heavy Account of those who neglect it. 65 but when it is the Church to which we call you, then occur ICOR.1. 26, 27. these endless impediments. And what wilt thou say in that day, when thou seest the flame, and the rivers of fire, and the chains never to be broken; and shalt hear the gnashing of teeth? Who shall stand up for thee in that day, when thou shalt see him that hath laboured with his own hand, and hath lived uprightly, enjoying all glory, but thyself, who art now in silken robes, and steaming with perfumes, in incurable woe? What good will thy wealth and superfluity do thee? And the artisan,-what harm will his poverty do him? Therefore that we may not suffer then, let us fear what is said now, and let all our time of occupation be spent in employment on things which are really indispensable. For so, having propitiated God in regard of our past sins, and adding good deeds for the future, we shall be able to attain unto the kingdom of heaven: through the favour and loving-kindness, &c. &c. F HOMILY VI. 1 COR. ii. 1, 2. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God; for I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. NOTHING was ever more prepared for combat than the spirit of Paul; or rather, I should say, not his spirit, (for he was not himself the inventor of these things,) but, nothing was ever equal to the grace working within him, which overcometh all things. For sufficient indeed is what had been said before to cast down the pride of the boasters about wisdom; or rather, though it were but a part of what had been said. But to enhance the splendour of the prize, he contends anew for the points which he had been affirming; trampling upon the prostrate foe. Look at it in this way. He hath brought forward the prophecy which saith, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; he hath shewn the wisdom of God, in that by means of what seemed to be foolishness, He had destroyed the philosophy of the Gentiles; he hath shewn that the foolishness of God is wiser than men; he hath shewn that not only did He teach by untaught persons, but also chose untaught persons to learn of Him. Now he sheweth that both the thing itself which was preached, and the manner of preaching it, were enough to stagger people; and yet did not stagger them. As thus: "not only," saith he, are the disciples uneducated, but I myself also, who am the preacher." Therefore he saith, And I, brethren, (again he useth the word "brethren," to smooth down the harshness of what he saith,) came not with excellency of speech, declaring unto you the testimony of God. "What then? tell me, hadst thou chosen to come with excellency, wouldest thou St. Paul preached Suffering, without Eloquence or Wisdom. 07 1, 2. have been able?” "I, indeed, had I chosen, should not have 1COR.2. been able; but Christ if He had chosen, was able. But He would not; in order that He might render His trophy more brilliant." Wherefore also in a former passage, shewing that it was His work which had been done, His will that the word should be preached in an unlearned manner, he said, For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; not with wisdom of words. But far greater, yea infinitely greater, than Paul's willing this, is the fact that Christ willed it. "I do not therefore," saith he, " by display of eloquence, neither armed with arguments from without, do I declare the testimony of God." He saith not the preaching, but the testimony of God; which word was itself sufficient to withhold him. For he went about preaching death: and for this reason he added, for I determined to know nothing. among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. This was the meaning he meant to convey, that he is altogether destitute of the wisdom which is without; as indeed he was saying above, I came not with excellency of speech: for that he might have possessed this also is plain; for he whose garments raised the dead, and whose shadow expelled diseases, much more was his soul capable of receiving eloquence. For this is among things which may be taught: but the former transcendeth all art. He then who knows things beyond the reach of art, much more must he have had strength for lesser things. But Christ permitted not; for it was not expedient. Rightly therefore he saith, For I determined not to know any thing: "for I too for my part have just the same will as Christ." And to me it seems that he speaks to them in a lower tone even than to any others, in order to repress their pride. Thus, the expression, I determined to know nothing, was spoken in contradistinction to the wisdom which is without. "For I came not weaving syllogisms nor sophisms, nor saying unto you any thing else than Christ is crucified. They indeed have ten thousand things to say, and concerning ten thousand things they speak, winding out long courses of words, framing rò pagrúg, the martyrdom, or testimony by death : see 1 Tim. 2.6. b Here again what is written of St. Peter is taken as if written of St. Paul: 68 St. Paul preached under a strong Sense of Danger. HOMIL. calculations and argumentations, compounding sophisms VI. without end. But I came unto you saying no other thing 13, 14. $2 Cor. 12. 10. than Christ is crucified, and all of them I outstripped: which is a sign, such as no words can express, of the power of Him whom I preach." [2.] Ver. 3. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. This again is another topic: for not only are the believers unlearned persons; not only is he that speaketh unlearned; not only is the manner of the teaching of an unlearned cast throughout; not only was the thing preached of itself enough to stagger people; (for the cross and death were the message brought;) but together with these there were also other hindrances, the dangers, and the plots, and the daily fear, and the being hunted about. For the word weakness, with him in many places stands for the persecutions: as also elsewhere. My weakness which I had in my flesh ye did 1 G-1.4. not set at nought1: and again, If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmity. What 11.30. [infirmity]? The governor under Aretas the king kept the v. 32. city of the Damascenes, desirous to apprehend me3. 42 Cor. again, Wherefore I take pleasure in infirmities: then, saying in what, he added, In reproaches, in necessities, in distresses. And here he makes the same statement; for having said, And I was in weakness, &c. he did not stop at this point, but explaining the word weakness, makes mention of his dangers. He adds again, and in fear, and much trembling, I was with you. "How sayest thou? Did Paul also fear dangers ?" He did fear, and dreaded them excessively; for though he was Paul, yet he was a man. But this is no charge against Paul, but the infirmity of human nature; and it is to the praise of his fixed purpose of mind, that when he even dreaded death and stripes, he did nothing wrong because of this fear. So that they who assert that he feared not stripes, not only do not honour him, but they rather abridge him greatly of his praises. For if he feared not, what endurance or what self-restraint was there in bearing the dangers? I, for my part, on this account admire him; because being in fear, and not simply in fear, but even in trembling, at his perils, he so ran as ever to keep his Sum of the Contrast of the Cross with human Wisdom. 69 crown; and gave not in for any danger, in his task of purging Con.2. out the world, and every where both by sea and land sowing the Gospel. [3.] Ver. 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom: that is, had not the wisdom from without. Now if neither the doctrine preached had any thing subtle, and they that were called were unlearned, and he that preached, of the same description, and thereto was added persecution, and trembling, and fear; tell me how did they overcome? By divine power. And this is why, having said, My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, he added, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power. 3-5. Dost thou perceive how the foolishness of God is wiser (2.) than men, and the weakness stronger? They for their part, being unlearned, and preaching such a Gospel, in their chains and persecution overcame their persecutors. Whereby? was it not by their furnishing that evidence which is of the Spirit? For this indeed is confessed demonstration. For who, tell me, after he had seen dead men rising to life, and devils cast out, could have helped admitting it? But seeing that there are also deceiving wonders, such as those of sorcerers, he removes this suspicion also. For he said not simply of power, but first, of the Spirit, and then, of power: signifying that the things done were spiritual. You see, it is no disparagement, that the Gospel was not declared by means of wisdom; rather it is a very great ornament. For this, it will be allowed, is the clearest token of its being divine, and having its roots from above, out of the heavens. Wherefore he added also, Ver. 5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Seest thou how clearly in every way he hath set forth the vast gain of this ignorance, and the great loss of this wisdom? For the latter made void the Cross, but the former proclaimed the power of God:-the latter, besides their failing to discover any of those things which they most needed, set them b innadaigwy: there seems to be an allusion to the classical fable about Hercules, who is represented as "purg. ing the world of monsters and op- |