VI.

part: say, It was passion that spoke such words, not the ACTS man; say, It was anger, not my friend: his madness, not 17. his heart. Thus let us account of each offence. Wait not for the fire to be kindled, but check it before it comes to that: do not exasperate the savage beast, rather do not suffer it to become exasperated: for thou wilt no longer be able to check it, if once the flame be kindled. For what has the man called thee? "Thou fool and simpleton." And which then is liable to the name ? the called, or the caller? For the one, be he ever so wise, gets the character of being a fool: but the other, even if he be a simpleton, gets credit for being wise, and of philosophic temper. Say, which is the simpleton? he who alleges against another what is untrue, or he who even under such treatment is unmoved? For if it be the mark of true philosophy to be unmoved however moved; to fall into a passion when none moves to anger-what folly is it! I say not yet, how sore a manner of punishment is in store for those who utter such reproaches and revilings against their neighbour. But how? has he called thee " a low fellow and low-born, a sorry creature and of sorry extraction?" Again he has turned the taunt against himself. For the other will appear worthy and respectable, but he a sorry creature indeed: for to cast up such things, that is to say, meanness of birth, as a disgrace, is little-minded indeed: while the other will be thought a great and admirable character, because he thinks nothing of such a taunt, and is no more affected by it than if he were told that he had about him any other ordinary and quite indifferent circumstance. But does he call thee adulterer," and such like? At this thou mayest even laugh: for, when the conscience is not smitten, there can be no occasion for wrath. ** For when one has considered what bad and disgraceful disclosures he makes, still for all that, there is no need to grieve. He has but laid bare now, what everybody must be apprised of by and bye:

66

XIV.

201

Even heathen moralists may put us to shame.

HOMIL. meanwhile, as regards himself, he has shewn all men that he is not to be trusted, for that he knows not how to screen his neighbour's faults: he has disgraced himself more than he has the other; has stopped up against himself every harbour: has made terrible to himself the bar at which he must hereafter be tried. For not the person (whose secrets are betrayed) will be the object of every body's aversion, but he, who where he ought not to have raised the veil, has stripped off the clothes. But speak thou nothing of the secrets thou knowest: hold thou thy peace if thou wouldest bear off the good fame. For not only wilt thou overthrow what has been spoken, and hide it: but thou wilt also bring about another capital result: thou wilt stop sentence being given against thyself. Does somebody speak evil of thee? Say thou: 'Had he known all, he would not have spoken only thus much.'-So you admire what has been said, and are delighted with it? Aye, but you must follow it. For when we tell you all these maxims of the heathen moralists, it is not because Scripture does not contain hundreds of such sayings, but because these are of more force to put you to the blush. As in fact Scripture itself is wont to use this appeal to our sense of shame; for instance, when it says, Do ye even as the Jer. 35, heathen. And the prophet Jeremiah brought forward into public view the children of Rechab, how they would not consent to violate the command of their father.-Miriam and Numb. her company spake evil of Moses, and he immediately begged them off from their punishment; nay, would not so much as let it be known that his cause was avenged. But not so we: on the contrary, this is what we most desire; to have all men know that they have not passed unpunished. How long shall we breathe of the earth? - One party cannot make a fight. Pluck the madmen from both sides, you will exasperate them the more: but pluck from right or from left, and you have quenched the passion. The striker, if he has to do with one who will not put up with blows, is the more set on: but if with one who yields, he is the sooner unnerved, and

3.

his blow is spent upon himself. For no practised pugilist ACTS so unnerves the strength of his antagonist, as does a man who 1-7. being injuriously treated makes no return. For the other only goes off ashamed, and condemned, first by his own conscience, and secondly by all the lookers on. And there is a proverb too, which says, that 'to honour another, is to honour oneself:' therefore also to abuse another is to abuse oneself. / None, I repeat, will be able to harm us, unless we t harm ourselves; nor will any make me poor, unless I make myself such. For come, let us look at it in this way. Suppose that I have a beggarly soul, and let all lavish all their substance upon me, what of that? So long as the soul is not changed, it is all in vain. Suppose I have a noble soul, and let all men take from me my substance: what of that? So long as you do not make the soul beggarly, no harm is done. Suppose my life be impure, and let all men say just the contrary of me: what of that? For though they say it, yet they do not judge thus of me in their heart. Again, suppose my life be pure, and let all say of me just the reverse: and what of that? For in their own conscience they will condemn themselves: since they are not persuaded of what they say. Just as we ought not to admit the praise, so neither the criminations. And why say I these things? None will ever be able to plot against us, nor lay us under any evil charge, if we choose (that they shall not). For how now, I ask you? Let him drag me into a court of justice, let him lay vexatious informations, let him, if you will, have the very soul out of me: and what of that? for a little while, undeservedly to suffer these things, what does it signify? "Well", but this," say you, "is of itself an evil." Well, but of itself this is a good, to suffer undeservedly. What? would you have the suffering to be deserved? Let me mention

Socrates

HOMIL.again a piece of philosophy, from one of the sages. A XIV. certain person, says the story, had been put to death. And ap. Diog. one of the sage's disciples said to him, 'Woe is me, that he Laert. should have suffered unjustly!' The other turned upon him,

and

Xen.
Mem.

Socr.

'Why, how now?" said he, 'would you have had him justly suffer?' John also, was not he unjustly put to death? Which then do you rather pity: them that justly suffer death, or [him'? Do you not count them miserable, while] him you even admire? Then what is a man injured, when from death itself he has got great gain, not merely no hurt? If indeed the man had been immortal, and this made him mortal, no doubt it would be a hurt: but if he be mortal, and in the course of nature must expect death a little later, and his enemy has but expedited his death, and glory with it, what is the harm? Let us but have our soul in good order, and there will be no harm from without. But thou art not in

a condition of glory? And what of that? That which is 'μεγαλο- true of wealth, the same holds for glory: if I be 'magπρεπής. nanimous, I shall need none; if vain-glorious, the more

I get, the more I shall want. In this way shall I most become illustrious, and obtain greater glory; namely, if I despise glory. Knowing these things, let us be thankful to Him Who hath freely given us such a life, and let us ensue it unto His glory; for to Him belongs the glory, for ever. Amen.

We supply this from the modern will account for the omission. Our text, which, however, has τὸν οὐχ Mss. have: τοὺς δικαίως ἀποθανόντας, οὕτως; But ἐκεῖνον is better, as thisἡ ἐκεῖνον καὶ θαυμάζεις.

:

HOMILY XV.

Acts vi. 8.

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

SEE how even among the seven one was preeminent, and won the first prize. For though the ordination was common to him and them, yet he drew upon himself greater grace. And observe, how he wrought no (signs and wonders) before this time, but only when he became publicly known; to shew that grace alone is not sufficient, but there must be ordination also: so that there was a further access of the Spirit. For if they were full of the Spirit, it was of that which is from the Laver of Baptism. Then there arose certain of them of the v. 9. synagogue. Again he uses the phrase of 'rising up1,' to1 ἀνάdenote their exasperation and wrath. Here we have a supra, great multitude. And observe the difference in the form of Hom. accusation: for since Gamaliel had stopped them from 176. finding fault on the former plea, they bring in another charge. And there rose up, it says, certain of them of the v.9-11. synagogue of those who are called Libertines, and of the 2 τῶν λε Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and γομένων. Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to λεγομέ resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Thenνης. they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. That they may establish the charge, the phrase is, "he speaks against God, and against Moses." And with this object too they disputed, that they might force him to say somewhat. But he now discoursed more openly, and perhaps spoke of the cessation of the Divine Law: or, spoke it not, but hinted as much: since had he spoken plainly, there had