XIV.

190

Covetousness compared with Content,

HOMIL. since one ought to decide, not by the sick, but by the whole: just as you might shew me ten thousand men in a fever, seeking things unwholesome, upon choice to suffer for it afterwards; but I should not allow such their choice:) which, I repeat, brings more ease, tell me; to desire much wealth, or to be above that desire? For I, for my part, think the latter. If you disbelieve it, let the argument be brought to the facts themselves of the case.

1

(5.)

Let us then suppose one man desiring much, another nothing. Which now is the better state, tell me, and which the more respectable? However, let that pass. For this is agreed upon, that the latter is a finer character than the former. And we are making no enquiry about this at present, but which lives the easier and the pleasanter life? Well then: the lover of money will not enjoy even what he has: for that which he loves he cannot choose to spend; but would gladly **T*- even carve' himself out, and part with his flesh, rather than . with his gold. But he that despises wealth, gains this the while, that he enjoys what he has quietly and with great security, and that he values himself more than it. Which then is the pleasanter; to enjoy what one has with freedom, or to live under a master, namely wealth, and not dare to touch a single thing even of one's own? Why, it seemeth to me to be much the same, as if any two men, having wives and loving them exceedingly, were not upon the same terms with them; but the one were allowed the presence and intercourse of his wife, the other, not even permitted to come near his.

There is another thing which I wish to mention, indicating the pleasure of the one, and the discomfort of the other. He that is greedy of gain will never be stayed in that his desire, not only because it is impossible for him to obtain all men's goods, but also because, whatever he may have compassed, he counts himself to have nothing. But the despiser of riches. will deem it all superfluous, and will not have to punish his soul with endless desires. I say, punish; for nothing so completely answers the definition of punishment, as desire deprived of gratification; a thing too which especially marks his perverse mind. Look at it in this way. He that lusts after riches, and hath increased his store, he is the sort of

in regard of present Enjoyment.

191

21.

κατα

person to feel as if he had nothing. I ask then, what more com- 1Cor.4. plicated than this disease? And the strange thing is not this only, but that although having, he thinks he has not the very things which are in his hold, and as though he had them not, he bewails himself. If he even get all men's goods, his pain is but greater. And should he gain an hundred talents, he is vexed that he hath not received a thousand: and if he receive a thousand, he is stung to the quick that it is not ten thousand: and if he receive ten thousand, he utterly bemoans himself1, 1 because it is not ten times as much. And the acquisition of *more to him becomes so much more poverty: for the more he receives, so much the more he desires. So then, the more he receives, the more he becomes poor: since whoso desires more, is more truly poor. When then he hath an hundred talents, is he not very poor?? for he desires a thousand. Savile When he hath got a thousand, then he becomes yet poorer. this inFor it is no longer a thousand as before, but ten thousand, that terrogahe professes himself to want.

Now if you say that to wish and not to obtain is pleasure, you seem to me to be very ignorant of the nature of pleasure. [9.] To shew that this sort of thing is not pleasure but punishment, take another case, and refer the question to it, and so let us search it out. When we are thirsty, do we not therefore feel pleasure in drinking, because we quench our thirst; and is it not therefore a pleasure to drink, because it relieves us from a great torment, the desire, I mean, of drinking? Every one, I suppose, can tell. But were we always to remain in such a state of desire, we should be as badly off as the rich man in the parable of Lazarus for the matter of punishment; for his punishment was just this, that vehemently desiring one little drop, he obtained it not. And this very thing all covetous persons seem to me continually to suffer, and to resemble him, where he begs that he may obtain that drop, and obtains it not. For their soul is more on fire than his.

Well indeed hath one said, that all lovers of money are in a sort of dropsy; for as they, bearing much water in their bodies, are the more burnt up: so also the covetous, bearing about

b Crescit indulgens sibi dirus Hydrops, Nec sitim pellit, nisi causa morbi

Fugerit venis, et aquosus albo

Corpore languor. HoR. Carm.ii.2.

ται.

reads

tively.

192

Sum of the Discomforts of Covetousness.

HOMIL. With them great wealth, are greedy of more. The reason is, XIV. that neither do the one keep the water in the parts of the body where it should be, nor the other their desire in the limits of becoming thought.

nai κινὴν: 2

Let us then flee this strange and craving1 disease; let us flee the root of all evils; let us flee that which is present hell; play on for it is a hell, the desire of these things. Only just lay open sound of the soul of each, of him who despises wealth, and of him who

the

the

words.

does not so; and you will see that the one is like the distracted, choosing neither to hear nor see any thing: the other, like a harbour free from waves: and he is the friend of all, as the other is the enemy. For whether one take any thing of his, it gives him no annoyance; or if whether, on the contrary, one give him aught, it puffs him not up; but there is a certain freedom about him with entire security. The one is forced to flatter and feign before all; the other, to no man.

If now to be fond of money is to be both poor, and timid, and a dissembler, and a hypocrite, and to be full of fears and great penal anguish and chastisement; while he that despises wealth has all the contrary enjoyments: is it not quite plain that virtue is the more pleasant?

Now we might have gone through all the other bad ways also, whereby it is shewn that there is no vice which hath pleasure in it, had we not spoken before so much at large.

Wherefore knowing these things, let us choose virtue; to the end that we may both enjoy such pleasure as is here, and may attain unto the blessings which are to come, through the grace and loving-kindness, &c. &c.

HOMILY XV.

1 Cor. v. 1, 2.

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among

you.

WHEN he was discoursing about their divisions, he did not indeed at once address them vehemently, but more gently at first; and afterwards he ended in accusation, saying thus, 1 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by 1 c.1.11. them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. But in this place, not so; but he lays about him immediately, and he makes the reproach of the accusation as general as possible. For he said not, "Why did such an one commit fornication?" but, It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you; that they might, as persons altogether aloof from his charge, take it easily; but might be filled with such anxiety as was natural, when the whole body was wounded, and the Church had incurred reproach. "For no one," saith he, "will state it thus, such an one hath committed fornication,' but,' in the Church of the Corinthians that sin hath been committed.'"

And he said not, "Fornication is perpetrated," but, Is reported, such as is not even named among the Gentiles. For so continually he makes the Gentiles a topic of reproach to the believers. Thus writing to the Thessalonians, he said,

11Thess.

inserted. 2 Eph.4. 17. cf. Col. 3.

6, 7.

194

Aggravations of the incestuous Corinthian's Fault.

2

HOMIL.1 Let every one possess his own vessel in sanctification, not in XV. the lust of concupiscence, even as the rest of the Gentiles. 4. 4, 5. And to the Colossians and Ephesians, That you should no καὶ τιμῇ longer walk, as the other Gentiles walk. Now if their comom. và λοιπά mitting the same sins was unpardonable, when they even outdid the Gentiles, what place can we find for them? tell me: "inasmuch as among the Gentiles," so he speaks, "not only they dare no such thing, but they do not even give it a name." See to what a point he hath aggravated his charge. For when they are convicted of inventing such modes of uncleanness as the unbelievers, so far from venturing on them, do not even know of, the sin must be exceeding great, beyond all words. And the clause, among you, is spoken also emphatically; that is, " Among you, the faithful, who have been favoured with so high mysteries, the partakers of secrets, the guests invited to heaven." Dost thou mark with what indignant feeling his words overflow? with what anger against all? For had it not been for the great wrath of which he was full, had he not been setting himself against them all, he would have spoken thus: "Having heard that such and such a person hath committed fornication, I charge you to punish him." But as it is, he doth not so; he rather challenges all at once. And indeed, if they had written first, this is what he probably would have said. Since however so far from writing, they had even thrown the fault into the shade, on this account he orders his discourse more vehemently.

[2.] That a man should have his father's wife. Wherefore said he not, "That he should abuse his father's wife?" The extreme foulness of the deed caused him to shrink. He hurries by it accordingly, with a sort of scrupulousness as though it had been explicitly mentioned before. And hereby again he aggravates the charge, implying that such things are ventured on among them, as even to speak plainly of was intolerable for Paul. Wherefore also, as he goes on, he uses the same mode of speech, saying, Him who hath so done this thing: and is again ashamed, and blushes to speak out; which also we are wont to do in regard of matters extremely disgraceful. And he said not, his stepmother, but his father's wife; so as to strike much more