IV. 16. 3, 6. 230 Party men wish to retain even bad men in their party. EPHES. appointment of clergyd past and done away? And what is the advantage of all things else, if this be not strictly observed? For as we must needs contend for the faith, so must we for this also. For if it is lawful for any one, according to the phrase of them of old, to fill his hands, and to become a priest, let all approach to minister. In vain has this altar been raised, in vain the fulness of the Church built up, in vain the number of the priests. Let us annihilate them all, and destroy them. God forbid!' ye will say. How say ye, 'God forbid,' when the very things are taking place? I speak and testify, not looking to my own interest, but to your salvation. But if any one be indifferent, he must see to it himself: if these things are a care to no one else, 1 Cor. yet are they a care to me. I planted, saith he, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. How shall we bear the ridicule of the Greeks? For if they reproach us on account of our heresies, what will they not say of these things? If they have the same doctrines, if the same mysteries, wherefore does a ruler in one Church invade another? See ye,' say they, how all things amongst the Christians are full of vain-glory? And there is ambition among them, and hypocrisy.' Strip them,' say they,' of their numbers, cut out the disease, the corrupt multitude, and they are nothing.' Would ye have me tell what they say of our city, how they accuse us on the score of our easy compliances. Any one, say they, that chooses may find believers, he can never be at a loss for them. Oh, what a sneer is that, what a disgrace are these things! And yet the sneer is one thing, the disgrace is another. If any amongst us are convicted of deeds the most disgraceful, and are about to meet with some requital, great is the alarm, great is the fear on all sides, lest he should start away, people say, and join the other side. Yea, let such an one start away ten thousand times, and 6 6 The Ministers of Christ teach and advise, not command. 231 I am 24. XI. let him join them. And I speak not only of those who have HoмIL. sinned, but if there be any one free from imputation, and he has a mind to depart, let him depart. grieved indeed at it, and bewail, and lament it, and am cut to the very heart, as though I were being deprived of one of my own limbs; and yet am I not so grieved, as to be compelled to do any thing wrong through such fear as this. We have no dominion over your faith, beloved, nor command 2 Cor. 1, we these things as your lords and masters. We are appointed for the teaching of the word, not for power, nor for absolute authority. We hold the place of counsellors to advise you. The counsellor speaks his own sentiments, not forcing the hearer, but leaving him full master of his choice upon what is said; in this case alone is he blameable, if he fail to utter the things which present themselves. For this cause also do we say these things, do we assert these things, that it may not be in your power in that day to say, no one told us, no one explained it to us, we were ignorant, we thought it was no sin at all.' Therefore I assert and protest, that to make a schism in the Church is no less an evil than to fall into heresy. Tell me, suppose a subject of some king, though he did not join himself to another king, nor lend himself to any other, yet should take and keep hold of his king's royal purple, and should tear it all down from its clasp, and rend it into a number of shreds; would he suffer less punishment than those who join themselves to the service of another? And what, if withal he were to seize the king himself by the throat and slay him, and tear him limb from limb, what punishment could he undergo, that should be equal to his deserts? Now if in doing this towards a king his fellow-servant, he would be committing an act too great for any punishment to reach; of what hell shall not he be worthy who slays Christ, and plucks Him limb from limb? of this which is threatened? No, I think not, but of another far more dreadful. Speak, ye women, that are present--for this generally is a failing of women '-relate to them that are absent this S. Chrysostom was eventually banished and brought to his end by the Empress Eudoxia. Women had taken a strong part with the Arians from the first, to which perhaps he alludes. When Arius began his heresy, he was IV. 16. 232 They who divide the Church as guilty as if they tore Christ's Body. EPHES. Similitude I have mentioned, startle them. If any think to grieve me and thus to have their revenge, let them be well aware that they do these things in vain. For if thou wouldest fain revenge thyself on us, I will give thee a method by which thou mayest take vengeance without injury to thyself; or rather without injury it is not possible to revenge thyself, but at all events with less injury. Buffet me, woman, spit upon me, when thou meetest me in the public way, and aim blows at me. Dost thou shudder at hearing this? When I bid thee buffet me, dost thou shudder, and dost thou tear thy Lord and Master without shuddering? Dost thou pluck asunder the limbs of thy Lord and Master, and yet tremblest not? The Church is our Father's house. There is one body, and one Spirit. But wouldest thou fain revenge thyself on me? Yet stop at me. Why wreak it on Christ in my stead: nay, rather, why kick against the pricks? In no case indeed is revenge good and right, but to assault one when another has done the wrong is far worse. Are we they that have wronged you? Why then inflict pain on Him who hath not wronged you? This is the very extreme of madness. speak not in irony what I am about to say, nor at random, but as I really think and as I feel. I would that every one of those who with you are exasperated against me, and who by this exasperation are injuring themselves, and departing elsewhere, would direct his blows at me in my very face, would strip me and scourge me, be his charge against me just or unjust, and let loose his wrath upon me, rather than that they should dare to commit what they now dare. If this were done, it were nothing; nothing, that a man who is a mere nothing and of no account whatever, should be so treated. And besides, I, the wronged and injured person, might call upon God, and He might forgive you your sins. Not because I have so great confidence; but because he who has been wronged, when he entreats for him who has done the wrong, gains great confidence. If one man sin against another, it is said, then shall they pray for him; and if I were unable, I might seek for other holy men, and entreat them, and they might do it. But now whom shall we even entreat, when God is outraged by us. 1 Sam. 2, 25. Sept. vid. above Hon!. iii.p.132. I Mark the inconsistency; for of those who belong to this Earnest, not careless persons, go into schism. 233 XI. Church, some never approach to communicate at all, or HOMIL. but once in the year, and then carelessly, and just as it may happen; others more regularly indeed, yet they too carelessly, and conversing with indifference, and trifling about nothing: whilst those who, forsooth, seem to be in earnest, these are the very persons who work this mischief. Yet surely, if it is for these things ye are in earnest, it were better that ye also were in the ranks of the indifferent; or rather it were better still, that neither they should be indifferent, nor ye such as ye are. I speak not of you that are present, but of those who are deserting from us. The act is adultery. And if ye bear not to hear these things of them, neither should ye of us. There must be breach of the law either on the one side or the other. If then thou hast these suspicions concerning me, I am ready to retire from my office, and resign it to whomsoever ye may choose. Only let the Church be one. But if I have been lawfully made and consecrated, plead for the deposal of those who have contrary to the law mounted the episcopal throne. as dictating to you, but pay the penalty of the 26. v. Ezek. These things I have said, not only to secure and protect you. is come to age, and will have to things which he has done, I entreat you not to cast the whole matter on us, and consider yourselves to be irresponsible, that ye may not go on fruitlessly deceiving yourselves, Acts 20, and at last bewail it. An account indeed we shall have to give of your souls; but it will be when we have been 3,19.21. wanting on our part, when we fail to exhort, when we fail to admonish, when we fail to protest. But after these words, allow even me to say that I am pure from the blood of all men, and that God will deliver my soul. Say what ye will, give a just cause why ye depart, and I will answer you. But no, ye will not state it. Wherefore, I entreat you, endeavour henceforward both to establish yourselves firmly, and to bring back those who have seceded, that we may with one accord lift up thanksgiving to God; for to Him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. HOMILY XII. IV. 17. EPHES. CHAP. iv. 17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened. It is the duty of the teacher to restore and reestablish the souls of his disciples, not only by counselling and instructing them, but also by alarming them, and making them over to God. For when the words spoken by men as coming from fellow-servants are not sufficient to touch the soul, it then becomes necessary to make over the case to God. This accordingly Paul does also; for having discoursed concerning lowliness, and concerning unity, and concerning our duty not to rise up one against another, hear what he says. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk. He does not say, That ye henceforth walk not as ye are now walking,' (for that expression would have struck too hard.) But he plainly indicates the same thing, only he brings his example from others. And so in writing to the Thessalonians, he does this 1 Thess. very same thing, where he says, Not in the lust of concu4, 5. piscence, even as the other Gentiles. Ye differ from them, he means to say, in doctrine, but that is wholly God's work: but I require on your part, the life and the course of behaviour that is after God. This is your own. And I call the Lord to witness what I have said, that I have not shrunk, but have told you how ye ought to walk. In the vanity, saith he, of their mind. What is vanity of mind? It is the being busied about vain things. And what are those vain things, but all things Eccles. in the present life? Of which the Preacher saith, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. 1, 2. But a man will say, If they be vain |