256

Instances of Slavery caused by Vice.

XIX.

HOMIL. in arranging about thy food, in taking care of thy health, and clothes, and in looking after thy shoes, and all the other things. And thou dost not fear so much lest thou shouldest offend thy master, as he fears lest any of those necessaries should fail thee. "But he sits down, while thou standest." And what of that? Since this may be said of thee as well as of him. Often, at least, when thou art lying down and sleeping sweetly, he is not only standing, but undergoing endless discomforts, in the market-place; and he lies awake more painfully than thou.

For instance; what did Joseph suffer from his mistress to be compared with what she suffered from her evil desire? For he indeed did not the things which she wished to put upon him; but she performed every thing which her mistress ordered her, I mean her spirit of unchastity: which left not off until it had put her to open shame. What master commands such things? what savage tyrant? "Intreat thy slave," that is the word: "flatter the person bought with thy money, supplicate the captive; even if he reject thee with disgust, again besiege him: even if thou speakest to him oftentimes, and he consent not, watch for his being alone, and force him, and become an object of derision." What can be more dishonourable, what more shameful, than these words?"And if even by these means you make no progress, why, accuse him falsely, and deceive your husband." Mark how mean, how shameful are the commands, how unmerciful, and savage, and frantic. What command does the master ever lay on his slave, such as those which her wantonness then laid upon that royal woman? And yet she dared not disobey. But Joseph underwent nothing of this sort, but every thing on the contrary which brought glory and honour.

Would you like to see yet another man under severe orders from a hard mistress, and without spirit to disobey any of them? Consider Cain, what commands were laid on him by his envy. She ordered him to slay his brother, to lie unto God, to grieve his father, to cast off shame; and he did it all, and in nothing refused to obey. And why marvel, that over a single person so great should be the power of this mistress? She hath often destroyed entire nations. For

St. Paul's Rules concerning Virginity.

25-28.

257 instance, the Midianitish women took the Jews and all but 1COR.7. bound them in captivity; their own beauty kindling desire, was the means of their vanquishing that whole nation. Paul then, to cast out this sort of slavery, said, Become not servants of men; that is, " Obey not men commanding unreasonable things: nay, obey not yourselves." Then having raised up their mind, and made it mount on high, he says,

[7.] Ver. 25. Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

Advancing on his way in regular order, he proceeds next to speak concerning virginity. For after that he had exercised them, and prescribed measures to them, in his words concerning continence, he goes forth towards what is greater, saying, I have not any commandment, but I esteem it to be good. For what reason? For the self-same reason as he had mentioned respecting continence.

Ver. 27. Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.

These words carry no contradiction to what had been said before, but rather the most entire agreement with them. For he says in that place also, Except it be by consent: as here he says, Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not separation. This is no contradiction. For its being against consent makes a dissolution: but if with consent both live continently, it is no dissolution.

Then, lest this should seem to be laying down a law, he subjoins1, but if thou marry, thou hast not sinned. He next1 v. 28. alleges the existing state of things, the present distress, the shortness of the time, and the affliction. For marriage draws along with it many things, which indeed he hath glanced at, as well here, as also in the discourse about continence: there, by saying, the wife hath not power over herself; and here, by the expression, Thou art bound.

But if thou marry, thou hast not sinned. He is not speaking about her who hath made choice of virginity, for if it comes to that, she hath sinned. Since, if the widows are condemned for having to do with second marriages, after they have once chosen widowhood, much more the virgins.

a i. e. the widows whom St. Paul mentions, 1 Tim. 5. 11, 12.

S

HOMIL.
XX.

258

Why Virginity is the more excellent Way.

But such shall have trouble in the flesh. "And pleasure too," you will say: but observe how he curtails this by the 1 v. 28. shortness of the time, saying', the time is short; that is, "we are exhorted to depart now and go forth, but thou art running further in." And yet even although marriage had no troubles, even so we ought to press on towards things to come. But when it hath affliction too, what need to draw on one's self an additional burden. What occasion to take up such a load, when even after taking it, you must use it as having it not? For those even that have wives must be, he saith, as though they had none.

Then, having interposed something about the future, he brings back his speech to the present. For some of his topics are spiritual; as that, the one careth about the things which be her husband's, the other about those which be God's. Others relate to this present life; as, I would have you without carefulness. But still, with all this he leaves it to their own choice: inasmuch as he, who after proving what is best, goes back to compulsion, seems as if he did not trust his own statements. Wherefore he rather attracts them by concession, and checks them as follows:

Ver. 35. But this I speak for your own profit, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may persevere in attendance.

Let the virgins hear, that not by that one point is virginity defined; for she that is careful about the things of the world, cannot be a virgin, nor comely. Thus, when he said, There is difference between a wife and a virgin, he added this as the difference, and that wherein they are distinguished from each other. And laying down the definition of a virgin and her that is not a virgin, he names, not marriage nor continence, but leisure and multiplicity of engagement. For the evil is not in the cohabitation, but in the impediment to the strictness of life.

Ver. 36. But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin.

Here he seems to be talking about marriage; but all that he says relates to virginity; for he allows even a second marriage, saying, only in the Lord.

Now what means, in

the Lord? With chastity, with honour: for this is needed

Without Continence no Man sees God.

259

every where, and must be pursued; for else we cannot see 1COR.7. God.

Now if we have passed lightly by what he says of virginity, let no one accuse us of negligence; for indeed an entire book hath been composed by us upon this topic; and as we have there with all the accuracy which we could gone through every branch of the subject, we considered it a waste of words to introduce it all again here. Wherefore, referring the hearer to that work, as concerns these things, we will say this one thing here: We must follow after continence. For, saith he, follow after peace, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord. Therefore that we may be accounted worthy to see Him, whether we be in virginity, or in the first marriage or the second, let us follow after this, that we may obtain the kingdom of heaven, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ; to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honour, now, henceforth, and for everlasting ages. Amen.

36.

HOMILY XX.

15. 11.

1 COR. viii. 1.

Now concerning things offered to idols: we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

It is necessary first to say, what the meaning of this passage is: for so shall we readily comprehend the Apostle's discourse. For he that sees a charge brought against any one, except he first perceive the nature of the offence, will not understand what is said. What then is it, of which he was then accusing the Corinthians? A heavy charge, and the cause of many evils. 1 S.Mat. Well, what is it? Many among them, having learnt that 1not the things which enter in defile the man, but the things which proceed out, and that idols of all kinds, wood and stone, and demons, have no power to hurt or help, had made an immoderate use of their perfect knowledge of this, to the harm both of others and of themselves. They had both gone in where idols were, and had partaken of the tables there, and were producing thereby great and ruinous evil. For on the one hand, those who still retained the fear of idols, and who knew not how to contemn them, took part in those meals, because they saw the more perfect sort doing this; and hence they got the greatest injury: since they did not touch what was set before them with the same mind as the others, but as things offered in sacrifice to idols; and the thing was becoming a way to idolatry. On the other hand, these very persons who pretended to be more perfect were injured in no common way, partaking in the tables of devils.