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HOMIL. you statutes that are not good. It is with reference to those that he says, Living. But thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt-the place where they groaned, where they cried, whence they called upon God. v. 40. And said unto Aaron, Make us gods which shall go before us. [2.] O the folly! Make, say they; that they may go before us. Whither? Into Egypt. See how hard they were to tear away from the customs of Egypt! What sayest thou? What, not wait for him that brought thee out, but flee the benefit, and deny the Benefactor? And mark how insulting they are: For as for this Moses, they say:-which brought us out of the land of Egypt: nowhere the name of God: instead of that, they ascribed all to Moses. Where they ought to give thanks (to God), they bring Moses forward: where it was, to do as the Law bade them, they no longer make account of Moses. [We know not what is become of him.] And yet he told them that he was going up to receive the Law: and they had not patience to wait forty days. Make us gods-they did not say, a God.-And yet one may well wonder at this, that they do not even know.And they made a calf in Horeb-the very place where God appeared unto Moses: and offered sacrifices unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands: for which they ought to have hid their faces. What wonder that ye know not Christ, seeing ye knew not Moses, and God Who was manifested by such wonders? But they not only knew Him not: they also insulted in another way, by their idolv. 42. making. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven. Hence these same "customs" date their origin, hence the sacrifices: they were themselves the first that made sacrifices to their idols! For that is why it is marked, They made a calf in Horeb, and offered sacrifices the occasion of the giving of Sacrifice.

XVII.

v. 41.

ὁ Ἔνθα μὲν εὐχαριστεῖν ἔδει, Α.Β. C. D. F. but N. and Cat. ἀχαριστεῖν.-Ε. Καὶ ἔνθα μὲν αὐτοὺς ἀχαριστεῖν ἦν. Edd. εὐχ. • This clause, omitted by A. B. C., is preserved by N. and the Catena. The calf was one, yet they called it Gods: on which St. Chrys. remarks elsewhere, that they added polytheism to idolatry.The next sentence may perhaps be completed thus: "that they did not even know that there is One God."

Edd. from E. F. D. "So frantic are they, that they know not what they say."

ὰ διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπισημαίνεται. The meaning is: Stephen was accused of speaking against the customs,'-sacrifices, temple, feasts, &c. Therefore he significantly points to that critical conjuncture from which these customs' date their introduction: namely, the Provocation at Horeb. Prior to that, he tells of 'living oracles,' life-giving

239

to the idol: seeing that, before this, the name of sacrifice Acts is nowhere mentioned, but only lively ordinances, and lively 36-50. oracles. And rejoiced that is why feasts also. As it is written in the Book of the Prophets and observe, he does not cite the text without a purpose, but shews by it that there is no need of sacrifices; saying: Did ye offer slain beasts and sacrifice to Me?-He lays an emphasis on this word (to Me?). "Ye cannot say that it was from sacrificing to Me, that ye proceeded to sacrifice to them:-by the space of forty years: and this too, in the wilderness, where He had most signally shewn Himself their Protector. Yea, v. 43. ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan: images which ye made to worship them. The cause of sacrifices! And I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Even the captivity, an impeachment of their wickedness! But a Tabernacle,' say you, there was, (the v. 44. Tabernacle) of Witness.' (Yes,) this is why it was: that they should have God for Witness: this was all. According to the fashion, it says, that was shewn thee on the mount:

VII.

precepts: after it, and as its conse-
quence, sacrifices, &c, those statutes
which were not good, and ordinances
by which a man shall not live, as God
says by Ezekiel. Not a word of sacri-
fice till then: and the first mention is,
of the sacrifices offered to the calf. In
like manner, "they rejoiced," "the
people ate and drank, and rose up to
play:" and in consequence of this, the
feasts were prescribed: καὶ εὐφραίνοντο,
φησίν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἑορταί.-Ἐπιση-
μαίνεται might be rendered, 'he marks,'
'puts a mark upon it' (so the innovator,
who substitutes, τοῦτο καὶ Δαυίδ ἐπιση-
μαινόμενος λέγει): we take it passively,
there is a mark set over it-it is
emphatically denoted. In the active,
the verb taken intransitively means 'to
betoken or announce itself,' 'make its
first appearance.' In the Treatise
adv. Judæos, iv. §. 6. tom. i. 624. C.
St. Chrysostom gives this account of
the legal sacrifices. "To what pur.
pose unto Me is the multitude of your
sacrifices? etc. (Isaiah 1, 11 ff.) Do
ye hear how it is most plainly declared,
that God did not from the first require
these at your hands? Had He re-
quired them, He would have obliged
those famous saints who were before
the Law to observe this practice. Then
wherefore has He permitted it now?"
In condescension to your infirmity. As

a physician in his treatment of a de-
lirious patient, &c.: thus did God like-
wise. For seeing them so frantic in
their lust for sacrifices, that they were
ready, unless they got them, to desert
to idols; nay not only ready, but
that they had already deserted, there-
upon He permitted sacrifices. And
that this is the reason, is clear from
the order of events. After the feast
which they made to the demons, then
it was that He permitted sacrifices :
all but saying: 'Ye are mad, and will
needs sacrifice: well then, at any rate
sacrifice to Me.'"-(What follows may
serve to illustrate the brief remark a
little further on, Καὶ ἡ αἰχμαλωσία
κατηγορία τῆς κακίας.) "But even this,
He did not permit to continue to the
end, but by a most wise method, with-
drew them from it... For He did not
permit it to be done in any place of the
whole world, but in Jerusalem only.
Anon, when for a short time they had
sacrificed, he destroyed the city. Had
He openly said, Desist, they, such was
their insane passion for sacrificing,
would not readily have complied. But
now perforce, the place being taken
away, He secretly withdrew them from
their frenzy." So here: "Even the
captivity impeaches the wickedness,
(which was the cause of the permission
of sacrifice.")

240

No reason to be proud of the Temple.

HOMIL. SO that on the mount was the Original. And this Tabernacle, XVII. moreover, in the wilderness, was carried about, and not

locally fixed. And he calls it, Tabernacle of witness: i. e. (for witness) of the miracles, of the statutes. This is the reason why both it and those (the fathers) had no Temple. [As He had appointed, that spake unto Moses,

v. 45.

that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.] Again, it was none other than He (Christ) that gave the fashion itself. Until the days of David: and there was no Temple! And yet the Gentiles also had been driven out: for that is why he mentions this: Whom God drave out, he

ν. 46.

v. 47.

says, before the face of our fathers. Whom He drave out, he says: and even then, no Temple! And so many wonders, and no mention of a Temple! So that, although first there is a Tabernacle, yet nowhere a Temple. Until the days of David, he says: even David, and no Temple! And he sought to find favour before God: and built not:-so far was the Temple from being a great matter! [But Solomon built Him an house.] They thought Solomon was great: but that he was not better than his father, nay not even v. 48.49. equal to him, is manifest. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Nay, not even these are worthy of God, forasmuch as they are made, seeing they are creatures, the works of His hand. See how he leads them on by little and little, (shewing) that not even these are to be mentioned. And again the prophecy says openly, [What house will ye build Me? etc.]

v. 50.

What is the reason that at this point he speaks' in the tone φορικώς of invective? Great was his boldness of speech, when at the point to die: for in fact I think he knew that this was the case. Ye stiffnecked, he says, and uncircumcised in heart and ears. This also is from the prophets: nothing is of himself. Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. When it was not His will that sacrifices should be, ye sacrificed; when it is His will, then again ye do not sacrifice: when He would not give you commandments, ye drew them to you: when ye got them, ye neglected them. Again, when the Temple stood, ye worshipped idols: when it is His will

1 κατα

v. 51.

• ὥστε ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἡ ὑπογραφὴ γέγονε. In the following sentences, there are numerous variations in Edd. from the

old text, but they do not materially affect the sense, and certainly do not improve it.

The Jews did the deeds of their fathers.

241

VII.

to be worshipped without a Temple, ye do the opposite. ACTS Observe, he says not, Ye resist God, but, the Spirit: so far 36-53. was he from knowing any difference between Them. And, what is greater: As your fathers did, he says, so do ye. Thus also did Christ (reproach them), forasmuch as they were always boasting much of their fathers. Which of the v. 52. prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One: he still says, the Just One, wishing to check them: of Whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers— two charges he lays against them who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels, and have not kept it. [How, By the disposition of Angels?] Some say, (The Law) [3.] disposed by Angels; or, put into his hand by the Angel Who appeared to him in the bush; for was He man? No wonder that He who wrought those works, should also have wrought these. Ye slew them who preached of Him, much more Himself. He shews them disobedient both to

God, and to Angels, and the Prophets, and the Spirit, and to all: as also Scripture saith elsewhere: Lord, they 1 Kings have slain Thy Prophets, and thrown down Thine altars. 19, 10. They, then, stand up for the Law, and say, He blasphemeth against Moses: he shews, therefore, that it is they who blaspheme, and that (their blasphemy is not only against Moses, but) against God; shews, that they from the very beginning have been doing this: that they have themselves destroyed their "customs," that there is no need of these: that while accusing him, and saying that he opposed Moses, they themselves were opposing the Spirit: and not merely opposing, but with murder added to it: and that they had their enmity all along from the very beginning.. Seest thou, that he shews them to be acting in opposition both to Moses and to all others, and not keeping the Law? And

f E. F. D. Edd. add, "that they knew (Him) not, and that they murdered (Him):" but the meaning is, that they betrayed, and that they murdered: or, as below, Their fathers slew the Prophets, and they, Him Whom they preached.

8 τὸν ἐκεῖνα ποιήσαντα, Α. Β. C. N. Cat.i.e. that Christ, Who, as the Angel, did those works, &c. The modern text

R

τοὺς ἐκ. ποιήσαντας: that those who did
those wickednesses, &c.: and so Ec.
seems to have taken it: "If ye killed
them who preached Him to come, no
wonder that ye kill Me, &c."-Below,
for Οἱ τοίνυν ἀντιποιοῦνται τοῦ νόμου,
καὶ ἔλεγον, Α. B. N. (N.corrected οὗτοι
vûv) have Οὐ τοίνυν κ. τ. λ. and A.
λέγοντες: "Therefore they claim not
the Law (on their side), saying, &c."

242

Like Stephen, be bold for the Truth, but gentle.

Deut.

HOMIL. Yet Moses had said, A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto XVII. you and the rest also told of this (Christ) that He would 18,18. come: and the prophet again said, What house will ye build Me? and again, Did ye offer to Me slain beasts and sacrifices those forty years?

Comp.

Such is the boldness of speech of a man bearing the Cross. Let us then also imitate this: though it be not a time of war, yet Ps. 119, it is always the time for boldness of speech. For, I spake, says 46. one, in Thy testimonies before kings, and was not ashamed. If Hom. in we chance to be among heathens, let us thus stop their mouths, 1 Cor. without wrath, without harshness. For if we do it with xxxiii. wrath, it no longer seems to be the boldness (of one who §. 4, 5. Col. xi, is confident of his cause,) but passion: but if with gentleness,

iv. §. 6.

this is boldness indeed. Forh in one and the same thing success and failure cannot possibly go together. The boldness is a success: the anger is a failure. Therefore, if we are to have boldness, we must be clean from wrath, that none may impute our words to that. No matter how just your words may be, when you speak with anger, you ruin all: no matter how boldly you speak, how fairly reprove, or what not. See this man, how free from passion as he discourses to them! For he did not abuse them: he did but remind them of the words of the Prophets. For, to show you that it was not anger, at the very moment he was suffering evil at their hands, he prayed, saying, Lay not to their charge this sin. So far was he from speaking these words in anger; no, he spake in grief and sorrow for their sakes. As indeed this is why it speaks of his appearance, that they saw his face as it had been the face of an angel, on purpose that they might believe. Let us then be clean from wrath. The Holy Spirit dwelleth not where wrath is: cursed is the wrathful. It cannot be that aught wholesome should approach, where wrath goes forth. For as in a storm at sea, great is the 1 φιλο- tumult, loud the clamour, and then would be no time1 for lessons of wisdom: so neither in wrath. If the soul is to be in a condition either to say, or to be disciplined to, aught of philosophy, it must first be in the haven. Seest thou not how, when we wish to converse on matters of serious

§. 2.

σοφεῖν.

* Οὐ γὰρ δύναται ὁμοῦ καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὸν (κατ ̓ αὐτὸν A. C. and N. originally)

καὶ κατόρθωμα εἶναι καὶ ἐλάττωμα. Ἡ παρρησία, κατόρθωμα· ὁ θυμὸς, ἐλάττωμα.

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