The field of blood," which Judas acquired, 43 I. well might these things be done in this fashion, through Acrs the noble spirit of the man, and in regard that prelacy 12-26. then was not an affair of dignity, but of provident care for the governed. This neither made the elected to become elated, for it was to dangers that they were called, nor those not elected to make a grievance of it, as if they were disgraced. But things are not done in this fashion now; nay, quite the contrary. For observe, they were an hundred and twenty, and he asks for one out of the whole body: with good right, as having been put in charge of them: for to him had Christ said, And when thou art converted, strengthen Luke22, thy brethren. 32. Ben. τοῦ θεντεῖ 1. For he was numbered with us, says Peter. On this πρώτος account it behoves to propose another; to be a witness πράγμαin his place. And see how he imitates his Master, ever τος αὐdiscoursing from the Scriptures, and saying nothing as yet absent concerning Christ; namely, that He had frequently pre-from. c. dicted this Himself. Nor does he mention where the Scripture speaks of the treachery of Judas; for instance, The Ps. 109, mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; but where it speaks only of his punish- τοῦτο ment; for this was most to their advantage. It shews again γὰρ αὐ τοὺς μάthe benevolence of the Lord: For he was numbered with us, λιστα ὠφέλει· he says, and obtained his lot of this ministry. He calls it Δείκνυσι everywhere lot, shewing that the whole is from God's grace πάλιν and election, and reminding them of the old times, inasmuch as God chose him into His own lot or portion, as of old He took the Levites. He also dwells upon the circumstances respecting Judas, shewing that the reward of the treachery was made itself the herald of the punishment. For he acquired, he says, a field out of the reward of the iniquity. Observe the divine economy in the event. Of the iniquity, he says. For there are many iniquities, but never was any thing more iniquitous than this: so that the affair was one of iniquity. Now not only to those who were present did the event become known, but to all thereafter, so that without meaning or knowing what they were about, they gave it a name; just as Caiaphas had prophesied uncon A. B. C. non pari forma apud omnes ejus vigebat other, as if that asserted only that Mat. 26, 24. 44 A prophecy of the punishment of the Jews. HOMIL.Sciously. God compelled them to call the field in Hebrew III. Aceldama. By this also the evils which were to come upon the Jews were declared: and Peter shews the prophecy to have been so far in part fulfilled, which says, It had been good for that man if he had not been born. We may with propriety apply this same to the Jews likewise; for if he who was guide suffered thus, much more they. Thus far however Peter says nothing of this. Then, shewing that the term, Aceldama, might well be applied to his fate, he introduces the prophet, saying, Let his habitation be desolate. For what can be worse desolation than to become a place of burial? And the field may well be called his. For he who cast down the price, although others were the buyers, has a right to be himself reckoned owner of a great desolation ৭. This desolation was the prelude to that of the Jews, as will appear on looking closely into the facts. For indeed they destroyed themselves by famine, and killed many, and the city became a burial-place of strangers, of soldiers, for as to those, they would not even have let them be buried, for in fact they were not deemed worthy of sepulture. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us, continues Peter. Observe how desirous he is they should be eye-witnesses. It is true indeed that the Spirit would shortly come; and yet great care is shewn with regard to this circumstance. Of these men, he says, which have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us. He shews that they had dwelt with Christ, not simply been present as disciples. In fact, from the very beginning there were many that then followed Him. Observe, for instance, how this appears in these words : John 1, One of the two which heard John speak, and followed 40. 4 κύριος ἐρημώσεως μεγάλης. Something perhaps is wanting between κύρ. and ἐρ. μ. Indeed the text seems to consist of little more than a few rough notes. • Τάφος γέγονεν ἡ πόλις τῶν ξένων, τῶν στρατιωτῶν. In the defective state of the text it is not easy to conjecture what this can mean. Perhaps, alluding to the words in St. Matthew, " a place to bury strangers in," St. Chrys. may have explained, that the strangers were not heathen, (ἐκείνους γὰρ οὐδ ̓ ἂν εἴασαν ταφῆναι, they would not have allowed such to be buried in or by the Holy City, much less have provided a place of burial for them.) but foreign Jews: and if in τάφος γέγονεν ἡ πόλις he alludes to the description in Josephus, B. J. v. 12. 3. and 13. 7. this explanation of the term "strangers” would be the more apposite, as the myriads who perished in the siege were assembled from all parts of the world. The soldiers' seem to be the mercenaries on the side of the Jews: five thousand Idumæans are mentioned, B. J. v. 6. 1. Apostles must be witnesses of the Resurrection. 45 I. Jesus. All the time, he says, that the Lord Jesus went Acts in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John. 12-26. True! for no one knew what preceded that event, though they did learn it by the Spirit. Unto that same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection. He said not, a witness of the rest of His actions, but a witness of the resurrection alone. For indeed that witness had a better right to be believed, who was able to declare, that He Who ate and drank, and was crucified, the same rose again. Wherefore it was needed that he should be a witness, not only of the time preceding this event, nor only of what followed it, and of the miracles; the thing required was, the resurrection. For the other matters were manifest and acknowledged, but the resurrection took place in secret, and was manifest to these only. And they do not say, Angels have told us; but, We have seen *. For this it was that was most needful at that time: that they should be men having a right to be believed, because they had seen. り And they appointed two, it is said. Why not many? That the feeling of disappointment might not reach further, extending to many. Again, it is not without reason that he puts Matthias last; he would shew, that frequently he that is honourable among men, is inferior before God. And they all pray in common, saying, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew. Thou, not We. And very seasonably they use the epithet, "heart-knowing:" for by Him Who is this" must the choice be made. So confident were they, that assuredly one of them must be appointed. They said not, Choose, but, "Shew the chosen one;" knowing that all things were foreordained of God; Whom Thou didst choose: one of these two, say they, to have his lot in this ministry and apostleship. For there was besides another ministry'. And they gave them their lots. For they did not1 διακο • Here the Edd. have ἡμεῖς· πόθεν δῆλον; ἐξ ὧν θαυματουργοῦμεν. selves: how is this proved? by the miracles we work." C. has not these words, which are not needed, but rather disturb the sense θησιν ἐκεῖνον, according to which the our • Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ προστίθησιν ἐκεῖνον, D. and E. have οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ οὐ προτί Here the Edd. add, οὐχὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν, "not by those without:" but these words are not found in our Mss. of either text, nor in the Catena. νία. 46 The office of a Bishop is coveted, HOMIL. yet consider themselves to be worthy to be informed by some 7. so much availed, because it was done of a right intention, I mean in the case of Jonah; much more did it here. Thus did he, the designated, fill up the company, complete the order: but the other candidate was not annoyed; for the apostolic writers would not have concealed [that or any other] failings of their own, seeing they have told of the very chief Mat.20, Apostles, that on other occasions they had indignation, and 24; 26, this not once only, but again and again. Mark 10, 14. 4. Let us then also imitate them. And now I address no 21; 14, longer every one, but those who aim at preferment. If thou believest that the election is with God, be not displeased. For it is with Him thou art displeased, and with Him thou art exasperated: it is He who has made the choice; thou doest the very thing that Cain did; because, forsooth, his brother's sacrifice was preferred, he was indignant, when he ought to have felt compunction. However, that is not what I mean here; but this, that God knows how to dispense things for the best. In many cases, thou art in point of disposition more estimable than the other, but not the fit person. Besides, on the other hand, thy life is irreproachable, and thy habits those of a well-nurtured man, but in the Church this is not all that is wanted. Moreover, one man is adapted for one thing, another for another. Do you not observe, how much discourse the holy Scripture has made on this matter? But let me say why it is that the thing has become a subject of competition: it is because we come to the Episcopate not as unto a work of governing and superintending the brethren, but as to a post of dignity and repose. Did you but know that a Bishop is bound to belong to all, to bear the burden of all; that others, if they are angry, are pardoned, but he never; that others, if they sin, have excuses made for them, he has none; you would not be eager for the dignity, would not run after it. So it is, as a post of dignity and repose, ▼ So, except E, all our Mss. and the Catena: and Morel. Ben. But Sav. and Par. "they did not yet think themselves worthy to make the election by themselves: wherefore they desire to be informed by some sign." An un necessary alteration; for the sign means some miraculous token. So Ecumen. ▼Mss. and Edd. πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐνταῦθα ἐπλήρωσε τὸν χορὸν, ἀπήρτισε τὴν τάξιν. The Catena adds ὁ ἀναδεχθείς (ἀναδειχθεὶς), which we have adopted. 47 I. 26. the Bishop is exposed to the tongues of all, to the criticism ACTS of all, whether they be wise or fools. He is harassed with cares every day, nay, every night. He has many to hate him, many to envy him. Talk not to me of those who curry favour with all, of those who desire to sleep, of those who advance to this office as for repose. We have nothing to do with these; we speak of those who watch for your souls, who consider the safety and welfare of those under them before their own. Tell me now: suppose a man has ten children, always living with him, and constantly under his control; yet is he solicitous about them; and a bishop, who has such numbers, not living under the same roof with him, but having it at their own discretion whether they will obey him or not-what had he not need to be! But he is honoured, you will say. With what sort of honour, indeed! Why, the paupers and beggars abuse him openly in the market-place. And why does he not stop their mouths then? Yes, very proper work, this, for a bishop, is it not"? Then again, if he do not give to all, the idle and the industrious alike, lo! a thousand complaints on all sides. None is afraid to accuse him, and speak evil of him. In the case of civil governors, fear steps in; with bishops, nothing of the kind. As for the fear of God, it does not influence people, as regards them, in the least degree. Why speak of the anxiety connected with the word and doctrine? the painful work in Ordinations? Either, perhaps, I am a poor wretched incompetent creature, or else, the case is as I say. The soul of a Bishop is for all the world like a vessel in a storm: lashed from every side, by friends, by foes, by one's own people, by strangers. Does not the Emperor rule the whole world, the Bishop a single city? Yet a Bishop's anxieties are as much beyond those of the Emperor, as the waters of a river simply moved by the wind are surpassed in agitation by the swelling and raging sea. And why? because in the one case there are many to lend a hand, for all goes on by law and by rule; but in the other there is none of this, nor is there authority to command; but if one be greatly moved, then he is harsh; if the contrary, then he is cold! And in him these opposites • Edd. Πάνυ γε. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπισκόπου λέγεις ἔργον. Read Πάνυ γε (οὐ γάρ;) ἐπισκ. λέγ. ἔργον. |