God's Glory untouched. Indifference to wrongs Godlike. 41 1, 25. specially; but what seemed of a graver cast than the rest, RoM. in general terms, and by all he shews, that serving the creature is Grecian. And see how he makes his assertion plain, for he does not say, barely, they served the creature, but, more than the Creator; thus every where giving fresh force to the charge, and, by the comparison, taking from them all ground of mitigation. Who is blessed for ever. Amen. But by this, he means, He was not any whit injured. For Himself abideth' blessed for ever. Here he shews, that1 4 Mss. μένει it was not in self-defence that He left them alone, inasmuch Sav. μiv as He suffered nothing Himself. For even if they treated Him insolently, yet He was not insolently treated, neither was any scathe done to the bearings of His glory, but He abideth continually blessed. For if it often happen, that man through philosophy would not feel the insults men offered him, much less would God, the imperishable and unalterable Nature, the unchangeable and immovable Glory. For men are in this very respect made like unto God, when they do not feel what is inflicted by them, who would do them despite, and are neither insulted of others who insult them, nor beaten of them when beating them, nor made scorn of when they make scorn of them. And how in the ὁλῶς nature of things can this be; it may be said. It is so, yea most certainly it is possible, when thou art not vexed at what is done. And how, it may be said, is it possible not to be vexed? How is it then that you can be vexed? Tell 23 Mss. me now, if little child were to insult your you, would you 5. πως then reckon the insult an insult? What, but would you be vexed? Surely not. But and if you were to be vexed, would you not then be ridiculous? Thus too let us then get to feel disposed towards our neighbours, and then we shall have no sense of displeasure. For they that insult us are more senseless than children. Neither let us even seek to be free from insults, but when we are insulted let us bear it nobly. For this is the only secure honour. But why so? 35 Mss. Because this you are master of, but that, another person. nobly • Greg. Nyss. p. 724. ἐπεὶ ἄπαθες τὸ συναφεῖας ἀποσχοινίζεται. Θεῖον ὁ ἐν πάθει ὧν τῆς πρὸς τὸ Θεῖον om. Plato 42 Evil men and passions to a Christian as lions to Daniel. HOMIL. Do you not see the adamant reverberating the blows it III. receives. But nature, you will say, gives it this property. Yet you too have it in your power to become by free choice such, as that happens to be by nature. How? do you not know of the children in the furnace that were not burned? and Daniel, who in the den suffered no harm? This may even now come to pass. There stand by us too lions, anger and lust, Rep.viii. with fearful teeth tearing asunder him that falleth among them. 1ive Become then like that' Daniel, and let not these affections 3 Mss. fasten their fangs into thy soul. But he, they say, had the whole power of grace to work with him. Truly said. It was because the acts' of free-will led the way thereto. So that if we be willing to train ourselves to a like character, even now the grace is at hand. And even though the brutes be an hungred, yet will they not touch thy sides. For if at the sight of a servant's body they were abashed, when they have seen the members of Christ, (and this is what we believers are,) how shall they do else than be still? Yet if they shall not be still, it is owing to the fault of those cast among them. For indeed many spend largely upon these lions, by keeping harlots, breaking through marriages, taking vengeance upon enemies. And so before ever they come to the bottom of the den they get torn in pieces. But with Daniel this did not so happen, neither yet would it with us, if we were so minded, but even a greater thing would take place than what then happened. For the lions hurt not him2; and if we be sober-minded, then will they that hurt Mss. S. us even profit us. Thus then did Paul grow bright out of those that thwarted him and plotted against him, thus Job out of those many scourges, thus Jeremy out of the miry pit, thus Noah out of the flood, thus Abel out of the treachery, thus Moses out of the blood-thirsty Jews, thus Elisha, thus each of the worthies of old, not out of relaxedness and softness, but out of tribulations and trials, came to be attired with their bright crowns. Wherefore also Christ, inasmuch as He knew this to be the groundwork of a good report, John 16, said to His disciples, In the world ye shall have tribulation, 2 so 5 there 33. frà rus g. i. e. his fastings, &c. St. Ephrem notes that it was not the miracles which were supernatural, but the grace of the doers thereof, in Nat. Dom. ix. t. 2. p. 427. f. God always ready to deliver him. 43 1, 25. but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. What then, ROM. they will say, Have not many been turned to flight by these terrors? Yes, but that was not of the nature of temptation, but of their own remissness. But He that with the tempta- 1 Cor. tion maketh also an escape, so that ye may be able to bear it, 10, 13. may He stand by all of us, and reach forth His hand, that' 4 Mss. being gloriously proclaimed victorious we may attain to the By us everlasting crowns, through the grace and love towards man 225 Mss. of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom, and with Whom, rest to the Father be glory, with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen. add the HOMILY IV. IV. ROM. i. 26, 27. HOMIL. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one towards another. ALL these affections then were vile, but chiefly the mad lust after males; for the soul is more the sufferer in sins, and more dishonoured, than the body in diseases. But behold how here too, as in the case of the doctrines, he deprives them of excuse, by saying of the women, that they changed the natural use. For no one, he means, can say that it was by being hindered of legitimate intercourse that they came to this pass, or that it was from having no means to fulfil their desire that they were driven into this monstrous insaneness. For the changing implies possession. Which also when discoursing upon the doctrines he said, They changed the truth of God for a lie. And with regard to the men again, he shews the same thing by saying, Leaving the natural use of the woman. And in a like way with those, these he also puts out of all means of defending themselves by charging them not only that they had the means of gratification, and left that which they had, and went after another, but that having dishonoured that which was natural, they ran after that which was contrary to nature. But that which is contrary to nature hath in it an irksomeness and displeasingness, so that they could not fairly allege even pleasure. For genuine pleasure is that which is according Of sins against nature. St. Paul's careful language. to nature. 45 But when God hath left one, then all things are Roм. turned upside down. And thus not only was their doctrine 1,26.27. Satanical, but their life too was diabolical. Therefore when he was discoursing of their doctrines, he put before them the world and man's understanding, telling them that, by the judgment afforded them by God, they might through the things which are seen, have been led as by the hand to the Creator, and then', by not willing to do so, they remained inexcusable. 1 2 Mss. but by Here in the place of the world he sets the pleasure according to nature, which they would have enjoyed with more sense of security and greater glad-heartedness, and so have been far removed from shameful deeds. But they would not; whence they are quite out of the pale of pardon, and have done an insult to nature itself. And a yet more disgraceful thing than these is it, when even the women seek after these intercourses, who ought to have more sense of shame than men. And here too the judgment of Paul is worthy of admiration, how having fallen upon two opposite matters he accomplishes them both with all exactness. For he wished both to speak chastely and to sting the hearer. Now both these things were not in his power to do, but one hindered the other. For if you speak chastely you shall not be able to bear hard upon the hearer. But if you are minded to touch him to the quick, you are forced to lay the naked facts before him in plain terms. But his discreet and holy soul was able to do both with exactness, and by naming nature has at once given additional force to his accusation, and also used this as a sort of veil, to keep the chasteness of his description. And next, having reproached the women first, he goes on to the men also, and says, And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman. Which is an evident proof of the last degree of corruptness, when both sexes are abandoned, and both he that was ordained to be the instructor of the woman, and she who was bid to become an helpmate to the man, work the deeds of enemies against one another. And reflect too how significantly he uses his words. For he does not say that were enamoured of, and lusted after one another, but, they burned in their lust one toward another. 4 3 Μss. ταῦτα δὲ (βουλομένῳ) ἀμφό. τερα οὐκ ἐνὸν (κατορθοῦν). (Sav. ἐνῆν) but in these one cannot succeed merely by |