Folly of reasoning against Christ's commands. 389 12, 21. than very wild boars for seeking the hurt of their neigh- ROM. bour, and look to this alone, and are more given to this than to being on their guard against getting harmed. When thou deprivest him of that he desires most, thou bereavest him of every thing, by holding him thus cheap, and shewest him to be easy to be despised, and a child rather than a man; and thou indeed hast gained the reputation of a wise man, and him dost thou invest with the character of a noisome beast. This too let us do when we are struck, and when we wish to strike, let us abstain from striking again. But, would you give a mortal blow? Turn to him the other cheek also, and thou wilt smite him with countless wounds. For they that applaud, and wonder at us, are more annoying to him than men to stone him would be; and before them, his conscience will condemn him, and will exact the greatest punishment of him, and so he will go off with as confused a look as if he had been treated with the utmost rigour. And if it is the estimation of the multitude that you look for, this too you will have in larger share. And in a general way we have a kind of sympathy with those who are the sufferers; but when we also see that they do not strike1 in return, but even give themselves up to it,' Ms. we not only pity them, but even feel admiration for them. resist, ἀντιτί Here then I find reason to lament, that we who might TAS have things present, if we listened to Christ's Law as we should, and also attain to things to come, are cast out of both by not paying attention to what has been told us, but giving ourselves to unwarranted philosophizing about them. For He has given us laws upon all these points for our good, and has shewn us what makes us have a good name, what brings us to disgrace. And if it was likely to have proved His disciples ridiculous, He would not have enjoined this. But since this makes them the most notable of men, namely, the not speaking ill, when we have ill spoken of us; the not doing ill when we have ill done us; this was His reason for enjoining it. But if this be so, much more the speaking of good when we have ill spoken of us; and the praising of those that insult us, and the doing good to those that plot against us, will make us so. This then was why He gave these laws. For He is careful for His own 390 True victory. Who are hurt by wrongs. XXII. and Ms. eth. e HOMIL. disciples, and knowing well what it is that maketh little or great. If then He both careth and knoweth, why dost thou quarrel with Him, and wish to go another road. For conquering by doing ill is one of the devil's laws. Hence in the Olympic games which were celebrated to him it is so that all the competitors conquer. But in Christ's race this is not the rule about the prize, for, on the contrary, the law is for the person smitten, and not the person smiting, to be crowned. For such is the character of His race, it has all its regulations the other way; so that it is not in the victory only, but also in the way of the victory, that the marvel is the greater. Now when things which on the other 1 Mar. side are signs of a defeat, on this side are shewn' to be heshew-productive of victory, this is the power of God, this the race of Heaven, this the theatre of Angels. I know that ye are warmed thoroughly now, and are become as soft as any wax, but when ye have gone hence ye will spew it all out. This is why I sorrow, that what we are speaking of, we do not shew in our actions, and this too though we should be greatest gainers thereby. For if we let our moderation be seen, we shall be invincible to any man; and there is nobody either great or small, who will have the power of doing us any hurt. For if any one abuseth thee, he has not hurt thee at all, but himself severely. And if again he wrong thee, the harm will be with the person who does the wrong. Did you never notice that even in the courts of law those who have had wrong done them are honoured, and stand and speak out with entire freedom, but those who have done the wrong, are bowed down with shame and fear? And why do I talk of 2 Sav. evil-speaking and of wrong? For were he even to whet his conj.and sword against thee, and to stain his right hand in thy lifeanyogía blood3, it is not thee that he hath done any harm to, but λαιμὸν, himself that he hath butchered. And he will witness what as p.379.I say who was first taken off thus by a brother's hand. For he went away to the haven without a billow, having gained a glory that dieth not away; but the other lived a life worse than any death, groaning, and trembling, and in his body bearing about the accusation of what he had done. Let us Ms. xa 3 εἰς τὸν The Fathers generally believed the See Tertullian de Spectac. St. Aug. de devils were connected with idol-worship. C. D. 1, 32, &c. Cl. Al. Protr. c. 3. not follow after this then, but that. For he that hath ill ROM. done him, has not an evil that taketh up its constant abode 12, 21. with Him, since he is not the parent of it: but as he received it from others, he makes it good by his patient endurance. But he that doeth ill, hath the well of the mischief in himself. Was not Joseph in prison, but the harlot that plotted against him in a fine and splendid house? Which then wouldest thou wish to have been? And let me not hear yet of the requital, but examine the things that had taken place by themselves. For in this way thou wilt rate Joseph's prison infinitely above the house with the harlot in it. For if you were to see the souls of them both, you would find the one' full of enlargement and1 Ms. boldness, but that of the Egyptian woman in straitness, seph's. shame, dejection, confusion, and great despondency. And yet she seemed to conquer; but this was no real victory. Knowing all this then, let us fit ourselves for bearing ills, even that we may be freed from bearing ills, and may attain to the blessings to come. Which that we may all attain to, God grant, by His grace and love toward man, &c. find Jo HOMILY XXIII. HOMIL. ROM. xiii. 1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. Or this subject he makes much account in other epistles XXIII. also, setting subjects under their rulers as household servants are under their masters. And this he does to shew that it was not for the subversion of the commonwealth that Christ introduced His laws, but for the better ordering of it, and to teach men not to be taking up unnecessary and unprofitable wars, For the plots that are formed against us for the truth's sake are sufficient, and we have no need to be adding temptations superfluous and unprofitable. And observe too how well-timed his entering upon this subject is. For when he had demanded that great spirit of heroism, and made men fit to deal either with friends or foes, and rendered them serviceable alike to the prosperous and those in adversity, and need, and in fact to all, and had planted a conversation worthy of angels, and had discharged anger, and taken down recklessness, and had in every way made their mind even, he then introduces his exhortation upon these matters also. For if it be right to requite those that injure us with the opposite, much more is it our duty to obey those that are benefactors to us. But this he states towards the end of his exhortation, and hitherto does not enter on those reasonings1 which I mention, but those only that enjoin one to do this as a matter of debt. And to shew that these regulations are for all, even for priests, and monks, and not for men of secular occupations only, he hath made this plain 1 Ms. reasons In what sense all power is of God. 393 13, 1. ὁτιοῦν at the outset, by saying as follows; let every soul be subject ROM. unto the higher powers, if thou be an Apostle even, or an Evangelist, or a Prophet, or any thing' whatsoever, inasmuch Mss. as this subjection is not subversive of religion. And he does not say merely obey,' but be subject.' And the first claim such an enactment has upon us, and that which suiteth with the minds of the faithful, is, that all this is of God's appointment. For there is no power, he says, but of God. 19, 14. What say you? it may be said; is every ruler then elected by God? This I do not say, he answers. Nor am I now speaking about individual rulers, but about the thing in itself. For that there should be rulers, and some rule and others be ruled, and that all things should not just be carried on in one confusion, the people swaying like waves in this direction and that; this, I say, is the work of God's wisdom. Hence he does not say, for there is no ruler but of God; but it is the thing he speaks of, and says, there is no power but of God. And the powers that be, are ordained of God. Thus when a certain wise man saith, It is by the Lord that a man Prov. is matched with a woman, he means this, God made mar- LXX. riage, and not that it is He that joineth together every man that cometh to be with a woman. For we see many that come to be with one another for evil, and not2 by the 2Ms.om. law of marriage, and this we should not ascribe to God. But by as He said Himself, He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a Gen. 2, man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and 24. they twain shall be one flesh. And this is what that wise man meant to explain. For since equality of honour does many times lead to fightings, He hath made many governments and forms of subjection; as that, for instance, of man and wife, that of son and father, that of old men and young, that of bond and free", that of ruler and ruled, that of master and disciple. And why are you surprised if3 it be so among 3 Ms. di * See 1 Cor. 7, 21. Col. 3, 22. 1 Tim. 6, 2. Slavery is clearly recognised as a lawful state of life, appointed by Providence, and in Col. 4, 1. is shewn to have a typical meaning; this does not necessarily imply the common opinion οὐ even Matt. 19, 4. |