O man, hast thou sinned? Thou hast for thy Master One that loveth man. Entreat, implore, weep, groan; and terrify others, and pray them that they fall not into the same. If in a house some servant, of those that had offended their master, says to his son, "My child, I have offended the master, do thou be careful to please him, that thou be not as I": tell me, will he not have some forgiveness? will he not bend and soften his master? But if, leaving so to speak, he shall say such words as these, that he [727] will not requite every one according to his deserts; that all things are jumbled together indiscriminately, both good and bad; that there is no thanks in this house; what thinkest thou will be the master's mind concerning him? will he not suffer a severer punishment for his own misdoings? Justly so; for in the former case his feeling will plead for him, though it be but weakly; but in this, nobody. If no other then, yet imitate at least that rich man in hell, [728] who said, "Father Abraham, send to my kinsmen, lest they come into this place," since he could not go himself, so that they might not fall into the same condemnation. Let us have done with such Satanical words.
What then, saith he, when the Greeks put questions to us; wouldest thou not that we should try to cure [729] them? But by casting the Christian into perplexity, under pretense of curing the Greek, thou aimest at establishing thy Satanical doctrine. For since, when communing with thy soul alone of these things, thou persuadest her not; thou desirest to bring forward others as witnesses. But if one must reason with a Greek, the discussion should not begin with this; but whether Christ be God, and the Son of God; whether those gods of theirs be demons. If these points be established, all the others follow; but, before making good the beginning, it is vain to dispute about the end; before learning the first elements, it is superfluous and unprofitable to come to the conclusion. The Greek disbelieves the Judgment, and he is in the same case with thyself, seeing that he too hath many who have treated these things in their philosophy; and albeit when they so spoke they held the soul as separated from the body, still they set up a seat of judgment. And the thing is so very clear, that no one scarcely is ignorant of it, but both poets and all are agreed among themselves that there is both a Tribunal and a Judgment. So that the Greek also disbelieves [730] his own authorities; and the Jew doth not doubt about these things nor in a word doth any man.
Why then deceive we ourselves? See, thou sayest these things to me. What wilt thou say to God, "that fashioned our hearts one by one" [731] (Ps. xxxiii. 15.); that knoweth everything that is in the mind; "that is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword"? (Heb. iv. 12.) For tell me with truth; Dost thou not condemn thyself? And how should wisdom so great, as that one who sins should condemn himself, come by chance, for this is a work of mighty wisdom. Thou condemnest thyself. And will he who giveth thee such thoughts leave everything to go on at hazard? The following rule then will hold universally and strictly. Not one of those who live in virtue wholly disbelieves the doctrine of the Judgment, even though he be Greek or heretic. None, save a few, of those who live in great wickedness, receives the doctrine of the Resurrection. And this is what the Psalmist says, "Thy judgments are taken away from before his face." (Ps. x. 5.) Wherefore? Because "his ways are always profane"; for he saith, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."
Seest thou that thus to speak is the mark of the grovelling? Of eating and drinking come these sayings which are subversive of the Resurrection. For the soul endures not, I say, it endures not the tribunal which the conscience supplieth, and so it is with it, as with a murderer, who firsts suggests to himself that he shall not be detected, and so goes on to slay; for had his conscience been his judge, he would not hastily have come to that daring wickedness. And still he knows, and pretends not to know, lest he should be tortured by conscience and fear, for, certainly, in that case, he would have been less resolute for the daring deed. So too, assuredly, they who sin, and day by day wallow in the same wickedness, are unwilling to know it, although their consciences pluck at them.
But let us give no heed to such persons, for there will be, there will assuredly be, a Judgment and a Resurrection, and God will not leave so great works without direction. Wherefore, I beseech you, let us leave off wickedness, and lay fast hold on virtue, that we may receive the true doctrine in Christ Jesus our Lord. And yet, which is easier to receive? the doctrine of the Resurrection, or that of Fate? The latter is full of injustice, of absurdity, of cruelty, of inhumanity; the other of righteousness, awarding according to desert; and still men do not receive it. But the fault is, indolence, for no one that hath understanding receives the other. For amongst the Greeks even, they who did receive that doctrine, were those who in their definition of pleasure affirmed it to be the "end," but they who loved virtue, would not receive it, but they cast it out as absurd. But if among the Greeks this were so, much more will it hold good with the doctrine of the Resurrection. And observe, I pray you, how the devil hath established two contrary things: for in order that we may neglect virtue; and pay honor to demons, he brought in this Necessity, and by means of each he procured the belief of both. What reason then will he be able to give, who obstinately disbelieves a thing so admirable, and is persuaded by those who talk so idly? Do not then support thyself with the consolation, that thou wilt meet with forgiveness; but let us, collecting all our strength, stir ourselves up to virtue, and let us live truly to God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, &c.
[711] It may be asked how St. Chrysostom could use this argument, and yet speak as he does of the intercession of Saints (see the end of Hom. vi. on the Statues, and note). The reason is, that he viewed the Saints as in the Kingdom of Christ, and subordinate; but the error here referred to seems to have made the Angels independent of Him, and the means of an approach to God without reference to His Atonement. St. Augustine refers to such systems, De. Civ. Dei, lib. ix. 15, 21; x. 1, &c.
[712] egnote. This is implied in his wishing them "more" knowledge.
[713] Perhaps it should be "second." [All documents read "first," and there is really no occasion for the conjectural alteration, for the statement applies to the first, as well as the second, Epistle.--J.A.B.]
[714] Vid. St. Chrys. in loc.
[715] [The apostle's word rendered "knowledge" is epignosis, which etymologically signified additional or full knowledge, and often has distinctively that sense.--J.A.B.]
[716] ["To be partakers" is, literally, "for the portion."--J.A.B.]
[717] klero.
[718] merida.
[719] [kleros signifies "lot," "inheritance," &c. From the notion that Christian ministers were the Lord's heritage (like the tribe of Levi) came the application to them of the terms clerus, clerici, whence clergy, clerk, &c.--J.A.B.]
[720] The whole passage shows that he uses this word merely to imply man's insufficiency, and not at all to introduce the notion of chance as opposed to Divine agency. He constantly uses the word at the end of his Homilies, as well as axiothenai, "to be thought worthy," to show at once the necessity of good works, and our unworthiness after all.
[721] [This clause Field restores from several mss. and the Catena. The substantial repetition of it just after is characteristic.--J.A.B.]
[722] adikou, 2 [4] mss. and Sav. marg. St. Chrys. does not, however, read so on the passage. Hom. ix. on Ep. to Romans.
[723] i.e. the devils', aichmalosian.
[724] metestese. The word in Heb. xi. 3, is metetethe, which agrees with this criticism.
[725] ["The Son of His love" really means greatly more than "His Beloved Son." See Lightfoot on Col.--J.A.B.]
[726] andrapodistes, one who steals freemen for slaves. [Literally, "enslaver" (1 Tim. i. 10.).--J.A.B.]
[727] The master.
[728] geenne.
[729] therapeuein. As we say, familiarly, "doctor them." The term was commonly used. Theodoret has a treatise called, "The Remedy of Greekish affections." Here it is "humor them" by palatable doctrine.
[730] [Various documents have "does not disbelieve," through failing to observe that it means the Greek above mentioned, and that the expression changes with the next clause as to the Jew.--J.A.B.]
[731] katamonas, Sept. E.V. "alike."