, I am drawn back from the resolution of my promises; but you can cast out this sluggishness. For if you promise me that you will report everything to them with diligence, we will promptly dispense everything to you; for thus there will be a consolation for their absence, and your clarity of instruction will be...

^A for those who are absent, and you will listen to us more attentively, knowing that it is necessary for you to report these things to others as well. In order, therefore, that our discourse may be made clearer to us, let us resume it and speak from the beginning.

We were inquiring, then, formerly, for what reason the Scriptures were given after so many years; for this book was delivered neither in the time of Adam, nor in the time of Noah and Abraham, but in the time of Moses. And I hear many saying, "If it was useful, it ought to have been given from the beginning; but if it was useless, it ought not to have been given even after that." But this reasoning is stale; for it does not follow at all that if something is useful later, it ought to be given from the beginning, nor if something was given at the beginning, does it follow that it must needs remain afterward. For milk too is useful, but it is not given continuously, but is given only when we are infants; and solid food is useful, but no one shares it with us at the beginning, but rather when we have passed beyond the age of infancy. Again, summer is useful, but it does not appear at all times; and winter is seasonable, but this too yields in turn.

What then? Are the Scriptures, he says, not useful? They are most useful indeed, and most necessary. For what reason then, he says, were they not given to us from the beginning? Because God wanted to instruct the nature of men ^B not through writings, but through things. What is it ever to instruct through things? Through creation itself. Becoming involved in this subject, the Apostle, addressing the Greeks who say that we did not learn the knowledge of God from the Scriptures at the beginning, see how he defended himself. For having said that *the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness* (Rom. 1, 18), since he saw an objection arising against him, and many asking in opposition, "And from where did the Greeks know the truth of God?", he added, saying: *Because that which is known of God is manifest in them.* And how is it manifest in them? And how were they able to know God, and who showed it? Tell me! *For God manifested it to them,* he says. In what manner? By sending what prophet? What evangelist? What teacher, if the Scriptures were not yet in existence? *For the invisible things of him,* he says, *from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and divinity* (Ibid. v. 20).

But what he says is this: He set creation in the midst before the eyes of all, so that from the works they might conjecture the Creator; which also another was saying: *For through the magnitude and beauty of creatures, in proportion, the framer of them is seen* (Sap. 13, 5). Have you seen the magnitude? Wonder at the power of Him who made it. Have you seen the beauty? Be struck with amazement at the wisdom of Him who adorned it; which also the prophet, indicating, said: *The heavens recount the glory of God* (Ps. 18, 2). How, tell me, do they recount? They have no voice, ^C they possess no mouth, there is no tongue among them; how then do they recount? Through their appearance itself. For when you see the beauty, the magnitude, the height, the position, the shape, the enduring nature for so long a time, as if hearing a voice, and being instructed through the sight, you worship the Creator of a body so beautiful and so wondrous. The heaven is silent, but its appearance emits a voice louder than a trumpet, instructing us not through hearing, but through our eyes; for it is the nature of this sense to be even more trustworthy and clearer than that one.

106 For if He had instructed through books and through writings, the one who knew letters would have learned what was written, but the one who was illiterate would have departed having gained no benefit from there, unless someone else had led him; and the rich man would have bought the book, but the poor man would not have been able to acquire it. Again, the one who knew that language which is signified through letters would have known the things set down, but the Scythian, and the barbarian, and the Indian, and the Egyptian, and all those deprived of that language would have departed having learned nothing. But in the case of the heaven, it is not possible to say this; but even the Scythian, and the barbarian, and the Indian, and the Egyptian, and every man walking upon the earth will hear this voice; for it falls into our mind not through the ears, but through the sight. And the perception of visible things is one, and is not different, as is that of languages; for that reason, both the unlearned and the wise will be able to behold the book in the same way, and the poor and the rich; and wherever anyone may be, looking up to the heaven, he will receive sufficient instruction from the contemplation.

Which also the prophet himself, hinting and showing that creation emits a voice easily understood by barbarians and Greeks and all men in general, said thus: *There are no speeches or words, whose voices are not heard* (Ps. 18, 4). But what he says is this: "There is no nation," he says, "nor language that is not able to understand this voice; but so clear is their utterance, that it can be heard by all men, and not only of the heaven, but also of the day and of the night." And how of the day and of the night? For the former, indeed, both through its beauty, and through its magnitude, and through all other things, strikes the spectators and directs them to the wonder of Him who created it; but what could the day and the night have to show us that is of such a kind?

Nothing of such a kind, but other things not inferior to these: the rhythm, the order with all diligence. For when you consider how they have divided the entire year, and how it were in a balance and scales they have apportioned the length ^D of the whole interval, you will be struck with amazement at Him who appointed it. For just as certain sisters dividing a paternal inheritance among themselves with much love, do not wrong each other even in the slightest; so also the day and the night, with all diligence, having been apportioned the year in such equality, preserve their own boundaries, and one has never pushed the other aside. Therefore, the day has never become long in winter, just as the night has never become long in summer, in so many generations that have passed; but in such an interval and length, not by an instant, not by half an hour, not by the twinkling of an eye has one taken more than the other.

3. The wisdom of God in the order of natural things.

the wisdom of the Lawgiver. In winter, He ordained that the night be long, when seeds are rather tender and need to cool, and do not endure the warmer ray. But once they have increased, the day grows together with them, and then becomes longer when the fruit is already ripening. And this is appropriate not only for seeds, but for bodies as well. Since in winter the sailor, the helmsman, the traveler, the soldier, and the farmer sit at home a great deal, bound by the frost, and because winter is a season of leisure, God ordained that more of the time be spent in the nights, so that the length of the day might not be superfluous, with men being unable to do anything. Who could describe the order of the parts of the year? ^A How these, just like certain maidens dancing in a circle, succeed one another with great order, and little by little, without noise, cease not to pass over to opposite seasons through the intermediate ones? Therefore, neither does summer succeed us from winter, nor immediately winter from it, but spring is placed in the middle, so that by the seasons shifting little by little, our thickened bodies might be led to summer without sorrow; for since sudden changes to the opposite produce extreme injury and disease, God has dispensed that spring should take us from winter, and from spring summer, from summer autumn, and thus transmit us to winter. Thus, harmless and gradually proceeding changes come to us from the opposite seasons of the year through the intermediate ones. Who then is so wretched and miserable that, seeing the heaven, ^B seeing the sea and the earth, the temperate moderation of the seasons of the year, and the uninterrupted order of day and night, he could think these things happen by chance, and not adore Him who disposed all these things with fitting wisdom? I have something to say even greater than these, for not only the magnitude and beauty, but the very mode of creation demonstrates the Author of all things. Since we were not present when He was founding and creating all things from the beginning, nor, had we been present, could we have known how they were being brought into existence, the invisible power composing them, He made the very mode of creation our best teacher, composing all things that were coming into existence with a supernatural consequence. Perhaps what I have said is rather obscure; therefore, it is necessary to say this again more clearly. Everyone, at any rate, would confess that it is in the consequence of nature that water be borne above the earth, ^C and not the earth by the waters. For the earth, being dense, hard, and unyielding, and solid, can easily sustain the nature of waters; but water, being fluid and soft, and tender and flowing, and yielding to all things that come against it, would never be able to sustain any body, even if it were very light; for it often yields to a small pebble falling into it and gives way, sending the pebble down to the depths. When, therefore, you see not a small pebble, but the whole earth being borne upon the waters and not submerged, admire the power operating these things miraculously above nature. And whence is this manifest, that the earth is borne upon the waters? The Prophet says this, thus speaking: *He founded it upon the seas and prepared it upon the rivers* (Psal. XXIII, 2); and again, *Who founded the earth upon the waters* (Psal. CXXXV, 6). What are you saying? The water cannot bear a small pebble upon its surface, and it carries such a great earth, ^D and mountains, and hills, and cities, and plants, and men, and brute beasts, and is not submerged? And why do I say, "is not submerged"? How, with the water surrounding it from below for so long a time, has it not been dissolved, and all things become mud? For if the nature of wood, staying a short time in water, is corrupted and dissolved—and why speak of the nature of wood? What could be stronger than iron?—but even this often softens when it remains always in the water, and deservedly so, for it also has its substance from the earth. Therefore, many fugitive servants, after they have fled dragging their fetters and chains, coming to rivers of water and putting their bound feet into the waters, and thus making the iron softer, easily break it by striking it with a stone. Therefore, iron indeed softens, wood rots, and stones are corrupted by the nature of waters; but the magnitude of the earth, though placed upon the waters for so long a time, is not submerged, nor dissolved, nor lost. Who then could speak with confidence, that these are not the works of nature, but of a Providence that exceeds nature? Therefore, one says: *Who suspends the earth upon nothing* (Job XXVI, 7); another, moreover, says: *In His hand are the ends of the earth* (Psal. XCIV, 4). Likewise, *He founded it upon the seas* (Psal. XXIII, 2). And these things indeed appear to be contrary, yet they have much consonance. For he who said, *He founded it upon the seas*, said the same thing as he who says that He suspended the earth upon nothing; for to subsist upon the waters is the same as being suspended upon nothing. Where then is it suspended and set? Hear the same person saying: *In His hand are the ends of the earth*. Not that God has hands, but so that you may learn that His power is that which provides for all things, which contains the body of the earth and carries it. If you do not believe the words, believe those things which you see; for it is permitted to find this wondrous operation in another element as well. For the nature of fire seeks things on high, and always leaps upward, and has it from its nature to spring forth; and though infinite things compel and urge it, it does not suffer itself to be carried downward. For sometimes, taking a lit torch and inclining it toward the ground, we do not force the impetus of the fire to be carried downward; but even so, it recurs to the things above, and hastens from below to the heights. But in the sun, God made the whole thing the opposite; for He turned its rays toward the earth, and made the light to incline downward, almost saying to it by the pattern, "Look downward," and "Shine for men, for it is for their sake you were made." And while the flame of a lamp cannot endure this, so great and admirable a star inclines downward and looks to the earth, contrary to the nature of fire, because of the power of Him who commanded it. Do you wish that I mention another such thing? The backs of this sky visible to us are comprehended by waters on all sides, and they neither flow away nor overflow; although the nature of waters is not such, but they easily run together into concavities; when, however, it is a convex body, they flow off on all sides, and not even a small part of them could subsist in such a place. But lo, this miracle has happened in the heavens, and the Prophet, hinting at this very thing again, said: *Praise the Lord, O waters that are above the heavens* (Psal. CXLVIII, 4). And the water has neither extinguished the sun, nor has the sun, going so long a time beneath, dried up the water.

^A Do you wish us to lead you down to the earth again, and demonstrate the miracle? Do you not see this sea, filled with waves and violent winds? Yet this sea, so spacious, great, and raging, is walled in by weak sand. And observe the wisdom of God: He did not permit it to be quiet nor to rest, so that you would not think its orderliness belongs to its own nature, but even while it stays within, it bellows, and is troubled, and resounds loudly, and raises its waves to an unspeakable height; but when it reaches the shores, and sees the sand, it dissolves in itself and retreats again, teaching you through both these things that it is not a work of nature for it to remain within its own boundaries, but of the power of Him who restrains it. Therefore, he made the barrier weak, and did not surround these shores with wood, stone, or mountains, so that you would not attribute the orderliness of the element to these things. ^B Therefore, He Himself also, reproaching the Jews at one time, said: *Will you not fear me, who have set the sand as a boundary to the sea, and it shall not pass over it?* (Jer. V, 22). Nor is it the only wondrous thing that He made this world great and marvelous, and established it above the natural order, but that He also composed it out of opposites: of hot and cold, dry and moist, fire and water, earth and air; and these opposite elements, from which this whole is composed, though fighting against one another, have not been consumed by one another—the fire has not rushed in and ignited everything, nor has the water, coming upon them, submerged the world. But in our bodies, these things indeed happen; when bile increases, fever is born, and it ravages the whole animal; and when phlegm abounds, many diseases are generated, and it destroys the animal. But in this whole universe, nothing of these things happens, but each remains as if by some bridle and bond—the will of the Creator—keeping its own boundaries, and the battle of these becomes a cause of peace for the whole. ^C Are these things not clear even to the blind, and easily seen even by the most senseless, that it happened and is held together by some providence? For who is so foolish and insensible that, seeing such a mass of bodies, such beauty, such a composition, such a perpetual battle and opposition of elements, and their perseverance, he does not reason with himself and say that if there were not some providence holding together the mass of bodies and not allowing the whole to fall apart, it would not have remained, it would not have lasted? Such is the orderliness of the seasons, such is the harmony of day and night, and such are the kinds of irrational animals, plants, seeds, and herbs proceeding in order, and nothing has fallen apart or been consumed entirely up to the present day.

5. These are not the only things, but many others ^D and deeper things could be said, and one could philosophize about the creation itself; but having stored those away for tomorrow, let us strive to grasp what has been said with accuracy, and to bring them to others. And I know that the depth of the thoughts has startled your hearing, but if we are sober for a little while, and accustom ourselves in these, we will easily be teachers for others. But for now, it is necessary to say this to your love: just as God has glorified us through such a creation, so let us also glorify Him through a pure way of life. *The heavens declare the glory of God* (Psal. XVIII, 2), while only appearing; so we too should declare the glory of God, not saying

Homily IX

and in this and in every good thing make us perfect, that having attained every fruit of righteousness, we may be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Praiseworthy Discourse regarding those who came to hear the sermon after having partaken of food; and a natural history of the world; and against those who deify creation; and concerning not swearing. Homily X

^A Homily X. I rejoice and congratulate you all that you have executed the exhortation which I gave recently on behalf of those who are not fasting and for that reason were absent. For I believe that many who have already dined are present today, and are filling for us this beautiful assembly; and I conjecture this from the fact that our theater has become larger for us and the gathering of those who hear is greater. It was not in vain, as it seems, that we spent many words recently about them, exhorting your charity to draw them to their mother, and to persuade them that it is permitted even after bodily nourishment to participate in spiritual food. ^B When, tell me, beloved, did you act better? Was it at the previous gathering, when you were turning toward sleep after the meal, or now, when after the meal you have gathered to hear the divine laws? When you were lingering in the marketplace and were participants in meetings that contained nothing good, or now, when you stand with your brothers and hear the prophetic messages? It is not dishonorable to eat, beloved, but after having taken food, to remain at home and to be deprived of this sacred solemnity. For by staying at home you will be more idle and sluggish; but by coming here, you will shake off all sleep and torpor, and laying aside not only torpor but also all dejection, you will be easier and more cheerful in all circumstances. And what need is there to say more? Stand only near one who is fasting, and you will immediately perceive the sweetness of his scent. For he who fasts is a spiritual ointment, displaying a good disposition of the soul through the eyes, and through the tongue, and through all things. I said these things not to accuse those who had dined, but to show the gain of fasting.

^C But by fasting I do not mean only abstaining from food, but more than that, fleeing from sins; since even a person who has feasted, and has come hither with appropriate modesty, is not much surpassed by one who is fasting; just as, conversely, one who is fasting but not attending with zeal and diligence to what is being said will gain nothing great from this fast. For one who eats and makes himself a participant of the holy sermon with appropriate zeal is much better than one who is eating and is absent; for fasting by itself cannot help us as much as it benefits and brings goods to be present at spiritual instruction. Where else will you hear what you contemplate here? If you go into the forum, there are contentions and fights; if to the curia, the care of civil affairs; if to the home, the anxiety of private matters ^D afflicts you on all sides; if to the meetings and assemblies of the market, everything there is earthly and corruptible; for it is either about wares, or about tributes, or about a luxurious dinner, or about the sale of lands, or about other contracts, or about wills, or about inheritances, or about other such things that conversations are held by all those who gather there. And if you go into the palace itself, even there again you will hear everyone arguing about money, about power, about the glory that is honored here; but nothing spiritual. Here, however, it is entirely the opposite: we have conversations about things that are in heaven, about the soul, about our life, and why we were created, and why we stay here so much time, and to what place we migrate from here, and what will receive us after these things, and for what reason we have a clay body, and what is the nature of death, and what is the present life, and what is the future. There is absolutely nothing earthly, but all our discourses are about spiritual things; and taking with us great provisions for our salvation, we shall thus depart from here with a good hope. Since I had exhorted you, you hunted down all who had failed to come from among you; come now, let us also return the favor to you, and, bringing to mind a few of the things spoken before, let us also render the rest. What, therefore, were the things said before? We were inquiring how and in what manner God disposed our affairs before the giving of the Scriptures, and we were saying that He instructed our race through creation, extending the heaven and setting it in the midst, a book most great, useful to the unlearned and the wise, to the poor and the rich, to Scythians and Barbarians, and to all who inhabit the earth in general—a book much greater than the multitude of those who are taught. We also discoursed much about the night and the day, and their order, and the sequence observed with diligence by them, and much about the number of the seasons of the year, and their equality. For just as the day has not even half an hour more than the night through the whole year, so also these have distributed all the days equally among themselves. And what I was saying before: not only does the magnitude and beauty of creation demonstrate the Creator, but also the very mode of its joining together, and that the mode of creation is above the natural sequence. For the natural sequence was for water to be carried above the earth; now, however, we see the opposite, the earth being carried by the waters. The natural sequence was for fire to run toward the things above; now, however, we see the opposite, the rays of the sun turned downward toward the earth, and the waters being above the heavens, and not being consumed; and the sun running beneath not being extinguished by the waters, nor consuming that moisture. In addition to these, we have said that this whole consists of four elements, contrary and battling against one another, and that one does not consume the other, although one ought by its nature to be consumed by the other. Whence it is manifest that a certain invisible power holds these [original-script column: see facsimile]

^B together, and that the will of God becomes their bond. I wish to dwell longer upon this discourse today, but be roused to attention, and listen to us with care. And that the miracle may become clearer, I shall base the instruction concerning these things upon our own body. For this body of ours, this small and slight thing, consists of four elements: hot, of blood; dry, of yellow bile; moist, of phlegm; cold, of black bile. And let no one think that this discourse is foreign to us: "For he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man" (1 Cor. 2:15). Thus also Paul touched upon agricultural theories, discoursing to us concerning the resurrection, and he says: "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die" (1 Cor. 15:36). If that blessed one urged the reasons of agriculture, no one could blame us for touching upon medical concepts; for our discourse is now concerning the creation of God, and this subject of thoughts would be necessary for us. What, therefore, I have already said: this body of ours consists of four elements, and if one of them is in discord, death comes from this discord; for example, if bile abounds, fever is born, and if it prevails beyond measure, it brings on a very quick end; again, if the cold abounds, paralysis and tremors and apoplexies and ten thousand other diseases are born; and in general every kind of disease ^C comes from the excess of these elements, when one of them, having transgressed its own proper boundaries, tyrannizes over the others and ruins the whole symmetry.

Question then him who says that all things are automatic and stand together by themselves. If this small and slight body, which enjoys drugs and medical science, and the soul governing it within, and much philosophy, and ten thousand other aids, is not able to remain in good order at all times, but is destroyed and perishes often, when turmoil arises within it, how could the universe, which is so great and has such vast masses of bodies and is composed of the same elements, if it did not enjoy much providence, have remained for so long a time without turmoil? For it would not stand to reason that our body, which enjoys providence, both from without and from within, should hardly suffice for its own consistency; yet the universe, which enjoys no providence, should have remained for so long a time without experiencing any such thing as our body does. For how is it, tell me, that not one of these elements transgressed its own proper boundaries and consumed all the rest? Who gathered them from the beginning? Who bound them, who bridled them, who holds them together for so long a time? For if the body of the universe were simple and uniform, it would not be so impossible, as is said; but when there is such a battle of the elements from the beginning, who is so foolish as to conceive that these things came together automatically and, having come together, remained so? For if we, not by nature but by choice, having a hostile disposition toward one another, could not come together automatically as long as we remain enemies and have bitterness toward one another, but need another who gathers us together, and after gathering, binds us fast, and persuades us to remain in reconciliation, and not to...

[suffering] anything of this kind, we declare. For what reason have we not deified it? Do we not look at it with the same eyes? Do we not perceive the same things from creation that they do? Do we not possess the same soul? Do we not possess the same body? Do we not tread the same earth? How has its beauty and magnitude not persuaded us to feel the same as they do? Nor will this be manifest from this reason alone, but from elsewhere besides. For that they did not consecrate it because of its beauty, but because of their own stupidity, let them say: for what reason did they worship the ape, the crocodile, the dog, the vilest of animals? ^B Truly, *They became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened; saying that they were wise, they became fools* (Rom. I, 21, 22). But nevertheless, we shall not answer from these considerations alone, but we shall say something even further.

IV. For God, foreseeing these things from above, and taking away this excuse in accordance with His wisdom, not only made the world wonderful and great, but also corruptible and perishable, and inserted many proofs of its weakness; and what He did in the apostles, this He did also in the whole world. What then did He do in the apostles? Since they performed many signs, and great and wonderful miracles, He nevertheless permitted them to be frequently scourged, driven out, to inhabit prisons, to suffer bodily diseases, and to be in continuous tribulations, lest the magnitude of the signs should cause them to be thought gods by men. Therefore, having bestowed such grace, He allowed the body to be mortal, and many to be infirm, nor did He change their weakness, in order that He might insinuate the nature [of the case]. Nor is this my word, but that of Paul himself thus speaking: *For if I should desire to glory, I will not be a fool; but I refrain, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth, or heareth anything of me* (II Cor. XII, 6); and again: *But we have this treasure in earthen vessels* (II Cor. IV, 7). What is, *In earthen vessels*? In this mortal and corruptible body, he says. For ^C just as pottery is made from mud and fire: so truly the body of those saints, when it is earthen and has received the efficacy of spiritual fire, has become pottery. And for what reason did this come about, and why did He bring such a treasure and such an abundance of graces into a mortal and corruptible body? *That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us* (Ibid.). For when you see the apostles raising the dead, but themselves falling sick, and not able to free themselves from infirmity, you will clearly know that the resurrection of the dead was brought about not by the power of the one raising them, but by the operation of the Spirit. For that they were frequently sick, hear what the Apostle says about Timothy: *Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thy frequent infirmities* (I Tim. V, 23); and again about another: *Trophimus I have left at Miletus sick* (II Tim. IV, 20). And writing to the Philippians he said: *Epaphroditus was sick ^D near unto death* (Phil. II, 27). For if, even when these things were the case, they thought them to be gods, and were preparing to offer sacrifice, saying: *The gods likened to men have come down to us* (Acts XIV, 11), if these things had not happened, to what heights of impiety, once miracles were seen, would they not then have proceeded? As, therefore, here, on account of the magnitude of the signs, He permitted them to be in infirmity, and permitted frequent temptations, lest they should be thought to be gods: so also in the creature of the world He did something similar to these. For He made it indeed beautiful and great, and again He fashioned it corruptible. And both of these the Scriptures teach. One, indeed, recounting the beauty of the heavens, says thus: *The heavens show forth the glory of God* (Ps. XVIII, 2); and again: *Who hath established the heaven as a chamber, and hath stretched it out as a tent over the earth* (Isai. XL, 22); and again: *Who holdeth the circuit of the heaven* (Eccli. XLIII, 13). But the other [Scripture], demonstrating, even if it is beautiful and great, that it is nevertheless corruptible, says thus: *In the beginning, O Lord, Thou hast founded the earth, and the works of Thy hands are the heavens: they shall perish, but Thou remainest; and all shall grow old as a garment; and as a vesture Thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed* (Ps. CI, 26, 27). And again regarding the sun, David says, that *As a bridegroom coming out of his bride chamber, hath rejoiced as a giant to run his way* (Ps. XVIII, 6). Have you seen how he placed before your eyes the beauty of the star and [at the same time] its magnitude? For just as a bridegroom appearing from a certain bride-chamber, so also the sun sends forth rays at dawn, and as if adorning the heaven with a certain saffron veil, and making the clouds rosy, and running the whole day without offense, he interrupts his course with no obstacle. Have you seen, then, his beauty? Have you seen his magnitude? Behold also the demonstration of his weakness. For also in demonstrating this, a certain wise man said: *What is brighter than the sun? And yet this faileth* (Eccli. XVII, 30). And it is given to see his weakness not only from this, but also in the collisions of the clouds. For the cloud often running underneath, [the sun] casting rays, and attempting to cleave the cloud, did not prevail, since the cloud was denser, nor did it wish to yield to him. But [they say] he nourishes the seeds: and yet he does not nourish them alone, but he has need of the earth and the dew, and the rains and the winds, and of the good distribution of the years' seasons; if all these do not concur, the use of the sun becomes superfluous.

[alt-version omitted]

That is properly of God, not to need. But this is not of God, to need others to do what He wills; for it is most properly of God, not to need. For He did not thus bring forth seeds from the earth, but only commanded, and all things germinated. And again, that you may learn that not the nature of the elements, but His command makes all things, and produces the elements themselves, which were not, He sent down manna to the Jews without any help: *He gave them bread from heaven* (Ps. LXXVII, 24). And why do I say that the sun needs other elements for the vegetation and change of fruits, when it has need of many things for its own constitution, nor can it suffice for itself? For in order to go, it has need of the heaven, as a certain pavement placed underneath; and in order to shine, of the purity and subtlety of the air. But if this becomes thickened beyond measure, it [the sun] cannot show its own light.

When, therefore, other elements prevail over it and correct its weakness—for it is prevailed over by clouds and walls and certain other bodies that hide its light; and its immoderation is corrected by dews and springs and the coldness of the air—how could this be God? For God must be in need of nothing, and must have no need of anything, and be for all the cause of all good things, and be hindered by no one; just as Paul and the prophet Isaiah say concerning God, one speaking thus from His own person: *I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord* (Jer. 23:24); and again: *I am a God near at hand, and not a God afar off* (Jer. 23:23); and again David: *I said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord; as for my goods, Thou hast no need of them* (Ps. 15:2). And Paul, in declaring His lack of need, and ^B showing that both these things especially belong to God—to be in need of nothing, and to provide all things to all—speaks somehow thus: *God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, not being in need of anything, Himself giving to all life and breath and all things* (Acts 17:24, 25).

5. It was possible, then, to run through the remaining elements—the heaven, the air, the earth, the sea—and to show their weakness, and how each has need of its neighbor, and without this perishes and is corrupted. For the earth, if it be abandoned by the springs and the moisture instilled by the sea and the rivers, is parched and quickly perishes; and the remaining elements have need of others, and ^C air of the sun, just as the sun has need of the air; but that we may not make our discourse longer, we shall be content having given sufficient grounds for those who wish it from the things already said. For if the sun, more admirable than any of the whole creation, is seen to be so weak and needy, much more the other parts of the world. Therefore, as I said, having given those things for the diligent to collect, I shall speak to you again from the Scriptures, showing that not only the sun, but this whole world is corruptible. For when these elements are mutually destructive, and the cold that supervenes further punishes the power of the sun, and the heat, having prevailed in its turn, consumes this, and the elements both perform and suffer the contrary qualities and dispositions in one another, it is clear that this is a proof of great corruption and that all visible things are bodies. But since this argument is higher than our simplicity, come, by leading you to the sweet fountain of the Scriptures, let us refresh your hearing. For we shall not speak to you about heaven and earth portion by portion, but we shall show that the Apostle himself declares this about the whole creation together, and says clearly thus, that *all creation groaneth and travaileth in pain*, and why it serves, and when it shall be set free from it, and into what state it shall pass. For having said that *the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us* (Rom. 8:18, 19, 20), he added: *For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.* And what he says is this: he says that the creation was made corruptible—for this is what “was made subject to vanity” means—but it was made corruptible by God’s command; and God so commanded it for the sake of our race; for since it was to nourish a corruptible man, it had to be such itself; for corruptible bodies were not to dwell in an incorruptible creation. ^D But yet it does remain as such, he says, but the creation itself also *shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption* (Rom. 8:21); then, demonstrating when this will be and for whom, he added: *into the glorious liberty of the children of God.* For when we rise again, he says, and receive incorruptible bodies, then the body of the heaven and the earth and the whole creation shall be incorruptible and undefiled. When, therefore, you see the sun rising, admire the Creator; when you see it hiding and disappearing, learn the weakness of its nature, and do not worship it as God. For for this reason God placed a sign of their weakness in the nature of the elements, and commanded his own servants, who are men, to rule over them, that even if you do not recognize their slavery from their appearance, you might learn from their being commanded that all these things are fellow-servants to you. Joshua, the son of Nun, says: *Sun, stand thou still over Gibeon, and thou moon over the valley of Ailon* (Josh. 10:12). And again the prophet Isaiah caused it to turn back in the time of King Hezekiah (Is. 38:8), and Moses gave commands to air and sea and earth and stones; Elisha changed the nature of waters (4 Kings 2); the three youths overcame the fire (Dan. 3). Do you see how God has provided for us on both sides, by the beauty of the elements leading us into the knowledge of Himself, and by their weakness not allowing us to fall into the worship of them?

6. Moral exhortation to avoid oaths. — Therefore, for all these things let us glorify our Governor, not by words only, but also by deeds, and let us show forth an excellent life—I mean both other things and temperance concerning oaths. For every sin does not bring the same punishment, but the faults that are easily corrected bring upon us greater retribution; which Solomon also hinting at said: *It is not a wonder if one be caught stealing; for he steals that he may fill his soul when it is hungry; but the adulterer, for lack of wit, procureth destruction to his own soul* (Prov. 6:30-32). And what he says is this: Grave also is the thief, but not so grave as the adulterer; for the former, even if he has a cold excuse, yet has the necessity of poverty to put forward; but the latter, no necessity compelling him, by folly alone falls into the abyss of sin. This can be said also of those who swear; for neither do these have any excuse to put forward, but contempt alone. And I know that I seem burdensome and tedious hereafter, seeming to annoy by the continuity of my admonition, but yet I do not desist, that even if ashamed of my importunity, you might depart from the wicked habit of oaths. For if that judge, the unfeeling and cruel one, having been put to shame by the importunity of the widow, changed his way (Luke 18:2 ff.), much more would you do this, and especially when the one who entreats you does this not for his own sake, but for your salvation; or rather, I would not even refuse to do this for my own sake; for I consider your good deeds to be my own. I would have wished that, just as I now labor and toil for your salvation, so also you would…

salvation, so too (should you) care for your soul: thus, in truth, would this entire matter reach (its) end. And what need is there to say many words? For if there were no Gehenna, nor punishment for the stubborn, nor reward for those who obey, and I, having come to you, had asked for a portion of grace, would you not have been obligated to concede? Not to grant the request, a request for grace so light? But when God Himself asks for it—doing so on account of you who give, and not for the sake of Himself, who receives—who is so ungrateful, who so wretched and miserable as not to provide a benefaction to God who asks, especially when he who provides is himself about to enjoy the benefit? Considering these things, therefore, and departing from here (to return) to your own, repeat all that has been said, and correct in every way those who do not observe it, so that we may receive the recompense of (our) own and others' merits, through the grace and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father (be) glory together with the holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

THANKSGIVING TO GOD CONCERNING DELIVERANCE FROM THE EVILS EXPECTED FROM THE SEDITION, AND A COMMEMORATION OF THE THINGS THAT THEN OCCURRED; FURTHERMORE, ALSO AGAINST THOSE WHO SLANDER OUR BODY, AND IN GENERAL CONCERNING THE CREATION OF MAN, AND TOWARD THE END, CONCERNING THE AVOIDING OF OATHS.

HOMILY XI.

^A 1. Since I consider the past winter and the present calm, I do not cease saying: "Blessed be God who does all things, and transforms them;" who makes light from darkness (Amos 5:8; Job 37:45), who leads down to the gates of Hades and leads back (1 Kings 2:6), who chastens and does not kill (2 Cor. 6:9): and I wish you to say this continually, nor cease. For if He has benefited us by His works, what pardon could we be worthy of, not remunerating Him even with words? Therefore I exhort you never to cease giving thanks to Him. For if we are grateful for the first things, it is clear that we shall enjoy even greater things. Let us say, therefore, continually: "Blessed be God," who has granted us to set before you the accustomed table with confidence, and has granted you to hear our discourse securely; blessed be God, since we no longer flee from exterior dangers, but desiring to hear, we concur here; we no longer meet among ourselves with anxiety and trembling and solicitude, but with confidence, ^B casting off all fear—(the state) in which we were not better off than those fluctuating in the midst of the sea and expecting shipwreck at every hour; struck by infinite rumors all day long, perturbed and driven around from every side; and being busy and curiously inquiring on each day, "Who has come from the camp? What indeed did he who came announce? Is it true or false, that which is said?" and passing the nights without sleep, and looking upon the city with tears as if it were soon to perish. Therefore we too kept silent during these past days, because our city was entirely exhausted, all had migrated into the wilderness, and the remainder had been darkened by a cloud of sadness. For a soul once filled with sadness is suited to hear nothing. Therefore also the friends of Job, approaching, seeing the tragedy of that house, as well as the just man sitting on the dung-heap and full of sores, tore their garments, and lamented, and sat with him in silence (Job 2:12-13), signifying that nothing from the beginning is as appropriate for those who are in pain as rest and silence: for the sadness was greater than consolation. Therefore also the Jews, ^C bound to mud and brick-making (Exod. 5:19-21), seeing Moses had come to them, could not attend to the things being said on account of their pusillanimity and the tribulation which they were suffering. And what wonder is it if certain pusillanimous men suffered this, when we find that even Christ's disciples fell into this malady? For after that mystic supper, when they had been taken, Christ was speaking to them apart; at the beginning indeed the disciples asked Him, "Where are you going?" but when He told them the evils that were about to overtake them a little later—wars, persecutions, enmities from all, scourges, prisons, trials, abductions—as if (under) a most heavy burden, the mind of them, weighed down by the terror of the things said and the sadness of future things, remained stupid thereafter. Seeing them consternated, Christ, rebuking this very thing, said: "I go to my Father, and no one of you asks Me: 'Where are you going?' But because I have spoken these things to you, sadness has filled your heart" (John 16:5-6). Therefore we too kept silent in the past time, awaiting the present opportunity. ^D For if a person who is about to ask something of someone, even if he is about to propose things consonant with reason, yet awaits the occasion of time, so that he may find him (the one about to give the request) calm and well-disposed, that having obtained the aid of time he might acquire the benefit: much more does it behoove one praying to seek a commodious time, so that he might make words before a well-disposed hearer and one liberated from every care and sadness: which indeed we too have now done. 116. Now, since you have shaken off the sadness, we wish to renew the memory of the things said, so that the discourse may become more manifest to you; for what we said also in the creation of the world, that God did not make it only beautiful and admirable and great, but also weak and corruptible, and again inserted many demonstrations of these (qualities), dispensing both for our utility; and through the beauty indeed inducing us into admiration of the Creator, but through the infirmity leading us away from worshipping the creature: this also is to be seen as having happened in our body; for indeed, concerning this too, many, both of the enemies of the truth and of our own, ask, for what reason it has been made corruptible and mortal.

For they say it is unworthy of the creation of God, running through all the filth, and sweats, and tears, and labors, and miseries, and the other things of the body. But I, whenever discourse arises concerning these things, would first say this: Do not speak to me of this man who has offended, who has been dishonored, who has been condemned; but if you wish to learn what kind of body God fashioned for us from the beginning, let us go to paradise, and let us look at the man who was created at the beginning. For that body was not so corruptible and ephemeral; but just as a golden statue, having just come forth from a furnace and glittering brightly, so was that body exempted from all corruption, and neither did labor trouble it, nor sweat damage it, nor did cares plot against it, nor did despondencies besiege it, nor did any other of such passions grieve it. But since he did not bear his prosperity temperately, but acted insolently against his benefactor, and deemed the deceitful demon more worthy of trust than the guardian God who had honored him, and expected to become a god, and conceived an opinion greater than his own worth: then indeed, then, God educating him through the very things themselves, made him corruptible and mortal, and bound him with these many necessities—not hating him, nor turning away from him, but caring for him, and stifling at the outset that wicked and destructive arrogance, and not allowing it to proceed further. But through the very experience of the things he taught him that he is mortal and ephemeral, and by this means persuading him ^A never to imagine or dream such things: for the devil had said, "You shall be as gods." Desiring, therefore, to tear out this notion by the roots, He made his body subject to many passions and miserable, educating him through the very nature [of things] never to entertain such a notion. And that this is true is clear, most of all, from the things that happened to him then; for after that expectation he was condemned to this punishment. And consider for me the wisdom of God: He did not allow him to die first, but permitted his son to suffer this, so that, having seen before his eyes the body rotting and decomposing, he might receive a great teaching of philosophy from this sight, and learn what has happened, and having been well disciplined, might thus depart from here.

Most of all, therefore, as I said, this is clear from what has already happened, but it will be no less manifest from what is to be said hereafter. For if, with the body bound by such a necessity, and all men dying and being corrupted and rotting in everyone's sight and being dissolved into dust—and with the philosophers from without making this [the mortality of man] one of the definitive terms of the human race (for when asked what man is, they said "a mortal, rational animal")—if, therefore, while all are admitting these things, some have dared to make themselves immortal in the opinions of the many, and with sight itself testifying to death, they have contended to be proclaimed gods, and have been honored in this way: if death had not proceeded teaching all the ephemeral and corruptible nature of man, where would not many men have gone out into impiety? ^B Hear, therefore, what the prophet says concerning a certain barbarian king who was maddened by such madness: "I will place my throne above the stars of heaven," he says, "and I will be like the Most High" (Isai. 14. 13, 14). Then, mocking him and declaring his end, he says: "Under you they shall strew rot, and your covering shall be a worm" (Ibid. v. 11). What he says is this: O man, expecting such an end, have you dared to imagine such things? And concerning another in turn, the king, I mean, of the Tyrians, who was constructing such things and wishing to be thought a god, he says: "But you are not a god, but a man, and those who pierce you will say this" (Ezech. 28. 9). Thus, from above and with excess, destroying the premise of idolatry, God has made for us such a body. And why do you marvel if this has happened in the case of the body, where it is possible to see such a thing having happened in the soul? For He did not make it mortal, but allowed it to be immortal; but He has prepared it to be liable to forgetfulness and ignorance and despondency and cares; and He did this so that, on account of its own nobility, it might not ^C conceive an opinion greater than its own worth. For if, even when these things exist, some have dared to say that it is of the essence of God, if it had been exempted from these passions, to what madness would these men not have come?

Nevertheless, what I was saying concerning the creation, I say also concerning the body: that I admire God equally for both these things—both that He made it corruptible, and that in corruption He displayed His own power and wisdom. For that He was able to make it of a better substance, He showed from the heavenly and solar body. For He who made those things such, was able to make this one also such, had He willed; but the cause of the feebleness is the aforementioned pretext. Yet for all that, this does not diminish the miracle of the Creator, but even intensifies it still more. For the meanness of the essence most of all shows the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the art, that in clay and ash He has placed such harmony, and such senses, so manifold and of every kind, and capable of such philosophy.

^D 3. So that the more you may accuse the meanness of the essence, by so much the more marvel at the greatness of the art. Since I do not admire the sculptor so much for making a beautiful statue from gold, as him for being able, by the resourcefulness of his art, to display a wonderful and indescribable beauty of plastic form from falling clay. For there, the material contributes something to the one molding it, but here, the demonstration of art is bare. And if you wish to learn how great is the wisdom of Him who created us, consider what is made from clay; what else but brick and tile? And yet the master-artisan God was able from the material from which only tile and brick are made, to make an eye so beautiful as to strike with astonishment all who see it, and to place in it such power as to discern such a height of air, and by the reception of a small pupil to encompass such bodies—mountains, and dales, and hills, and seas, and heaven through that small [opening]. Do not, therefore, speak to me of tears and rheums; for this has happened on account of your sin; but consider its beauty, and the visual power, and how, in traversing such a length of air, it does not weary or suffer, but while feet having gone a little [distance] labor and are exhausted, the eye, traversing such height, [118]

^A does not perceive any infirmity. Since this, indeed, is the most necessary of all our members, He did not permit it to be pressed by labor, so that its service might be expeditious and free for us. But who could express with any word the whole virtue of this member? And what shall I say of the pupil and the power of sight? For if you examine only the eyelids—which seem to be the most common of members—even in these you will see much of the wisdom of God the Creator. For just as in the ears of corn, bristles like certain pre-extended spears repel the birds, not permitting them to settle on the fruit and break the weaker stalk, so indeed in the eyes also, the hairs of the eyelids are, as it were, bristles and spears extended, repelling dust and chaff and all things vexing from the outside, and not permitting the eyelids to be annoyed. You could see also another wisdom in the eyebrows, not inferior to this. For who would not be struck with wonder at their position? For they are neither set forth beyond measure, so as to darken the eyes, nor are they tucked further in than necessary; but like the eaves of a house, they thus stand out above, receiving the sweat flowing from the head and not permitting it to harm the eyes. For this reason, hairs have even grown upon them, restraining by their density what flows down, and protecting the eyes with great diligence, and bestowing much beauty upon the eyes. Nor could one admire this alone, but also another thing not less than this. For what is the reason, I ask, that the hairs of the head grow and are cut, but those of the eyebrows not at all? ^B Nor indeed has this been done for us rashly and by chance, but so that, by hanging down, they might not darken the eyes—which decrepit old men suffer. But who could record all the wisdom demonstrated through the brain? First, indeed, He made it soft, since it ministers fountains to all the senses; afterwards, lest it be harmed by its own nature, He fortified it on all sides with bones; again, lest it be worn out and vexed by the roughness of the bones, He spread over it a middle membrane, and not one alone, but also another, stretching the one underneath the skull, and wrapping the other around the flesh of the brain above, and the former is harder than the latter. He did this both for the aforementioned reason and so that the brain would not be the first to receive blows brought upon the head, but those membranes coming first might dissolve all injury from the blows, and preserve it unharmed. Furthermore, the fact that the bone covering it is not continuous and one, but has many sutures from many parts, is again a cause of great safety for it. For both the vapor containing it can easily find respiration through those sutures to the outside, so that it is not suffocated; and if a blow is struck from anywhere, the injury does not occur everywhere. For if there were a single and continuous bone, a blow delivered in one part would have injured the whole; but now, since it is divided into many parts, this could not happen. For even if it happens that one part is wounded, the bone situated along that specific part is injured alone, while all the rest remain unharmed, the continuity of the blow being removed by the division of the bones, and not being able to extend to the next. For this reason, God composed its covering from many bones; and as one building a house places over it a roof and tiles, so God placed bones over the head ^C and caused hairs to sprout, so that they might be like certain helmets for the head. This too, He has surely done in the heart. For since the heart is the most principal of our members, and the firmness of our whole life is entrusted to it, and death occurs when it is struck in any way at all, He fortified it on all sides with solid and hard bones, and protecting it from behind with the projections of the chest and the shoulder blades of the back; and what He did in the membranes of the brain, the same was also done in this. For He did this so that it would not—by leaping frequently and palpitating in anger and motions of that kind—be worn out and feel pain by striking against the roughness of the surrounding bones, and He spread many membranes there too, and placed the lungs underneath, like a certain soft bed, as an adjunct to its leapings, so that it might suffer nothing harmful by rushing forth uncontrollably. And what do I say of the brain and heart, since if anyone investigates even the nails, he may see much wisdom of God apparent in them, both from their form, and from their substance and position? I could have spoken of why our fingers are unequal in size to us, and many other things more than these; but the wisdom of God our Creator shines forth sufficiently for those wishing to attend to the things said; therefore, leaving this part for those who are laborious to examine with diligence, I shall turn to another opposition. ^D For many, besides the things said, also oppose this: "What then, if man is king of the brutes, yet animals surpass him in strength and agility and much speed?" For the horse is swifter than man, and the ox more enduring, and the eagle lighter, and the lion stronger. What therefore can we say to these things? That from this we most of all recognize the wisdom of God, and the honor with which He adorned us. For indeed the horse is swifter than man, but man is more convenient than the horse for the speed of travel. For the horse, although he be swiftest and strongest of all, will barely run two hundred stadia in one day; but man, by joining many horses one after another to a chariot, will be able to accomplish two thousand stadia. Therefore, what speed is to the former, reason and art with greater abundance grant to the latter; and man does not indeed have feet as swift as that one, but he has the feet of that one serving him no less than his own. For no other animal of the brutes will be able to subjugate any other for its own use, but man ventures all, and through the varied art handed down to him by God, subjugates every animal to an use most convenient to himself. But if the feet of men had been as strong as those of horses, they would have been useless for other things, for the difficulties of places and the summits of mountains and the ascents of trees; for a hoof is accustomed to impede steps for such things. And so, even if their feet are softer, yet they are useful for more advantages, and are harmed in nothing by infirmity, with the horse's strength serving him, and excelling through the variety of footsteps. Again, the wing of the eagle is lighter, but for me is...

^A a faculty and an art, through which I am able to bring down and subdue all winged animals. But if you wish to see my wing, I have one far lighter than that, not just reaching ten or twenty stades, nor up to the sky, but flying up even above that heaven, and above the heaven of heavens, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The irrational animals, again, carry weapons in their body, such as the ox its horns, the wild boar its tusks, the lion its claws; but in me, God did not deposit the weapons in the nature of the body, but outside the body, demonstrating that man is a gentle animal, and that the time for these weapons is not always with me; for I often lay them aside, and often use them. In order, therefore, that I might be free and unbound, and not be forced to carry weapons continuously, He made them to be separate from my nature. ^B For we are superior to the irrational ones not only in having a rational soul, but we also excel them in the body; for God even fashioned this to correspond to the nobility of the soul, and to be suitable for its commands; for He did not make the body such without reason, but such as it is likely to be when serving a rational soul; for if it were not such, the soul's operations would be greatly hindered; and this is clear from illnesses. For if the very ordering of the flesh turns aside a little from its proper state, many operations of the soul are hindered; what I mean is, if the brain becomes hotter or colder. So it is possible to see much of God's providence even from the body, not only because He created it at the beginning better than it now is, nor yet because He has rearranged it for the useful even now, but because He will raise it again to much greater glory. ^C But if you also wish to learn from another source how much wisdom God has displayed concerning the body, I will say that which Paul is seen to be most astonished at. And what is this? He has enabled the members to excel one another, not in the same things, but He has arranged for some to excel in beauty, others in strength; for example, the eye is beautiful, but the feet are stronger; the head is precious, but it cannot say to the feet: I have no need of you (1 Cor. 12:21). And this is possible to see in irrational animals, and this in the whole of life too. For the king has need of his subjects, and the subjects of the king, just as the head of the feet. And again, among irrational animals, some are stronger, others more becoming, and some delight us, others feed us, others wrap us about; for example, the peacock delights, birds and pigs feed us, while sheep and goats provide clothing, and the ox and the donkey labor with us. And there are also others which provide none of these, but they train our strength, just as wild beasts increase the vigor of hunters, and by fear they instruct our race, and make us more attentive, and they introduce no small benefit for our healing from their own bodies. ^D So when someone says to you: "How can you be the ruler of irrational animals when you fear a lion?" say to him that in the beginning things were not so disposed, when I was well-regarded by God, when I lived in paradise; but since I offended the Master, I became subject to the servants; and not even now entirely so, but I have a certain art through which I rule over the beasts. So also it happens in great houses, when the sons are noble, but are immature, they fear many of the servants; but when they have offended, the anxiety is increased all the more. These things it is possible also to say about scorpions and vipers, that they are fearsome to us because of sin.

Chapter 5.

themselves, and let us commit our keeping to them, and let us undertake this noble contest, so that, by thus overcoming this base habit, we may come with confidence to this holy solemnity, and be partakers of the holy sacrifice with blessed hope and a good conscience, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Thanksgiving to God concerning the pardon for those who had sinned against the emperor; and a philosophy concerning the creation; and that God, in creating man, implanted a natural law in him; and concerning avoiding oaths with all diligence.

Homily XII.

^A I said yesterday, Blessed be God, and I shall say the same thing again today. For even if the grievous things have passed, yet let not the memory of the grievous things pass, not that we may grieve, but that we may give thanks. For if the memory of evils remains, the experience of evils will never urge us. For what need is there of experience, when memory acts as our corrector? Just as, therefore, God did not allow us to be overwhelmed by the present tempests, so let us not allow ourselves to be loosed when those have been removed. He comforted us then while we were suffering, let us now give thanks to Him while we are rejoicing; He comforted us when we were sighing, and did not abandon us; let us not, therefore, betray ourselves while we are faring well by slipping into sloth; for it is written: “Remember the time of famine in the day of fullness.” Let us therefore remember the times of temptation even in the day of remission; and let us do the same thing even with regard to our sins. And if you have sinned, and God has forgiven you your sins, receive the pardon and give thanks, but do not forget the sin, not that you may consume yourself in thought, but that you may teach your soul not to be wanton, nor to fall into them again. And Paul did this; for when he had said, “He thought me faithful, putting me into the ministry,” he added, “who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious.” ^B Let the life of the servant be brought forth, that the loving-kindness of the Master may appear. For even if I have received pardon for my sins, yet I do not cast out the memory of the sins. And not only did this demonstrate the Master's kindness, but it also made him more illustrious. For when you have learned who he was before, you will then admire him the more: and when you have seen what he has become from that state, you will then commend him the more: and if you have sinned much, you will have good hope from this point forward; for besides what has been said, the example invites even those placed in despair, and makes them rise up.

Which indeed will be the case in our city: for all the things that have happened demonstrate your virtue, who have been able by repentance to ward off so great a wrath; and they preach the clemency of God, who for a small conversion has taken away so great a cloud that was hanging over us: it also encourages all who were in despair, learning from our affairs that whoever looks toward things above and toward God's help, although infinite waves may roar on every side, cannot be overwhelmed. ^C For who ever saw, who ever heard of things similar to our mishaps? We were expecting every day that our city would be razed to the ground with its inhabitants: but when the devil was hoping to sink the vessel, then God restored clear calm. Let us not, therefore, forget the magnitude of the evils, so that we may remember the magnitude of the benefits bestowed by God; for he who does not know the nature of diseases will never know the physician's art. Let us tell these things to our children, and let us transmit them to thousands of generations, and let all learn how the devil studied to destroy the very soil of the city, and how God was able to raise it up again when it had fallen and was lying broken, and did not allow it to suffer any harm; and for this end, He removed the fear, and repelled the danger with great speed. For in the past week we were expecting that all our possessions would be plundered, and that soldiers would be sent against us, and we suspected infinite other evils; but lo, all those things have passed away, like a cloud and like a passing shadow, and we were punished only by the expectation of calamities; nay rather, we were not even punished, but corrected and made better, because God softened the heart of the emperor. Let us therefore say always and every day: Blessed be God, and let us attend the synaxis with greater zeal, and let us run to the church, ^D whence we have received such great benefit. For you know from the beginning to whom you fled, to whom you ran, whence salvation came to us. Let us hold fast, therefore, to the sacred anchor, and as it did not betray us in the time of perils, so let us not abandon it in the time of remission; but let us remain with care, and let us hold gatherings and prayers every day, and let us listen to the divine oracles; and that zeal which we were expending even when we were inquiring curiously, and running around the camp, worrying about the impending evils, let us expend all that on listening to the divine laws, [and avoid] unreasonable and useless pastimes, that we may not again bring ourselves into the necessity of that former trouble.

We were inquiring into the manner of the knowledge of God, and we finished [that topic] at the end, interpreting how “The heavens tell of the glory of God”: and what exactly is Paul’s saying, “His invisible things from the creation of the world are understood by the things that are made”: and we demonstrated how from the creation of the world, and how through heaven and earth and sea the Creator is glorified. But today, having philosophized for a little while on this same subject, we shall pass to another discourse: for He did not only make the world, but He also caused it, having been made, to work: and He neither left the whole unmoved, nor commanded the whole to move, but the heaven indeed has remained unmoved, as the prophet says: “Who set the heaven as a vault, and stretched it out as a tent over the earth”: but the sun with the remaining stars runs daily: and again the earth is fixed, but the waters are always moving: and not only the waters, but also the clouds, and the rains are frequent and successive in their own proper time

^A And, in truth, the earth is a single belly, yet it brings forth diverse fruits; and single is the heat of the solar ray, yet it matures all things differently, leading some to ripeness later, others sooner. Who would not be struck with awe and wonder at these things? Or rather, is this the only thing to be wondered at, that He made it varied and diverse, but also that He set it forth as common to all, both to rich and poor, and to sinners and the just? Which, indeed, Christ also said, that He makes His sun rise upon the evil and the good, and rains upon the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45). And filling it with infinite animals, He implanted natural characters in the brutes, bidding us partly to imitate them, and partly to flee from them.

What do I mean? The ant is industrious, and performs her work with labor; if, therefore, you pay attention, you will receive the greatest exhortation from the animal, so as not to be softened and not to shun labors and toils. For this reason Scripture also sent the sluggard to it, saying: Go to the ant, O sluggard, and emulate her ways, and be wiser than she (Prov. 6:6). Do you not wish, it says, to learn from the Scriptures that it is good to work, and that he who does not work ought not to eat? Do you not wish to hear this from the teachers? Be instructed by the irrational animals. Thus, also in our houses we often do this; when the older ones and those who seem more honorable sin, we exhort them to pay attention to sober children, saying: Look at your younger brother, how diligent and wakeful he is. Do you, therefore, also receive from this animal the greatest exhortation to industriousness, and wonder at your Master, not because He made the sun only and the heaven, but because He also made the ant; for even if the animal is small, yet it contains great proof of the magnitude of the wisdom of God. Understand, therefore, how it is intelligent, and wonder how God was able to implant in so small a body such an unfailing desire for labor. ^B And from this, learn diligence; and from the bee, learn both the love of beauty, and the love of labor, and the love of one's neighbor. For that creature toils and labors each day not more for itself than for us; ^C which is the character most proper to a Christian, not to seek his own, but the things of others. Just as, therefore, that creature flies around all the meadows, so that it may prepare a ready table for another: so do you also, O man, if you gather money, spend it on others; if you have words of instruction, do not bury them, but set them forth in the middle for those in need; and if you have any other advantage, become useful to those who need to enjoy your labors. Do you not see that for this reason the bee is more honorable than the other animals, not because it labors, but because it labors for others? Since even the spider labors and toils and stretches out delicate webs along the walls, surpassing all the wisdom of a woman, yet the animal is dishonorable, because the work is nowhere useful to us. Such are those who remain and toil for themselves. Mimic the pureness of the dove, mimic the submissiveness to the master of the ass and the ox, mimic the freedom from care of the birds.

Christ also instructs us from animals: for, he says, Be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16). And again: Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, and your heavenly Father feeds them (Matt. 6:26). And the prophet, shaming the ungrateful Jews, says thus: The ox knew his owner, and the ass his master's crib: Israel did not know me (Isa. 1:3). And again: The turtle-dove and the swallow of the field have known the times of their coming, but my people have not known the judgments of the Lord their God (Jer. 8:7). From these and suchlike animals learn to accomplish virtue, but from their opposites be taught to shun wickedness. For just as the bee is a lover of beauty, so the viper is destructive; shun, therefore, that poison, so that you may not hear: The poison of asps is under their lips (Ps. 139:4). The dog again is shameless; hate also this character. The fox is deceitful and crafty; do not imitate that disease. But just as the bee, flying over the meadows, does not select everything, but chooses the useful things and leaves the rest: so also do you; having traversed the genus of the irrational animals, if there is anything useful, take it from them, and the advantages they have by nature, these do you strive to accomplish by your own free choice; for you have been honored by God for this, that He granted you to accomplish their natural advantages by free choice, so that you may also receive prizes. For in them, the accomplishments are not from free choice and reason, but from nature alone. What do I mean? The bee makes honey not having learned by reason and intellect, but having been taught by nature; since if the work were not natural, nor inherited by the genus, it would be necessary that some of them be ignorant of the art; but now, from the time the world was made until the present day, no one has seen bees resting and not making honey. For such natural things are common to the whole genus; but those from free choice are not common, for they need work in order to be attained.

3. Therefore, take all the most beautiful things and clothe yourself with them; for even if a king is of the irrational animals—but kings, if there is anything most beautiful among their subjects, whether gold, or silver, or precious stones, or luxurious garments, these they themselves possess in abundance; and wonder at your Master from His creation. But if anything of the things seen exceeds you, and you cannot find the reason, and for this reason glorify the Maker, because the wisdom of the things that are being made exceeds your comprehension. Do not say: Why this? To what end this? For each thing is useful, even if we are ignorant of the reason. Just as if you should enter a pharmacy, and ^D see many tools lying about, you wonder at the variety of the instruments, even though you do not know their uses: so also do in the case of the creation, and if you see many of the animals and herbs and plants and other things whose uses you do not know, wonder at Him for the variety, and be struck with awe and because of this [glorify] the best craftsman, God, because He neither made all things clear to you, nor left all things unclear. For He did not leave all things unclear, so that you might not say that existing things are without providence; He did not leave all things known to you, so that the magnitude of the knowledge might not exalt you into vanity. Thus, therefore, even the first man, the wicked demon...

^B precipitated, hoping for greater knowledge, stealing away the knowledge which he possessed. Therefore, a certain wise man admonishes, saying: "Seek not things stronger than you, and search not things deeper than you: what has been commanded to you, these things think upon" (Eccl. 3:21-22); for more of His works are in secret; and again, "Greater things than the prudence of men have been shown to you" (Ibid. v. 25). He said this while consoling him who was grieving and lamenting that he did not know all things; for even those things which it is allowed to know, he says, greatly exceed your prudence; for you did not find them of yourself, but were taught by God. Be content, therefore, with the riches given, and do not seek more, but give thanks for what you have received; do not be indignant for what you have not received, and glorify for what you do know, lest you stumble because of those things which you do not know. For God did both things usefully; and He revealed these things, but hid those, caring for your salvation. For there is, as I said, one way of knowing God through creation, capable of consuming many days. For that we might not merely run through the formation of man with diligence—I speak of the diligence possible for us, not that true diligence; for even if we have spoken many reasons for the things made, there are yet many other hidden ones which the One who made them, God, knows; for we do not know them all—so that we might run through the entire formation of man with diligence, and find wisdom in each member, and consider the distribution of the nerves, the veins, the arteries, the position, and the formation of all other things, not even an entire year would suffice for us for this explanation. Therefore, ending our discourse here, and providing for the industrious and studious from those things said regarding other parts of creation, let us turn the discourse to another hypothesis, which is itself also demonstrative of God’s providence.

What, therefore, is the second hypothesis? God, forming man from the beginning, implanted in him a natural law. And what, finally, is natural law? He expressed to us a conscience, and one implanted by nature; He willed there to be a knowledge of goods and of contraries. For we do not have need to learn that fornication is an evil, and continence a good, but we know this from the beginning. And that you may learn that we know this from the beginning, the Lawgiver, issuing laws afterwards, and saying: "You shall not kill" (Ex. 20:13), did not add: "For killing is an evil," but simply said: "You shall not kill"; for He prohibited the sin alone, He did not teach it. Why, therefore, did He who said, "You shall not kill," not add: "Because killing is an evil"? Because conscience had taught us this beforehand, and He speaks as to those who know and understand.

When, therefore, He speaks about another commandment, not known to us through conscience, He does not only prohibit, but also sets forth the cause. Therefore, issuing a law about the Sabbath, and saying: "On the seventh day you shall not do any work" (Ibid. v. 10), He subjoined the cause also of the cessation; and what sort indeed? "Because on the seventh day God rested from all His works which He had begun to do"; and again: "Because you were a servant in the land of Egypt" (Deut. 5:15). Why, therefore, tell me, did He add the cause in the case of the Sabbath, but did nothing of the sort in the case of murder? Because this commandment was not of the primary ones, nor of those discovered by us through conscience, but was a certain particular and temporary one; therefore, after these things it was abolished. But those things which are necessary, and which contain our life, are those: "You shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not commit adultery" (Exod. 20:13-15); and therefore, He in no way puts a cause here, nor brings in a teaching, but thinks it sufficient to have the prohibition alone.

I shall try to demonstrate to you, not only from there, but also from elsewhere, how man was instituted by nature for the knowledge of virtue. First, Adam admitted sin, and after the sin, immediately hid himself. If he did not know that he had perpetrated something evil, for what cause did he hide himself? For there were no letters, no law, no Moses; whence, therefore, did he know sin, so as to hide himself? And not only does he hide himself, but, accused, he attempts to transfer the cause to another, saying: "The woman whom you gave to me, she gave to me of the tree, and I ate" (Gen. 3:12). And she again transfers the crime to another, namely, the serpent. And behold the wisdom of God; for when Adam had said: "I heard your voice, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself" (Ibid. v. 10), God did not immediately refute the deed, nor say: "Why indeed did you eat of the tree?" but how? "For who indicated to you that you were naked, unless you ate of the tree, of which I had commanded you not to eat?" (Ibid. v. 11). ^C He neither was silent, nor did He openly refute him; for He was not silent, so that He might call him to confession of sin; nor indeed did He manifesty refute him, so that the whole might not be God’s, and he remain deprived of the pardon which is born to us from confession. Therefore, He did not manifestly state the cause, whence the knowledge was born, but brings forth the discourse under the form of an interrogation, that He might leave him an access to confession.

Again, in ^D Cain and Abel, it is permitted to see the same thing. First, indeed, they brought the firstfruits of their labors to God. For let us demonstrate that man from the beginning was endowed with the knowledge of both, not from sin alone, but also from virtue. That man already knew that sin is an evil, Adam demonstrated; but that he also knew that virtue is a good, Abel in turn manifested. For not taught by anyone, nor having heard a law discussing the firstfruits, but taught by his own conscience, he offered that sacrifice. Therefore, I do not descend to those who came after, but I remain around the first men, when there were not yet letters, nor law, nor prophets and judges, but only Adam was with his sons, so that you may learn that the knowledge of goods and contraries was stored up first in nature. For whence did Abel learn that it is a good to offer, that it is a good to venerate God, and to give thanks in all things? What then, did Cain not offer? He indeed offered also, but not similarly. And from this, indeed, the knowledge of conscience again appears; for because he envied him who had been honored, he was deliberating about the murder, he was hiding his treacherous intent; and what does he say? "Come, let us go out into the field" (Gen. 4:8). Another outward form—for it is a simulation of charity; another intent—for it is a deliberation of fratricide. And if he did not think it a sin, why did he hide his intention? Even after the murder, when asked, he denied it, which is the mark of one who knows he has sinned. For he who does not know he has done evil does not lie, nor does he hide the deed, but says he has done it because he thinks it is good. But he, knowing that he did evil, both denied it and attempted to deceive God. And whence had he the knowledge that murder is a sin? From the conscience, which taught him that it was an evil.

^A Since even his father hid himself, so too does this man deny it; and after the questioning, he says again, "My punishment is greater than that I should be forgiven" (Gen. IV, 13). But the Hellene does not bear this. Come then, let us reason with him too, and just as we did concerning creation—moving the struggles against them not only from the Scriptures, but also from logical arguments—let us now do this regarding the conscience; for indeed Paul also raised this point while struggling against them. What, then, is it that they say? "There is no law," he says, "taught to us by ourselves and placed in the conscience, nor did God implant this in our nature." Whence then, tell me, whence did the lawgivers among them write laws concerning marriages, concerning murders, concerning testaments, concerning deposits, concerning not defrauding one another, and concerning ten thousand other things? For these men, perhaps, learned from the first ones, and those from their predecessors, and they again from those above them; but the first ones among them who originally established laws, from whom did they learn? Is it not clear that it was from the conscience? For they could not say that they associated with Moses, or that they heard the prophets; for how could they, being Hellenes? But it is clear that from the law which God placed in man when He created him from the beginning, from this they established laws, and found arts, and all other things. For even the arts were thus established, by those who from the beginning came to them self-taught; thus also courts of justice came to pass, thus also punishments were defined—which indeed is what Paul also says. For ^B since many of the Hellenes were about to contradict, and to say that "How will God judge the men who lived before Moses? He did not send a lawgiver, He did not bring in a law, He did not send a prophet, He did not send an apostle, He did not send an evangelist; how then does He demand an account?"—wishing to show that they had a self-taught law, and knew clearly the things that must be done, listen to how he speaks: "For when the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law unto themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts" (Rom. II, 14-15). How, without letters? "Their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts between one another accusing or else excusing them, in the day when God will judge the secrets of men according to my gospel through Jesus Christ"; and again: "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law" (Ibid. v. 12). What is "shall perish without law"? It is not that they were not accused by the law, but by their thoughts and their conscience. And if they did not have the law of the conscience, it would not have been necessary for them to perish while sinning; for how, if they sinned without a law? But when he says "without law," he does not mean that they did not have a law, but that they did not have a written law, while they did have the law of nature. And again: "But glory, and honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew first and to the Hellene" (Ibid. v. 10).

5. These things he was saying while speaking of the times of old, which were before the coming of Christ. And he calls the Hellene here not the idolater, but the one who indeed worships God alone, but is not bound by the necessity of Judaic observances—I mean Sabbaths, and circumcision, and various purifications—but shows all wisdom and piety. And again, discussing the same thing, he says: "Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and of the Hellene" (Rom. II, 9). Here again he calls the Hellene one who is delivered from the necessity of Judaic observance. ^C If he neither heard the law nor conversed with the Jews, how shall there be tribulation and anguish for him while doing evil? Because he had a conscience inside, echoing to him, and teaching and instructing him in all things. Whence is this evident? From the fact that he punished others who sinned, from the fact that he established laws, from the fact that he sat in the courts. For Paul, declaring this very thing, was speaking concerning those who live in wickedness: "Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they who do such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in those who do them" (Rom. I, 32). And from where did they know, he says, that it is the will of God that those who live in wickedness should be punished with death? From the fact that they judged others who sinned. For if you do not think it is an evil to be a murderer, when you have captured a murderer, do not punish him with your sentence; if you do not think it is an evil to commit adultery, when an adulterer falls into your hands, release him from the punishment. But if regarding the sins of others you both write laws, and define punishments, and are a strict judge, what defense could you have in the things in which you yourself sin, by saying that you do not know the things that must be done? You committed adultery, and (so) did he. Why then do you punish him, but deem yourself worthy of forgiveness? For if you did not think adultery was an evil, ^D neither should the other have been punished; but if you punish the other, while you think you escape the punishment, how could it be reasonable not to give the same penalties for the same sins? Paul, accusing them of this very thing, was saying: "And do you think this, O man, who judges those who do such things and does the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Rom. II, 3). It is not so, it is not; for from the sentence which you delivered against another, from that you will be judged by God then; for surely you are not just, and God unjust. For if you do not overlook another being wronged, how will God overlook you? If you correct the sins of others, how will God not correct you? And if He does not bring the punishment upon you at once, do not be bold because of this, but fear the more. Thus also Paul commanded, saying: "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" (Rom. II, 4). For because of this He forbears, he says, not that you might become worse, but that you might repent; but if you do not wish to, the longsuffering of God becomes a provision for greater punishment for you, if you remain unrepentant. And declaring this very thing, he was saying: "But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his deeds" (Rom. II, 5-6). Since, therefore, He renders to each according to his deeds, and for this reason implanted a natural law in us, and gave the written one later, in order to demand an account of sins, and in order to crown those who act rightly—therefore, with much diligence, and as those about to meet at a fearful judgment seat, let us manage our affairs, knowing that...

we shall inherit the kingdom for Thy glory; for Thine is the glory, together with Thine only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Still a thanksgiving to God concerning the change from our sorrows; and a commemoration of those who were carried off and suffered punishment because of the sedition; likewise again an exposition concerning the creation of man, and that he received a natural law; and concerning the custom of swearing, which is to be rooted out. Homily XIII.

1. ^A I will begin today with the same beginning and the same prefaces with which I began yesterday and the day before, and I will say again: Blessed be God. What did we see last Wednesday, and what do we see now in the present? How great was that darkness then? How great is the tranquility now in the present? On that same day, that ^{B C D} 133

Homily XIII.

The consternation of the people of Antioch during the inquiry concerning the overturned statues.

For after the greater part of the city, because of that fear and that threat, migrated to the deserts and the ravines of the mountains and the hidden places of the land, driven by fear everywhere, and even those who were seen in the middle of it, scarcely two or three walking together, were as if they were soulless shades, wandering about; others ^B were departing to the tribunal, the goal...

of the proceedings. And seeing there the remnants of the city collected, we were most of all astonished at this, that though there was a multitude around the doors, there was as deep a silence as if no one were present, all looking at one another, and no one daring to ask the person standing by him, or to hear anything from him. For each one suspected his neighbor, because many had already been snatched from the middle of the marketplace beyond all expectation, and were strictly held inside. And we all looked together toward heaven, and stretched forth our hands in silence, awaiting the inclination of mercy from above, and beseeching God both to stand by those being judged, and to soften the hearts of the judges, and to make the decree mild. And just as those who see shipwrecked men from the shore, though they cannot approach and reach out a hand and correct the misfortune, being kept away by the waves, but from the outside, from the banks, stretch forth their hands and weeping, beseech God to stand by those who are being tossed; so too did we all here, in silence and in thought, call upon God, requesting Him to stretch out a hand to those in the tribunal, as if they were taken in the waves, and not to permit the vessel to be submerged, nor to suffer the judgment of those on trial to end in a total shipwreck.

These things, then, were before the doors; but when we entered further into the hall, we saw again other things more terrible than these: soldiers armed with swords and clubs, and granting great quiet to those judging within. For because all the relatives of those men—wives, and mothers, and daughters, and fathers—were standing before the doors of the tribunal, so that if it happened that anyone were being led away to death, no one, inflamed by the sight of the misfortune, might cause any clamor or disturbance; the soldiers kept everyone far off, forestalling their mind with fear.

The most pitiable sight of all: a mother and sister of one of those being judged within were sitting at the very thresholds of the judges, rolling upon the ground, and making a common spectacle for all those standing by, covering their faces, and feeling shame only so far as the necessity of the misfortune permitted. And neither maidservant was with them, nor neighbor, nor friend, nor any other of their intimates, but alone, in cheap clothing, hemmed in by such a number of soldiers, being dragged along the ground, they suffered things more pitiable than those being judged within, hearing the voice of the executioners, the sound of the scourges, the wailing of those being scourged, the fearful threats of the judges, and at each of the blows, they endured sufferings more grievous than those who were being struck. For because the proof of the crimes was in danger through the witness of others, if ever they perceived someone being scourged—so as to compel the accused to speak—and wailing, they, looking to heaven, besought God to give some strength and endurance to him, so that the salvation of those who belonged to them might not be betrayed by the weaknesses of others, since they were unable to bear the acute pain from the blows; and the same thing happened again as in the case of those buffeted by the sea. For just as those, if ever they see the surge of a wave cresting and growing little by little and about to baptize the vessel, even before it becomes near the ship, have already died from fear; so too did those women, if ever they sensed sounds and outcries being borne [from within], fearing lest the men compelled to testify should succumb to the tortures and denounce someone of their intimates, saw ten thousand deaths before their eyes. And it was possible to see tortures within, and tortures without: for the executioners tortured those men, but the tyranny of nature and the sympathy of the bowels tortured these women; and within there was wailing, and without there was wailing; within, of those accused, and without, of their relatives. Nay rather, not these alone, but the judges themselves were wailing in their thoughts, and suffered more grievously than all, being compelled at that time to serve such a bitter tragedy.

2. I, however, sitting by and seeing these things, that women and virgins who spent their time in the inner chambers had now become a common spectacle to all, and those who were accustomed to a soft bed had the ground instead of a bed, and those who enjoyed a wealth of attendance—maidservants, eunuchs, and all other such pomp—were now destitute of all those, and were dragged to the feet of everyone, beseeching each one to contribute some aid to those being judged, and that a common collection of mercy might be rendered by all, I accepted that saying of Solomon: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" (Eccles. 1. 2, 7). For I saw this itself, and another oracle fulfilled by the very deeds themselves, that which says, "All the glory of man is as the flower of grass; the grass withered, and the flower fell" (Isai. 40. 6, 7). For wealth then, and noble birth, and splendor, and the patronage of friends, and kinship, and all worldly things were proved [useless], since the sin and the lawlessness that had been committed had turned all this alliance. And just as a mother bird, when her fledglings have been snatched away, having come and found the nest empty, is not able to rescue those of hers that were caught, but flying around the hands of the hunter, by this very act shows her pain; so too were those women doing then, their children having been snatched away from the house, and being hemmed in within, as if in some net and trap, not having the strength to approach and rescue those that were caught, but by rolling about at the very doors, and wailing, and lamenting, and trying to get near those who had hunted them, they showed their pain. Seeing these things then, I brought to mind that fearful tribunal, and said to myself: If now, when men are judging, neither mother, nor sister, nor father, nor any other person, even though they were innocent of what was dared, are able to rescue those being judged, who will stand by us when we are being judged at the fearful tribunal of Christ? Who will dare to break his voice? Who will rescue those being led away to those unbearable punishments? And yet, those who were being judged then were the foremost of the city, and the very head of the nobility. Yet, nevertheless, they would have been glad if anyone were to grant them [the chance to] give away everything, if it were necessary, and to enjoy even the freedom of this present life. But the day finally hastening toward its end, and very deep evening having come, and the final decree being expected, all were in greater agony, and they requested God that some delay and postponement might occur, and that He might cast into the mind of the judges to refer the sentence of the emperor to the consideration of the investigators.

^A And common supplications from the populace were sent up to the ears of the benevolent God, that He might save the remnants of the city, and not permit it to be utterly overthrown from its foundations. Nor was it possible to see anyone who was not crying out these things with tears; nevertheless, nothing of these things at that time moved the judges who were hearing the causes within: rather, they looked to one thing only, that a diligent examination of those who had dared the deeds might occur, and finally, having cast them into chains, they were sending them to the prison through the midst of the marketplace—men who raised horses, who were directors of games, and possessed other countless, more brilliant services to recount, and their property was being confiscated, and it was possible to see seals upon the doors of all. And the wives of these men, cast out from their ancestral homes, were each fulfilling that of the wife of Job through their deeds; they were wandering from home to home and from place to place, needing a lodging—for it was not even easy for them to find this, as each one was fearing and trembling to receive and care for anyone who was liable.

^B But nevertheless, though so many things had happened, they were content with all these, because they had not fallen from the present life; and neither the loss of money, nor the ignominy, nor such a transformation, nor anything else of this kind was biting them. For the magnitude of the calamity, and the expectation of suffering greater things than these, caused their souls to philosophize; and then they were learning how easy virtue is for us, how readily accomplished, and that it seems laborious only because of our neglect. For those who a little before could not bear the loss of moderate sums of money with equanimity, being pressed by a greater fear, having lost all their possessions, were acting as if they had found a treasure, because they had not lost their soul. ^C And if the sense of the future Gehenna held us, and we were thinking of those intolerable punishments, even if we had handed over our property, and soul, and body to the laws of God, we would not have grieved, knowing that we shall gain greater things: deliverance from future evils. Perhaps the lamentation of the things spoken has not a little softened your heart; but do not take it ill: for since I am about to approach more subtle sentiments, and I need a softer mind, I have done this on purpose: so that, with all torpor shaken off by the fear of the narration, your mind, arising from all the cares of life, might with much ease let down into the depths of the soul the power of the things to be said.

^D

That there is a natural law in us of things good and contrary; but that the demonstration might become more manifest to us, we shall again labor on the same matter of our discourses today.

The laws of charity toward one's neighbor.

^A it requires eagerness and diligence. Nor did He lighten the burden for us only in this way, but also in another, by letting some of our achievements be natural to us. For we all possess naturally the instinct to sympathize with the insulted (we immediately become enemies to those who oppress them, even if we ourselves have suffered no wrong), and to rejoice with those who enjoy relief and assistance, and to be moved by others' misfortunes, and to feel affection ^B towards one another. For even if the circumstances of events seem to introduce a certain despondency, we still have a mutual attraction one for another. And a certain wise man, hinting at this, said: *Every animal loves its like, and man his neighbor* (Eccli. 13. 19).

4. God has set over us many other teachers besides our conscience; for He has set fathers over sons, masters over servants, husbands over wives, teachers over pupils, lawmakers and judges over subjects, and friends over friends. ^C And often we have gained no less from enemies than from friends; for when they reproach us for our sins, even against our will they excite us to their correction. And He has set so many teachers over us, so that our finding and correcting of what is profitable for us might be easy, since the multitude of those driving us toward it does not permit us to fall from what is profitable. For even if we should despise our parents, by fearing the magistrates we shall certainly be more moderate; even if we should scorn them while sinning, we shall never be able to evade the reproof of ^D our conscience; even if we should despise this and try to evade it, by fearing the opinion of the many we shall be better; even if we should be shameless toward this, the fear of the laws lying upon us will be able to make even unwilling ones temperate; and while we are young, teachers and fathers regulate us, and when we are grown, lawmakers and magistrates take us in hand; so too servants, seeing as they are more slothful, together with those mentioned, also have the necessity from their masters for temperance, and wives have it from their husbands; and many walls everywhere for our race [are set] against easily slipping into wickedness and falling.

Besides all these, diseases and the circumstances of events also instruct us; for poverty restrains, and loss makes one temperate, and danger subdues, and many other such things. Does not a father frighten you? Or a teacher? Or a ruler? Or a lawmaker? Or a judge? Does not a friend shame you? Does not an enemy sting you? Does not a master make you temperate? Does not a husband instruct you? Does not your conscience correct you? But sickness, often having come upon you, has accomplished the whole thing regarding the body, and loss has made a bolder man more moderate; and what is greater, that not only to us, but also to others are these things happening, and they are accustomed to benefit us greatly; and even if we ourselves have suffered nothing, seeing others punished we are no less made temperate than them. One may see this happening also in the case of achievements; for as others become better by the punishment of the wicked, so too when some achieve something good, many are led into the same zeal; which indeed also happened in the case of the flight from oaths. For many, seeing others having laid aside that evil habit of oaths, imitated the eagerness and overcame the sin; wherefore we, too, more eagerly take hold of the same reminder again.

Let no one say to me, "Many have succeeded"; this is not what is sought, but that all should. Until I see this, I cannot draw breath. That shepherd had a hundred sheep, and when one was led astray, he did not take comfort in the safety of the ninety-nine until he found the lost one and gave it back to the flock. Do you not see this also happening in the body? For if we trip merely the nail, the whole body suffers along with the member. Do not, therefore, say this, that a few have been left behind who have not succeeded, but consider this, that these few, if not corrected, corrupt many others. For there was one who had committed fornication among the Corinthians, and yet Paul lamented so [greatly] as if the whole city were perishing. And very reasonably; for he knew that if that one were not made temperate, the disease, moving rapidly on its way, would run over all the others too. I saw lately in the court those illustrious men bound and led away through the middle of the marketplace, and when some were wondering because of the excess of the ignominy, "There is nothing to wonder at," others were saying; "for where there is wickedness, rank helps nothing." Therefore, much more, if there is impiety, rank helps nothing.

5. Thinking on these things, then, let us rouse ourselves; for if you do not bring in your eagerness to what is from us, all things from us are superfluous. Why so? Because the teacher's power is not like the other arts. For the silversmith, whatever vessel he may forge and put away, he will find it such on coming the next day; and the coppersmith, and the stonemason, and each of the craftsmen, whatever work he may leave behind, such will he receive back again; but in our case it is not so, but exactly the opposite; for we do not forge lifeless vessels, but rational souls. For this reason we do not find you such as we leave you, but when we have taken [you] and with much labor fashioned and corrected you, and made you more fervent, once you have gone out, the circumstance of affairs surrounding you on all sides will twist you again, and provides us with greater difficulty. For this reason I beg and beseech you to reach out a hand, and as much eagerness as I make here for your correction, so much show when you have gone away from here regarding your own salvation. For I would that it were possible for me to succeed on your behalf, and for you to receive the prizes of the achievements, and I would not have troubled you so much. But what can I do? This is impossible; for to each he will render according to his works. Just as, therefore, a mother seeing her child feverish, standing by him gasping and burning, mourning, has often said to the sick child, "Would that it were possible for me, my child, to take upon myself your fever, and to draw the flame onto me," so do I now say: Would that it were possible for me, having labored on behalf of you all, to succeed; but this is not possible, it is not, but each one must give an account of what he himself has done, and one would not see another being punished on behalf of another. For this reason I am in pain and I mourn, because on that day I shall not be able to stand by you when you are being accused; for mostly, I do not have such boldness before God. And if I did have boldness, I am not holier than Moses, nor more righteous than Samuel, regarding whom...

of virtue, he said that they could not benefit the Jews at all, having been delivered over to them because of their great sloth. Since, therefore, we are punished and saved by our own works, let us strive, I pray, together with all other things, to fulfill also this commandment, so that departing from here with a good hope, we may obtain the promised goods, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

EVERY CITIZEN WAS FREED FROM ANXIETY AND RESTORED TO CONFIDENCE, YET CERTAIN MEN AGAIN DISTURBED THE CITY BY FABRICATING FEARFUL RUMORS, AND WERE CONVICTED; ON THIS ACCOUNT THE HOMILY WAS DELIVERED, AND AN ADMONITION CONCERNING THE ABSTINENCE FROM OATHS WAS ADDED; AND FOR THIS REASON THE HISTORY CONCERNING JONATHAN AND SAUL AND JEPHTHAH WAS PRODUCED, AND IT WAS DEMONSTRATED THAT PERJURIES ARE BORN FROM A SINGLE OATH.

^A 1. It is not by chance that the devil disturbed our city yesterday, but God has again consoled us not a little, so that each of us can opportunely say that prophetic utterance: "According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, your consolations have gladdened my soul" (Ps. XCIII, 19). And God exhibited His providence to us not only by consoling, but also by permitting us to be disturbed. For what I have never ceased to say, this I will say even today: that not only the resolution of troubles, but even their permission comes from God's benevolence. For when He sees us inclining toward sloth, and falling away from intimacy with Him, and having no account of spiritual things, He leaves us for a little while, so that, having been chastened in this way, we may return to Him more zealously. ^B And why are you amazed if He does this concerning us who are sluggish, since even Paul said that this was the cause of temptations both in himself and in his own disciples? For in writing his second epistle to the Corinthians, he spoke thus: "I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the tribulation which happened to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, beyond strength, so that it even made us weary of life; but we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves" (II Cor. I, 8-9). As if to say: "Such great dangers," he says, "weighed upon us, that we were weary of living, and no longer hoped that there would be any good change, but that nothing except death was to be expected—for this is what it means, 'We have had the sentence of death within ourselves'—but yet, after such great despair, God drove away the storm and chased away the cloud, and snatched us from the very jaws of death." Then, demonstrating that for Him to concede that we should fall into such incalculable danger was a work of much providence, he mentions the gain that is also produced from temptations; this, however, was to look assiduously to Him, and not to think anything great, nor to be puffed up. Therefore, when he had said, "We have had the sentence of death within ourselves," he also brought in the cause. For what is this cause? "That we,” he says, "should not be confident in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead" (II Cor. I, 9). For the nature of temptations is accustomed to awaken and rouse us when we are drowsy and have fallen away, and to make us more conscientious. ^C When, therefore, you see, beloved, a temptation now extinguished, but then ignited again, do not be downcast nor flee; but hold fast to a good hope, reasoning this within yourself, that God does not deliver us over to the hands of enemies because He hates or spurns us, but wishing to make us more zealous and more familiar to Himself. Let us not, therefore, despond, nor despair of a change for the better, but let us hope for the most rapid tranquility, and casting the end of all the tumults by which we are tossed upon God, let us return to the usual matters and bring forth the customary teaching into our midst; for I wish to speak to you again about the same subject, so that the evil habit of swearing may be rooted out from your mind.

It is necessary to take refuge again in the same entreaty. For previously I asked you, having taken the severed head of John, still dripping with warm blood, thus to return each to his own home, and to think that you have him before your eyes, sending forth a voice and saying: "Hate my slayer, the oath." What rebuke did not accomplish, the oath accomplished; what tyrannical anger could not, the necessity of perjury achieved. For when the tyrant was being publicly convicted in the hearing of all, he bore the rebuke nobly; ^D but when he cast himself into the necessity of oaths, then he cut off that blessed head. Therefore, I seek this same thing even now, and I will not cease to seek it, that wherever we go, we may depart bearing this head, and show it to all, crying out and vilifying oaths. For although we may be very slothful and negligent, having looked upon the eyes of that head, looking back at us terribly and threatening those who swear, restrained more vehemently than by any bridle through fear of this kind, we shall be able to easily repress and turn away our tongue from the precipice of swearing. For the oath has not only this evil, that it renders both the one who denies it and the one who keeps it liable to punishment—which one sees happen in no other of the sins—but also another no less than this. What, however, is this? That it is not possible either for those wishing or those striving to swear well often. First, because the one who swears frequently, both willingly and unwillingly, and unknowingly and knowingly, and in earnest and in jest, and often carried away by anger and by many other things, will altogether perjure himself. And no one will contradict this; it is so plain and manifest that one who swears much must needs be a perjurer.

^A For often, when we are breakfasting at home and one of our servants has made a mistake, the wife swears she will flog him; then the husband counter-swears, contending for the opposite and not yielding. In such a situation, whatever they might do, perjury must needs result; for it is thereafter impossible for them—even if they should wish or strive to keep the oath—to do so; but whatever happens, one of them will be caught in perjury, or rather, both must needs be. And how? I will explain; for this is the paradoxical part. If he has sworn to flog the servant or the maid, and is then prevented, he has himself perjured himself by not doing what he swore, and he has again brought the charge of perjury upon the one who prevented and interrupted the oath-keeping. For not only those who commit perjury, but also those who impose this necessity upon others are liable to the same sins. This can be seen to happen not only in households, but in the marketplaces, and especially in fights, when those who are brawling with one another swear against each other: one that he will strike, the other that he will not be struck; one that he will take away a cloak, the other that he will not permit it; one that he will demand the money, the other that he will not pay it—and they swear many other such opposing and contentious things. ^B And in workshops and schools one might see this happening too. Often, at any rate, a craftsman has sworn to an apprentice that he shall not let him eat or drink until he has finished the entire task assigned to him. This is something a tutor often does to a youth, or a mistress to a maidservant, and when evening comes and the work remains uncompleted, of necessity those who failed to finish either perish of hunger or, in any event, the ones who swore commit perjury. For that wicked demon who ever lies in wait for our good deeds, standing by and hearing the necessity of the oaths, casts those who are liable into sloth or works some other difficulty, so that, because the task is not completed, blows and insults and perjuries and countless other terrible things result. Just as children, when pulling a long and rotten rope against one another with much force, all fall backward when the rope breaks in the middle, and while some are wounded in the head, others are injured in another part of the body—so indeed, when those who swear against one another find the oath broken by the necessity of circumstances, both fall into the abyss of perjury: the one by the very act of perjuring himself, the other by furnishing the cause of perjury to others ^C 2. And so that this may become manifest not only from the things that happen daily in households and marketplaces, but also from the Scriptures themselves, I will recount to you an ancient history that supports what has been said. When the enemies had once come against the Jews, and Jonathan (who was the son of Saul) had slaughtered some and put others to flight, Saul, his father, wishing to incite the camp more fiercely against those who remained, and to ensure they did not withdraw until he had won over them all, did the opposite of what he intended by swearing that no one save himself should eat bread until the vengeance of his enemies was complete. ^D What could be more foolish than this? For, whereas he ought to have refreshed the soldiers who had labored and were slaughtered, and sent them out against the enemies more invigorated, he treated them more cruelly than the enemies themselves by the necessity of his oath, delivering them over to a most grievous famine. It is dangerous, then, even for a person to swear concerning himself, for we are often forced to do things by the circumstance of events; but to bind the judgment of others also with the necessity of one’s own oaths is far more dangerous, especially when one swears not concerning one or two or three, but concerning an infinite multitude. This is what Saul did then, thoughtlessly; and he considered neither that it was likely that among such a vast number, at least one person would fail the oath, nor that soldiers, while soldiers fighting, are far removed from philosophy, and do not know how to master their belly, especially when their toil is great. But disregarding all these things, as if swearing concerning a single servant—whom he could easily have restrained—he calculated the same for the whole army. Because of this, he opened such a door to the devil that not only two or three or four, but many more were induced to weave perjuries from this oath in a short time. For just as when we do not swear at all, we block off every entrance to him; so if we let slip even one oath, we provide him with much authority to construct myriads of perjuries. And just as those who braid chains, if they have someone holding the beginning for them, perform the whole weaving with precision; but if there is no one doing this, they cannot even attempt the beginning—in the same way also the devil, weaving the chains of our sins, if he does not take the beginning from our tongue, could not even attempt it; but if we make the beginning ourselves, holding the oath as it were with our tongue as a hand, thereafter he displays his wicked art with much boldness, having composed and woven myriads of perjuries from a single oath—which is what he also did now in the case of Saul. Look, then, immediately at what sort of snare this oath becomes. “The army passed through a forest containing a bee-swarmer, and notice the swarmer was before the face of the field, and the people entered into the swarmer, and it was proceeding speaking.” Did you see what sort of abyss this is? An improvised table, so that both the ease of the undertaking, the sweetness of the food, and the hope of escaping notice might entice them to the transgression of the oaths. For both hunger, and toil, and the occasion (for Scripture says, “All the land was breakfasting”) then pushed them toward lawlessness. And the sight of the honeycombs from without enticed them, breaking down their vigor; for both the sweetness and the easy preparation of the table and the difficulty of the theft were enough to allure even all philosophy. If it were meat that had to be boiled and roasted, it would not have so beguiled their soul, as they would have had to cook and prepare it for food, delaying, and expecting to be caught; but as it was, there was nothing of the kind, but only honey, where no such trouble was needed, but it sufficed to dip the tip of one's finger to partake of the table and escape notice. But nevertheless, those men restrained their desire and did not say to themselves: “What does it matter to us? Did any one of us swear this? He shall pay the penalty for his thoughtless oaths. For why did he swear?”

But they thought nothing of the kind, but passed by with great reverence; and although there were so many things to entice them, they kept the discipline. *And the people passed by saying* (1 Reg. 14:26). What is, *saying*? They were speaking among themselves, consoling their grief with words.

3. What then, after all the people kept the discipline, was nothing further done, but the oath kept? Not even then was it kept, but was violated. But how and in what way, you shall hear at once, so that you may learn the entire artifice of the devil. For Jonathan, who had not heard his father swearing, *extended the tip of the scepter that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and turned his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened* (1 Reg. 14:27). See whom he urged to perjury—not one of the soldiers, but the son of the one who swore. For he did not wish only to commit perjury, but he was also contriving the slaughter of the son; he was attempting this beforehand and was hastening to divide nature against itself. And what he had once done in the case of Jephthah (Judic. 11:39), he hoped to do again later. For that man, having promised to God that he would slaughter the first to meet him after the victory of the war, fell into the slaughter of his daughter; for he sacrificed the little daughter who first met him, and God did not forbid it.

The harm of an oath is shown by the example of Jephthah

4. But let us see the rest. *And Saul said: Let us go down after the aliens, and let us plunder them: and the priest said: Let us draw near hither unto God* (Ibid. v. 36). For in ancient times God was the leader of the wars, and without His judgment they would never have dared to engage in battle, and the war itself became a matter of piety for them. For they were not being defeated out of the weakness of the body, but because of sins, if ever they were defeated: nor were they winning by power and bravery, but by benevolence from above, whenever they did win; and the victory and the defeat were an exercise for them and an instruction in virtue, not for them alone, but also for those fighting against them. For it was manifest to them that it was not the nature of arms, but the life of those fighting that decided the war with the Jews. Knowing this, therefore, the Midianites, and learning that that nation was invincible, and that it could not be conquered by machinations and arms, but that it was easy to capture them by sin alone, adorning beautiful virgins and placing them before the battle lines, were provoking the soldiers to lasciviousness, striving to take away God's help through fornication; which indeed also came to pass. For after they fell into sin, they were made conquerable by all; and whom arms and horses and soldiers and so many machines could not capture, their own nature, bound by sin, handed over to the enemies; and shields and spears and darts were all in vain; but the shape of the face and the lasciviousness of the mind conquered those who were otherwise brave. Therefore a certain one admonishes, saying: *Do not gaze upon another’s beauty, and do not meet with a woman who is a harlot* (Eccli. 9:8, 3). *For honey distills from the lips of a harlot woman, which for a time fattens thy gullet, but afterward thou shalt find it more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword* (Prov. 5:3-4).

For a harlot knows not how to love, but only how to plot; her kiss is a trap, and her mouth is a deadly poison. And if this is not immediately apparent, one ought for that very reason all the more to avoid her, because she disguises the perdition and has death hidden within, and does not permit it to be manifest from the very start.

Therefore, if anyone pursues pleasure and a life full of joy, let him shun the company of harlotrous women; for they fill the souls of their lovers with countless wars and tumults, stirring up against them ceaseless quarrels through words and through all manner of actions. And just like the bitterest of enemies, so too do these women act and negotiate, so as to entangle them in shame and poverty and the ultimate evils. And just as hunters, after spreading their nets, attempt to drive wild animals into them that they may slaughter them; so too these women, once they have unfurled the wings of profligacy on every side by means of glances, postures, and words, and then have cast their own lovers into them and bound them, they do not desist until they have drunk up their very blood, trampling upon them afterward and mocking their folly, and pouring out much laughter upon them. For such a man is no longer worthy of pity, but of laughter and mockery, when he appears more irrational than a woman, and a harlot woman at that.

For this reason, that wise man advises again, saying: *Drink waters from thine own vessels and from thine own wells of a fountain* (Prov. 5:15 ff.); and again: *Let a loving doe and a foal of thy graces converse with thee* (Prov. 5:19), speaking such things concerning a woman who lives with one by the law of marriage: *Why dost thou leave behind thy helper, and run to the plotter? Why dost thou turn away from the partner of thy life, and court the one who overturns thy life?* She is a member and body of thine; the other is a sharpened sword. Therefore, beloved, flee from fornication, both for the sake of present evils and for the sake of the future punishment. ^A Perhaps we seem to have fallen away from the subject, but it is not a falling away; for we do not intend merely to read histories to you, but to ensure that each one of you may correct the passions that are troubling you; for this reason we also make constant reprimands, preparing a manifold discourse for you, since it is likely that there are manifold diseases in such a great throng, and it is not proposed to heal one wound alone, but many and various ones, and for this reason the medicine of the instruction must also be varied.

Let us therefore return to where we turned aside to say these things. And the priest said: *Let us draw near to God.* And Saul inquired of God: *Shall I go down after the foreigners, and wilt Thou deliver them into my hands?* And the Lord did not answer him on that day. See the gentleness and leniency of the philanthropic God; for He did not hurl a thunderbolt, nor did He shake the earth, but what friends do to friends when they are insulted, this the Master did to His servant: He merely kept silence, speaking through His silence and demonstrating all His anger to him. Saul, understanding this, said, as it is written: *Bring hither the tribes of the people, and know and see in whom this sin has occurred this day, for as the Lord lives, who saved Israel, that if it should be answered in accordance with Jonathan my son, he shall surely die* (1 Reg. 14:38). ^B Did you see the rashness? Seeing that his previous oath had been violated, he is not even then brought to his senses, but he adds a second one as well.

And consider the craftiness of the devil. For because he perceived that many times a son who has been caught and brought into the midst can, by his very appearance, immediately soften his father and appease the king's anger, he preempted his mind with the necessity of a second oath, holding him with a double bond, and not allowing him to be master of his own judgment, but through everything pushing him toward that lawless slaughter. And without the sinner having yet appeared, he prepares the judgment, and without knowing who has been caught, he pronounces sentence; and the father became his son's executioner, and before the examination he brought forth the condemning vote. What could be more irrational than this?

^C 5. The people, therefore, were in greater fear when Saul said this, and all were in great trembling and awe, but the devil rejoiced, having rendered everyone anxious. For there was no one, he says, answering from among all the people. And Saul said: *You shall be in slavery, and I and Jonathan my son shall be in slavery* (1 Reg. 14:39-40). What he says is something like this: You are striving for nothing else, he says, than to surrender yourselves to the enemies and make yourselves slaves instead of free men, by provoking God against yourselves by not giving up the one who is liable. And see also another turn of events resulting from the oath. For it was fitting, if he wanted to find the culprit, to threaten nothing of the kind, nor bind the penalty with an oath, so that they, being less fearful, could more readily bring into the midst the one who was liable; but he, through anger and great madness and his former irrationality, does the exact opposite of what he intends.

Why is there need to say much? He entrusted the matter to the lot, and Saul and Jonathan are cast for the lot. And Saul said: *Cast lots between me and Jonathan; and they cast lots, and Jonathan is taken* (1 Reg. 14:42). And Saul said to Jonathan: *Declare to me what thou hast done.* And Jonathan declared to him, saying: *I did but taste a little honey with the tip of the rod that is in my hand; and behold, I die* (1 Reg. 14:43). Who would not have been moved, who would not have been brought to pity by these words? Consider what a storm Saul then endured, with his inner feelings being torn apart, and the deepest precipice appearing on all sides; yet not even so was he brought to his senses, for what does he say? *God do so to me and more also, for thou shalt surely die today* (1 Reg. 14:44). Behold a third oath again, and not simply a third, but with great distress of the moment; for he did not say simply, *Thou shalt die*, but, *Today*. For the devil was hastening, urging and driving him toward this lawless slaughter. For which reason he does not even permit a respite to be granted for the vote, so that no correction of the evil might come from the delay.

And the people said to Saul: *God do so to us and more also, if the one who performed the great salvation for Israel shall be put to death. As the Lord lives, if a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, because he has performed a work of God this day* (1 Reg. 14:45). Behold, the people also swore a second time, and swore counter to the king. Now remind me ^D of the cable being pulled by the servants, and snapping, and throwing those pulling it onto their backs. Saul swore, not once, nor

twice, but very often; the people swore the opposite and were already contending. Necessarily, the oath had to be broken; for it was impossible that all of them had sworn truly. The damage from oaths is great. Do not tell me of the outcome of the event, but think of how many evils were being born, and what a tragedy and tyranny for the future through Absalom the devil was constructing from this. For if the king had wished to resist and proceed with the oath, the entire people would have resisted, and a most cruel tyranny would have resulted. And, on the other hand, if the son, considering his own safety, had wished to deliver himself to the army, he would have immediately been a parricide. You see both the tyranny, and the murder of the son, and the parricide, and the civil war, and the fighting, and the slaughters, and the bloodshed, and infinite corpses brought about from one oath. For if a war had happened, perhaps both Saul and Jonathan would have been slaughtered, and many of the soldiers would have been cut down; and the oath would not have resulted well for anyone. ^B Therefore, do not consider this, that it did not happen to turn out that way; but consider that the nature of the matter compelled these things to happen. But the people prevailed. Come then, let us number the committed perjuries. The first oath of Saul was violated by his son; the second again, and the third, by Saul himself concerning the slaughter of the son; and the people appeared to have sworn truly. But if one carefully examines the matter, these, too, were in turn all made subject to the charges of perjury. For they compelled Jonathan's own father to perjure himself, not delivering the son to the father. Do you see how many people, both willing and unwilling, one oath made subject to perjury? How many evils it worked, how many slaughters it committed! I promised to show that perjury is necessarily born from contradictory oaths, but the history of the matter, when followed, has demonstrated far more than I was preparing to; for it did not exhibit one, or two, or three men, but the people; and not one or three, but far more violated oaths. It was possible to recount another history, and from it to demonstrate that one oath has caused a calamity heavier and greater than this. For one oath has subjected the Jews to the captivity of cities and women and children, and to fire, and to the invasion of barbarians, and to the pollution of holy things, and to countless other more serious evils. But I see that the argument is being drawn out to great length; therefore, finishing the account of this history here, after the head of John and the slaughter of Jonathan, and the general destruction of the whole people—which, though it did not come to pass, nevertheless proceeded from the necessity of oaths—I exhort you to hold this in remembrance among yourselves, both at home, and in the marketplace, and among your spouses, and among your friends, and among your neighbors, and among all people generally, and not consider it a sufficient defense for us if we plead custom. For that this excuse is a pretext, and that it is a fault not of custom but of laziness, I shall endeavor to persuade you from the things that have already occurred. ^C The king had interdicted the baths of the city as a penalty. The king obstructed the city's baths, and ordered no one to wash, and no one dared to transgress the law, or to accuse the deed, or to plead custom. But men who are often in sickness, and women, and children, and old men, and many women recently freed from the pains of childbirth, all necessarily seeking such a remedy, whether they want to or not, bear this mandate. And they neither plead the illness of the body, nor the tyranny of custom, nor that they are being punished for the sins of others, nor do they plead any other such thing; but they gratefully accept this retribution, because they expect greater evils, and they pray daily to stop the royal wrath so far. You see that where there is fear, custom is easily broken, even if it is very long-standing and necessary! And yet, not to wash is a grave thing. For even if we philosophize a hundred times, the nature of the body is put to the test, and nothing is aided by the philosophy of the soul for one's own health; yet not to swear is very easy, and it brings no harm, neither to bodies nor to souls, but rather brings much emolument, great utility, and much wealth. How then is it not absurd that, with the king commanding, we sustain even the most difficult things, but with God decreeing what is neither grave nor difficult, but rather very easy and convenient, we despise and mock it and plead custom! Do not, I beseech you, do not to such an extent despise our own salvation, but let us fear God as we fear man. I know that you have shuddered hearing such things; but it is worthy of shuddering that we attribute not even as much honor to God as to men; but while carefully observing imperial decrees, we trample upon those that are divine and have descended from heaven, and think that concern about this is unnecessary. What excuse will remain for us? What pardon, when after such admonition we remain in the same state? For at the birth of this misery that grips the city, I began this admonition; and that indeed ought now to be finished, but we have not yet fulfilled one command. How then shall we seek the solution to the evils holding us, when we have not been able to fulfill one command? How, indeed, shall we expect a good change? How shall we pray? With what tongue shall we invoke God? For if we carry out the law, we shall reap much pleasure, with the king being reconciled to the city; but if we remain in sin, shame and disgrace will be on us from all sides; because when God has solved the danger, we have remained in the same laziness. Would that it were possible for me to strip away the souls of those who frequently swear, and to subject to their own eyes the wounds and scars which they receive daily from oaths; they would not need admonition or counsel; for the sight of wounds is more powerful than any speech to lead away those who even adhere most to this wicked custom from malice. ^D Nevertheless, if not to the eyes, it is possible at least to the thought to subject the disgrace of their own souls and to show it as having rotted and become corrupted. For, he says, "As a servant who is continually whipped will not be cleared of a scar, so also he who swears and names God always will not be innocent of sin" (Eccli. 23. 11). For it is impossible, impossible for a mouth accustomed to swearing not to perjure itself frequently. Therefore, I beg all to...

^A ...placing aside this wicked habit from your soul, to bind on a different crown. And just as they sing everywhere about our city, that it was the first of all in the world to put on the name of Christians 151, so grant that all may say that Antioch alone of all in the world has driven away oaths from its own borders. Rather, if this happens, not only will it be crowned itself, but it will lead others into the same zeal; and just as the name of Christians, beginning from here as if from a certain fountain, flooded the whole world, so truly will this virtuous achievement also, having taken its root and cause from here, render all who inhabit the earth your disciples, so that the reward for you becomes double and triple, both for your own achievements and for the instruction of others. This will be more brilliant for you than any diadem; this will make the city a metropolis for you, not on earth only, but also in the heavens; this will stand before us on that day and will bring us the crown of righteousness; which may we all attain, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father is glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

ALSO ON THE CALAMITY OF THE CITY OF ANTIOCH, AND THAT FEAR IS USEFUL EVERYWHERE, AND THAT MOURNING IS MORE BENEFICIAL, AND ON THE SAYING: "KNOW THAT YOU ARE WALKING IN THE MIDST OF SNARES" (Eccl. 9:20), AND THAT TO SWEAR IS WORSE THAN TO KILL.

Homily XV. 1. It was fitting to stir up the discourse concerning fasting both today and on the previous Sabbath, and let no one think what was said is ill-timed. For on the days of the fast there is no need of counsel and exhortation for this, since the very presence of the days stirs up even those who are quite sluggish toward the struggle of fasting. But since many people, about to enter into a fast—as if the stomach were about to be surrendered to some long siege—gorge themselves beforehand with gluttony and drunkenness, and departing again, as if released from some long famine and grievous prison of fasting, run to the tables with much vulgarity, as if eager to destroy again with the excess of gluttony the benefit that resulted for them from the fast; it was necessary both then and now to stir up discourses concerning temperance. But yet, we did not say anything of the sort formerly, nor shall we say it now; for fear of the impending calamity is sufficient, instead of all exhortation and counsel, to bring the souls of all to their senses. For who is so miserable and wretched as to be drunk in such a storm? Who is so unfeeling as to be, while the city is so swaying and so great a shipwreck is threatened, not sober and awake, and yet to be corrected by this anxiety more accurately than by all counsel and exhortation? For a sermon will not be able to do as much as fear works; and this itself is possible to demonstrate from the things that have now happened. For how many discourses have we spent, exhorting many of the slothful and advising them to leave the theaters and the indecencies there? And they did not endure, but always on that day ran together to the unlawful spectacles of the dancers, and were establishing a diabolic assembly against the fullness of the Church of God, and the cries from there, borne with much vehemence, echoed against the psalmodies here; but behold, now, with us silent and saying nothing about this, they have closed the orchestra of their own accord, and the hippodrome has become inaccessible; and before this indeed, many of our own used to run to those others, but now all have fled from there to the church, and all are singing hymns to our God. Do you see how much profit has come from fear? If fear were not good, fathers would not have set tutors over their children, nor would legislators have appointed rulers over cities. What is more grievous than Gehenna? But there is nothing more useful than the fear of it; for the fear of Gehenna brings us the crown of the kingdom. Where there is fear, there is no envy; where there is fear, the love of money does not trouble one; where there is fear, anger has been extinguished, wicked desire has been quelled, every irrational passion has been banished. And just as in the house where a soldier is continuously armed, no robber, no housebreaker, no other one of those who commit such evils will dare to appear nearby, so also with fear 152 taking hold of our souls, none of the ignoble passions easily enters into us; but all flee and are banished, being driven out from everywhere by the tyranny of fear. And this is not the only thing we reap from fear, but also another thing much greater than this. For it does not only drive away our wicked passions, but also introduces all virtue with much ease. Where there is fear, there is also the intensity of almsgiving and prayer, and fervent and continuous tears, and groans having much contrition. For nothing so consumes sins, or causes virtue to grow and flourish, as the nature of continuous fear; for this reason it is impossible for one not living with fear to be corrected; as therefore it is impossible for the one living in fear to err. Let us not, therefore, be pained, beloved, nor let us fall down at the present affliction, but let us admire the resourcefulness of the wisdom of God. For through those things by which the devil expected to overthrow our city, through these God has raised and restored it; for the devil, indeed, inspired wicked men, and against the statues of the kings, so that the very foundation of the city might be destroyed; but God used this very thing that had happened for our greater correction, having cast out all sloth through the fear of the expected threat; and the opposite has happened to what the demon intended, through the things which he himself prepared. For the city is being purged for us day by day, and the narrow streets and both the squares and the market-places are freed from the harlots...

and slippery songs: and wherever anyone looks, there are supplications ^B and blessings, and tears instead of unrestrained laughter, and words holding philosophy instead of shameful words; and the whole city has become a church, with the workshops closed, and everyone spending the entire day in these public supplications and calling upon God with one and a common voice with much eagerness. What sort of sermon could have explained these things? What admonition? What counsel? What length of time We must bear this, and not be indignant. For that fear is a good thing, the aforementioned things have demonstrated; but hear also how Solomon philosophizes about this, Solomon, I say, nourished in all kinds of luxurious fare and having enjoyed great freedom. What then does he say? "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting" (Eccl. VII, 2). Tell me, where there is mourning, and tears, and groaning, and pain, and such great despondency, is it better to depart thither than to where there is dancing, and cymbals, and laughter, and luxury, and gluttony, and drunkenness? "Yes," he says. But for what reason, I ask, and wherefore? Because from the latter arises wantonness, but from the former temperance; and if one should go to a more opulent feast, he will no longer return home with the same joy, but will return sad to his wife, and sad will he partake of his own table, and will be troublesome to his servants and children and all his household, looking more closely at his own poverty from the plenty of others. And not only is this grave, but also the fact that he often envies those who invited him to the feast; and he returns home having gained nothing at all of a good or pleasing nature.

But regarding those who are mourning, no such thing can be said, but there is much philosophy there, much temperance. For as soon as anyone ascends the threshold of a house having a corpse, looking upon the dead lying there, and the wife tearing her hair, lacerating her cheeks, and slashing her arms, he is brought to his senses, he is saddened, and each of those sitting there speaks to his neighbor nothing else than that we are nothing, and that our wickedness is ineffable. What could be wiser than these words, when we recognize both the vility of nature, and accuse our own wickedness, and think that the present things are nothing; speaking with other words indeed, but with the same intention as Solomon's that speak those wonderful things, full of much philosophy, "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity" (Eccl. I, 2). Having entered the house of those mourning, he immediately accompanies the deceased with tears, ^C even if he be an enemy. Have you seen how much better this house is than that one? For in that one, even if one is a friend, he envies; but here, even if one is an enemy, he sheds tears: which is what God most of all seeks, that we do not insult those who have saddened us. But not only can these good things be gathered from here, but also others no less than these. For each one remembers his own sins, the tremendous tribunal and those punishments and the judgment, and even if he has suffered infinite evils from others, and has sadness at home, having laid aside all of these, he thus returns. For thinking that both he and all those who are swollen with pride will soon suffer the same thing, and that all present things are transitory, whether they be sweet or sad, he puts aside all sadness and envy, and, having made his soul light, and being relieved, he will thus return home: and here he will be more gentle toward all, and more humble, more kind, and more wise, with the fear of future things having entered his soul and consumed all thorns. And knowing all these things, he used to say, "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting" (Eccl. VII, 3). From the latter lethargy arises, from the former anxiety; from the latter contempt, from the former fear, leading us to all virtue. If fear were not good, Christ would not have expended many and long discourses, speaking of those future punishments and torments. Fear is nothing other than a wall and a fortification, and an inexpugnable tower: for we have need of much fortification; because there are many snares on every side, as Solomon himself, again warning us thus, said: "Recognize that you walk in the midst of snares and on the battlements of the city you walk" (Eccli. IX, 20). ^D Oh! How full of importance is this word, and no less than the one above! In the world all things are full of snares. Let us therefore write this in our mind, and always carry it around in our memory, and we shall not easily sin. Let us write it down, first learning it with all diligence. For he did not say: "Look that you walk in the midst of snares," but, "Recognize." And why did he say, "Recognize"? The snare, he says, is shadowed over: for this is a snare, when death does not appear openly, nor is the destruction manifest, but it lies covered on all sides: therefore he said, "Recognize." You have need of much consideration, and diligent scrutiny: for just as boys cover snares with earth, so the devil covers sins with the pleasures of life. But recognize, searching diligently: and if a gain should occur, do not look at the gain alone, but search diligently, lest by chance death and sin be hidden inside the gain: and if you see it, flee. Again, when delight and pleasure occur, do not look at the pleasure alone, but lest by chance some iniquity be hidden in the depth of the pleasure, consider diligently, and if you find it, recoil. Whether anyone counsels, or flatters, or feigns concern, or promises honors, or whatever else; let us examine everything with diligence, and consider on every side, lest by chance some damage, lest by chance some danger should result to us from the counsel, or honor, or concern, and lest we hasten quickly and inconsiderately. For if there were only one or two snares, the guarding would be easy; but now, wishing to show their multitude, how does Solomon say? Hear: "Recognize that you walk in the midst of snares." He did not say, "You walk beside the snares," but "In the midst."

And there are snares in the house, and snares at the table, and snares in gatherings. Often, someone, having been thoughtless while among friends, speaks one of those words that ought not to have been uttered, and has brought about such danger that he has overturned the entire house.

3. Let us, therefore, investigate matters from all sides with diligence. Often a woman has become a snare to those who are not on guard; often children, often friends, often neighbors. And why, one might ask, are there so many snares? So that we might not creep below, but seek the things above. For birds, so long as they cut through the high air, are not easily caught; thus you too, so long as you look toward the things above, will not be easily caught by a snare or by any other such ambush. The devil is a fowler; be, therefore, higher than his reeds. He who ascends to the heights will no longer marvel at any of the things of life; but just as, when we run up to the summit of mountains, the city and the walls seem small to us, and the men walking on the earth appear like ants to us, so when you ascend to the lofty contemplation of philosophy, nothing of the things upon the earth will be able to strike you with awe, but all things—wealth, and glory, and power, and honor, and whatever else is of such a kind—will appear small when you behold the things in heaven; just as all things appeared small to Paul, and the splendors of the present life appeared more useless than the dead. For this reason he also cried out, saying: "The world has been crucified to me" (Gal. 6:14); for this reason he also exhorted us, saying: "Set your minds on things that are above" (Col. 3:2). Above? What do you mean, tell me? Where the sun is, where the moon is? No, he says. But where? Where the angels are, where the archangels are, where the Cherubim and Seraphim are? No, he says. But where? Where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God (Ibid., v. 1). Let us be convinced, therefore, and let us constantly reason thus, that just as for a bird there is no profit in its wings if it is caught by a snare, but it flutters in vain and to no purpose, so for you there is no profit in your reasoning if you are caught by force by evil desire; but however much you may struggle, you are caught. For this reason there are wings for the birds, that they might flee the snares; for this reason there is reasoning for men, that they might flee from sins. What excuse, then, shall we have, what defense, when we are more senseless than the irrational animals? For the bird, once caught by a snare and then escaping, and even the deer having fallen into a net and broken free, will with difficulty be caught by the same things again; for to each, experience becomes a teacher of safety. We, however, having been caught many times by the same things, fall into the same things again, and we, who are honored with reason, do not even imitate the foresight and attentiveness of the irrational animals. How often, having seen a woman, have we suffered myriad terrible things upon returning home, having welcomed the desire, and, having suffered for many days, yet we are not made sober; but having barely healed the former wound, we fall into the same things again and are caught by the same things, and for a short pleasure of sight, we endure a continuous and long-lasting pain. But ^B if we learn to repeat this saying continuously to ourselves, we shall abstain from all terrible things: the greatest snare is the beauty of a woman; or rather, not the beauty of a woman, but the licentious gaze. For let us not blame things, but ourselves and our own sloth; nor let us say, "Let there not be women," but "Let there not be adultery"; nor let us say, "Let there not be a stomach," but "Let there not be gluttony"; nor let us say, "Let there not be beauty," but "Let there not be fornication." For the stomach does not produce gluttony, but our own sloth. Let us not say that all evils occur because of eating and drinking; for it is not because of this, but because of our own sloth and greed. For the devil did not eat or drink, and he fell; Paul ate and drank, and he ascended into heaven. I hear many saying, "Let there not be poverty!" Let us, therefore, silence those who are vexed by such things; for it is blasphemy to say such things. Let us, therefore, say to them: "Let there not be faint-heartedness"; for poverty has introduced myriad good things into our life, and without poverty, wealth is useless. Let us not, therefore, blame either this or that; for poverty and wealth are both weapons that carry one toward virtue, if we so desire. Just as, therefore, the noble soldier, whatever weapon he may take, demonstrates his own virtue, so the coward and the faint-hearted is hindered by both. And that you may learn that this is true, remember for me Job, who became at once both rich and poor, and handled both weapons, and in both he prevailed. And when he was rich, he said: "My door was open to everyone who came" (Job 31:32); when he became poor, he said: "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so it came to be" (Job 1:21). When he was rich, he demonstrated great hospitality; when he became poor, he demonstrated great patience. And are you, therefore, rich? Demonstrate much almsgiving. Have you become poor? Demonstrate much steadfastness and patience. For neither is wealth an evil, nor is poverty simply so; but both of these become whichever they are according to the choice of those who use them. ^C

4. We must, therefore, have judgment in matters, and not blame the works of God, but the evil choice of men. Neither can wealth help the faint-hearted, nor can poverty ever harm the great-souled. Let us, therefore, recognize the snares, and walk far from them; let us recognize the precipices, and not even come near. This will be the greatest basis of safety for us: not only to flee from sins, but also from those things which seem to be indifferent, but which trip us up toward sins. What is it that I say? Laughing and saying witty things does not indeed seem to be a confessed sin, but it leads to a confessed sin; for often, from laughter, shameful words are born, and from shameful words, even more shameful deeds; often, from words and laughter come reviling and insult, and from reviling and insult come blows and wounds, and from wounds and blows come slaughters and murders. If, therefore, you are about to deliberate well concerning yourself, you must flee not only shameful words, nor only shameful deeds, nor only blows and wounds and murders, but even that untimely laughter.

^A And the root of the evils that follow is usually such things. Therefore, Paul says: "Let foolish talking and scurrility not proceed out of your mouth" (Eph. 5:3). For although it seems a small thing in itself, it becomes the cause of great evils to us. Again, to be given to luxuries does not seem to be a manifest and acknowledged crime; yet it produces many evils for us: drunkenness, brawls, greed, robberies. For the voluptuous and the luxurious person, who ministers to the belly with intolerable services, is often compelled to steal, and to seize the goods of others, and to oppress and to violate. Therefore, if you flee luxuries, you have removed the material for greed and robbery and drunkenness and countless other evils, cutting off the root of iniquity from the beginning. ^B For this reason Paul also said: "She who is in luxuries, while living, is dead" (1 Tim. 5:6). To go to the theaters again, and to watch the contests of horses, and to engage in dice-games, does not seem to many to be a manifest sin, but it is accustomed to bring infinite evils into life. For dwelling in theaters has birthed fornication, petulance, and all incontinency; and the spectacle of the circus has brought on fights, abuse, blows, insults, and perpetual enmities; and the zeal for dice-games has often produced blasphemies, losses, angers, abuse, and countless other things more grievous than these. Therefore, let us not flee only these sins, but also those that appear indifferent, but which little by little drag us into these sins. For he who walks near a precipice, even if he does not fall, trembles, and is often overturned by the trembling itself and falls; so, too, he who does not flee sins from afar, but walks beside them, will live with fear, and will often be swallowed up in them. For he who curiously watches the beauty of others, even if he does not commit adultery, yet he has coveted, and according to the sentence of Christ he has become an adulterer (Matt. 5:28); and he is often carried into the sin itself by this experience. Therefore, let us restrain ourselves far from sins. Do you wish to be temperate? Do not only flee adultery, but also the petulant gaze. Do you wish to be away from shameful words? Do not only flee shameful words, but also laughter, looseness, and every desire. Do you wish to be far from murders? Flee abuse as well. Do you wish to be separated from drunkenness? Flee luxuries and luxurious tables, and root out the vice. A great snare is the petulance of the tongue, and it is in great need of a rein. ^C Therefore, someone says: "A strong snare to a man is his own lips, and he is caught by the words of his own mouth" (Prov. 6:2). Let us therefore control all our members ^D and rein them in, and banish abuse and insults and foul speech and curses from our mouth, and the evil habit of oaths—for our admonition has again led us to the same subject. And indeed, yesterday I determined with your charity that I would not speak any more about this commandment, since it has been discussed sufficiently on all the preceding days; but what am I to do? Until I see you corrected, I cannot refrain from giving counsel; since even Paul, who wrote to the Galatians, "Let no one provide me with labors" (Gal. 6:17), again appeared to them and spoke with them. Such are paternal bowels; even if fathers say they will depart, they do not desist until they see their sons corrected. Have you heard the prophet speaking to us today about the oath? "I lifted up my eyes, and saw," he said, "and behold a flying sickle, the length of which is twenty cubits, and the breadth ten cubits. And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I see a flying sickle, the length of which is twenty cubits, and the breadth ten cubits. And he said, It shall enter into the house of him that swears by my name, and shall destroy in the midst, and shall dig out the stones and the timber" (Zech. 5:1-4). What, then, is this statement? And for what reason does the punishment following the one who swears appear in the form of a sickle, and a flying sickle? So that you may see that vengeance is inevitable, and that the punishment cannot be evaded. For someone might perhaps escape a flying sword: but a sickle fallen onto the neck and made into a cord, no one can escape; and when wings are also present, what hope for salvation further remains? But for what reason does it dissolve the stones and wood of the swearer? So that the ruin may be a correction to others. For since it is necessary that the body of the swearer be buried in the earth, the house, dissolved and turned into ruin, will be an admonition to all who pass by and witness it, so that they may not dare the same things, lest they suffer the same; and the crime will always accuse the deceased. A sword does not prick so much as the nature of an oath: a blade does not kill so much as the wound of an oath. A swearer, even if he appears to live, is already dead, and has received a wound: and just as he who takes a rope, before he leaves the city and reaches the precipice and sees the executioner impending, is dead and has exited the gates of the praetorium: so, too, he who swears. Let us ponder these things, and not adjure our brothers. What are you doing, man? Do you adjure upon the sacred table, and where Christ is placed sacrificed, there do you sacrifice your brother? Thieves indeed commit murder on the roads: but you, in the presence of the Mother, sacrifice your son—committing a murder more wicked than Cain? He, to be sure, slaughtered his brother in the desert and with a present death; but you sacrifice your brother in the midst of the church, and that with a future, immortal death. For was the church made so that we might swear? It was made so that we might pray. For was the table set so that we might adjure? It was set so that we might resolve sins, not so that we might bind them. [alt-version omitted] But do you, if nothing else, at least revere the book itself that you present for the oath: and open the Gospel, which you order one to take into their hands and swear, and hearing what Christ discusses there concerning oaths, shudder and desist. What, then, does he say there concerning oaths? "But I say to you, swear not at all" (Matt. 5:34). But you, are you putting in the law that forbids swearing, for the purpose of an oath? O the insult! O the madness! For you do the same as if one were to order the legislator who forbids murder to become his accomplice in the slaughter. I do not groan and weep so much when I hear of some being slaughtered on the roads, as I groan and shed tears and shudder, when I see someone coming near this table, and laying on hands, and swearing while touching the Gospels. Regarding money,

what you are doing? If you believe that the man is truthful, do not force the necessity of an oath upon him; but if you know that he is lying, do not compel him to commit perjury. "But," he says, "I wish to be persuaded." However, when you do not force an oath, then you shall receive sufficient assurance. For now, having gone away home, you are continually consumed by your conscience, reflecting on these things: "Did I not swear him in vain? Did he not commit perjury? Was I not the cause of the sin?" But if you do not swear him, having gone away home, you will receive great comfort, thanking God and saying: "Blessed be God, that I restrained myself and did not swear in vain or uselessly." Let the gold be lamented; let the riches perish, so that this thing might impart to us the greatest assurance of not transgressing the law nor compelling another to do so. Consider for whose sake you did not swear, and this will suffice for your comfort and consolation. Often, indeed, when a battle is taking place, being insulted, we bear it generously, and we say to the one insulting us: "What shall I do to you? So-and-so hinders me," or "Your protector, he holds back my hands"; and this suffices us for comfort. So also you, whenever you are about to swear someone in, hold yourself back and restrain yourself, and say to the one about to swear: "What shall I do to you? God commanded not to swear; He now holds me back." This suffices both for the honor of the Lawgiver, and for your safety, and for the fear of the one about to swear. For when he sees that we are so afraid of swearing others, he himself will be much more afraid of swearing rashly. If you utter this word, he will depart home with much assurance. Hear, then, from God in the commandments, so that He also may hear you in your prayers. This word shall be written above, and it shall stand by you on the day of judgment, and it shall dissolve many sins. And let us reflect on this not only concerning the oath, but also in all affairs; and whenever we are about to do some good thing for God's sake, and then it brings losses, let us not look only at the loss from the matter, but also at the gain, which we shall reap from doing it for God's sake. For instance, someone insulted you? Bear it generously. You will bear it generously if you do not think only of the insult, but also of the dignity of the One who commands you to bear it, and you will bear it meekly. Did you give alms? Do not consider the expenditure, but also the income from the expenditure. Have you lost money? Give thanks, and do not look only at the pain from the loss, but also at the gain from the thanksgiving. If we regulate ourselves in this way, nothing of the misfortunes that befall us will grieve us, but we shall even gain from those things that appear to be grievous; even the loss of wealth, and the grief of pleasure and of mirth, and the loss of honor will be sweeter and more desirable; and the contrary things will all result in gain for us; and here we shall enjoy much peace, and there we shall attain the kingdom of heaven, of which may it be granted to us all to be deemed worthy, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, and honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

A discourse of the Prefect, and of all consulting concerning flight, when the Prefect had entered the church and offered consolation; it was delivered the present homily; and concerning not swearing, and on the apostolic saying: "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ" (Philem. 1). Homily XVI.

1. ^A I praised the Prefect for his exercise of care, that seeing the city in a state of turmoil and all consulting about flight, he entered and exhorted you and led you to good hopes; but on your behalf, I was ashamed and blushed, that you needed external consolation after those many, long discourses of mine. I prayed that the earth might split open for me and swallow me up, when I heard him conversing with you, and now comforting you, now blaming this untimely and irrational cowardice. For it was not fitting for you to be taught by him, but for you to be teachers to all the unbelievers. For Paul did not permit matters to be judged by the unbelievers (1 Cor. 6:1); yet you needed teachers from outside after such exhortation from the Fathers, and runaways and base slaves have excited such a city and cast it into flight. With what eyes shall we henceforth look upon the ^B unbelievers, being so fearful and cowardly? With what tongue shall we converse with them, and persuade them to be confident concerning the ills that are upon us, having become more cowardly than any hare through this anxiety? "And what should we suffer," one says, "for we are men." For this very reason, one ought not to be in turmoil, because we are men and not irrational beasts. Those animals are all startled by noises and claps; for they do not possess reason capable of repelling fear; but you, honored with word and reason, how do you fall into their ignobility? Has someone entered and announced an incursion of soldiers? Do not be in turmoil, but leaving him, bend your knees, beseech your Master, groan bitterly, and the evil will be repelled. You, having heard of an incursion of soldiers that was not true, were in danger of having your life cut off from the present existence; but that blessed Job, when messenger after messenger came and were reporting the evils, and added the unbearable destruction of his children, he did not lament, he did not groan, but turned himself to prayer and gave thanks to the Master. You should imitate him; and when someone comes and announces that soldiers have surrounded the city and are about to plunder your possessions, take refuge with your Master and say: "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it came to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord unto the ages."

^A Him, the experience of evils did not terrify, yet you are terrified by mere reputation? Of what worth are we, who, ^B even when ordered to advance against death, are so struck by a false rumor? He who is troubled imagines a fear that does not exist and a disturbance that does not appear; but he who is of a sedate and tranquil mind dissolves even that which is. Do you not see ship-captains, when the sea is raging, the clouds rushing together, the lightnings flashing, and everyone on the ship is in a tumult, sitting at the rudders themselves without trepidation or fear, and attending to their art, so as to repel the impending storm? Do you imitate them, and taking up the sacred anchor—hope in God—remain unshaken and immutable. Whoever hears these speeches of mine, he says, and does not perform them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was its fall (Matt. VII, 26, 27). Do you see that it is of folly to fall and be subverted? Indeed, not only have we not behaved like that foolish man, but we have fallen more miserably than he; for his house fell after the rivers, after the rain had descended, after the winds had struck; but we, not by rains coming on, not by rivers breaking in, not by winds rushing upon us, but before the experience of evils, have been subverted by report alone, and have poured out all that we were philosophizing. What sort of mind do you imagine I have now? How to be suffused with shame? How to be depressed? How to blush? If I had not been compelled by much necessity from the fathers, I would not have risen, nor would I have spoken, darkened by grief from your pusillanimity; nor can I even now return to myself: so does indignation and sadness besiege my soul. For who would not feel it deeply, who would not be angered, when after such teaching you had need of Gentile teachers to exhort ^C and admonish you to endure the present fear generously? Pray, therefore, that a word may be given to us in the opening of our mouth, that we may be able to cast off this sadness and arouse the mind a little. For shame concerning your pusillanimity has greatly dejected our soul.

Homily XVI. Chapter 2

^B Much have I discoursed before to your charity concerning the snares set for us on all sides, and concerning fear and sadness, and mourning and pleasure, and concerning the sickle flying into the houses of those who swear; from all those very many things, however, do you especially remember those things which were said concerning the flying sickle (Zach. V, 1), which makes its way into the house of the swearer, leveling stones and timber, and consuming everything. And with this, observe also this: that it is of extreme madness, while receiving the Gospel, to swear, and to swear by the law prohibiting the oath; and that it is better to be mulcted in money than to offer an oath to one’s neighbor; for this is no small honor to God. For when you have said to God: "On account of You I did not adjure him who had stolen and done evil," for this honor He will render you great grace both in the present time and in the future. Tell these things to others, and observe them yourselves. I know that here we are more reverent, and we lay aside every wicked habit; ^D but what is sought is this: not that we philosophize here only, but that we take piety from here and keep it outside, where we have the most need of it. For those drawing water do not have their vessels filled only at the fountain while emptying them upon going home; rather, they store them there with the greatest care, lest they be overturned and the labor become vain: let us also imitate them, and having gone home, let us keep what was said with accuracy. But if you remain satisfied here, while returning home empty, carrying back the vessels of your mind void of admonition, there will be no utility for you from this replenishment. Do not show me the athlete in the training school, but in the contest; do not show me religion at the time of instruction, but of action. You praise now what is said: when you come having sworn, remember all these things then. If you manage this law, to other and greater things I shall advance the discipline. Behold, this is the second year since I have been speaking to your charity, and I have not been able to explain to you a hundred verses of the Scriptures. The cause, however, is that you have need to learn from us things which you could perform at home and by yourselves, and the greater part of the discourse is expended by us on moral topics. Yet these things ought not to have been done so, but the care of morals should have been managed by you yourselves; whereas the meaning and contemplations of the Scriptures ought to have been allowed to us. But if it were necessary to hear even these from us, it would not have been fitting for more than one day. For that which is said is neither strange nor difficult to discover, nor does it require any preparation. For when God has proclaimed, there is no need for arguments. God has said: "Do not swear": do not seek further causes from me. The law is royal; He who brought it forth also knows the reason for it: had it not been useful, He would not have forbidden, He would not have prevented it. Kings pass laws, and not all are often useful; for they are men, and cannot find what is useful as God can; nevertheless, we obey. Whether we marry, whether we make testaments, whether we desire to buy slaves, whether houses, or fields, or to do anything else, we do not do these things from our own opinion, but however they have commanded; nor are we entirely masters to dispose of our affairs according to our own opinion, but we serve their opinions everywhere, and if we do anything besides what seems good to them, it is rendered invalid and useless. Thus, to the laws of men indeed we attribute so much honor; but the laws of God, I ask, shall we trample upon them so? And what defense is worthy of these things? What pardon? He said: "Do not swear": do not bring forward a law contrary to His law through deeds, so that you may do and say all things with security.

Homily XVI. Chapter 3

But enough of these: come, let us pass over for you one saying from those read today, and let us end the discourse. "Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ," he says, "and Timothy the brother" (Philem. 1). A magnificent appellation of Paul, not a name of leadership and honor, but bonds and chains; truly magnificent; although many other things make him splendid—to be caught up to the third heaven, to be carried off to paradise, to hear ineffable words—yet he set none of these, but for all of them the chain: for this rendered him more illustrious and splendid [alt-version omitted]

Why so? Because those were gifts of the Lord’s kindness, whereas these were samples of the servant’s endurance and patience; and it is custom for those who love to feel more pride in what they suffer for the sake of those they love than in what they receive as benefits from them. A king does not glory so much in his diadem as that man prided himself in his bonds; and with good reason. For a diadem brings only an adornment to the crowned head, but the chain brings both an adornment far greater and security. The royal crown often betrays the head it surrounds, has enticed countless conspirators, and has incited a desire for tyranny; and in wars, moreover, this adornment is so perilous that it must be hidden and put away. Kings, at any rate, in wars exchange their attire, so much do they mingle themselves with the combatants: such is the betrayal that comes from the crown. But the chain brings no such thing to those who wear it, but the direct opposite: when there is a battle and an array against demons and the opposing powers, the one who wears it, by putting it forward, wards off their assaults. And as for those who are magistrates outside, many—not only when they are governing, but even when they have been relieved of their office—bear its name. "So-and-so, an ex-consul," they say, "So-and-so, an ex-prefect"; but this man, instead of all these, says, "Paul, a prisoner," and with good reason. For those magistracies are not entirely proofs of virtue in the soul; for they are purchasable for money and need the flattery of friends; but this magistracy, that from the bonds, is a token of the philosophy regarding the soul and the greatest evidence of longing for Christ; and those magistracies quickly pass away, while this magistracy has no successor. ^C Behold, in fact, how much time has passed since that era, and the name of this prisoner has become more splendid; and all the consuls who have existed in the times past have fallen into silence and are not known to the masses even by their names; but the name of this prisoner, the blessed Paul, is great here, and great in the land of the barbarians, and great among the Scythians and Indians; and even if you go to the very ends of the earth, you will hear this title, and wherever anyone arrives, he will know Paul to be bruited about everywhere in the mouths of all. And what wonder is it if on land and sea, when in the heavens too the name of Paul is great among the angels, among the archangels and the powers above, and with their King, God? And what, he says, were those bonds, that they brought such glory to the bound man? Were they not made of iron? They were made of iron, but they held much grace of the Spirit blossoming upon them, because he wore them for the sake of Christ. O! the miracle! The servants were bound, the Master was crucified, and the preaching increases every day, and through the very things by which it was thought it would be hindered, through these it was ignited; and the cross and the bonds, which seemed to be an abomination, these have now become symbols of salvation, and that iron was more precious to us than any gold, not because of its own nature, but because of this cause and this underlying reason. ^D But I see a question also arising for us from this; and if you attend with care, I will both state the question and add the solution. What then is the question? This Paul, having entered at one time to Festus, and discussing with him, and making his defense regarding the accusations which the Jews brought, and saying how he saw Jesus, how he heard that blessed voice, how he recovered his sight through blindness, how he fell and arose, how he entered Damascus a captive although bound without chains, and discussing regarding the prophets and the Law, and showing that they too predicted these things, he captured the judge, and almost persuaded him to turn to himself.

4. For such are the souls of the saints; whenever they fall into perils, they do not consider how they may be released from the perils, but how they might save those who cast them into them, they do all things: just as indeed happened then; he entered to make his defense, and having captured the judge, he departed. And that this is so, the judge himself testified, saying: *In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian* (Acts 26:28). This ought to have happened today too, that this magistrate should have admired your magnanimity, and your philosophy, and your complete composure, and learning from your state, should have departed, having admired the gathering, having praised the council, and having learned from the very things that happened how great is the difference between Greeks and Christians. But, as I was saying, since Paul had captured him, and he said, *In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian*, Paul answered thus: *I would wish indeed, both in little and in much, not only thee, but also all who hear me to become Christians such as I am, except for these bonds* (Acts 26:29). What are you saying, O Paul? When you write to the Ephesians, you say: *I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called* (Ephes. 4:1). And when you discuss with Timothy: *In which I suffer even unto bonds, as a malefactor* (2 Tim. 2:9). And to Philemon again: *Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ* (Philem. 1). And when you discuss with the Jews, you say: *For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain* (Acts 28:20). And writing to the Philippians you said: *So that the more part of the brethren, trusting in my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word without fear* (Philipp. 1:14). Everywhere you carry the chain, everywhere you put forth the bonds, and you boast in the matter; but when you came to the judgment seat, you betrayed your philosophy, when you most ought to have spoken with boldness, and you say to the judge: *I would wish you to become a Christian except for these bonds*? And yet if the bonds are good, and so good as to provide for others to be bold in the word regarding piety (for you yourself were previously saying this, that the more part of the brethren, trusting in my bonds, spoke the word without fear), for what reason before the judge do you not pride yourself in the matter, but actually do the opposite? Is there then a question in what is said? But I will fix the solution most quickly. For it was not out of anxiety or cowardice that Paul did this, but out of much wisdom and spiritual understanding; and how, I will say. He was discussing with a Greek and an unbeliever, and one who did not know our affairs. He did not wish, therefore, to lead him from burdensome things, but—

^A by means of his plan, he wished the hearer to sustain the burden. For the one who deceives offers pleasant things first, and introduces painful things later. As, for instance, kidnappers often seducing and stealing small children—they do not promise blows and scourges, nor any other such thing, but offer cakes and sweetmeats and other such things in which a childish age is accustomed to take delight, so that having been enticed by these, they may be stripped of their freedom and fall into the last peril. And the hunters of birds and fish ^B also, in this way, entice what they hunt, offering first the customary and pleasant food for those to be caught, and thus concealing the trap for them. Therefore, this is the sign of those who deceive: to offer pleasant things first, then later to introduce painful things; but of those who take thought and care, the exact opposite. For so indeed do fathers, contrary to the kidnappers: when they send children to a tutor, they set pedagogues over them, they threaten with blows, they instill fear; and when they have led them through that earlier age, then, when they have entered into manhood, they hand over to them honors, powers, and luxuries, and all their wealth. ^C But God also, not like kidnappers, but like fathers who take thought, first introduced into painful things, as if handing them over to pedagogues and teachers for the present time, so that, having been instructed and sobered by these, having displayed all patience and learned all philosophy, then, when we have come of age, we might inherit the kingdom of heaven. For He did not make us fit for the stewardship of the given wealth, and then hand over the wealth itself. For had He done this, the giving of the wealth would not have been a gift, but a retribution and a punishment. Just as a foolish and spendthrift boy who inherits his father’s estate is dashed down by the very thing, not having the sense equal to the stewardship of [such] money; but if he be wise and upright, temperate and modest, and stewards his father’s goods in accordance with necessity, he becomes more splendid and illustrious: so also it is necessary for this to happen in regard to us. When we have received spiritual wisdom, when we have all arrived at the perfect man, at the measure of age, then He hands to us all that He promised, now, however, instructing us like small children with exhortation and consolation. And this is not the only profit from the aforementioned tribulations, but another [is] not inferior to this. For he who was first in luxuries, often waiting for vengeance after the luxuries, does not enjoy present luxuries on account of the expectation of future troubles; but he who was first in sad things, and is subsequently about to enjoy pleasant ones, even despises present difficulties on account of the hope of future good things. Therefore, ^D not only for the sake of our safety, but also for pleasure and consolation, He ordained the former things to be burdensome, so that, relieved by the hope of things to come, we might take no sense of present things. And signifying this very thing, Paul said: "For our present light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen" (2 Cor. IV, 17, 18). He called the affliction light, not on account of the own nature of the grievous things, but on account of the expectation of future good things. Just as for a merchant

^A the merchant does not perceive the labor of the voyage, being lightened by the hope of the cargo, and the pugilist bravely bears the blows to his head, looking toward the crown: so indeed do we also, when we fix our gaze toward heaven and the goods in heaven, whatever grievous things may be brought upon us, will bear everything bravely, being braced by the cheerful expectation of things to come. Since we have accepted this dictum, let us depart; for even if it is simple and brief, yet it holds a great instruction of philosophy. For him who is in pain and tribulation, it possesses adequate consolation; for him who is in luxury and extravagance, a great restraint. For whenever you are reclining at table and remember this saying, you will quickly leap up from drunkenness and gluttony, having learned through this expression that it is necessary for us to be struggling; and you will say to yourself: "Paul is in bonds and prisons, but I am in drunkenness and a lavish table: and what forgiveness will I obtain?" This saying is also suitable for women; for those who are fond of adornment and extravagant, and who bind themselves ^B everywhere with gold, having remembered this chain—I know well that they will hate and abominate that world, and will run toward these bonds. For those things have often become the cause of many evils, and have brought myriad wars into the house, and have given birth to envy and grudges and hatred; but these have loosed the sins of the world, and have frightened demons, and have put the devil to flight. While spending time in prison with these, he persuaded the jailer; with these, he drew Agrippa to himself ^C; with these, Paul prepared many disciples. Wherefore he also said: "In which I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor, but the word of God is not bound" (2 Tim. 2, 9). For just as it is not possible to bind or shut up a ray in a house, so neither is it possible for the word of the preaching. And the teacher was bound all the more, and the word flew; he inhabited the prison, and the teaching, having taken wing, ran everywhere in the world.

6. Moral exhortation to amendment. Knowing these things, then, let us not fall down in the face of grievous things, but rather let us become more powerful then, stronger then; for tribulation worketh patience (Rom. 5, 3). Let us not be pained at the calamities which are brought upon us, but in all things let us give thanks to God. We have passed the second week of the fast, but let us not consider this; for it is not this to have passed a fast, if we have passed the time. Let us calculate this: if we have become more earnest, if we have corrected some of our own shortcomings, if we have washed away our sins. It is a custom for all to ask during the Quadragesima, how many weeks each has fasted; and it is possible to hear some saying that they have fasted two, others three, and others say they have fasted all the weeks. And what is the profit if we pass through the fast void of good deeds? If another says, "I have fasted throughout the whole Quadragesima," you say, "I had an enemy, and I was reconciled; I had a habit of slandering, and I ceased; I had a habit of swearing, and I broke the wicked habit." There is no profit to merchants if they have run through a great length of the sea, but [only] if they sail with cargo and [much] of the merchandise; there is no profit ^D of the fast to us, if we pass through it simply and in vain and to no purpose. If we fast the fast of foods, once the forty days have passed, the fast also passes; but if we abstain from sins, even when this fast has passed, that one remains again, and the benefit to us from then on will be continuous, and before the kingdom of heaven it will return to us not small rewards *here*; for just as he who lives in wickedness is punished even before Gehenna, being stung by his conscience; so he who is rich in good deeds will enjoy very great joy even before the kingdom, being nourished by cheerful hopes. Wherefore Christ says: "I will see you again, and ye shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh from you" (John 16, 22). A brief word, but it contains much consolation. What then is, "Your joy no one taketh from you"? If you have money, many are able to take away your joy that comes from wealth—thief digging through a wall, and a servant stealing away what was entrusted, and an emperor confiscating it, and an envious person slandering you. If you have power, many are able to take from you the joy that comes from this; for when the things of authority are dissolved, the things of pleasure will also be dissolved; and even in authority itself, many things occurring, holding difficulty and cares, will take away your cheerfulness. If you have strength of body, old age coming upon it dissolves the joy that comes from this; if you have beauty and bloom, old age having come has withered it and taken away the joy; if you enjoy an extravagant table, once evening has overtaken it, the joy of the feast is also dissolved; for each of the things of life is easy to be harmed, and cannot provide for us a permanent pleasure; but piety and the virtue of the soul are the opposite. If you do an act of mercy, no one is able to take away the reward; even if camps, even if kings, even if myriad calumniators, even if plotters from everywhere set upon you, they are not able to take away the possession deposited in heaven; to them remains the continuous joy. "He has dispersed," he says, "he has given to the poor; his righteousness abideth for ever" (Ps. 111, 9). And very reasonably. For it is stored up in the treasuries of the heavens, where no thief digs through, no robber takes, no moth eats (Matt. 6, 20). If you pray continuous and earnest prayers, no one will be able to take away the fruit from these; for this fruit is rooted in the heavens, having been delivered from all harm and remaining impregnable. If, having been wronged, you do good, if, having heard evil, you philosophize, if, having been reviled, you bless, these good deeds remain continuously, and no one takes the joy from these; but as often as you have remembered them, you rejoice and are glad, and gather much pleasure. So indeed, if we establish even the avoiding of a vow [oath], and persuade our tongue to abstain from this destructive habit, the good deed will be in a short time, but the cheerfulness of the good deed [will be] continuously and incessantly. For the rest, it is necessary for you to be teachers and guides of others, and to take [as] friends those who are neighbors, and servants who are fellow-servants, and the young who are peers, and to train and induce them. If, then, someone promised you one gold piece for each person corrected, would you not make every effort, and spend your days sitting by, beseeching, exhorting? But now, it is not one gold piece, nor twenty, nor a hundred, and a thousand, nor does God promise you the whole earth as a reward for these labors, but—what is greater than the whole world—he bestows upon you the kingdom of heaven.

and not only this, but another thing besides this. And what is this? "He who brings forth the precious from the vile, shall be as my mouth," he says (Jer. 15. 19). What could be equal to this for a ratio of honor and security? And what excuse and forgiveness can we have after such a promise, if we are negligent of the salvation of our neighbors? But if you see a blind man falling into a pit, you offer a hand, and you think it is unworthy to overlook one who is perishing; yet seeing every day all your brothers falling into the wicked habit of oaths, do you not dare to utter a word? But you said it once, and he did not listen—speak then twice and three times, and as many times as it takes until you have persuaded him. God speaks to us every day, and we do not listen, yet He does not desist from speaking; you also imitate this care toward your neighbor. For this reason we are joined together among ourselves, and we inhabit cities, and we gather in churches, so that we may bear one another's burdens, so that we may correct one another's sins. And just as many men inhabiting the same workshop labor in different ways, but deposit all things in common, so indeed let us also do. Whatever good things each one is able to bring to his neighbor, let him not hesitate, nor delay; but let it be a kind of business and such a spiritual contribution, so that by depositing everything in common, and having acquired much wealth, and having gained a great treasure, we may all together attain to the kingdom of heaven, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

ON THE MAGISTRATES SENT BY EMPEROR THEODOSIUS, ELLEBICHUS THE MASTER OF SOLDIERS, AND CAESARIUS THE MASTER, FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE TRANSGRESSORS BECAUSE OF THE SUBVERSION OF THE STATUES.

HOMILY XVII.

^A ¶ 1. We were waiting for a time, all of us together today. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who does wondrous things alone" (Ps. 71. 18). For wonderful and things exceeding expectation have happened: the whole city and such a great population, just when it was about to be submerged, to be driven under the waves, and to be utterly destroyed, He has in one moment of time delivered from all shipwreck. Let us give thanks, therefore, not only because He calmed the storm, but also because He allowed it to happen: not only because He delivered us from shipwreck, but also because He allowed us to fall into such great distress, and for extreme danger to threaten us. Thus also Paul commanded to give thanks in everything. But ^B when he says, "In everything give thanks," he means not only the delivery from evils, but also in the time of evils; for "To those who love God all things work together for good" (Rom. 8. 28). Let us give thanks to Him for the deliverance, and let us never forget these things; let us devote ourselves to prayers, to continuous supplications, to much piety. When the heavy pyre of these evils was first ignited, I said that it was not a time for teaching, but for prayers; this, indeed, I say even now after it has been extinguished, that now is more a time for prayers than before; now is most of all a time for tears and compunction and an anxious soul and much diligence and caution. For then the very nature of the tribulations forced us even against our will, and made us modest, and led us to greater reverence; but now, with the bridle removed and the cloud passed, there is fear lest we decline into torpor, lest we become more slothful from this remission, lest someone say of us too: "When He was killing them, then they sought Him, and they returned, and rose up early to God" (Ps. 77. 34). Therefore Moses exhorted the Jews, saying: "After you have eaten and drunk, and been filled, remember the Lord your God" (Deut. 6. 12-13). Now your sincere purpose will be seen, if you remain in the same piety; for then many attributed your zeal to fear and the infliction of evils, but now your merit will be pure, if you remain in the same zeal. Since even if a small boy, while he is being led by some terrible pedagogue, lives with modesty and gentleness, it is nothing surprising, but all attribute the boy's modesty to the fear of the pedagogue; but when, after the necessity has been laid aside, he remains in the same honesty, then all attribute that modesty which he had in his former age to him. ^C This let us also do, remaining in the same reverence, so that we may obtain much praise for our former zeal from God. We expected countless evils, that the property of all would be plundered, that dwellings would be burned along with their inhabitants, that the city would be taken from the midst of the world, and that all its remains would perish, that a plow would receive its ground; but behold, all these things stood only in expectation, and did not proceed into action. And it is to be wondered at not only that God took away so much danger, but also that He favored us with great benefits, and adorned our city, and made us more proven through this trial and calamity. ^D And how, I shall say. Monks descend from the mountains to Antioch, to obtain pardon for the city. For when they had arranged that terrible tribunal for the examination of the transgressors sent by the Emperor, and were calling all to the punishments of their crimes, and there was an expectation of various deaths for all, then the monks inhabiting the mountain peaks exhibited their own philosophy. For being enclosed in their caverns for so many years, with no one calling, with no one persuading, after they saw such a cloud surrounding the city, leaving their tabernacles and their caves, they flocked together from everywhere, like certain angels from heaven.

^A And it was possible to see the city then resembling heaven, with those holy men appearing everywhere, consoling those in pain by their very appearance, and leading them to despise every calamity. For who, seeing those men, would not have laughed at death, and despised life? Nor was this alone the amazing thing, but that they even approached the magistrates themselves and spoke with boldness on behalf of the accused, and were all prepared to pour out their blood and lay down their heads, so as to rescue those who had been seized from the impending dangers; and they said they would not depart until the judges either spared the people of the city, or sent the men themselves to the Emperor along with the accused. For he who rules over our world is God-loving, they said, a faithful man living in piety; we, therefore, will certainly reconcile him. We shall not permit you, nor will we allow you, to bloody the sword or to sever a head. But if you will not comply, even we shall surely die with them. Dreadful, indeed, are the things that have been dared, and we admit it, but the lawlessness of what has occurred does not exceed the Emperor's philanthropy. It is said that one of them also spoke another word filled with philosophy: that the statues which were thrown down were raised again and regained their proper form, and what had been done had the swiftest correction; but if you kill the image of God, how will you be able to summon back what has gone wrong? How will you raise up those who have perished, and restore souls to bodies? Many things were also discussed with them concerning judgment.

^B 2. Who would not stand in awe, who would not admire the philosophy of these men? For if one mother of those accused, having unveiled her head and shown her gray hairs, holding the horse of the man who was about to judge by the bridle, and running alongside through the marketplace, thus entered the judgment hall, we all were amazed, we all admired the affection and greatness of soul; how much more then is it necessary to be amazed at these men? For as for her, even if she had died for her child, it would be nothing wondrous; for great is the tyranny of nature, and irresistible is the necessity of birth pangs. But these men, whom they did not beget, whom they did not rear, or rather, whom they did not know, of whom they had not heard, with whom they had never associated, whom they recognized only from their calamity—they loved them so much that, if they had had ten thousand souls, they would have chosen to surrender them all for the salvation of these men. Do not tell me that they were not slaughtered and did not pour out their blood, but that they used such boldness with the judges as it was fitting only for those who had despaired of their own lives to use, and with such a purpose they ran from the mountains to the tribunal. For they would not have been able thus to speak freely to the judges at that time, and to show such greatness of soul, if they had not first prepared themselves for every slaughter. For they spent the days sitting before the doors of the tribunal, prepared to snatch those about to be led away out of the hands of the executioners. ^C Where now are those who wore the rough cloak, and showcased a deep beard, and carried staves in their right hands—the philosophers from abroad, the Cynic filth, who live more miserably than the table-dogs, doing everything for the sake of their belly? All left the city then, all fled, they hid themselves in caves; but those who truly demonstrated philosophy through their deeds, just as if no evil had overtaken the city, so fearlessly appeared in the marketplace. And those who dwelt in the cities flew away to the mountains and the deserts, but the citizens of the desert marched into the city, showing through their very deeds what I did not cease to say in the previous days, that nothing will be able to harm him who lives with virtue. So great a thing is a soul becoming higher than all, both of things pleasant and things sorrowful; for it is neither puffed up by the former nor is it curtailed and humbled by the latter, but remains equal through all things, demonstrating its own strength and power. ^D For whom did the difficulty of the present time not test? Those who held the first positions of government among us, those who were in power, those who were wrapped in boundless wealth, those who had great boldness towards the Emperor, all left their houses empty and consulted for their own salvation; and all friendship and kinship was then tested, and those whom they had known of old, at the time of the calamity they wished to be ignorant of them, and prayed to be unknown by them. But the monks, common men, having nothing more than a cheap garment, having lived in poverty, appearing to be nobodies before, communing with woods and glens, like certain lions, with great and high-minded spirit—while all were trembling and crouching in fear—stood in the midst, dissolved the evil, not in many days, but in a brief moment of time. And as the noble among warriors, not joining battle with their enemies, but just by appearing on the battlefield and shouting, put the opponents to flight: so truly these men in one day descended, and spoke, and dissolved the calamity, and ascended back to their own dwellings. So great is the philosophy brought to men by Christ. And what do I say concerning the wealthy and those in power? Where even those who had received the authority to judge, those who were managing the highest offices, being exhorted by these very monks to make their decision with forgiveness, said they were not masters of the end; for [174] they said it was perilous and dangerous, not only to insult the Emperor, but also to let those who had insulted him go without punishment. ^A But these men became masters of those judges, and by sitting there with greatness of soul and endurance, they shamed them into displaying the authority they had not received from the Emperor; and they prevailed, once the accused were identified, by persuading the judges not to deliver a condemning sentence, but to defer the final decision to the Emperor's judgment, and they promised to persuade him by all means to grant forgiveness to those who had sinned against him. And they touched upon the journey. But the judges, having been shamed by their philosophy, and having been struck with awe at their high-minded spirit, did not allow them to make this long journey, but if they would receive word from them, if only what was in their letters, they would be gone and would persuade the Emperor to release the entire city, which is what we also expect to happen. For indeed, while the trial was being spoken of, they entered and uttered many words of philosophy, and requested [forgiveness] through the letters ^B to the Emperor, and made mention of the judges. And after the words had been taken into the letters...

he departed, and it will adorn our city more brilliantly than any crown. ^A And the things which have been done here will be heard by the Emperor, and by the great city, and by the whole world, that such monks inhabit the city of the Antiochenes, so as to exhibit apostolic boldness; and through the letters which are now being read in the camp, everyone will admire their magnanimity, everyone will call our city blessed, and we shall repel the ill repute, and everyone will know that the things that have occurred were not the work of those who dwell in the city, but of foreigners and depraved men, and that the conduct of the monks will be sufficient proof of the city’s character. Let us not, therefore, be saddened, beloved, but let us be instructed by good hopes. For if boldness towards men was able to prevent so much trouble, what will it not accomplish before God? Let us say these things even to the Greeks, when they dare to argue with us about ^B philosophers. From what is present, it is evident that former things also were false among them; from these it is manifest that the former things among us regarding John, and Paul, and Peter, and all the others were true. For since they succeeded to their piety, for this reason they also exhibited their boldness; since they were reared in the same laws, for this reason they also imitated their virtue. Thus, there is no need for letters for us in order to demonstrate apostolic virtue, with the deeds themselves crying out, and the disciples representing their masters; there is no need for us for arguments to manifest the trifles of the Greeks and the pusillanimity of the very philosophers, with the deeds themselves crying out—both those present and those past—that all things among them are myths, and theatre, and hypocrisy. ^C And not only the monks, but also the priests exhibited the same magnanimity, and dispensed our salvation. And the one, indeed, betook himself to the camp, putting everything after your love, and was himself prepared to die, if he did not persuade the Emperor; but the others, remaining here, and exhibiting the same things as the monks, holding the judges with their own hands, would not permit them to enter, before they promised regarding the end of the trial; and when they saw them refusing, they themselves in turn used great boldness. But when they saw them consenting, they clasped their feet and knees and kissed their hands, and exhibited both virtues to a superabundant degree: boldness and gentleness. For that their boldness was not a matter of arrogance, they demonstrated most fully by kissing their knees and clasping their feet; and again, that that humility was not flattery, nor any sort of servility, nor proceeded from an ignoble mind, the things which preceded their boldness testified. ^D And not only of these things did we reap the good fruits from the trial, but also [we gained] much modesty and gentleness, and the city suddenly became a monastery for us. No one could have so adorned it, had he erected golden statues in the marketplace, as it is now bright and illustrious, which brought forth good statues of virtue and exhibited its own wealth.

Punishments inflicted by the Emperor on the Antiochenes. The dignity of the metropolis transferred to the Laodiceans.

But the things which proceeded from the Emperor cause sorrow: but not even these, in truth, are grievous, but they themselves have brought much benefit. For what is burdensome, tell me, of those things that have happened? That he blocked the orchestra, that he made the hippodrome inaccessible, that he shut off and buried the fountains of wickedness? Would that it were never granted that these be opened. From this, the roots of wickedness sprouted in the city, from this are those who bring crime to its character, selling their voices to the dancers, and for three obols betraying their own salvation for them, confounding all things. For this do you grieve, beloved? Nay, for this reason it is also necessary to rejoice and be glad, and to give thanks to the Emperor: because his retribution became a correction, and the punishment an education, and the anger a doctrine. Or is it because the baths have been closed to us? But this is not intolerable, or [rather], it [serves] to lead even the unwilling, who are living a slippery and soft and dissolute life, back to philosophy. Or because he removed the city’s dignity and no longer permitted it to be called the metropolis? But what was it necessary to do? To praise what had been committed, and to give thanks? And who would not have accused him, had he not manifested his indignation even by appearance! Do you not perceive fathers doing many things of this kind to their children? They turn away, and forbid them the table. This also did the Emperor do, imposing such punishments, having no damage in them, but indeed bringing much correction. Consider what we expected, and what was done, and then we shall most know the grace of God.

The true dignity of Antioch.

Do you grieve because the dignity of the city has been taken away? Learn what at length the dignity of a city is, and then manifestly you shall know that, if the inhabitants do not betray it, no one else will be able to take away the city’s dignity. Not that it is a metropolis, neither that it is endowed with size and the adornment of buildings, nor that it has many columns, and wide porticoes, and promenades, nor that it is proclaimed before other cities; but the virtue and piety of those who inhabit it, this is the dignity, and adornment, and protection of the city, so that if this is lacking, it is the vilest of all, even if it obtains infinite honor from emperors. Do you wish to learn the dignity of your city? Do you wish to know its gentile ornaments? I will say it earnestly, not that you may learn only, but that you may also imitate them. What at length is the dignity of our city? It happened first at Antioch that the disciples were called Christians (Acts 11:26): but this, none of all the cities in the world has, not even the city of Romulus herself: for this reason it can lift its eyes against the entire world; because it has the fire of love toward Christ, because of its boldness, because of that virtue. Do you wish to hear another dignity and praise of the city? A famine was once to be very difficult, and those dwelling at Antioch determined, according as each abounded, to send something to the holy ones dwelling in Jerusalem (Ibid. 28, 29). Behold also a second dignity, charity in famine. Time did not contract them, nor did the expectation of calamity render them more sluggish; but when others were gathering the things of others, then they were sending forth their own;

^A you have seen faith toward God, and love toward one's neighbor? Do you wish to learn also the other dignity of this city? Certain men came down from Judea to Antioch disturbing the preaching, and introducing Jewish observances (Acts 15:1). They did not bear that innovation in silence, nor did they remain quiet; but having gathered together and held a church council, they sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, and caused the apostles to send forth everywhere throughout the world pure doctrines, stripped of every Jewish infirmity. This is the dignity of a city; this is the precedence; this makes it a metropolis, not on earth, but in heaven. For all other honors are corruptible and ephemeral, and perish along with the present life; nay, often they take their end even before the present life, just as they have now indeed taken it. To me, a city not having God-loving citizens is cheaper than any village, and more dishonorable than any cavern. And why do I speak of a city? For in order that you may learn accurately that virtue alone adorns those who dwell in it, I say nothing to you about a city, but—that which is more venerable than any city—I shall try to demonstrate this by bringing into the midst the Temple of God in Jerusalem. For this temple, in which were sacrifices and prayers and worship, where were the Holy of Holies, and the Cherubim, and ^B the Testament, and the golden urn—the great symbols of God's providence toward that race—where oracles were continuously brought from above, where prophets were divinely inspired, where the structure was the work not of human art, but of the wisdom of God, where the walls were illuminated on all sides with gold, and where in every excess both the lavishness of material and the precision of art coming together showed such a temple to be on earth at that time—or rather, not the precision of art alone, but the wisdom of God also took part in that building. For Solomon learned nothing from his own home, nor from himself, but all from God, and having brought down the design from the heavens, thus he marked it out and raised it up. But nevertheless, this beautiful and wondrous and holy temple, because those who used it were corrupted, was so dishonored and despised, and became common, that even before the capture it was called a den of thieves (Matt. 21:13), and a den of a hyena; and after these things it was handed over to barbaric and unclean and profane hands. Do you wish to learn the same thing about cities? What was more brilliant than the cities in Sodom? For there were brilliant houses and buildings, and walls among them, and a land rich and fertile, and resembling the paradise of God; while the hut of Abraham was cheap and small, and had no security. But when a barbaric war once took place, the barbarians dug down and captured the walled cities, and took the inhabitants captive and went off, but they could not bear the approach of Abraham, the citizen of the desert; and very naturally, for he possessed a power far greater than the security from the multitude and the walls: piety. If you are a Christian, you do not have a city on earth; the craftsman and builder of our city is God; and even if we take the whole world, we are strangers and sojourners. We have been enrolled in heaven; there we have our citizenship; let us not, like little children, ignoring the great things, admire the small things. ^C It is not the size of a city, but the virtue of the soul that is its ornament and security. But if you think that the dignity of a city consists in such things, consider how many fornicators, how many effeminate and corrupted men, and those filled with ten thousand evils share in this dignity with you, and despise this honor at last. But that city is not such; for it is impossible for one who has not displayed all virtue to share in it. Let us not, therefore, become foolish, but let us grieve at that time when someone takes away from us the dignity of the soul, when we work sin, when we offend the common Master of all. For the things that have now happened will not only not harm the city, but if we are watchful, they will even benefit it in the greatest ways. For our city now resembles a modest and free and self-controlled woman; fear has made it more moderate and more serious, and has delivered it from those petty ones who dared the things that occurred. Let us not, therefore, perform womanish laments; for indeed I heard many in the market place saying: "Woe to you, Antioch! What has happened to you? How have you been dishonored?" and having heard, I laughed at the childish mind of those saying these things. For it is not now that one ought to say these things; but when you see people dancing, getting drunk, singing, blaspheming, swearing, perjuring, lying, then apply this saying: "Woe to you, city! What has happened to you?" But if you see the market place having a few men who are moderate and self-controlled and temperate, bless that city. For the small number will never be able to harm it, virtue being present, just as the multitude will never benefit it at all, while wickedness is present. If the number of the sons of Israel, he says, be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved (Isa. 10:22; Rom. 9:27). "The multitude will never be able to awe me," he says. Thus also Christ acted; He lamented cities not for their smallness, nor because they were not metropolises; and Jerusalem again He lamented for this very reason, saying thus: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee" (Matt. 23:37). For what profit does the multitude bring me, tell me, if it be living with wickedness? On the contrary, indeed, even harm comes from this. Now, therefore, what else did the evils that have occurred effect? Was it not the sloth, and the neglect, and the wickedness of those who dwell in it? Did the dignity benefit the city at all, did the size of the building, did the fact that it was a metropolis? But if before the king on earth this did not protect it, though it had not offended, but all those things were taken away, much more before the Master of the angels will this dignity not protect it. For being a metropolis, and having wide porticos and the other such dignities, will be able to benefit us nothing on that day. And why do I speak of that day? For in the present life what will it be able to benefit you that your city is a metropolis? Has anyone corrected a house poorly managed because of this, or gained any income, or warded off despondency from this dignity, or dissolved bodily weakness, or laid aside the wickedness of the soul? Let us not play, beloved, nor let us look to the opinions of the many, but let us learn what is the dignity of a city.

HOMILY XVIII

^A and what it is that makes a city a metropolis. I say these things not because I despair that this city will regain its former status and be restored to its own proper dignity; for the Emperor is humane and God-fearing: but I wish you, even if it is restored, not to be puffed up by this, nor to boast, nor to extol the city to us magnificently because of these things. When you wish to extol the city's praises, do not speak to me of the suburb of Daphne, nor of the height and multitude of its cypresses, nor of the fountains of its waters, nor that the city is inhabited by many men, nor that one may spend time in the forum with great freedom until the depth of evening, nor that it has an abundance of goods—for all these things are sensible and remain only until the present life. But if you can speak of virtue, gentleness, almsgiving, night vigils, prayers, ^B modesty, wisdom of the soul—commend the city from these. If these things are present to those who dwell even in a desert, they make it more splendid than any city, and conversely make the city the most worthless of all, if these things are not present to its citizens. Let us do this not only regarding the city, but also regarding men. If you see a man corpulent, advanced in much bulk, of high stature, and surpassing others in the length of his body, do not admire him until you learn his mind. Let us not judge all blessed by exterior beauty, but by the ornament of the mind. Small was David and short in stature, yet that short and small man, and naked of all arms, with one blow laid low that entire army and that tower of flesh, not having cast a spear, nor shooting an arrow, nor drawing a sword, but accomplishing everything with a small cast of a stone. Therefore, one advises us, saying: "Do not praise a man for his comeliness, ^C nor abhor a man for his look; the bee is small among birds, and its fruit is the beginning of sweetness." Let us say this both about cities and men, and let us philosophize one with another, and let us continually give thanks to God both for present and past things, and at the same time entreat Him with all eagerness, that both those who dwell in the prison, and those who are to be transported into exile, may indeed be released, and the latter may return. They are our members; they have tossed with us, they have endured the storm with us. Let us, therefore, entreat the divine kindness, that they may attain tranquility with us. Let no one say: "What care is it to me any longer? I have been freed from danger myself; let the other perish, let the other die." Let us not provoke God by this disdain; but as if we ourselves were in adversity, so let us grieve, ^D so let us beseech God with assiduity, fulfilling that word of Paul: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep," and "being bound with the bound, as if we ourselves were in the body." This is what most benefits us ourselves; for nothing is accustomed to please God so much as when we grieve with much zeal for our members. Let us, therefore, entreat Him together both for present and future things, that He may free us from that punishment. For present things, whatever they may be, are tolerable and have an end; but those torments are immortal and unavoidable. But beyond consolation, let us ourselves strive no longer to fall into such sins, knowing that we shall not find room for pardon again. Let us all, therefore, fall down before God together, and while we are here, and when we have gone home, let us say: "Just are You, O Lord, in all things that You have done to us, because in true judgment You brought on whatever You brought on. If our sins have stood against us, do for us because of Your name, and do not grant us to take experience of such terrible troubles again. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen."

ON THE AFOREMENTIONED ARGUMENT OF THE SEDITION, CONCERNING FASTING, AND ON THE APOSTOLIC SAYING, REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS (PHIL. 4:4). HOMILY XVIII.

I have seen many rejoicing and saying to one another: "We have finished, we have overcome, the half of the fast has been spent." I exhort such, however, not to rejoice because the half of the fast has been spent, but to consider this: whether the half of their sins has been spent; and then to exult: for this is worthy of pleasure, this is what is sought, and for the sake of which all things are done—that we may correct our faults, that we may not come out of the fast such as we went into the fast, but washed, and having laid aside every evil habit, that we may thus celebrate the sacred solemnity. If this be lacking, not only will there be no profit for us, but even the greatest damage from the completed fast. Let us not, therefore, rejoice that we have finished the length of the fast: for this is no great thing; but let us rejoice when we have spent it with good works, so that even after it has passed, its fruit may shine forth. For the gain of winter is then most demonstrated, when it has passed: for the budding crops, and the trees abounding in leaves and fruit, by that very appearance proclaim the benefit made to them from the winter. Let this be done equally in us. For we have enjoyed continual and frequent rains in winter during the time of the fast, drawing in continuous teaching, and we have received spiritual seeds, and we have cut away the thorns of luxury. Let us, therefore, persevere, keeping what we have received with diligence, so that even with the fast past, the fruit of the fast may sprout; and through the good things which we have received from the fast, we may also remember the fast itself. If we thus prepare ourselves, we shall receive the coming fast again with pleasure. For I see many so pusillanimous that...

they are anxious about the coming Lent in the present; and I have heard many saying that after the release from the fast they feel no pleasure from the relaxation, because of their care for the coming year. What could be more pusillanimous than this, tell me? And what is the cause of this? That when the fast is present, we do not strive to have our souls well-disposed, but we define it only by abstinence from foods. ^A If we had harvested some great fruit from it for the correction of our morals, we would have prayed for the fast to come every day, receiving through our very works a perception of its successes, and we would never have cast out the desire for it, nor would we have become dejected and anxious while looking forward to it. For he who is well-disposed in his mind and takes care of his own soul, nothing of what exists will be able to grieve him at all, but he will enjoy a pure and continuous pleasure. And that this is true, you have heard Paul today exhorting us and saying: *Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice* (Phil. 4:4).

And I know indeed that what is said seems impossible to many. For how, one says, is it possible for a man to rejoice continuously? For to rejoice is not difficult, but to rejoice continuously—this also seems impossible to me, someone might perhaps say; for many necessities of dejection surround us. For someone has lost a child, or a wife, or a genuine friend—more necessary than any kinsman—or he has suffered the loss of wealth, or fallen into sickness, or underwent another reversal of circumstances, or was pained after being abused beyond his desert, or there is famine, or plague, or a debt-collector who cannot be appeased, or matters concerning the household; or rather, we would not finish enumerating all the things that are accustomed to grieve us both privately and publicly. How then is it possible, he says, to rejoice always? ^B It is possible indeed, O man! And if it were not possible, Paul would not have exhorted, nor would a man who enjoys spiritual wisdom have advised it. And for this reason I was saying to you continuously—and I shall not cease saying it—that what it is possible to learn nowhere else, nor from any other person, these things it is possible for you to philosophize here. For all men desire pleasure and to rejoice, and for this reason they do everything and say everything and busy themselves. For the merchant sails for this reason, that he may gather money; and he gathers money so that having it stored away he may rejoice. And the soldier serves for this reason, and the farmer farms for this reason, and everyone follows a craft for this reason; and those who love authority love it for this reason, that they may enjoy glory, and they wish to enjoy glory so that they may rejoice. And one might see every matter as having this as the end that comes to us, and looking toward this, everyone hastens to walk toward it through many intermediaries.

Divisiveness of joy and the vanity of worldly hopes

Joy, as I said, all men desire, but not all are able to attain it. For they do not know the way that leads there, but many think that being wealthy becomes the cause of this. But if this were the cause, no one of those possessing money would have ever been dejected. But now, many of the wealthy consider life to be unlivable and pray for ten thousand deaths whenever they perceive some misfortune; and those who are very dejected, these are especially of that number. Do not look, for me, at their tables, nor at their flatterers and parasites, but at the things that arise from them: the insults, the calumnies, the dangers, the agonies, and what is much more grievous than this, that because they come to these changes without practice, they do not know how to philosophize, nor how to bear what happens to them nobly. ^C For this reason, these evils do not seem to them as they are by nature, but even light things seem finally to be unbearable. Just as, therefore, with the poor the opposite occurs, and even irreparable things seem bearable, as they have practiced for many such things—for the nature of the circumstances is not as the disposition of those who are suffering, as it makes the evils coming upon us appear both great and small. And so that I may not bring examples of both from afar, I will discourse from what has happened to us. For where indeed did the poor escape everything? And the populace is redeemed from the danger and they enjoy pure freedom from fear; but those who were managing the affairs of the city, the horse-breeders and judges of the games, and those who performed other public duties, these are now dwelling in prison and fearing for the end, and they are themselves rendering the accounts for everything that was dared, and they live in continuous fear, and they are now in a more wretched condition than all—not because of the magnitude of the dangers, but because they have lived the previous time in luxury.

2. That outward prosperity does not guarantee joy

2. Many, at least, when exhorted by us and advised to bear terrible things nobly, used to say this: that we have never practiced anything of the sort, nor do we know how to philosophize about such things; for this reason we have need of much consolation. Others again think that to be in good health, this is the cause of pleasure; but it is not so. Many of those in good health have themselves ten thousand times prayed to die, not having borne the insults brought upon them. Others again say that to enjoy glory, and to have grasped power, and to steer offices and to be politicked by many, is the maker of continuous joy; but it is not this either. And why do I speak of other offices? For even if we ascend in our discourse to the kingship itself, and at the man living in it, we shall find him surrounded by many dejections, and having so many more necessities of grief as he is wrapped in a greater burden of affairs. And what need is there to speak of wars and battles and the uprisings from the barbarians? Often he fears those who are about him. And for many of the kings, having escaped the hands of war, did not escape the plots of their bodyguards. But there are as many necessities of dejection for those who are kings as there are waves to the sea. If then a kingship would not produce a life free from grief, what other thing will be able to accomplish this? Of mundane things, nothing. But the word of Paul alone, that short and plain word, it itself will open this treasure for us. For there is no need of many words, nor of a long period, but if we consider only what has been said, we shall find the road that leads to this. For he did not say simply, *Rejoice always*, but he added the cause of the continuous pleasure, having said, *Rejoice in the Lord always*. He who rejoices in the Lord, is not able to fall from this pleasure by anything that happens. For all other things, in which we rejoice, are changeable and shiftable and easily turn; and they have this—not only the fact that they have ^D

^A such instability, but that they do not afford us as much pleasure as can stifle and swallow up the sorrows that arise from elsewhere. But the fear of God has both these qualities; it is firm and immovable and sends forth such great joy that no perception of other evils can overtake us. For he who fears God as he ought, and trusts in Him, has reaped the very root of pleasure and possesses the source of all joy. And just as a small spark falling into the vast, shoreless ocean is easily extinguished, so whatever ^B might befall those who fear God, as if falling into a vast sea of joy, is extinguished and destroyed. And indeed, this is most wonderful: that though things which are wont to grieve us are present, he remains rejoicing. For if nothing sorrowful were present, it would not be a great thing that he is able to rejoice always; but with many things pressing upon him that urge one into sorrow, to be superior to them all and to rejoice in the midst of sorrows, this is truly wonderful. And just as no one would marvel that the three children were not burned, if they had stood far from the Babylonian furnace (for what amazes everyone is that, having spent so much time in the fire, they did not even have the smell of smoke upon them); so, too, among the saints, one might say that if no temptation had pressed upon them, we would not marvel that they rejoiced perpetually. But that which ^C is worthy of astonishment and transcends human nature is this: that being encompassed on all sides by countless waves, they enjoyed a purer tranquility than those who were living in the calm.

That it is impossible to find a life outside [the faith] that is continuously joined with joy is evident from what has been said; but I shall endeavor to demonstrate again that the faithful man cannot but enjoy continuous pleasure—not that you might merely learn, but that you might also emulate this life devoid of sorrow. For let there be someone who has nothing in himself to condemn, but is supported by a good conscience, and is panting after the future and expecting that blessed hope; what, I ask, could force this man ^D into sorrow? Does not death seem more intolerable than all things? But the expectation of it not only does not grieve him, but rather delights him; for he knows the presence of death is a release from labors, and a running toward the crowns and prizes reserved for those who have contended for piety and virtue. But the untimely death of children? But even this he bears generously, and will say the words of Job: “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord forever” (Job 1, 21). If, then, death and the loss of children cannot grieve, much less could the loss of money, and insults and accusations and slanders touch such a great and generous soul, nor bodily pain;

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

For my part, I have often heard after such an experience [people] accusing themselves and saying to one another: "What is the profit, that I have grieved? Neither have I recovered my money, and I have harmed myself." If you grieve for sin, you are performing it and have reaped the greatest pleasure. If you grieve for brothers who have fallen, you have exhorted and consoled yourself, and recovered them again; but if nothing...

else, you still have the greatest recompense. And that you may learn that this grieving for those who have fallen—even if we effect nothing—brings us the greatest reward, listen to Ezekiel saying, or rather to God speaking through him. For since He sent some to raze the city and to consume with sword and fire all the buildings along with the inhabitants themselves, He commands someone, saying: "Set the mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry" (Ezek. 9.4). And having commanded the others, and said: "Begin at my sanctuary," He went on and added: "But upon whom is the mark, do not touch them" (Ezek. 9.6). Why, tell me? Because even if they do not effect anything, nevertheless they sigh at what is happening, and they mourn. And He rebukes others, saying again that while they were living in luxury and gorging themselves, and enjoying great security, when they saw the Jews being led off into captivity, they did not grieve, nor did they share in the despondency. And rebuking them, He says: "They felt nothing at the affliction of Joseph" (Amos 6.6), calling all the people "Joseph." And again: "The inhabitant of Anan did not go forth to mourn for the house that was joined to her" (Mic. 1.11). For even if they are being justly punished, God wants us to sympathize, but not to rejoice or gloat. For if I, He says, the one punishing, do not do this rejoicing, nor take pleasure in their punishment ("For I do not desire the death of the sinner," Ezek. 18.23), you too must imitate the Master, and for this very reason grieve, because he provided the occasion and pretext for a just punishment.

So if anyone grieves according to God, he reaps a great benefit from it. Since, then, those who are being scourged are more blessed than those who are doing the scourging, and those who are afflicted are more blessed than those who are at ease among the outsiders, and those who are despondent are more blessed than those who are enjoying themselves, what occasion then remains for us to be troubled? For this reason, one should not call anyone blessed, except the one who lives according to God alone. These ones the Scripture alone calls blessed: "For blessed," it says, "is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly" (Ps. 1.1). "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law" (Ps. 93.12). "Blessed are the undefiled in the way" (Ps. 118.1). "Blessed are all they that trust in him" (Ps. 2.12). "Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord" (Ps. 143.15). "Blessed is he whose soul has not condemned him" (Eccl. 14.2). "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord" (Ps. 111.1). And Christ again says thus: "Blessed are they that mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake" (Matt. 5.3-10). Do you see how the divine laws everywhere call no one blessed from among the wealthy, nor from those in high birth, nor those who enjoy glory, but only the one who has laid hold of virtue? For the requirement in all things that we do or suffer is to have the fear of God; and if you lay this root as a foundation, not only comfort, but not even honors, and glories, and attentions—nay, not even insults, and false accusations, and mockeries, and indignities, and tortures, and all things generally—will fail to sprout fruits of pleasure for you. And just as the roots of trees are themselves bitter, yet they bring us the most pleasant fruits, so too, truly, grief according to God will bring us much pleasure. They know, all who have often prayed with pain and shed tears, how much gladness they have reaped, how they have cleansed their conscience, how they have risen with a good hope. For what I always say is this: it is not the nature of things, but our own understanding, that is accustomed to grieve or gladden us. If, therefore, we fashion this as it ought to be, we shall have the pledge of every cheerfulness; and just as for the body it is not the nature of the air, nor external assaults, that harms or helps as much as its own constitution does, so too it is with the soul; and much more so. For in the case of the body there is the necessity of nature, but there the whole matter rests upon the moral choice. For this reason, Paul, having endured countless terrible things—shipwrecks, wars, uprisings, plots, the assaults of robbers, and things which it is not even possible to number in speech, and dying daily—not only did not grieve nor feel resentment, but he even boasted and rejoiced, and says: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh" (Col. 1.24). And again: "Not only so, but we also glory in tribulations" (Rom. 5.3); and glorying is an intensification of pleasure. ^D

4. If, therefore, you desire cheerfulness, do not pursue money, nor bodily health, nor glory, nor power, nor luxury, nor sumptuous tables, nor the wearing of silken garments, nor expensive fields, nor brilliant and conspicuous houses, nor any other thing of this kind; but pursue the philosophy which is according to God, and lay hold of virtue; and nothing of things present, nor of things hoped for, will be able to grieve you. What do I say "grieve"? Things that grieve others will even become an addition of pleasure to you. For indeed, scourges, and death, and losses, and slander, and suffering evil, and all such things, when they are brought upon us for God's sake, and have this as their root, introduce much pleasure into our soul. For no one will be able to make us miserable, unless we make ourselves so; just as, therefore, neither can anyone make us blessed, unless we work for it ourselves, after the grace of God. And that you might learn that this man alone is blessed, the one who fears the Lord, I will demonstrate this to you now, not from things past, but from things that have happened to us. ^A Our city was in danger of being utterly wiped out, and of the wealthy and conspicuous and distinguished men, no one dared to appear in public, but all fled and ran away. But those who fear God, those who spend their time in monasteries—these, with much boldness, ran down and resolved everything; and so far were they from being frightened by the terrible things that had taken place and the threatened dangers, or from being cast into agony, that although they were sitting far from the calamity and had nothing in common with it, they threw themselves voluntarily into the midst of the fire, and rescued everyone. And what seemed to all to be fearful and dread—namely, death—this they undertook with all readiness; and they ran toward the matter with more pleasure than others do toward magistracies and honors. For they knew that this is the greatest magistracy and honor, and through their very deeds they showed that this man alone is blessed who has laid hold of the philosophy from above, and admits no change, nor endures any misfortune, but enjoys continuous prosperity, and laughs at all things that seem to be grievous. At any rate, those at that time who held power were in much despondency…

HOMILY XIX

^A and suffering many things, are held in prison, dwelling in dungeons, bound in chains, expecting to die every day; yet these enjoy the purest pleasure, even if some grievous thing happens to them to suffer. And what seem terrible to others, these things are to them desirable: for they know to what they are running and what end shall receive them after they have departed from here. And living with such earnestness and deriding death, they nevertheless grieve for others, and from this, in turn, they derive great benefit. Let us therefore strive to have care for our soul, and nothing unexpected will be able to grieve us; and let us pray to God for those in prison, that He may free them from the calamity imminent upon them. For God could have undone the whole evil at once, and not left even small remnants; but lest we return again to our former sloth, He took care to relax this torrent of evils gradually and by degrees, keeping us in the same piety. And that this is true, and that many would have returned to their former sloth if all had been solved shortly, is manifest from this: the remnants of the calamity still remain, and the ^B Emperor's decision is still uncertain, and all who administered the affairs of the city are in bonds; yet many of those living in the city with us, out of a desire for bathing, run to the river, biting each other there with innumerable reproaches, acting wantonly, living lasciviously, dancing, dragging women along. With what forgiveness, then, would they be worthy? With what excuse? Nay, rather, of what punishment and retribution are they not worthy? The head of the city is in prison, our limbs are in exile, the decision regarding them is uncertain; and you say, I ask, do you dance and play and laugh? Someone says: "We do not endure remaining unbathed." O shameless expression, O mechanical and lost soul! Tell me, I ask, how many months have there been? How many years? You have not yet spent twenty days excluded from the baths, and as if you had spent the whole year unbathed, do you thus act like a man and feel indignant? Were you thus, I ask, when the soldiers made their incursion, when you were expecting to die ^C every day, when you were fleeing to the wilderness and running to the mountain tops? If then anyone had proposed to you to remain unbathed for a whole year so that you might be freed from the pressing anxiety, would you not have promptly accepted and endured it? Since, therefore, it is fitting to give thanks to God who solved these things without any harm, do you act wantonly again and offer insult, and because the fear has passed, have you returned again to a greater sloth? Have evils touched you so as to make you desire even baths? For even if the baths were permitted, could the calamity of those dying persuade even those who were not in these miseries to forget all delights? The danger is about the soul, and you remember the baths, and wish to be at leisure for delights? Do you despise [the One] who has now delivered you? See that you do not heap upon yourself the necessity of a greater punishment, and draw back again the removed threats with ^D greater peril, and suffer the same thing which Christ says concerning demons. For, "When the unclean spirit is gone out," he says, "and afterward he finds the house vacant and swept with brooms, taking again seven other spirits more wicked than himself, he returns into the soul, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first" (Luke 11:24-26). Let us also fear, lest, having been freed from the former things, through the creeping in of sloth, we suffer things worse than the former. I know you are strangers to such folly; but restrain, punish, and chasten also those walking unseemly, so that you may always rejoice, as Paul commanded, so that here we may receive much reward both for our own merits and for the care of others, and in the future life, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit [be] glory, honor, and adoration, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

ON THE SUNDAY OF THE RECOVERED, TO THOSE FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE, AND CONCERNING NOT SWEARING. HOMILY XIX.

a'. You have feasted on the holy martyrs in these past days; you were filled with spiritual celebreation; you exhorted yourselves with honest exultations; you saw sides opened and flanks cut, blood flowing from every side, infinite species of torments; you saw human nature displaying supernatural things, and crowns woven of blood; you danced a beautiful dance, while this honest leader led you around into every part of the city. But our infirmity forced us even against our will to remain at home. 189 Yet even if we were not present at the solemnity, we participated in the joy; even if we did not receive the fruit from the assembly, we nevertheless had joy in common with you. For such is the power of love: it makes those who do not enjoy [the feast] equally with those who enjoy it to rejoice, persuading them to consider the goods of their neighbors as common. Therefore, even sitting at home I rejoiced with you, and not yet being released from my illness, I arose and ran to you, that I might gaze upon your desirable faces and become a participant in the present festival. For I consider the present day to be a greatest festival, because of the presence of our brothers who have adorned the city for us today and honored the church. A people indeed different from us in language, but consonant in faith; a people living in tranquility, having a modest and venerable life. For among these men, there are not spectacles of iniquity, not horse races, nor harlot women, nor are the remaining tumults of the city [found], but every kind of wantonness is excluded; but great modesty flourishes everywhere. The cause of this is that their life is laborious, and they have the cultivation of the land as a school of virtue and modesty, practicing an art which, before all the rest...

God introduced into our life. For even before the sin, Adam, when he enjoyed great freedom, was commanded to attend to a certain husbandry, which was not painful, nor did it carry hardships, but it provided him with much philosophy. For he says, "He placed him to work and keep the paradise" (Gen. 2. 15). ^A Every one of these you might see, now yoking the oxen to the plow and drawing the plowshare, cutting a deep furrow; now ascending the sacred pulpit and plowing the souls of his subjects; now cutting away the thorns of the earth with a sickle, and now cleansing the sins of the soul with the word. For they are not ashamed of work, as are those who dwell in our city, but they are ashamed of idleness, having learned that ^B this taught all that evil, and became a teacher of wickedness from the beginning to those who love it. These are the ones who most of all exercise for us the best philosophy, not from their appearance, but from their mind demonstrating their virtue. For the philosophers of the outside world are in no better condition than those who play in the theater and in the games of the mimes, having nothing more to show than their cloak and beard and robe; but these are the complete opposite, having said much farewell to staff and beard and the rest of the equipment, they adorned their own soul with the dogmas of true philosophy, and not with dogmas alone, but with the very deeds themselves. And if you ask one of these who lives in the countryside, and has spent his life in the mattock and plow, about the dogmas—concerning which the philosophers of the outside world, having traveled over countless things and exhausted many words, were unable to say anything sound—he will answer you everything accurately out of his abundant wisdom. And not only is this to be wondered at, but also that they confirm the faith of the dogmas through their deeds. For that we have an immortal soul, and are going to give an account of what has been done here and stand before a fearful tribunal, they have both convinced their mind, and have set their whole life according to these hopes, and have become superior to every worldly imagination, having been instructed by the Divine Scripture that "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Eccles. 1. 2), and they gape at nothing of those things that seem to be brilliant. These also know how to philosophize about God, those things which God has commanded; and if you take one of them and bring into their midst now some philosopher of the outside world—or rather, now it is impossible to find one, but if you take one of these, and having opened the books of those who philosophized among them of old, you go through them, and place them side by side—what these answer now, and what those philosophized then—you will see how great is the wisdom of the former, and how great is the folly of the latter. For when some of them say that existing things do not enjoy providence, nor was the creation made by God, nor is virtue itself sufficient for itself, but it needs money and nobility and outside reputation, and other things much more ridiculous than these; but these others philosophize about providence, and about the courts after this life, and about the creation of God which brought all things out of nothing, and about all other things, without having shared at all in the education of the outside world—who would not immediately learn the power of Christ, how he proved the unlettered and private men to be so much wiser than those who boast greatly of wisdom, as much as one can see the prudent man surpassing small children? For what ^C harm could come to them from their simplicity of speech, when their minds are full of much wisdom? And what benefit is it to those of the outside world from their teaching of words, when the mind is empty of thoughts? Just as if one were to have a sword, having the handle of silver, but the iron itself of lead, or even weaker than that; for in these too, the tongue is adorned with phrases and names, but the mind is full of much weakness, and is useless for everything; but not so with these philosophers, but quite the contrary, their mind is full of much spiritual wisdom, and their life imitates the dogmas. Among them, there are no women pampered, nor embellishment of garments, nor paints and pigments, but all such corruption of character has been driven away; whence also they lead the people subject to them more easily to modesty, and they keep with ^D much accuracy the law of Paul, commanding them to have coverings and food, and to seek for nothing more. Among them, there is no application of perfumes bewitching the mind, but the earth, putting forth herbs, produces for them the varied fragrance of flowers, more wise than any perfumer. Because of this, their bodies also enjoy pure health together with the soul, since they have banished all luxury and cast out the evil streams of drunkenness, and they eat only as much as sustains life. 191 Let us not, therefore, despise them for their appearance, but let us admire their mind. For what is the profit of the outside clothing, when the soul is wrapped in something more miserable than any beggar? One should praise and admire a man not from his garments, or rather not even from the body, but from the soul. Strip the soul of these, and you will see its beauty and its wealth through the phrases, through the dogmas, through the whole constitution of their character.

2. Let the Greeks, therefore, be ashamed, let them be covered and hide themselves for the sake of their philosophers, and for their wisdom which is more miserable than all folly. For the philosophers among them, during the time they lived, were able with difficulty and very few in number to teach their dogmas, and when a small danger overtook them, they even lost these; but the disciples of Christ, the fishermen, and tax collectors, and tentmakers, in a few years brought the whole world back to the truth, and though countless dangers have occurred since that time, the preaching has not only not been extinguished, but it flourishes and progresses to greater things; and they taught men to philosophize—common people and tillers of the soil and those who commune with cattle. These, along with all other things, having love, the cause of all good things, rooted within, hastened to us, having run such a distance, and to embrace their own members. Come then, and let us, in return for these gifts—of love, I mean, and of affection—providing them with sustenance, let us send them away, and let us stir again the discourse concerning oaths, so that this evil custom may be torn out by the root from the minds of all.

^A For the Jews, when they had been sent away from Persia and delivered from that tyranny, returned to their own land. "I see a sickle," he says, "flying, twenty cubits in length and ten cubits in breadth" (Zech. 5:1-2); and they heard the prophet instructing them, that "This is the curse going forth over the face of the earth, and it shall enter into the house of him who swears falsely, and it shall consume it in the midst, and it shall destroy all its timber and stones" (Zech. 5:3-4). When these things were read at that time, we were asking why it destroys not only the one who swore, but even his own house as well; and we said that the reason for this is that God wishes the punishments for the most grievous sins to remain continuous, so that after these things all may be corrected. Since, therefore, the perjurer must needs be buried dead and consigned to the ends of the earth, so that his iniquity may not be buried together with his body, He made his house a heap, so that all who pass by, seeing it and learning the cause of its demolition, might flee the imitation of the sin.

This also happened in Sodom. For after they burned with desire for one another, the very nature of the land was scorched by fire sent from above (Gen. 19); for God desired that the punishment for this sin should remain perpetual. And note God's clemency: He did not make the sinners themselves burn perpetually until the present day, but having once burned them, He hid them away; but He set forth the scorched face of the earth for all who wished to see it after these things; and now, more clearly than any tongue, this sight warns all succeeding generations of the earth, all but shouting and saying: "Do not commit the crimes of Sodom, lest you suffer the punishments of Sodom." For a discourse is not wont to arrive in the mind in such a way as a terrible sight that bears the traces of calamity for all time. And those who have traveled to those places ^B attest to this; for having often heard the Scripture speaking about these things, they were not much afraid; but after they had come and ascended into that region, and saw all its surface destroyed, and beheld the burning, and the earth nowhere appearing, but everything being ash and embers, they were struck with awe, and taking great instruction in temperance from that sight, so they departed; for the very manner of the punishment imitates the manner of the sin. For just as they devised an unfruitful congress, not contributing to the procreation of children, so indeed did God inflict a punishment which rendered the womb of the earth utterly barren and void of all fruits. Therefore, He also threatened that He would destroy the houses of those who swear, so that He might make others more restrained by their punishments.

^C I am demonstrating today not one or two or three houses destroyed by oaths, but an entire city and a religious people, and a nation accustomed to enjoy much providence always, and a tribe having escaped many dangers. For Jerusalem, the city of God, having the holy ark and all that worship, where the prophets were, and the grace of the Spirit, and the ark, and the tablets of the Testament, and the golden urn, where angels often walked; this city, with countless wars arising and many barbarians invading it, as though fortified with a wall of adamant, thus always mocked all of them, and with the whole region being destroyed, it suffered nothing grave. And this is not the only thing that is marvelous, ^D but also that by frequently inflicting a heavy blow upon the enemies, it sent them away thus; it had obtained such providence from God, that God Himself said: "I found Israel like a grape in the wilderness, and I saw their fathers as a first-ripe fruit in the fig tree" (Hos. 9:10). And again concerning the city itself: "As a cluster of grapes on the highest branch, and they shall say, Do not harm them" (Isa. 65:8).

Nevertheless, the city dear to God, having escaped so many dangers, having obtained pardon for many sins, and which alone of all others could have escaped captivity, was once, twice, and more often laid low by an oath alone; and I will say how this came about. There was a certain Zedekiah among them as king; this Zedekiah gave an oath to the king of the barbarians, Nebuchadnezzar, that he would remain in his alliance; afterwards he defected and fled to the king of Egypt, making light of his oaths, and he suffered as many things as you will hear immediately. But first it is necessary to tell the prophet's parable, through which he signified all these things. "The word of the Lord," he says, "came to me saying: Son of man, tell a story, and speak a parable, and you shall say: Thus says Adonai the Lord: The great eagle, of great wings, long of extension, full of claws" (Ezek. 17:1-3). He called the king of the Babylonians an eagle here; he said it was great and of great wings, and called it long of extension and full of claws, on account of the multitude of his army and the magnitude of his power and the swiftness of his incursion; for just as eagles have wings and claws as weapons, so do kings have soldiers and horses. "This eagle therefore," he says, "entered into Libanus" (Ibid. v. 3). What is "entered"? Counsel, judgment; but he called Judea Libanus, because it is situated near that mountain. Then desiring to speak of oaths and treaties, he said: "He took," he says, "of the seed of the earth, and set it in a sown field, to take root over much water: he set it to be looked upon: and when it sprouted, it grew into a vine weak and small in size, and it extended its branches toward it, and its roots were under it" (Ibid. v. 5-6). He called the city of Jerusalem a vine here; but by saying that it extended its branches toward that eagle, and its roots were under it, he signified the treaties and the alliance initiated with him, and that it threw itself upon him. Soon, wanting to show the wickedness, he says: "And there was another eagle," speaking of the Egyptian king, "great and with great wings and many claws; and behold, this vine was implicated to it, and its tendril was in it, and it extended its branches, that it might irrigate it: therefore I said, Thus says the Lord: If it shall prosper," that is, it which did not keep the oath and the treaties, "if it will be able to remain and be saved, not to fall" (Ibid. v. 7-9). Soon, demonstrating that it would not be so, but would wholly perish on account of the oath, he discourses concerning the punishment itself, and posits the cause: "For its roots are of tenderness, and its fruit shall rot, and its sprouts shall wither that germinate from it" (Ibid. v. 9). And wanting to show that it will not be destroyed by human power, but because by those oaths it made God its enemy, he subjoined: "Not by a great arm, nor by a people"

for rooting it up. This is the parable; but then he clarifies it, saying: "Behold, the king of Babylon comes to Jerusalem." Then, after having said some other things in between, he speaks of the oaths and the alliances: "For he shall enter into a covenant with him." Then, also declaring the apostasy: "And he shall depart from him," he says, "by sending messengers to Egypt to give him horses and much people." And after these things he adds, showing that it is because of the oath that all these things of ruin happen: ^A "If he does not die in the place of the king who made him king, whose curse I disregarded, and whose covenant I have broken, in the midst of Babylon, and not by great power, nor by a great crowd, because he disregarded the oath to break my covenant, or rather my oath which he disregarded, and my covenant which he broke, I will give it onto his head, and I will spread my net over him." Do you see how not once, nor twice, but even more frequently he said that he was suffering all these things because of the oath? For God is implacable when oaths are insulted.

Nor is it possible to see this only from the punishment brought upon the city because of this oath, but also from the delay and the postponement, how much diligence God exerts so that oaths may not be trampled upon. For it so happened, he says, in the ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, and all his power, against Jerusalem; and he besieged it, and built a wall round about it; and the city came into straitness ^B until the eleventh year of Zedekiah the king, the ninth day of the month, and the famine grew strong in the city, and there was no bread for the people to eat, and the city was breached. For he could have handed them over immediately from the first day and made them subject to the enemy, but for this reason he allowed them to be worn down for a period of three years, and made them feel a most grievous siege, so that by the fear of the soldiers from without and by the famine pressing the city from within, they might be brought to their senses, and even unwillingly force the king to submit to the barbarian, and there might be some remedy for the sin. And that this is the truth and not my conjecture, hear what he says to him through the prophet: "If you go out to the governors of the king of Babylon, your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you shall live, you and your house. ^C But if you do not go out to the governors of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it, and you shall not be saved from their hand." And the king said: "I have a word for the Jews who have fled to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hands, and they mock me." And Jeremiah said: "They shall not deliver you; hear the word of the Lord, which I speak to you; and it shall be better for you, and your soul shall live; but if you do not desire to go out, this is the word which the Lord showed me: All the women who are left in the house of the king of Judah are being led out to the governors of the king of Babylon, and these say: 'Your men of peace have deceived you, and they have prevailed against you; they have sunk your feet in the mire; they have turned away from you, and they will lead out all your women to the Chaldeans, and you shall not be saved from their hand,' because you shall be taken into the ^D hand of the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire."

Since he did not persuade him by saying these things, but he remained in his sin and lawlessness, after three years God delivered the city, and having displayed His own philanthropy and his ingratitude. And having entered with great ease, they burned the house of the Lord and the house of the king and the houses of Jerusalem, and the captain of the guard burned every great house, and he tore down the wall of Jerusalem, and everywhere there was barbarian fire, with the oath of the burning itself acting as commander and leading the flame everywhere. And the captain of the guard carried away all the remnants of the people in the city and those who had gone over to the king, and for the sake of the bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans cut them down, and the bases, and the bronze sea that was in the house of the Lord the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and the caldrons, and the shovels, and the bowls, and the censers, and all the bronze vessels in which they ministered, they took, and the fire pans, and the bowls, both the gold and the silver ones they took. And of the two pillars, and the bases, and the sea, which Solomon made in the house of the Lord, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took; and he took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three who guarded the threshold, and from the city one eunuch who was set over the men who were fighting, and five men who saw the face of the king, and Saphane the commander of the army, and the scribe, and sixty men; and he took them, and led them away to the king of Babylon, and the king struck them, and put them to death.

Remind me, then, of that flying sickle now, lingering in the house of the one who swears, and tearing down the walls and the wood and the stones; remind me how this oath, having entered into the city, destroyed both houses and temple and walls and splendid buildings, and made the city a heap; and neither the Holy of Holies, nor the sacred vessels, nor anything else averted that punishment and vengeance because of the breaking of the oath. And the city was being destroyed so piteously; but the king was suffering things more piteous and more painful than these, and just as the buildings were torn down by this flying sickle, so too it tore him down as he was fleeing. "For the king went out," he says, "at night by the way of the gate, and the Chaldeans were surrounding the city, and the power of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and they overtook him, and they captured the king, and led him to the king of Babylon, and the king of Babylon spoke with Zedekiah judgment, and he slaughtered his sons before his eyes, and he gouged out the eyes of Zedekiah; and he bound him in fetters, and led him to Babylon." What is, "He spoke with him judgment"? He demanded an accounting from him, he tried the case with him, and first he slaughtered his sons, so that he might be a spectator of his own misfortune, and let him see that tragedy, and then he gouged out his eyes. For what reason does this happen again? So that he might go away as a teacher to the barbarians and the Jews dwelling there, and so that those seeing him blinded might learn by the sight of him how great an evil the oath is; not those alone, but so that all dwelling along the road, seeing him bound and blinded, might learn from the misfortune of the others...

and how great is the magnitude of sin. For this reason one of the prophets says, "He shall not see Babylon," while the other says, "He shall be brought to Babylon." And this does not seem to be a contradiction — but both these things are true. For indeed he did not see Babylon, and he was brought to Babylon. How then did he not see Babylon? Because he was blinded in Judaea. For where the oath was spurned, there also it was avenged, and he himself sustained the punishment. But how was he led to Babylon? By being made a captive. For since there were two punishments—blinding and captivity—the prophets divided them; and the one says, "He shall not see Babylon," meaning his blinding; yet the other says, "He shall be brought to Babylon," signifying his captivity.

4. Moral Exhortation

Miracles of Juggler's Arts

carry out our private business, until we fulfill this law, and being altogether thrust on by necessity, we shall easily overcome it, and we shall adorn not only ourselves, but we shall adorn the whole city as well. Consider, in fact, how great a thing it is for these things to be heard everywhere in the inhabited world—that in Antioch a custom befitting Christians has prevailed, and that you will hear no one, even if the greatest necessity lies upon him, uttering an oath. Assuredly the neighboring cities will hear these things; or rather, not the neighbors alone, but the word will reach even unto the very ends of the earth; for it is likely that merchants mixing among you, and others arriving from here, will report all these things. When, therefore, many, while praising other cities, speak of their harbors, and their market, and the abundance of goods, then you should say to those arriving from there that what is found in Antioch is not to be found in any of the other cities—that men living in that city would prefer to have their tongue cut out rather than to let an oath pass from their mouth. This will be for you an ornament and a security; and not only that, but it will also bring a great reward. For others will certainly emulate and imitate you; for if one who gains one or two people receives so great a reward from God, how great will be the rewards that you shall receive, you who are instructing the whole inhabited world? It is necessary, therefore, to be eager and wakeful and sober, knowing that we shall receive a great recompense not only for our own good works, but even for those done by others, and we shall enjoy much favor from God, of which may it be granted that we all continually partaking may attain the kingdom of heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power, with the Father and the holy Spirit, now and always, and for ages of ages. Amen.

That the Lenten fast is not sufficient for readiness to partake of communion, but the virtue of the soul is first required; and how it is possible not to harbor resentment, and that God has great regard for this law, and that harboring resentment punishes men even before Gehenna; and concerning abstaining from oaths, and concerning those who have not achieved the goal of not swearing.

Homily XX

1. The time for the end of the fast is now pressing us; therefore, let us also devote ourselves to greater virtue. For just as there is no profit in many laps for those who are running if they fall short of the prizes, so there will be no gain for us from the many labors and sweats spent on the fast, if we are not able to enjoy the sacred table with a pure conscience. For this reason the fast, and the forty days, and the assemblies and listenings and prayers and teachings of so many days exist, so that in every way, having cut away by this diligence in the divine commandments the sins that have clung to us throughout the whole year, we may with spiritual confidence piously participate in that bloodless sacrifice; since, if this is not the case, in vain and to no useful purpose have we undergone such labor. Let each one therefore consider by himself: what fault did he correct? What virtue did he acquire? What sin did he cast off? What stain did he wash away? In what way has he become better? And if he finds that he has attained something more over himself from the fast for this good business, and perceives that great care has been taken by him for his wounds, let him approach; but if he has remained neglected, having only the fast to show, and having accomplished none of the other things, let him remain outside, and let him enter only when he has cleansed all his sins. Let no one rely on the fast alone if he has remained uncorrected in his evils. For as regards him who has not fasted, it is likely that he might obtain forgiveness by pleading the weakness of his body; but it is impossible for him who has not corrected his own transgressions to obtain an excuse. You have not fasted because of the weakness of your flesh; tell me, why have you not been reconciled to your enemies? Do you have again in this case the weakness of the body to put forward? If you remain harboring jealousy and envy, tell me, what excuse will you have? For nowhere in these failings is it possible to have recourse to the weakness of the body. And this became the work of Christ’s lovingkindness, that the most vital of the commandments, those that hold our life together, should not be broken by the weakness of the body. Since, therefore, we have need of all the holy laws equally, but most of all of the one commanding that no one should have an enemy, nor remain resentful continually, but be reconciled immediately, come let us discourse to you today concerning this commandment. For just as it is impossible for the fornicator and the blasphemer to partake of the holy table, so it is impossible for one who has an enemy and harbors resentment to enjoy the holy communion; and very rightly so. For the one who has fornicated and committed adultery has completed the desire at once, and has brought the sin to an end; and if he should wish, having become sober, to recover from the fall, having shown great repentance afterward, he has some room for comfort; but the one harboring resentment works his sin every day, and never brings it to an end. There, the transgression occurred, and the sin was fulfilled; but here, the sin is dared every day. What excuse, then, shall we have, tell me, giving ourselves over willingly to such an evil beast? How shall we...

ask for God to become gentle and mild toward us, when you are so harsh and inexorable toward your fellow slave? For if your fellow slave has insulted you, you have surely often insulted God yourself; and what equality is there between a master and a slave? Yet this man, having been insulted, has perhaps returned the insult, and you are exasperated; while you act insolently toward the Lord, having received no injury at all from Him, but rather being affected by His benefits every day. ^A Consider, then, that if God were willing to examine carefully the things committed against Himself, we would not survive even for a single day. "For if you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who shall stand?" (Ps. cxxix, 3). And to omit all other sins, which the conscience of each sinner alone knows, and where, besides God, he fears no witness, if we were to be called to account for those that are manifest and admitted, what forgiveness, I ask, could we hope for, if He were to weigh our sloth and negligence in our prayers—that being present before Him and invoking Him, we do not show even as much respect and reverence as slaves to their masters, or soldiers to their commanders, or friends to their friends? For when you converse with a friend, you do so with attention; but when you are dealing with God concerning your sins, asking for pardon and praying for forgiveness, you are frequently sluggish, and with your knees resting on the ground, you often allow your mind to wander through the marketplace or through your house, ^B while your mouth in the meantime babbles in vain and to no purpose; and this happens to us not once or twice, but frequently. If God were willing to weigh that alone, do you think we would obtain forgiveness? Or would we ever be able to attain an apology? I, for one, think not.

Homily XX

^B B’. But what if we examine the things for which we slander one another daily, and the untimely judgments by which we condemn our neighbor, being such as we are and complainers—will we be able to offer a defense? If you were to examine our curious glances and the base desires which we have in our heart, often receiving filthy and unclean thoughts because of the wandering of our eyes, what punishment would we not undergo? If we are called to account for our insults ^C (for "Whoever says to his brother, 'You fool,' shall be liable to the hell of fire" [Matt. v, 22]), will we even be able to open our mouth or speak or respond anything, small or great? Now, if our empty boastings concerning our prayers or fasts or almsgivings are called into question—not by God, but by us ourselves who have sinned—will we dare even to look toward heaven? Furthermore, if judgment were to be made concerning the deceits which we weave for one another, now praising a brother to his face and mixing in conversation with him as with a friend, now slandering the absent one—will we be equal to such punishment? What shall I say of oaths, lies, perjuries, unjust rages, the envy with which we often look with malice upon men who are prominent, not only enemies but friends? What of the fact that we take pleasure in the evils of others, and consider another’s misfortune as a consolation for our own? ^D

Conversations in Church Prohibited

But if the account of our sloth in the sacred assembly were to be demanded, what shall we suffer? For you are not ignorant of the fact that, while God Himself is often speaking to all of us through the prophet, we have many great conversations with our neighbors about things that pertain to us not at all. If, therefore, omitting all else, a punishment equal to this offense were demanded, what hope would remain for salvation? Do not think that this is a small crime; for if you wish to see its magnitude, it must be viewed in human affairs. Dare, I pray you, when a magistrate is speaking with you, or even a friend of somewhat higher standing, to ignore him and transfer your conversation to a slave; and then you will see what wickedness you dare when you do the same to God. But if someone more respectable is not going to overlook such an insult, yet God, though struck by such and greater injuries daily—and not by one or two or three only, but by almost all of us—persists in His own ^A gentleness and tolerance, which He maintains not only against such things, but also against much graver ones. For these are confessed and manifest transgressions which are committed by almost everyone; but there are also others of which the mind of each sinner is conscious. Yet if we revolve all these in our mind, even if we were the most savage and inhuman of all, if we would only consider the multitude of our sins, for fear and anxiety we would not even have time to remember the injuries we have received. Remember the river of fire, the poisonous worm, the fearful judgment in which all things will be naked and laid bare; consider that the things which now lie hidden will then be brought to light. But if you forgive your neighbor his sins, those things which are to be uncovered then will be blotted out now in this life, and you will depart carrying nothing of your sins with you, so much so that you will receive back much more than you gave. We have often sinned in such ways, of which we have no witness; then, when we think that on that day our sins will be exposed before the eyes of all in the public theater ^B of the world, we consider this more grievous than the punishment itself, our conscience increasing our pain and crushing us. It is possible to wash away such shame, so many sins, and so great punishments through the forgiveness of offenses; for there is nothing equal to this virtue. Do you wish to know the power of this? "If Moses and Samuel stood before My face," He says, "my soul is not toward them" (Jer. xv, 1). Yet where Moses and Samuel could not rescue by the anger of God, this commandment was able to rescue; and therefore, to those to whom He said these things, He frequently exhorted them, saying: "Let none of you remember the wickedness of your brother in your hearts" (Zech. vii, 10). "And do not think of the evil deeds of your neighbor" (Id. viii, 17). He did not only say, "Forgive," but, "Do not even have it in your mind, do not think of it, put away all anger, take away the ulcer"; for while you are crafting vengeance, you are afflicting yourself first, just as if you had brought a torturer upon yourself, tearing apart your own bowels. ^C

He who does not restrain anger lives in torment

For what is more miserable than a man who is continuously enraged? Just as the furious never enjoy calm, so he who harbors enmity and has an enemy never enjoys any peace, perpetually boiling over and reflecting the storm ^D

of the day, recalling his footsteps and his deeds, and feeling hostile toward the very name of the one who offended him. Even if you only say the name of the enemy, he is filled with anger and endures great pain within; even if he sees only his simple face, he fears and trembles, as if suffering the ultimate evils; and if he perceives any of his belongings—be it a garment, a house, or a narrow alley—he is tortured by everything that he sees. Just as the clothes, faces, shoes, houses, and narrow alleys of our loved ones immediately make us flutter when seen, so when we see the servant, the friend, the house, or the narrow alley—or anything else—of those we hate and who hate us, we are bitten by all of them; and frequent and continuous wounds occur to us from each of the things we see.

^B 3. What need, then, is there for such a siege, for such torture and punishment? If hell had not been threatened against those who harbor grudges, we ought to release the sins against those who have offended us because of the torture that comes to us from the deed itself. But when tortures remain immortal, what could be more foolish than to punish oneself both here and there, while expecting that the enemy is being punished? For if we see him prospering, we are destroyed by despondency; and if he is faring poorly, we fear lest there be a shift to the right, and for us, punishment is inescapable in both cases. For it says: *Do not rejoice at the stumbling of your enemy* (Prov. 24:17). And do not tell me of the magnitude of the injustices, for this is not what causes the anger to remain with you, but [the fact] that you do not remember your own transgressions, nor do you have hell and the fear of God before your eyes. And in order that you may learn that this is true, I shall try to prove it from what happened to the city. For when those responsible for those lawless outrages were brought to the tribunal, when the fire was burning within, and the executioners stood by and were tearing their sides apart, if someone had stood beside them and said from the side, "If you have any enemies, release your anger, and we shall be able to deliver you from this punishment," would they not have kissed their feet? And why do I say "feet"? If someone had ordered them even to choose them as masters, they would not have refused at that time. If a human punishment, which had an end, would have dominated all anger, much more so would the punishment to come, if it were continuously occupying our mind, have driven out not only the harboring of grudges but every evil thought from the soul.

For what is easier, tell me, than to release the anger against the one who has offended you? One does not have to set out on a long journey, or spend money, or entreat others. It suffices merely to will it, and the achievement reaches its end. Of what punishment, then, would we not be worthy if, for the sake of worldly affairs, we endure slave-like services and show ourselves unworthy of ourselves, enduring treatment, spending money, and talking to doorkeepers in order to flatter filthy men, and we do and say everything so that the matter before us might be accomplished, but for the sake of the laws of God we do not endure entreating our offended brother, but even consider it shameful to be the first to approach? Shame, you say, when you are about to be the first to gain? On the contrary, it is necessary to be ashamed to remain in the passion and to wait for the one who offended you to come for reconciliation; for that indeed is shame, and disgrace, and the greatest loss. For the one who comes first, he reaps the whole reward. If you release your anger because you were entreated by another, the achievement is credited to him (for you did not fulfill the law by obeying God, but by favoring him); but if, with no one entreating you, and even without the offender himself coming to you and asking, you yourself, having cast off all shame and all hesitation from your mind, approach the one who did the wrong and put an end to the anger, the achievement becomes entirely yours, and you receive the whole reward.

If I say, "Fast," you often present to me body-weakness; if I say, "Give to the needy," you present child-rearing and poverty; if I say, "Devote yourself to the synaxis," you present worldly cares; if I say, "Pay attention to what is being said and discern the power of the teaching," you present lack of learning; if I say, "Correct another," you say that he will not obey when advised, for having said it often, I was despised. These excuses are indeed frequent, but nevertheless, even if you have a pretext to say, if I say, "Release the anger," what of these will you be able to say? For you have neither body-weakness, nor poverty, nor lack of learning, nor lack of time, nor anything else to say, but this sin is the most inexcusable of all. How will you be able to lift your hands to heaven? How to move your tongue? How to ask for forgiveness? For even if God wishes to forgive your sins, you yourself do not allow it, holding onto the debts of your fellow servant. "But he is mine, and savage, and beastly, and desires punishment and retaliation." And for this very reason, release [it]. You have been wronged much, you have been deprived, you have heard evil, you have been harmed in the greatest matters, and you wish to see the enemy punished. And for this, again, it is useful for you to release [it]. For if you punish and pursue it yourself, whether through words, or through deeds, or through prayer against him, God will no longer pursue it, since you have taken the vengeance; and not only will He not pursue it, but He will demand justice from you as one who has committed an insult.

^D 4. For if this happens among men—if we strike a servant of another, the master is indignant and says the act is an insult; for even if we happen to have been wronged, whether by servants or by free men, it is necessary to wait for the judgments from the authorities and from the masters—if, then, in human affairs it is not safe to avenge ourselves, much more so when God is the judge. But he has wronged you and offended you, and your neighbor has caused you countless evils. Even so, do not pursue it yourself, lest you insult your own Master. Yield to God, and He himself will arrange the matter far better than you wish. He ordered you only to pray for the one who offended you; as to how one should deal with him, He ordered [you] to leave that to Him.

^A Never seek for yourself such retaliations as he devised against you; only grant him your pardon, and do not make imprecations against the enemy, but leave to Him the decision of judging. For whether we forgive our injuries, or are reconciled, or pray for our enemies, if they themselves are not converted and changed for the better, God will not forgive them; but He will not forgive them out of consideration for their own utility. For He praises you and embraces your philosophy, but punishes him, so that he may not become worse through your philosophy. Wherefore, that view of the common people is vain. For many, when admonished by us concerning reconciliation, where they did not wish to comply, brought forward this excuse, which served as nothing else than a pretext for their own malice: namely, that they did not wish to be reconciled, lest they should make the enemy worse, and lest they should later experience his bitterness and even greater contempt. To these things they also add this, that it will be commonly thought that they came first to reconciliation and pacification on account of weakness. ^B All these things are vain; for that eye which never sleeps knows your mind, and therefore we ought not to be concerned with our fellow-servants' opinions, provided you convince the Judge who is about to sit in judgment upon your case. But if you are anxious about this, lest you make him worse by your kindness, know that he will not become worse by this means but rather better, if you do not provoke him. For though he be the most wicked of all mortals, and though he may not say it or openly display it, nevertheless, in silence he will approve of your philosophical manners, and his own conscience will revere your mildness. But if he persists in the same malice and is not softened by kindness, he will sustain a maximum punishment from God. But that you may learn that, even if we pray for enemies and those who injure us, God does not forgive them their sins if they become worse through our tolerance, I shall recount to you an ancient history. Miriam spoke against Moses: what did God do here? He made her leprous and unclean, although she was otherwise well-behaved and chaste; then, when Moses—who had endured the injury—prayed that He would remit the punishment, God refused, but what did He say? "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp seven days" (Num. XII, 14). That is to say: If her father had stood by and removed her from his sight, would she not have endured that rebuke? I indeed commend you for your fraternal affection, mildness, and goodness, but it is known to Me when it is opportune for her to be released from this punishment. ^C Wherefore, you too should show all humanity toward your brother, and do not forgive faults out of a desire for greater vengeance, but out of charity and a kindly spirit. Keep this for certain, that the more he has rejected the industry of your pacification, the greater the punishment he heaps upon himself. What are you saying? That he becomes worse by being treated kindly? That is his crime, but your eulogy, because when you saw that he would be such a person, you did not, however, desist from treating him kindly, that you might satisfy the divine will. It is his crime that he returns through your kindness no better than he was before. Paul, however, says, "It is much more preferable to be accused by others on our account, than for us to be accused on account of others." Do not say these cold words: "I fear he may think that I ran to him out of fear," and thus adopt greater pride. These are the thoughts of a childish and foolish mind, and one that is stunned by human opinion. Let him think that you approached out of fear; for in that way your reward will be even greater, since you anticipate this, and yet endure all things for the fear of God. For he who hunts for the praise of men while instituting a reconciliation is cut off from the profit of reward; but he who clearly knows this fact—that many will even mock and vilify him—and yet does not even thus desist from reconciliation, will have a doubled and tripled crown. And this is especially the one who has done it for the sake of God. Do not tell me, "He inflicted these and those injuries"; for even if one were to draw out every evil that is in men against you, even then God has commanded that offenses be remitted.

^D Behold, I proclaim, and I testify, and I shout with a loud voice: let no one who has an enemy approach the holy table and receive the body of Christ; let no one approach who has an enemy. Do you have an enemy? Do not approach. Do you want to approach? Be reconciled, and then touch the sacred [elements]. Nay, it is not I who say these things, but the Lord Himself who was crucified for our sake. He did not refuse even to be slaughtered or to pour out His blood to reconcile you to the Father; yet you, in order to be reconciled to a fellow-servant, do not wish even to utter a word, or to approach first? Hear what the Lord says about such people: "If you offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you" (Matt. V, 23); He did not say, "Wait until he comes to you, or use some other intercessor, or commission a mediator," but, "Go yourself," He says, "to him." "Go, be reconciled first to your brother" (Matt. V, 24). O, the incredible fact! He Himself does not consider it a disgrace that the gift intended for Him is left aside, and you think it is an insult if you are the first to go to reconciliation? Tell me, I pray, what pardon is owed to these things? If you see a limb severed, do you not do everything to join it to the body? Do the same with your brothers: when you see those who are severed from your friendship, hasten quickly to embrace them; do not wait until they come to you first, but hasten yourself to be the first to receive the prize.

"Let there be only one enemy to us: the devil." We have been ordered to have one enemy, the devil; with him, never be reconciled. But toward a brother, never be of an inimical spirit; but if some slight offense has arisen, let it not last longer than one day, and do not exceed a daily span. "The sun," He says, "must not set upon your anger" (Eph. IV, 26). If you put aside your stomach before evening, you have some pardon from God; but if your bile lasts beyond that, it is not the result of anger and indignation, but of wickedness and a corrupted soul.

^A Nor is this the only grievous thing, that you deprive yourself of pardon, but that the accomplishment of the deed becomes more difficult; for one day having passed, the shame is greater, and a second being added, it increases again; and if it reaches a third or a fourth, it will add a fifth; thus five become ten, ten twenty, twenty one hundred, and hereafter the wound will be incurable; for as much as time advances, by so much more do we stand apart.

But may you suffer none of these irrational passions, O man, nor be ashamed or blushed, nor say to yourself: "A little while ago we reproached each other with such things, we said ten thousand things both utterable and unutterable, and shall I now run to reconciliations? And who will not reproach me for my great easiness?" No one who has a mind will reproach you for your easiness, but when you remain unreconciled, then all will laugh at you, then you will give much space to the devil. For it is no longer from time alone that the enmity becomes difficult to dissolve, but also from the things that have happened in between. For just as Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8), so enmity establishes even those sins which do not exist, and all accusers become trustworthy hereafter, those who rejoice in the evils of others and parade the indecencies of their neighbors. ^B Knowing all these things, then, anticipate and restrain your brother before he jumps away completely, and if it is necessary to run through the whole city on that day, and if it is necessary to go outside the walls, and to walk a long road, leaving all things that are in your hands, become this one thing alone: the reconciler of your brother. For if the matter is arduous, consider that you are suffering all these things for the sake of God, and you shall receive sufficient consolation; and arouse your soul that is drawing back and hesitating, and blushing, and feeling shame, chanting to it incessantly these charms: "Why do you hesitate, and why do you draw back and delay? It is not for money, nor for any other of the things that wither away, but it is a discourse for our salvation." God commanded us to do these things, and let all things be second to His commandments. The matter is a spiritual business; let us not be negligent, nor slothful; let the enemy learn that we have made much haste because of what is pleasing to God; and if he insults again, if he strikes, if he does any other thing more grievous, let us bear all things nobly, as we are bestowing on ourselves nothing less than we are bestowing on him; of all good works, this one shall stand by us more greatly on that day. ^C We have sinned many and great things, and we have transgressed, and we have provoked our Master; He has given through His own philanthropy this way of reconciliation; let us not, therefore, betray this good treasure. For was He not Lord to command us only to be reconciled, and for us to have no reward? Does He not have anyone to contradict and correct His commands? But yet, on account of His great philanthropy, He promised us a great and ineffable reward, and that which we most desire to attain, the forgiveness of our sins, and [He did so by] making this obedience easier for us. What pardon, then, shall we have, when even intending to receive this reward, we do not even so obey the Lawgiver, but remain in contempt? For that this is contempt is clear from this: If a king had established a law that all enemies be reconciled to one another, or have their heads cut off, would we not all have hastened to the reconciliation of our neighbors? I for one think so. What pardon, then, shall we have, not assigning the same honor to the Master, which we [assign] to our fellow servants? For this reason we were commanded to say: "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12). What is more gentle than this? What is more humane than the matter? ^D He made you the judge of the forgiveness of your own sins; if you forgive a few things, few are forgiven; if you forgive much, much is forgiven; if you forgive from the heart and sincerely, so also does God forgive you; if, along with the forgiving, you also hold him as a friend, so also does God stand disposed towards you. So that by how much we have sinned more greatly, by so much is it necessary for us to hasten to the reconciliations, since He becomes the cause for us of the forgiveness of greater sins.

Would you learn that there is no pardon for us, if we keep grudges, and that there is no one who will exempt us? I will make it clear by a standard example: What did your neighbor do to you? Did he snatch away money, did he confiscate it, did he act greedily? I do not say this alone, but also [assume] other things were added, more than these, and as many as you wish; he even desired to kill [you], he set up ten thousand dangers, he showed forth every wickedness, and left nothing of human evil; for in order that we might not go through every detail, assume he has wronged you with such an injustice as no one has ever wronged anyone; for not even so will you be worthy of pardon, being one who holds a grudge. And how do I say this? If a servant of yours owed you a hundred gold pieces, and someone else owed him a few silver pieces, and the servant's creditor approached you and begged and entreated to receive pardon, and you called your own servant and commanded him, saying, "Release the debt from the word of what you owe me, I reckon the debt," and then he, acting shamelessly and wickedly, again started strangling the one who owed him: would anyone have snatched him out of your hands? Would they not have inflicted ten thousand blows upon him, as one who had been insulted with the uttermost insult? And deservedly. This also God will do; for He will say to you on that day, "O wicked and most defiled servant, did you not forgive [nothing] of your own [sins] to him? Out of what you owed me, you were commanded to reckon it to him; for, 'Forgive,' he says, 'and it shall be forgiven you.'" And even if He had not added this, it was necessary to forgive, obeying the Master; and not as a Master did He command it, but as a friend [he asked for] a favor, and this [favor He gave] out of His own, and promised to give greater [rewards] again; and not even so did you become better. And when men do this, they reckon against their own servants according to the measure of the debt; if a servant owes the master a hundred gold pieces, and the servant's creditor owes the servant ten gold pieces; if he forgives him the debt, the master does not forgive him the hundred, but the ten only, and demands all the rest; but God does not so, but if you forgive a few things to a fellow servant, He forgives you everything. Whence [is] this [shown]? From the prayer itself: "For if you forgive," He says,

^A to men their debts, even your heavenly Father will forgive you your debts (Matt. vi, 14). But as great as the interval is between one hundred denarii and ten thousand talents, so great is the interval between those debts and these. What punishment, then, would you not be worthy of, when you are about to receive [forgiveness for] ten thousand talents in exchange for one hundred denarii, if you do not even forgive these trifles, but rather turn your prayer against yourself? For when you have said, "Forgive us, as we also forgive" (Matt. vi, 12), if you do not forgive, you are asking nothing else of God than that He should exclude you from all excuse, from all pardon. But, you say, "I would not dare to say, 'Forgive me, as I forgive,' but only, 'Forgive me.'" What then? Even if you do not say it yourself, God nevertheless does so, and just as you forgive, so He forgives. For He makes that point clear from the words that He adds afterward: "For if you do not forgive men," He says, "neither will your heavenly Father forgive you" (Ibid. v, 15). Do not, therefore, think it a precaution not to speak the whole prayer, nor make a half-prayer, but pray as He has instituted, so that the necessity of the words, striking fear daily, may compel you to grant pardon to your neighbor. Do not say to me, "I have spoken, I have often pleaded, I have begged, but I could not obtain reconciliation"; do not desist until you have reconciled. For He did not say, "Leave this gift, and go beg your brother," but, "Go, be reconciled" (Matt. v, 24); wherefore, even if you have applied much supplication, do not stop before you have persuaded him. God seeks from us day by day, and we do not listen; yet He does not desist from seeking, and do you disdain to seek from a fellow servant? How, pray, will you be able to be saved? Yet you have often asked, and have often been spurned; but you will receive a so much greater reward. For the more stubborn he is, and the more persevering you are in your entreaty, by so much more does your recompense increase; the more difficulty with which you complete this work of virtue, and the more laboriously reconciliation is restored, by so much greater will be his judgment, and more splendid the crowns of your endurance. ^B These things must not only be praised, but exhibited in deeds, and let us not depart before we have returned to our former friendship. For it does not suffice that you do not harm, that you do not inflict any injury upon an enemy, and that you do not harbor a malicious spirit against him, but one must strive that he himself also may induce a benevolent spirit toward us.

For indeed I hear many saying, "I do not bear a grudge, nor am I pained, nor do I have anything in common with him." But God did not command this, that you should have nothing in common with him, but that you should have many things in common. For this reason he is your brother; for this reason He did not say, "Forgive your brother what you have against him," but, "Go, be reconciled with him first" (Matt. v, 24); and if he has something against you, do not desist from the undertaking before that member is joined together in concord. Yet you, in order to acquire a thrifty servant, both count out gold, and hold discussions with many merchants, and sometimes undertake a long journey; but to make an enemy a friend, do you not move and do everything, tell me? But how will you be able to call upon God in your prayers, when you so greatly neglect His law? A servant’s possession cannot bring great benefits; an enemy, on the contrary, once made a friend, will both make God propitious and benevolent toward us, and will easily resolve our sins, and obtain for us praise among men and great security for our life; for nothing is more dangerous than to have even one enemy. For the reputation of our life is damaged when he slanders us a thousand times before everyone, and our mind is unsettled, and our conscience, and we endure a continuous storm in our souls. When we know all these things, let us deliver ourselves from punishment and torture, and let us reverence the present festival with all the things already said, and what we desire to obtain from the Emperor for his sake, this let us also grant to others. For I hear from many that the Emperor, out of reverence for the Paschal festival, will receive the city into favor and will remit all offenses. Who, I pray, is therefore not wicked, to wish to obtain salvation from others out of reverence for the Paschal festival, but when we are ordered to be reconciled to others, to care nothing for the same feast, and hold it in no honor? For no one so greatly defiles this holy Paschal assembly as he who celebrates it with enmity; nay, he cannot even celebrate it, even if he abstains from all food for ten consecutive days. For where there are enmities and hatred, there neither fasting nor a feast can exist. You do not dare with unwashed hands to touch the holy victim, even if you are pressed by a thousand necessities; why then do you approach with an unwashed soul? For this is much graver than that, and brings a more bitter punishment. For nothing so fills the mind with filth as anger abiding perpetually within. For where there is fury and wrath, there the Spirit of meekness does not fly. ^C But a man deserted by the Holy Spirit, what hope of salvation has he left? When will he walk correctly? Do not, therefore, beloved, while you wish to avenge an enemy, precipitate yourself, or strip yourself of God's protection. But especially because, even if it were a difficult matter, the magnitude of the punishment which arises from disobedience is sufficient to rouse and stir even the very sluggish and lazy to undertake any labor; but as it is, the prayer itself shows the great ease of this task, if only we wish it. Let us not, therefore, neglect our own salvation, but let us bestow effort and do everything, so that we may stand by the holy table without enemies. For nothing of the commandments of God will be difficult, if we consider them rightly; and this is evident from those who already have successfully conducted themselves in them. For how many were being carried away by the habit of swearing, and thought they could scarcely amend that vice? Yet by the grace of God, when a little care was applied by you, you washed away the greater part of that depravity; for which reason I exhort you that you also lay aside the remnants, and show yourselves teachers to others. To those, however, who have not yet followed through, but who offer as a pretext the long time by which they were previously accustomed to use oaths, and say that it is impossible to pluck out in a short time what has taken root over many years, I would reply—

^A that we require not a long duration or a number of years, but only fear and a soul that possesses reverence, and we shall certainly prevail, even in a short time.

8. And that you might not think that I say these things simply, if you consider that someone is prone to swearing and swears more than he speaks, deliver this person to me for ten days, and if I do not root out the entire habit in these few days, condemn me to the uttermost condemnation. And that these words are no boast, this will be clear to you from things that have already happened. What is more irrational than the Ninevites? What is more senseless? And yet these barbarians and senseless people, having never heard anyone philosophizing, having never received such commandments, upon hearing the prophet saying, "Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jon. 3:4), in three days cast off their entire evil habit. The fornicator became chaste; the bold, gentle; the greedy and extortioner, moderate and kindly; the slothful, diligent. ^B For they were not healed of one or two or three or four passions, but they corrected all their wickedness. And whence is this clear, you ask? From the prophet's words. For he himself who accused them, and said that "The cry of their wickedness is come up to the heavens" (Jon. 1:2), he himself testified the opposite for them, saying that "God saw that they turned everyone from their evil ways" (Id. 3:10)—he did not say from fornication or adultery or theft, but "from their evil ways." And how did they turn? As God knows, not as a man judged. Then are we not ashamed, do we not blush, if, when barbarian men in only three days cast off all wickedness, we, being instructed and taught for so many days, do not overcome even one evil habit? And yet they too had previously reached the extreme of wickedness; for when you hear that "The cry of their wickedness is come up to me," consider nothing else but the excess of their evil. And yet they had the strength in three days to move themselves to complete virtue. For where there is the fear of God, there is no need of days or a space of time, just as where there is no fear, there is no benefit in days. For just as with rusted vessels, whoever rubs them ^C with only water, even if he spends much time, will not rid them of all that evil, but whoever throws them into a smelting furnace, in a short moment of time will make them brighter than those newly made; so too the soul, dyed with the rust of sin, if it cleanses itself simply and as it happens, and repents day by day, will gain nothing more; but if it casts itself into the smelting furnace of the fear of God, in a short moment of time it will wash it all away.

Therefore, let us not postpone until tomorrow; for we do not know what the coming day will bring (Prov. 27:1). Nor let us say, "We shall overcome the habit little by little"; for this "little by little" will never cease. Wherefore, leaving this aside, let us say this, that if we do not correct the oath today, we shall not desist beforehand, even if a myriad of troubles strangle us, even if it is necessary to die, even if to be punished, even if to lose everything; we shall not give the devil an opportunity for sloth, nor a pretext for postponement. If God sees your fervent soul, your aroused diligence, He himself will share in your correction. Yes, I beseech and implore you, let us be diligent, lest we too hear that "The men of Nineveh shall rise ^D and shall judge this generation" (Luc. 11:32), because they, having heard but once, succeeded, whereas we, not even having heard many times, have turned back; they, complete virtue, but we, not even a part of virtue; they, hearing that they would be overthrown, feared, but we, even hearing of Gehenna, do not fear; they, having not shared in the prophets, but we, enjoying continuous teaching and much grace. I say these things not for your own sins, but for the sins of others committed to you; for as for you, I know well, as I have said before, this law regarding swearing has been corrected; but this does not suffice for our salvation, if we do not correct others by teaching them as well, since even he who brought that one talent, having returned the deposit complete, was condemned because he did not multiply what was given (Matt. 25). Therefore, let not us look to this alone, whether we have been delivered from sin, but until we have delivered others, let us not desist; and let each one bring his friend he has regulated to God, and if you have servants, and disciples. But you have neither disciples nor servants? But you have friends; correct them. And do not say to me that we have already cast away the majority of oaths and are rarely caught; but remove even this "rarely." If you were to lose one gold coin, would you not go around searching and seeking everywhere so as to find it? Do this also with oaths. If you see that you have slipped into one oath, mourn, lament, as if you had lost all your substance. I say again, what I said before: shut yourself up in your house, conduct a study and exercise with your wife, with your children and those living with you; say to yourself first, "I am not concerned with private or public matters until I shall have corrected my own soul." If you instruct your own sons, they will teach their own, and so until the end and the coming of Christ the preceding command will bear all its reward to those who provided the root. If your son learns to say, "I believe," he will not be able to ascend into the theater, nor 213 into a tavern, nor to spend time in dice; for this word, lying upon his mouth like a bit, will make him grow red and be ashamed; and if ever he should appear in those places, it will compel him to flee quickly. But they laugh at him; but you, weep for their lawlessness. Many also laughed at Noah at that time, when he was building the ark; but when the flood came, he laughed at them; or rather, the just man never laughed at them, but he mourned and groaned. When, therefore, you see them laughing, consider that those who are laughing now will then undergo a most grievous weeping and gnashing of teeth, and on that day they will remember this laughter, gnashing and roaring; then you will remember this laughter. How much that rich man laughed at Lazarus! But later in the bosom of Abraham, when he was seen, he

it in his own bosom, and lamented himself.

8. Pondering all these things, hasten all of you to the fulfillment of this commandment. Do not tell me, "I will do this gradually," or "defer it until tomorrow," for that tomorrow will never find an end. Forty days have already passed; if the holy Pascha also passes by, I shall no longer grant indulgence to anyone, nor shall I employ mere exhortation, but the force of authority and a severity not to be despised. For this excuse of custom is not powerful. Why does the thief not plead custom and be liberated from punishment? Why does the murderer and the adulterer not do the same? I therefore forewarn and protest now, that if I gather you individually and test you (for I shall undoubtedly test you), and if I discover that any have not corrected these faults, I shall inflict punishment, and I shall decree that they remain outside the sacred mysteries, not with the intention that they should remain outside, but that after they have amended themselves, they may be received within and enjoy the sacred table with a pure conscience; for that is what it means to be a participant in communion. But I pray that, through the prayers of both our prelates and all the saints, correcting these and all other faults, we may attain the kingdom of heaven, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and adoration, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

On the return of Bishop Flavian, and on the reconciliation of the Emperor with the city, and with those who had sinned in the subversion of the statues.

Homily XXI.

1. From the passage whence I have always been accustomed to begin my discourse to you in times of danger, from that same passage I shall start my address to you today, and I shall say with you: Blessed be God, who has deigned to let us celebrate this holy festival with you today with much joy and gladness, and who has restored the head to the body, the shepherd to the sheep, the teacher to the disciples, the general to the soldiers, and the high priest to the priests. Blessed be God who does exceeding abundantly more than we ask or think (Eph. 3:20). For it seemed enough to us to be temporarily liberated from the impending evils, and for this we were sending up every supplication; but the most loving God, always exceeding our petitions with the abundance of his gifts, has restored to us our father faster than all expectation. For who would have expected that in so few days he would both travel, and address the Emperor, and dissolve the adversities, and return to us so quickly that he could get ahead of and celebrate the holy Pascha with us? But behold, this unexpected thing has happened: we have received our father back, and we enjoy greater pleasure by receiving him now beyond our hope. For all these things, I say, let us give thanks to the most loving God, and let us admire his power, and his kindness, and his wisdom, and the care which he has taken for the city. For the devil indeed attempted to overwhelm it entirely through the crimes that were committed, but God, through this calamity, adorned the city, the priest, and the Emperor, and rendered everyone more brilliant. For the city indeed obtained splendor because, being encompassed by such danger, omitting all the powerful men, all those who were abundant in wealth, all those who possessed great power with the Emperor, it took refuge with the Church and the priest of God, and with much faith committed itself to the heavenly hope. For when many people were terrifying those living in prison after the departure of the common father, and were saying, "The Emperor is not appeased, but is more irritated, and is thinking of the subversion of the entire city," and were spreading many other things more grievous than these, the prisoners were none the more cowardly then from this rumor; but those of us who kept saying, "These are false and are works of the devil’s deception, wishing to constern your spirits," we did not need the consolation of words, they used to say; "for we know in whom we have taken refuge from the beginning, and to what hope we have held fast: we have cast our salvation as an anchor to the sacred, and we have not trusted this to man, but to the omnipotent God. Therefore, we firmly trust that there will be a good end as well: for it is not, it is not to be believed that this hope can ever be confounded." This, how many crowns, how many praises will it procure for our city? How much of God’s benevolence will it earn, even in the remaining matters? For it is not, it is not the character of a casual soul to be vigilant in the onset of temptations, and to look to God, and, laughing all human things to scorn, to have panted for that help.

The city indeed has thus obtained splendor; but the priest, in turn, not less than the city; for he exposed his own soul for all, and to the many who were hindering—the winter, his age, the festival, and no less his sister being brought to her final breath—he was superior to all these impediments, nor did he say within himself: "What is this? My sister is left behind for us alone, pulling the yoke of Christ with me, and having lived with me for so much time, now she is in her last moments; but we, abandoning her, shall go away, and shall not see her as she is expiring, and uttering her final utterances? And she, indeed, was praying daily that we might close her eyes and join her mouth and compose the rest of the things accustomed for the burial; now, however, as if deserted and lacking a guardian, she will obtain none of these things from her brother, from whom she most greatly longed to obtain them, but as she is giving up her spirit, will she not see him who is most desired of all to her? And how will this not be more grievous than death many times repeated? Nay, even if he had been far away, was it not right to run, and to do and suffer everything, so as to provide this grace to her? But now, when I am near, shall I desert her, and leaving her, go away? And how will she endure the following days?" That man, however, not only said none of these things, but did not even think them;

rather, preferring the fear of God to all kinship, he knew this well, that just as storms reveal a ship's captain, and dangers reveal a general, so too does temptation reveal a priest. "All," he said, "are gaping at us—both Jews and Greeks; let us not bring shame upon their expectations of us, nor overlook such a shipwreck, but entrusting all things concerning us to God, let us surrender our very soul." And observe the magnanimity of the priest and the loving-kindness of God: he enjoyed all the things he had disregarded, so that he might receive the reward for his willingness, and through the enjoyment, attain a pleasure greater than he had expected. He chose to celebrate the feast in a foreign land, far from his own, for the sake of the city's salvation; but God returned him to us before the Passover, so that he might keep the feast together with you, in order that he might have the reward for his purpose and enjoy a greater gladness. He did not fear the season of the year, and summer became, during all the time of his journey, as though it were spring; he did not calculate his age, and like a young and vigorous man, he ran through this long road with ease; he did not dwell on the death of his sister, nor was he softened; and having returned, he found her alive, and he attained everything—everything—which he had disregarded.

^B 2. And the priest indeed became so reputable before God and men; but this matter adorned the emperor more brightly than his diadem. First, because it became manifest at that time that he would grant to the priests things he would grant to no one else; next, because he also bestowed the favor with great speed and dissolved his anger. But so that you might learn more clearly both the emperor's magnanimity and the priest's wisdom, and before both of these, the loving-kindness of God, grant me 216 a little time to relate to you the oration that took place there. I will speak of what I learned from one of those standing within; for the father said nothing small or great to us, but, imitating the magnanimity of Paul, he always hides his own accomplishments, and to those everywhere asking what he said to the emperor, and how he persuaded him, and how he cast out all his anger, he said these words: "We contributed nothing to the matter; but the emperor himself, God having softened his heart, even before our words, dismissed all his anger and dissolved his fury; and discussing the things that had occurred, as if someone else had been insulted, he thus recounted all that had happened without anger." But the things which he hid out of humility, these God brought into the midst. And what are these?

The Speech of Flavian to the Emperor on behalf of the Antiochenes

3. Thereupon the priest, having let out a bitter groan, and having shed warmer tears, no longer spoke; for he saw that the defense of the emperor was making the accusation greater; but having groaned from the depths, heavy and bitter, "We admit, O emperor," he said, "and we could not deny this love that you have shown towards the fatherland, and for this reason we lament especially, that demons have enviously attacked the city that is so loved, and...

^A even if you were to tear it down, even if you were to burn it, or kill, or do whatever else you might do, you would not yet have exacted a fitting penalty for us; for we have forestalled you, and have afflicted ourselves more miserably with countless deaths. For what could be more bitter than, while we are seen to be unjustly provoking a benefactor who loves us so, all the world learns of this, and condemns us as being utterly ungrateful? If barbarians had invaded our city and pulled down the walls, and burned the houses, and gone off with captives, it would have been a lesser evil. Why then is it so? Because, while you were alive and showing such goodwill towards us, there was hope that all those heavy burdens would be resolved, and that we would return to our former state, and receive a brighter liberty; but now, with your affection taken away, and the bond of love broken—which was safer for us than any wall—to whom henceforth ^B can we flee? To whom can we look, now that such a sweet master and kindly, exasperated father is angered? So they seem indeed to have committed things that are intolerable, but they have suffered the most grievous things of all, daring to look upon no man, nor even being able to look upon the sun itself with free eyes, while shame everywhere constricts their eyelids and compels them to hide; with their liberty taken away, they are more miserably affected than all captives, and are enduring the ultimate ignominy; and pondering the magnitude of their evils, and how far they have fallen into contempt, they cannot even breathe, as they draw all the inhabitants of the world into a more vehement condemnation of them, on account of him who has been insulted. But if you wish, O Emperor, there is a medicine for the wound and a remedy for such great evils. Often, even among private individuals, this ^C has happened; great and intolerable offenses have become the matter for great charity: thus it has happened also in our nature. For when God made man, and led him into paradise, and deemed him worthy of much honor, the devil, not bearing such prosperity, envied him; and drove him out of the dignity that had been granted to him. But God not only did not abandon him, but even opened heaven to us in place of paradise, by this very thing demonstrating at once His own kindness, and punishing the devil all the more. You too should do this: now the demons have moved all things, in order that they might separate from your affection the city that is most beloved to you; but knowing this now, even if you do extract a penalty, do not banish us from your former friendship. But even if it is permissible at this point to say something contrary to expectation, even now list us among the first of those you love, if you wish to take vengeance on ^D the demons who perpetrated these things. For if you destroy and raze and wipe out, you will be accomplishing what they previously wanted; but if you lay aside your wrath and declare that you love it again as you loved it before, you will have inflicted a lethal blow upon them, and will have taken the ultimate vengeance upon them, demonstrating not only that they have achieved nothing more through their guiles, but also that everything the opposite of what they wanted has happened. But it would be fair for you to do these things and take pity upon the city for whose sake the demons felt envy on account of your friendship; for unless you had loved it so vehemently, they would not have pursued it with such envy. And so, even if what is said is to be wondered at, it is nevertheless true that it is because of you and your friendship that it has suffered these things. With what burning, with what 218 subversion are these words harsher than what you were saying in reply? Now you say that you are insulted, and that you have suffered what no previous Emperor ever did: but if you wish, O most humane and wise and full of holy piety, this insult will bring you a crown that is brighter and greater than this diadem. For this diadem is indeed a sign of your virtue, and a proof of the liberality of the one who gave it; but the crown woven from this humanity will be the merit of your own self alone and of your philosophy; and all will not admire you so much for these precious stones, as they will praise you for the victory won over suppressed indignation. Have they thrown down your statues? But it is in your power to restore ones that are brighter for you. For if you remit the crimes to the authors of the injury, and inflict no penalty upon them, they will not raise a statue to you in the forum of bronze, nor of gold, nor embedded with stones; but one covered with more precious matter, namely humanity and mercy. Each person will set you up in his own mind, and you will have as many statues as there are people living and to live in the world. For not only we, but those after us, and all after them will hear these things, and just as if they themselves had been treated well, so they will admire and love you. And that I do not say this in flattery, but that it will surely happen, I will relate to you an ancient story, that you might learn that kings are not accustomed to be made splendid just by armies, weapons, money, the multitude of subjects, and other such things, as much as by the philosophy and gentleness of their souls.

The noble saying of Constantine the Great.

The humanity of Theodosius.

those who dwell in prison to be released and granting them forgiveness for their crimes, and as if they were not sufficient to demonstrate your philanthropy, you were saying through your letters: "Would that it were possible for me to call back even the departed and raise them up and bring them back to their former life!" Remember these words now; behold the time to call back the departed and raise them up and bring them back to their former life. For these have already died, and even before the verdict was pronounced, the city has been dwelling at the very gates of Hades now. ^A Raise it up, therefore, from there without money, without expense, without any time or labor. For it is sufficient for you to speak alone, and to raise up the city lying in darkness. Now grant that it be called from now on by your philanthropy; for it will not know as much gratitude to the one who founded it at the beginning as to your verdict; and quite naturally. For he indeed gave it a beginning and departed, but you—when it had increased and become great, and after this much prosperity had been brought down—will raise it up. It would not have been so wonderful if, when enemies had captured it and barbarians had overrun it, you had delivered it from the danger, as it is wonderful to spare it now; for that, indeed, many kings have often done; but this you alone will perform, and as the first, beyond all expectation. ^B And that, then, is neither wonderful nor strange, but is of the things which are always happening, to stand by one's subjects, but to dismiss anger after having suffered so many and such things, this surpasses all human nature. Consider that now you must deliberate not only about that city, but also about your own glory; or rather, also about Christianity as a whole. Now both Jews and Greeks, and the entire inhabited world, and barbarians (for even they have heard these things) are gaping at you, waiting to see what kind of verdict you will bring against what has happened; and if you bring forth a philanthropic and mild one, all will praise the decree, and will glorify God, and will say to one another: "Amazing, how great is the power of Christianity! To have a man with no equal on earth, being lord to destroy and ruin everything, it checked him and bridled him, ^C and taught him to practice philosophy, a philosophy which not even a private person would manifest; truly great is the God of the Christians, who makes angels out of men and establishes them superior to all natural necessity." For do not fear that superfluous fear, nor endure those who say that the other cities will be worse and will despise you more if this one is not punished. For if you were unable to proceed against them, and they had prevailed over you by doing these things, and if the power matched, it would be necessary to suspect these things; but if they have cowered and have died beforehand from fear, and have run to your feet through me, and expect nothing else each day but the abyss, and are making common prayers, looking to heaven, and calling upon God to come and join in this same intercession with us, and just as those who are at their last breath, each has given instructions concerning his own affairs, how is this fear not superfluous? They would not have suffered, had they been ordered to be slaughtered, as much as they are suffering now, living for so many days in fear and trembling, and with evening approaching not expecting to see the dawn, and with day having come, ^D not hoping to arrive at evening. Many even fell among wild beasts while chasing the deserts, and having been resettled in impassable places, not only men, but also small children, and women free and refined, for many nights and days in caves and gullies and the holes of the desert, hiding themselves. And a novel mode of captivity holds the city; for with buildings and walls standing, they are suffering things more grievous than cities that have been burned; with no barbarian being present, nor enemy appearing, they are in a more wretched state than those who have been captured, and the mere motion of a leaf scares them all away each day. And everyone knows these things; and even if they had seen it razed to the ground, they would not have been as sound-minded as they are now hearing of these calamities of it. Do not, therefore, consider that the other cities will be worse. Not so; if you had razed the other cities, you would not have made them as sound-minded as you have now instructed them, more severely than by any punishment, through the uncertain expectation of what is to come. And do not inflict calamities upon them further, but allow them to take breath from now on. For to punish those responsible and to exact justice for what has been done, is entirely easy and effortless; but to spare those who have committed insult, and to grant pardon to those who have committed inexcusable crimes, is of one or two at most, and especially when the king has been insulted. And to subject a city by fear is easy, but to make everyone lovers and to persuade them with goodwill to be disposed toward your reign, and to offer prayers not only common but also private for your rule, is hard to capture; even if one should spend ten thousand sums of money, even if he should mobilize ten thousand armies, and whatever he might do, he will not easily be able to draw the disposition of so many men toward himself, which now will be easy and effortless. For both those who have been benefited, and those who have heard of it will be disposed toward you in the same way as those who have been benefited. For how many sums of money, for how many labors would you have bought to recover the entire inhabited world in the twinkling of an eye, and to persuade those who are now men and all who will be in the future, that as much as they pray for their own children, that much should they also pray for your head! And if you receive these things from men, consider when you receive the reward from God, not only for what is happening now but also for what is accomplished by others after this time. For if it should ever happen that such a thing occurs, as has happened now, may it not come to pass, and some of those who have been insulted should deliberate to proceed against those who have committed insult, your gentleness and your philosophy will be for them instead of all teaching and admonition, and they will blush and be ashamed to have such an example of philosophy, even if they remain lesser. So that you will be the teacher of all who come after, and you will have the trophies of victory against them, even if they reach the very peak of philosophy. For it is not the same to start such gentleness oneself first, as to look to others and imitate the things accomplished by them. Because of this, even if those after you manifest philanthropy and humaneness, you will receive the reward with them; for the one who provided the root, this one would also be the cause of the fruits. Because of this, no one currently can divide with you the reward for philanthropy; for the achievement has been yours alone; but you, with all who come after, if any should ever be such, will be able to divide the achievement equally with them, and to carry off as much of a share as teachers do with their students; even if no one becomes such.

still to you, through every generation, will commendations and praises redound. For consider what a thing it is for all posterity to hear that when such a great city was exposed to punishment and vengeance, and all were struck with terror, and the generals, the prefects, and the judges were standing aghast, and not one dared to lift a voice for those wretched people, one old man ^A approached, bearing the priesthood of God, and by his mere appearance and conversation moved the Emperor to reverence, and—what he granted to no one among his own subjects—this he granted to that one old man, reverencing the laws of God. For indeed, even by this very act, O Emperor, the city has honored you not a little, that it has sent me as an ambassador to you; for they have passed the best and most beautiful judgment upon you, that you prefer the priests of God to every principality that is subject to you, even if they happen to be men of little account. But I come not only from them, but even before them I was sent by the common Master of the angels, to say these things to your most gentle and benign soul: "If you forgive men their debts, your heavenly Father will forgive you your trespasses" (Matt. VI, 14). ^B Let us remember, therefore, that day when we shall all render an account for things done; reflect that even if you have sinned in any way, you will be able to wash away all your transgressions through this judgment and decision, without labors and without sweat. Others, indeed, come as ambassadors bearing gold and silver and other such gifts; but I have come to your rule with the divine laws, and for all those gifts, I offer these in their stead, and I beseech you to imitate your Master, who, suffering abuse from us daily, does not cease to minister his own good things to all. And do not disappoint our hope, nor render your promises void; for I would have you know this along with the rest, that if you wish to be reconciled and to impart your former benevolence to the city, and to remit this just indignation, I shall return with great confidence; but if in your own mind you reject the city, I will not only never return to it, nor will I see it, but I will go so far as to deny it entirely ^C and register myself in another city. For may it never be that I should be ascribed to that country for which you, being the most humane and the gentlest of all men, are unwilling to be appeased and reconciled.

4. Having spoken these things and more, he so shamed the Emperor that there happened that which once occurred in the case of Joseph. For as he, when he saw his brothers, wished indeed to weep, but held back his grief so as not to betray the pretense—so also the Emperor wept in his mind, but did not demonstrate it, for the sake of all who were then present. Yet he could not hide the storm until the end, but was overcome even against his will. For after this speech, he had no need of secondary words, but spoke one word alone—a word which adorned him much more than his diadem. And what is this? "And what is it," he said, "that is wonderful and great, if we remit our wrath to those who have ^D done us injury, being that they are humans, when we ourselves are also human; whereas the Master of the world, descending to earth and becoming a servant for our sake, and being crucified by those who were the beneficiaries of his good deeds, prayed for his crucifiers, saying: 'Forgive them, for they know not what they do' (Luke XXIII, 34)? What is it, therefore, wonderful if we forgive our fellow servants?" And that these words were not a pretense, even the rest of his actions demonstrated, and no less than those, that which I am now about to relate. For this priest, desiring to celebrate this solemnity with him, he compelled, even against his will, to hasten and hurry and show himself to the citizens. "I know," he said, "that their souls are now troubled, and many remnants of the calamity remain; go, console them. If they see their shepherd, they will not only not remember the past tempest, but they will wipe away all memory of these sad things." But as the high priest pressed him, asking that he send his son, the Emperor, wishing to demonstrate clearly that he had utterly cast out his wrath from his mind, said: "Pray that these obstacles be removed, that these wars be extinguished, and I will come of my own accord." What could be gentler than that soul? Let the Gentiles be put to shame from this time forward! Or rather, let them not be put to shame, but let them be educated, and, abandoning their own error, let them return to the virtue of Christianity, having learned our philosophy from the Emperor and the high priest. For the most pious Emperor did not stay even here at that time; but even after the priest had left the city and crossed the sea, he sent messengers to him, inquiring and taking pains, lest perhaps time might be consumed and he might diminish the joy of the city by celebrating the solemnity outside the city. What gentle father ever took such care regarding those who had done him injury? I will tell another praise of this just man. For when these matters were settled, he did not hasten, like others desirous of glory, to carry the letters himself that would dissolve that sadness; but because he traveled more slowly, he begged another who was skilled at riding fast to go ahead of him and bring the good news to the city, lest it have its sadness prolonged by the delay of his return. For what he himself sought was only this: not that he should arrive himself to deliver these good things, full of much pleasure, but that the fatherland might catch its breath the more quickly.

On the festive lamps and the decorations of the city.

Therefore, what you did then, crowning the forum, lighting lamps, placing couches before the workshops, and keeping festival as if the city were newly born—do this in another way through all time, crowning yourselves not with flowers, but with virtue, kindling the light through works in your souls, rejoicing with spiritual joy, and let us not cease to give thanks to God continually for all these things: not only because he resolved these heavy trials, but because he permitted them to happen, and let us acknowledge that we owe him much, for through both he has adorned our city. But all these things, according to the prophetic utterance, "announce to your children, and your children to their children, and they to the generation to come" (Joel I, 3), so that all who shall exist until the consummation, learning of the humanity of God shown to the city, may indeed count us blessed for having attained such benevolence; but let them also admire our Master, who so raised up the fallen city; and let them also profit, and by the examples of such deeds be impelled to piety; for not only ourselves, if we always remember them, but also posterity will be able to be helped greatly by the narrative of the things that have happened to us.

221 S. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ...that they may be able to profit thereby. Reasoning, therefore, upon all these things, let us give thanks to the merciful God, not only in the resolution of our distresses, but also in the permission of them, having learned both from the divine Scriptures and from what has befallen us, that He always disposes all things for our benefit with the gentleness that belongs to Him. May we ever enjoy this, and attain the kingdom of the heavens, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

ON THE FIRST AND SECOND CATECHESES FOR THE ILLUMINANDI

This catechesis, Fr. Ducaeus testifies in the notes below, was obtained from the unique manuscript of Frédéric Morel, a manuscript which we have hitherto been unable to procure. It is inscribed *Catechesis prima* (First Catechesis), a title which indicates another or other catecheses following this one. Furthermore, I find no other catechesis in the works of Chrysostom that could follow this one, except for the twenty-first homily to the people of Antioch, which is likewise inscribed *Catechesis ad illuminandos* (Catechesis for the Illuminandi); it was delivered, as some think, about the end of the Quadragesima of the year 388. On this matter, see below.

This one, moreover, about which we are now concerned, was also delivered during Quadragesima, specifically thirty days before Pascha, as is indicated in number 4. It must now be investigated in the Quadragesima of which year it was pronounced. Certainly, if we attend to the epilogue with which the discourse closes—which is contrary to the custom of swearing—we would assign this catechesis to the Quadragesima of the year 387: for we see that almost all the twenty-one homilies we have from that entire Quadragesima are closed with such exhortations against oaths, so that in one of them, near the end of Quadragesima, Chrysostom testifies that the disease had been almost driven out by the assiduity of his corrections. And so, that we should assign it to the year 387 is suggested both by this reason and by another taken from the title: for it is fittingly inscribed *Catechesis prima* if we discover another catechesis to follow it; and since that other catechesis should be placed either in the Quadragesima of the year 387, as we more probably think, or in the following year of 388, as Tillemont opines, it seems it can be assigned to the Quadragesima of the year 387.

But Tillemont, who prefers to conjecture it in the Quadragesima of the year 388, raises certain points against this chronological note that are not to be despised. The day on which this catechesis was delivered, he says, if you count back thirty days from Pascha, falls in the third week after Pascha; but in the year 387, Chrysostom testifies in the eleventh homily to the people of Antioch that he had remained silent throughout that entire week and had abstained from public preaching, because the whole city was full of trembling and horror on account of the impending vengeance expected following the overturning of the statues, and individuals were thinking more about taking flight than about attending sermons. Furthermore, if he had addressed the catechumens in such a great calamity of the city, would he not have spoken, at least in passing, about that fear which occupied the minds of all?

But to examine those arguments more subtly: the objector’s first point, namely that Chrysostom had remained silent throughout the entire third week of Quadragesima, as he himself testifies at the beginning of the eleventh homily to the people of Antioch, and that therefore he could not have delivered this catechesis in that week—this, I say, is of no weight even in the judgment of Tillemont himself; for while Chrysostom says, "For this reason we have also been silent these past days" (*Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰς ἔμπροσθεν ταύτας ἐσιγήσαμεν ἡμέρας*), he does not say that he remained silent for the entire week. And with Tillemont himself admitting as much on page 71, he could have delivered this eleventh sermon at the end of the third week or at the beginning of the fourth. Let us posit that the homily was delivered on the Friday of the third week; since the following Sabbath of that same week falls on the thirtieth day before Pascha, if he had held this catechesis on that day, the words of that homily delivered on the previous day—"We have remained silent these past days"—would be in no way contrary to this. ^A Indeed, if we assume the eleventh homily was delivered near the Monday or the second day of the fourth week: since he delivered this catechesis to the young catechumens alone, with all others excluded—which is certainly established—he could rightly say on the following Monday, while he was addressing the whole assembly of the people, that he had been silent, for he had held no sermon for them on the previous days. For that silence concerns only those whom he was addressing at that time.

But how can it be, Tillemont proceeds, when such an immense calamity is expected, that he does not speak a single word about it in this catechesis? I confess that this causes me some measure of scruple, but not so much as to move me from my opinion. For while the people were observing those things that were bringing about that impending calamity, or were witnessing it being somewhat calmed, both in heaven and in public sermons, it was his custom to describe it in a way that moved the heart (*παθητικῶς*). Yet in a catechesis delivered only to the young, who were to be illuminated at Pascha, held when the matter concerned only instructing them for the reception of baptism, Chrysostom could have abstained from dwelling upon such calamities, and reserved them for the popular homilies.

We annex another catechesis to this one, which hitherto had been placed as the twenty-first among the homilies to the people of Antioch concerning the statues. It was pronounced, however, as Chrysostom says at the beginning, ten days after another catechesis which he had delivered in the same Quadragesima. And although I do not dare to affirm that that catechesis, which is recorded as having been delivered about ten days before this one, is indeed the one we place as the first, nothing prevents them from being the same. For it seems to have been delivered just as the other was, after the overturning of the statues, as is argued from the things said about the overturning of the statues themselves. That it contains nothing about oaths, however—which is observed in all the sermons delivered throughout that Quadragesima, where he always treats the avoidance of oaths near the end—this, I say, can indeed cause some scruple. But as everyone sees, such a scruple is not the only thing that pulls one to the contrary opinion. Be that as it may, we inscribe this catechesis as the second, because we judge it to have been spoken after that one which we place as the first. Furthermore, that this second catechesis is not the one recorded in the Homily *De diabolo tentatore* (On the Devil the Tempter), we shall prove in the following note.

The Latin translation of the first catechesis by an anonymous author, which was in circulation in the published editions, inasmuch as it is intricate and not accurately composed, we reject, and have provided a new one. The interpretation of the second catechesis, however, by Bernardo Brixiano, amended in some places, we place opposite the Greek.