1,

208

Punishment increased by unbelief.

COLOS. ing that there is no hell? Why dost thou mislead the sim15. pler sort? Why unnerve the hands of the people? So far as thou art concerned, every thing is turned upside down; neither will the good become better, but listless; nor the wicked desist from their wickedness. For, if we corrupt others, do we get allowance for our sins? Seest thou not the devil, how he attempted to bring down Adam? And has there then been allowance for him? Nay, surely it will be the occasion of a greater punishment. For he is ever contriving that we may be punished not for our own sins only, but also for those of others. Let us not then suppose that to bring down others into the same destruction with ourselves will make the Judgment-seat more lenient to us. Surely this will make it more severe. Why thrust we ourselves on destruction? The whole of this cometh of Satan.

O man, hast thou sinned? Thou hast for thy Master One that loveth man. Entreat, implore, weep, groan; and terrify others, and pray them that they fall not into the same. If in a house some servant, of those that had offended their master, should say to his son, "My child, I have offended the master, do thou be careful to please him, that thou be not as I:" tell me, will he not have some forgiveness? will he not bend and soften his master? But if, leaving so to speak, 1 sc. the he shall say such words as these, that he' will not requite master. every one according to his deserts; that, all things are

2 Sav.

'no one.';

(6)

jumbled together indiscriminately, both good and bad; that there is no thanks in this house; what thinkest thou will be the master's mind concerning him? will he not suffer a severer punishment for his own misdoings? Justly so; for in the former case his feeling will plead for him, though it be but weakly; but in this, nothing. If no other then, yet imitate at least that rich man in hell, who said, 'Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my kinsmen, lest they come into this place,' since he could not go himself, so that they might not fall into the same condemnation. Let us have done with such satanical words.

What then, saith he, when the Greeks put questions to us; wouldest thou not that we should try to cure' them? But The Remedy of Greekish affections.' Here it is humour them' by palatable doctrine.

f bigamus. As we say, familiarly, 'doctor them.' The term was commonly used. Theodoret has a treatise called,

How to argue with Heathens. They may hold a Judgment. 209

doctrine.

Christ

by casting the Christian into perplexity, under pretence of HOM. curing the Greek, thou aimest at establishing thy Satanical II. For since, when communing with thy soul alone of these things, thou persuadest her not; thou desirest to bring forward others as witnesses. But if one must reason with Greeks, the discussion should not begin with this; but whether Christ be God, and the Son of God; whether those 1 Sav. gods of theirs be demons. If these points be established, all that the others follow; but, before making good the beginning, it is.' is vain to dispute about the end, before learning the first elements, it is superfluous and unprofitable to come to the conclusion. The Greek disbelieves the Judgment, and he is in the same case with thyself, seeing that he too hath many who have treated these things in their philosophy; and albeit when they so spoke they held the soul as separated from the body, still they set up a seat of judgment. And2 ixáthe thing is so very clear, that no one scarcely is ignorant of it, but both poets and all are agreed among themselves that there is both a Tribunal and a Judgment. So that the Greek also doth not disbelieve his own authorities; neither doth the Jew doubt about these things, nor in a word doth any

man.

2

σαν.

all co

Why then deceive we ourselves? See, thou sayest these things to me. What wilt thou say to God, that fashioned Ps. 33, our hearts one by one; that knoweth every thing that is 16. in the mind; that is quick, and powerful, and sharper Heb. 4, than any two-edged sword? For tell me with truth; Dost 12. thou not condemn thyself when sinning? [and is there any of mankind that blames not himself when he is wilful?] not in And how should wisdom so great, as that one who sins pies. should condemn himself, come by chance, for this is a work of mighty wisdom. Thou condemnest thyself. And will He who giveth thee such thoughts leave every thing to go on at hazard? This rule then will hold universally and strictly. Not one of those who live in virtue wholly disbelieves the doctrine of the Judgment, even though he be Greek or heretic. None, save a few, of those who live in great wickedness, receives the doctrine of the Resurrection. And this is

E narapovas, LXX. E. V. alike.

hivsgyoūvra, working. Rec. text ingyùs.

P

1, 14.

210

Disbelief in Judgment comes of sinful pleasures,

COLOS. what the Psalmist says, Thy judgments are taken away from before his face. Wherefore? Because his ways are always profane; for he saith, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

Ps. 10,5.

βανομέ

You.

Seest thou that thus to speak is the mark of the grovelling? Of eating and drinking come these sayings which are subversive of the Resurrection. For the soul endures not, I say, it endures not the tribunal which the conscience supplieth, and so it is with it, as with a murderer, who first suggests to himself that he shall not be detected, and so goes on to slay, for had his conscience been his judge, he would not hastily have come to that daring wickedness. And still he knows, and pretends not to know, lest he should be tortured by conscience and fear, for, certainly, in that case, he would have been less resolute for the murder. So too, assuredly, do they who sin, both know that to sin is an evil thing, and whilst day by day they wallow in that wickedness, they are unwilling to know it, although their consciences pluck at them1.

But let us give no heed to such persons, for there will be, there will assuredly be, a Judgment and a Resurrection, and God will not leave so great works without direction. Wherefore, I beseech you, let us leave off wickedness, and lay fast hold on virtue, that we may receive the true doctrine in Christ Jesus our Lord. And yet, which is easier to receive? the doctrine of the Resurrection, or that of Fate? The latter is full of injustice, of absurdity, of cruelty, of inhumanity; the other of righteousness, awarding according to desert; and still men do not receive it. But the fault is, indolence, for no one that hath understanding receives the other. For amongst the Greeks even, they who did receive that doctrine, were those who in their definition of pleasure affirmed it to be the end,' but they who loved virtue, would not receive it, but they cast it out as absurd. But if among the Greeks this were so, much more will it hold good with the doctrine of the Resurrection. And observe, I pray you, how the devil hath established two contrary things: for in order that 2 gawe may neglect virtue; and pay honour to demons, he πιύωμεν brought in this Necessity, and by means of each he procured

the belief of both. What reason then will he be able to give, who obstinately disbelieves a thing so admirable, and

and is not founded on Reason.

211

II.

is persuaded by those who talk so idly? Do not then sup- Hoм. port thyself with the consolation, that thou wilt meet with forgiveness; but let us, collecting all our strength, stir ourselves up to virtue, and let us live truly to God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, &c.

HOMILY III.

1 or all creation.

§. 3. fin.

3 άκμα

COL. i. 15-18.

Who is the Image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature1: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the Church.

2

TO-DAY it is necessary for me to pay the debt, which 2 See yesterday I deferred, in order that I might address it to your Hom. 2. minds when in full force. Paul, discoursing as we shewed p. 203. of the dignity of the Son, says these words; Who is the Couruss Image of the invisible God. Whose image then, thinkest thou that he says He is? If God's, it is well, (for He is God, and the Son of God; and the words, the Image of God, implies His exact likeness, so then He is by this particular exactly like,) but if man's, say so, and I will have done with thee as a madman. But wherefore hath no Angel any where been called either 'image' or 'son,' but man both? Wherefore? Because in the former case indeed the exaltedness of their nature might presently have thrust the many into this impiety; but in the other case the mean and low nature is a pledge of security against this, and will not allow any, even should they desire it, to suspect any thing of the kind, nor to bring down the Word so low. For this cause, where the meanness is great, the Scripture boldly asserts the honour, but where the nature is higher, it forbears. But he saith, Image of the Invisible. Surely then if He be invisible, the image is invisible too, (and invisible in like

+ viz. Arian

ism.

a rò àragaλλanrèv, unvaryingness. Sav. mar. bas," Of whom (or of what) then wilt thou have the Image to be? Of God? Then is He that is above all greatness without difference. For if as the Image of a man, (read‘if an

Image as Man,') say so, and I will have done with you as a madman. But if as God and the Son of God, the Image of God implies being without difference." And Catena and Bodl. Ms. Extracts nearly the same.