HOMILY I.

I.

ROM. i. 1, 2.

HOMIL. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God, (which He had promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.)

Now

MOSES having written five books, has no where put his own name to them, neither have they who after him put together the history of events after him, no nor yet has Matthew, nor John, nor Mark, nor Luke; but the blessed Paul in every part of his Epistles sets" his own name. why was this? Because they were writing to people who were present, and it had been superfluous to shew themselves when they were present. But this man sent his writings from afar and in the form of a letter, for which cause also the addition of the name was necessary. But if in the Epistle to the Hebrews he does not do the same, this too is after his own wise judgment. For since they felt prejudiced against him, lest on hearing the name at the outstart, they should stop up all admission to his discourse, he subtly won their attention by concealing the name. But if Prophets and Solomon have put their names, this I leave as a subject for you to look further into hereafter, why some of them wished to put it so, and some not. For you are not to learn every thing from me, but to take pains yourselves also and enquire further, lest ye become more dull-witted.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. Why did God change his name, and call him Paul, who was Saul? It was, that he Mark 3, might not even in this respect come short of the Apostles, but that that preeminence which the chief of the Apostles had, he might also acquire; and have whereon to ground.

16.

in every one of his Epistles prefixes (Savile).

b One Ms. But the Prophets, another, But if some Prophets.

St. Paul a servant.

Names of Christ. Unction. Calling. 7

91.

1, 1.

a closer union with them. And he calls himself, the servant Roм. of Christ, yet not merely this; for there be many sorts of servitude. One owing to the Creation, according to which it says, for all are Thy servants; and according to which it Ps. 119, says, Nebuchadnezzar My servant, for the work is the Jer. 25. servant of Him which made it. Another kind is that from 9. the faith, of which it saith, But God be thanked that ye Rom. 6, were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart17. that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you: being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Another is that from conversation, after which it saith, Moses My servant is dead; and indeed all the Jews were Jos. 1,2. servants, but Moses in a special way as shining most brightly in his conversation. Since then, in all the forms of servitude, Paul was a servant, this he puts in the room of the greatest title of dignity, saying, a servant of Jesus Christ. And the Names appertaining to the dispensation he sets forth, going on upwards from the lowest. For with the Name Jesus, did the Angel come from Heaven when He was conceived of the Virgin, and Christ He is called from being anointed, which could only belong to the flesh. And with what oil, it may be asked, was He anointed? It was not with oil that He was anointed, but with the Spirit. And Scripture has instances of calling such Christs': inasmuch as the Spirit is the chief point in the unction, and that for which the oil is used. And where does it call those Christs' who are not anointed with oil? Where it says, touch not Mine anointed, and do Ps. 105, My prophets no harm. For at that time the institution of anointing with oil did not exist even.

15.

Called an Apostle. He styles himself called in all his Epistles, so shewing his own candour', and that it was not yowof his own seeking that he found, but that when called μ he came near and obeyed. And the faithful, he styles, called to be saints, for they had been called so far as to be believers; but he had besides a different thing committed to his hands, namely, the Apostleship, a thing full of countless blessings, and at once greater than and comprehensive of, all the gifts.

And what more need one to say of it, than that whatsoever oixovouíus, viz. the concealment of His glory in the Incarnation.

J

20.

I.

8 Apostles in Christ's stead. The Father revealed in the Gospel.

HOMIL. Christ was doing when present, this He committed to their hands when He departed. Which also Paul cries aloud, speaking thereof and magnifying the dignity of the Apostles' 2 Cor. 5, office; We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech by us; i. e. in Christ's stead. Separated to the Gospel of God. As in a house, each one is set apart for divers works; thus also in the Church, there be divers distributions of ministrations. And herein he seems to me to hint, that he was not appointed by lot only, but that of old and from the first he was ordained to this office; which also Jeremy saith, that God spake concerning himself, Jer. 1,5. Before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. For in that he was writing to a vainglorious city, and one every way puffed up, he therefore uses every mode of shewing that his election was of God. For He Himself called Him, and Himself separated him. And he does this, that he may make the Epistle deserve credit, and meet an easy reception. To the Gospel of God. Not Matthew then alone is an Evangelist, nor Mark, as neither was this man alone an Apostle, but they also; even if he be said preeminently to be this, and they that. And he calleth it the Gospel, not for those good things only which have been brought to pass, but also for those which are to come. And how comes he to say, that the Gospel of God is preached by himself? for he says, separated to the Gospel of God. Now the Father was manifest even before the Gospels. Yet even if He were manifest, it was to the Jews only, and not even to all of these as were fitting. For neither did they know Him to be a Father, and many things did they conceive unworthily John 4, of Him. Wherefore also Christ saith, The true worshippers shall come, and that the Father seeketh such to worship Him. But it was afterwards that He Himself with the Son was manifested to the whole world, which Christ also spake of beforehand, and said, that they might know Thee John 17, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. But he calls it the Gospel of God, to cheer the hearer at the outstart. For he came not with tidings to make the countenance sad, as did the prophets, with their accusations, and charges, and reproofs, but with glad tidings, even the

23.

I un

veiled

3.

The Gospel seen of old, but then in Types.

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Gospel of God; countless treasures of abiding and un- ROM. changeable blessings.

Ver. 2. Which He promised afore by His Prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

1, 2. 3.

For the Lord, saith he, shall give the word to them that Ps. 67, 12. Sept. proclaim glad tidings with great power; and again, How Is. 52, 7. beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace. See here both the name of the Gospel expressly Rom. and the temper of it, laid down in the Old Testament. For, we do not proclaim it by words only, he means, but also by acts done; since neither was it human, but both divine and unspeakable, and transcending all nature. Now since they have laid against it the charge of novelty also', He shews it to be older than the Greeks, 1 3 Mss. and described aforetime in the Prophets. And if He gave it not from the beginning because of those that were unwilling to receive it, still, they that were willing did hear it. Your father Abraham, He says, rejoiced to see My day, and John 5, he saw it, and was glad. How then comes He to say, Many Mat. 13, prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which 17. ye see2, and have not seen them. He means not so, as ye? and see and hear, the Flesh itself, and the very miracles before hear your eyes. But let me beg you to look and see what a very long time ago these things were foretold. For when God is about to do openly some great things, He announces them of a long time before, to practise men's hearing for the reception of them when they come.

31.

2 Mss.

In the Holy Scriptures. Because the Prophets not only spake, but also writ what they spake; nor did they write only, but also shadowed them forth by actions, as Abraham when he led Isaac, and Moses when he lifted up the Serpent, 3 led up and when he spread out his hands against Amalek, and váyw when he offered the Paschal Lamb.

Ver. 3. Concerning His Son which was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh.

What dost thou, O Paul, that after lifting up our souls so, and elevating them, and causing great and unutterable things to pass in show before them, and speaking of the

d Which the Fathers teach to be a type of Christ upon the Cross. See on

Tert. Apol. c. 30. p. 70. Oxf. Tr.

4 Mss.

10 Christ, His twofold Generation, how proved the Son of God.

HOMIL. Gospel, and that too the Gospel of God, and bringing in I. the quire of the Prophets, and shewing the whole of them

v. 2.

heralding forth many years before those things which were to come: why dost thou again bring us down to David? Art thou conversing, oh tell me, of some man, and giving him Jesse's son for a father? And wherein are these things worthy of what thou hast just spoken of? Yea, they are fully worthy! For our discourse is not, saith he, of any bare man. Such was my reason for adding, according to the flesh; as hinting that there is also a Generation of the Same after the Spirit. And why did he begin from that and not from this the higher? It is because that was what Matthew, and Luke, and Mark, began from. For He Who would lead men by the hand to Heaven, must needs lead them upwards from below. For so was the actual dispensation ordered. First, that is, they saw Him a man upon earth, and then they understood Him to be God. In the same direction then, as He Himself had framed His teaching, did His disciple also shape out the way which leadeth thither. First, therefore, he speaketh of the Generation according to the flesh, not because it was first, but because he was for leading the hearer from this up to that.

Ver. 4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection [of Jesus Christ'] from the dead.

What is said has been made obscure by the close-folding of the words, and so it is necessary to divide it. What then is it, which he says? We preach, says he, Him Who was made of David. But this is plain. Whence then is it plain, that this incarnate Person was also the Son of God? First, it is so from the prophets; wherefore he says, Which He had promised afore by the Prophets in the Holy Scriptures. And this way of demonstration is no weak one. And next also from the very way of His Generation: which also he sets forth by saying, of the seed of David according to the flesh for He broke the rule of nature. Thirdly, from the miracles which He did, yielding a demonstration of much power, for in power means this. Fourthly, from the Spirit