[420] Ekata Theon ?g?pe, "Ó gar k<ta Theon lupe met?noian eis soterian erg?zetai." 2 Cor. vii. 10.
[421] 'Ek ton ouranon. Chrysostom seems to use ek and not en, in reference to ?nothen preceding. This is the Greek idiom; ?utou eni Troie, Il. B. 237, but ?utothen ex oedres, T. 77.
[422] Philip. i. 12.
[423] Prov. xviii. 19. In our version it stands, "A brother offended is (harder to be won than) a strong city." Chrysostom quotes exactly from the LXX. On the other hand, Boeth?o, as governing a dative, has no passive voice, at least in classical Greek. Boethoumenos may, as here, be used by the Alexandrians.
[424] 'Akrib?ias. As a chain accurately and closely linked so as not to be severed asunder.
[425] Sunistemi. Lit. establish, vouch for her.
[426] Etis, answering to Lat. quæ with subjunctive, expressing the cause.
[427] Prost?tis, patroness: a relation well-known in Greece.
[428] Rom. xvi. 1, 2.
[429] i.e., monon; a common ellipsis in Chrysostom.
[430] Rom. xvi. 3, 4.
[431] Philip. ii. 30.
[432] From trouble, "?nesin." Comp. 2 Cor. vii. 5.
[433] Ephes. vi. 22.
[434] 1 Thess. iii. 5.
[435] Philip. i. 12.
[436] Philip. i. 12.
[437] Philip. i. 13.
[438] Tous pleionas again, plures, complures, a good many.
[439] Philip. i. 14.
[440] 'Akolouthian. Comp. Xen Exped. Cyri. ii. iv. 19. hos ouk ?koloutha ?ie; the two things were incompatible.
[441] Phesin. This word, so constantly used by Chrysostom, is sometimes almost redundant; the nominative to it, if any, being uncertain. It may be redundant here or it may be equivalent to l?gei; he means. He does not say it.
[442] Luke iv. 23.
[443] Dial?mpe. In Attic Greek the optative would be used to express past time. But it may be noticed that Chrysostom nearly always has the subjunctive, a usage probably of the Alexandrian period of Greek literature. 2 Cor. xii. 9.
[444] Upesk?lise. Lit. tripped up, causing a fall.
[445] 'Apanthousan. This properly is, dropping its flowers as a plant, withering, defloresco. I strongly suspect that epanthousan should be read; which not only is just what is wanted, but gives a satisfactory government to ?ut'is, which now it has not.
[446] 'Esphigm?nas. Comp. the chaining of Prometheus "'Ar?sse m'llon sphinge." Lat. stringo, constrictus.
[447] Sophrosunes. Not in its ethical, but in its etymological sense, sooi ten phr?na, sound in mind. The antithesis is doubtless intentional.
[448] To B?rathron. The Athenian place and mode of execution. It cannot be literally rendered. The Tarpeian rock may be meant. Dejicere a saxo cives, Hor. Serm. This sentence proves "?letheia" to be, not truth, but sincerity. They preached "@orthen kai hugie pistin."
[449] That is, heartily.
[450] Philip. i. 15.
[451] Philip. v. 17.
[452] Keimai. Perhaps lit. "I am lying"--here in prison.
[453] Philip. i. 16-18.
[454] me poiountes d?. Referring to epoiesan, just used. But the Greeks (as Aristophanes) sometimes use poio in these cases, whatever word precedes; as in English. They generally repeat the same word, e.g., "manth?neis; Ou manth?no," Aristoph. Here, then, taken in either way, it comes to the same. Me, because hypothetical, "if they did not make."
[455] Prophasin. But it was not their pretext, but their real motive: v. 17. Any one conversant with Greek authors cannot fail to notice that, with some mental process of their own, they at times use expressions naturally suggesting the very contrary to what they must mean.
[456] Eul?beian, Lit. carefulness in handling anything holy--reverence.
[457] Auto, i.e., the change: ?nklema, involved in enkalei.
[458] Philip. i. 17.
[459] Philip. v. 18.
[460] 'Ekeinoi, Lat isti, "the men."
[461] Kakourgia, "para t?utas gar kakourgei," of the sophist Arist. Rhet. iii. 2, 7.
[462] Kerugma. In its proper sense, the thing preached, the Gospel. But it more commonly is = keruxis, which word is scarcely used at all.
[463] 1 Cor. iii. 19. Drassomenos, lit. clutches. Hence drachme, a handful of copper, sophous, falsely wise. "Sophia; ?rete technes " Arist. Eth. Nich. l. vi. Comp. Luke xvi. 8, of the dishonest steward.
[464] Philip. i. 24, 25.
[465] Aplos.
[466] Ektenos. Like a racer, with every muscle "stretched out." Antilochus exclaims to his horses in the chariot race, Eimbeton, kai sphoi titaineton. Il. xxiii. 403. Comp. Philip. iii. 13; tois ?mprosthen epekteinomenos dioko: the same metaphor.
[467] Par?meinon. Wait, as it were, at the door; par?, until answered. Matt. vii. 7, to krouonti (to him who continues knocking) ?noigesetai.
[468] Apostrephomenos. The Pagans adopted the expression literally, Diva solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat, Virg. Æn. i. 482.
[469] Here we have poiousi, as in English, after kat?chein. See previous note. It might be kat?chousi, repeated.
[470] Peridromes, running about for votes and favour. Lat. ambitio. "Non ego...Grammaticas ambire tribus et pulpita dignor." Hor. Epist. i. 19, 40.
[471] To understand this description we have to bear in mind that, at Rome at least, legal advocates could claim no fees. They were forbidden, at least before the Imperial age, by the Cincian law. Turpe reos emptâ miseros defendere linguâ. Ov. Amor. i. 10, 39. Hence, the obtaining the services of an eminent lawyer required interest and entreaty. So the Sicilians begged Cicero to undertake the prosecution of Verres. Cic. in Verr. Div. c. 12.
[472] Ekpempsai, i.e. from the hall, as it were, of audience.
[473] Ekten?ias, as above.
[474] phesin, the parable says. An instance, however, of its redundancy before noticed. 'El?eson depends not on it, but on boosa.
[475] Kunariois. In Greek, as in Latin and German, the diminutive sometimes expresses contempt.
[476] Matt. xv. 22, 26, 28.
[477] Matt. v. 23.
[478] Matt. v. 24.
[479] Matt. v. 27. That is, the bread thrown to them, when it had been used to cleanse the fingers. Gr. ?pomagdalia, ab ?pom?ssomai. Comp. the very apposite passage, in which Agaracritus, a low person, says that this had been his own fare; e m?ten gan Apomagdalhias sitoumenos tosoutos ektraph?ien. Cleon rejoins, 'Apomagdaliois hosper kuon, o pamponere; pos oun kunos bor?n sitoumenos m?chei su, Aristoph. Equ. 412. Kun?ria. So "canicula," of the dog star, invisum sidus.
[480] Taute = aute.
[481] Diakrousetai, as with rude violence. Lit. knock to a distance from himself, as with a hard blow.
[482] 'Esiga. Not literally, for Christ had answered, "It is not meet to take the children's bread." But that was silence, as far as returning any favorable answer went.
[483] Ten ?ndr?ian tes gunaikos. Lit the woman's manliness; a courage above her sex. The antithesis is doubtless intentional. "E'n?ntia par?llela m'llon gnorima, Arist. Rhet. 'Andr?ia = Lat. virtus. Gibbon, using this is the general sense, has the expression, "manly virtue," in reference to ?retes 'Andr?na, Hom. Odys. xvii. 322.
[484] Phesin again: with no nominative. Certainly not Christ--the disciples said it. We might expect ph?sin; but this, I believe, Chrysostom never uses in these cases. "It says," i.e., the history, or "he," the Evangelist. Sometimes tis is understood.
[485] 'Apokrousometha. Rebut the charges brought against us. "Kaka," comp. the double sense of the Lat. crimen.
[486] Parresian. Here, liberty to address the Court. So King Agrippa says, "Paul, thou art permitted to speak for thyself." Acts xxvi. 1. Chrysostom throughout maintains the metaphor of the judicial process--?prost?teutos, k.t.l.
[487] Thugatrion. Here a diminutive of endearment, "filiola." O Sokratidion philtaton, Arist. Nub. 736. As the Greeks said, hupokoristikos.
[488] Kairon, "m?ros chronou," Aristotle, A critical moment.
[489] Eukolias. Effect for cause; contentedness for that which creates it; ease. Comp. "O Melibæe, Deus nobis hæc otia fecit," Virg. Ecl. i. 6.
[490] 'Ekei. The Greek euphemism for the other world. Aristophanes speaks of the kindliness and contentedness of Sophocles in both states of being, O d' eukolos m?n enth?d ?ukalos d' ekei Ranæ, 82. See last note.
[491] Perhaps this common phrase, "ages (consisting) of ages," is in contrast to ages of years. Comp. "magnus annus-menses. Magnus ab integro sæclorum nascitur ordo." Vir. Eccl. IV. 5.
St. Chrysostom:
instructions to catechumens.
translated with introduction, and notes by
rev. w. r. w. stephens, m.a.,
prebendary of chichester, and rector of woolbeding, sussex.
assisted by
rev t. p. brandram, m.a.,
rector of rumboldswhyke, chichester.
instructions to catechumens.
------------------------
first instruction.
To those about to be illuminated; [492] and for what reason the laver is said to be of regeneration and not of remission of sins; and that it is a dangerous thing not only to forswear oneself, but also to take an oath, even though we swear truly.
1. How delightful and lovable is our band of young brethren! For brethren I call you, even now before you have been brought forth, and before your birth I welcome this relationship with you: For I know, I know clearly, to how great an honour you are about to be led, and to how great a dignity; and those who are about to receive dignity, all are wont to honor, even before the dignity is conferred, laying up for themselves beforehand by their attention good will for the future. And this also I myself now do. For ye are not about to be led to an empty dignity, but to an actual kingdom: and not simply to a kingdom, but to the kingdom of the Heavens itself. Wherefore I beseech and entreat you that you remember me when you come into that kingdom, and as Joseph said to the chief butler "Remember me when it shall be well with thee," [493] this also I say now to you, do ye remember me when it is well with you. I do not ask this in return for interpreting your dreams, as he; for I have not come to interpret dreams for you, but to discourse of matters celestial, and to convey to you glad tidings of such good things as "eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard and which have entered not into the heart of man, such are the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." [494] Now Joseph indeed said to that chief butler, "yet three days and Pharaoh will restore thee to thy chief butlership." But I do not say, yet three days and ye shall be set to pour out the wine of a tyrant, but yet thirty days, and not Pharaoh but the king of Heaven shall restore you to the country which is on high, Jerusalem, which is free--to the city which is in the heavens; and he said indeed, "Thou shalt give the cup into the hands of Pharaoh." But I say not that you shall give the cup into the hands of the king, but that the king shall give the cup into your hand--that dread cup, full of much power, and more precious than any created thing. The initiated know the virtue of this cup, and you yourselves shall know it a little while hence. Remember me, therefore, when you come into that kingdom, when you receive the royal robe, when you are girt with the purple dipped in the master's blood, when you will be crowned with the diadem, which has lustre leaping forth from it on all sides, more brilliant than the rays of the sun. Such are the gifts of the Bridegroom, greater indeed than your worth, but worthy of his lovingkindness.
Wherefore, I count you blessed already before those sacred nuptials, and I do not only count you blessed, but I praise your prudence in that you have not come to your illumination as the most slothful among men, at your last breath, but already, like prudent servants, prepared with much goodwill to obey your master, have brought the neck of your soul with much meekness and readiness beneath the bands of Christ, and have received His easy yoke, and have taken His light burden. For if the grace bestowed be the same both for you and for those who are initiated at their last hour, yet the matter of the intention is not the same, nor yet the matter of the preparation for the rite. For they indeed receive it on their bed, but you in the bosom of the Church, which is the common mother of us all; they indeed with lamentation and weeping, but you rejoicing, and exceeding glad: they sighing, you giving thanks; they indeed lethargic with much fever, you filled with much spiritual pleasure; wherefore in your case all things are in harmony with the gift, but in theirs all are adverse to it. For there is wailing and much lamentation on the part of the initiated, and children stand around crying, wife tearing her cheeks, and dejected friends and tearful servants; the whole aspect of the house resembles some wintry and gloomy day. And if thou shalt open the heart of him who is lying there, thou wilt find it more downcast than are these. For as winds meeting one another with many a contrary blast, break up the sea into many parts, so too the thought of the terrors preying upon him assail the soul of the sick man, and distract his mind with many anxieties. Whenever he sees his children, he thinks of their fatherless condition; whenever he looks from them to his wife, he considers her widowhood; when he sees the servants, he beholds the desolation of the whole house; when he comes back to himself, he calls to mind his own present life, and being about to be torn from it, experiences a great cloud of despondency. Of such a kind is the soul of him who is about to be initiated. Then in the midst of its tumult and confusion, the Priest enters, more formidable than the fever itself, and more distressing than death to the relatives of the sick man. For the entrance of the Presbyter is thought to be a greater reason for despair than the voice of the physician despairing of his life, and that which suggests eternal life seems to be a symbol of death. But I have not yet put the finishing stroke to these ills. For in the midst of relatives raising a tumult and making preparations, the soul has often taken its flight, leaving the body desolate; and in many cases, while it was present it was useless, for when it neither recognizes those who are present, nor hears their voice, nor is able to answer those words by which it will make that blessed covenant with the common master of us all, but is as a useless log, or a stone, and he who is about to be illuminated lies there differing nothing from a corpse, what is the profit of initiation in a case of such insensibility?