Earnest, not careless persons, go into schism. 233 XI. Church, some never approach to communicate at all, or HOMIL. but once in the year, and then carelessly, and just as it may happen; others more regularly indeed, yet they too carelessly, and conversing with indifference, and trifling about nothing: whilst those who, forsooth, seem to be in earnest, these are the very persons who work this mischief. Yet surely, if it is for these things ye are in earnest, it were better that ye also were in the ranks of the indifferent; or rather it were better still, that neither they should be indifferent, nor ye such as ye are. I speak not of you that are present, but of those who are deserting from us. The act is adultery. And if ye bear not to hear these things of them, neither should ye of us. There must be breach of the law either on the one side or the other. If then thou hast these suspicions concerning me, I am ready to retire from my office, and resign it to whomsoever ye may choose. Only let the Church be one. But if I have been lawfully made and consecrated, plead for the deposal of those who have contrary to the law mounted the episcopal throne. as dictating to you, but 26. v. Ezek. These things I have said, not only to secure and protect you. is come to age, and will have to things which he has done, I entreat you not to cast the whole matter on us, and consider yourselves to be irresponsible, that ye may not go on fruitlessly deceiving yourselves, Acts 20, and at last bewail it. An account indeed we shall have to give of your souls; but it will be when we have been 3,19.21. wanting on our part, when we fail to exhort, when we fail to admonish, when we fail to protest. But after these words, allow even me to say that I am pure from the blood of all men, and that God will deliver my soul. Say what ye will, give a just cause why ye depart, and I will answer you. But no, ye will not state it. Wherefore, I entreat you, endeavour henceforward both to establish yourselves firmly, and to bring back those who have seceded, that we may with one accord lift up thanksgiving to God; for to Him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. HOMILY XII. EPHES. CHAP. iv. 17. This I say therefore, and testify in the IV. 17. Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened. It is the duty of the teacher to restore and reestablish the souls of his disciples, not only by counselling and instructing them, but also by alarming them, and making them over to God. For when the words spoken by men as coming from fellow-servants are not sufficient to touch the soul, it then becomes necessary to make over the case to God. This accordingly Paul does also; for having discoursed concerning lowliness, and concerning unity, and concerning our duty not to rise up one against another, hear what he says. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk. He does not say, 'That ye henceforth walk not as ye are now walking,' (for that expression would have struck too hard.) But he plainly indicates the same thing, only he brings his example from others. And so in writing to the Thessalonians, he does this 1 Thess. very same thing, where he says, Not in the lust of concu4, 5. piscence, even as the other Gentiles. Ye differ from them, he means to say, in doctrine, but that is wholly God's work: but I require on your part, the life and the course of behaviour that is after God. This is your own. And I call the Lord to witness what I have said, that I have not shrunk, but have told you how ye ought to walk. In the vanity, saith he, of their mind. What is vanity of mind? It is the being busied about vain things. And what are those vain things, but all things Eccles. in the present life? Of which the Preacher saith, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. But a man will say, If they be vain 1, 2. 31. XII. v. Ec Not the works of God, but the works of man, vanities. 235 and vanity, wherefore were they made? If they are God's HOMIL. works, how are they vain? And great is the dispute concerning these things. But hearken, beloved: it is not the works of God which he calls vain; God forbid! The Heaven is not vain, the earth is not vain,-God forbid !—nor the sun, nor the moon and stars, nor our own body. No, all these are very good. But what is vain? Let us hear the Preacher Gen. 1, himself, what he saith; I planted me vineyards, I gat me singing men and singing women, I made me pools of water, cles. 2, I had flocks and herds, I gathered me silver and gold, and 14-8. saw that these are vanity. And again, Vanity of vanities, 12, 8. all things are vanity. Hear also what the Prophet saith, He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not for whom he shall Ps.39,6. Sept. gather them. Such is vanity of vanities, your splendid buildings, your vast and overflowing riches, the herds of slaves that bustle along the public square, your pomp, and vainglory, your high thoughts, and your ostentation. For all these are vain; they came not from the hand of God, but are of our own creating. But why then are they vain? Because they have no useful end. Riches are vain when they are spent upon luxury; but they cease to be vain when they are dispersed v. Ps. abroad amongst the poor. But when thou hast spent them upon luxury, let us look at the end of them, what it is ;-grossness of body, flatulence, pantings, fulness of belly, heaviness of head, softness of flesh, feverishness, enervation; for as a man who shall draw into a leaking vessel labours in vain, so also does the self-indulgent liver; he draws into a leaking vessel. But again, that is called vain,' which is expected indeed to possess value, yet possesses it not;-that which men call empty, as when they speak of" empty hopes," and that which is fruitless. And generally that is called' vain,' which is of no use. Let us see then whether all human things are not of this sort. Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. 1 Cor. What then, tell me, is the end? Corruption. Let us put on clothing and raiment. And what is the result? Nothing. Thus did some of the Greeks philosophize, but in vain. They made a shew of a life of hardship, but of mere hardship, not looking to any beneficial end, but to vain-glory, and to the honour of the many. But what is the honour of the many? It is nothing, for if they themselves which render 112, 9. 15, 32. 236 Utter vanity of worshipping fire. IV. 17. EPHES. the honour perish, much more does the honour. He that renders honour to another, ought first to render himself honoured; for if he gain not honour for himself, how can he ever render it to another? Whereas now we seek even honours from vile and despicable characters, themselves dishonourable, and objects of reproach. What kind of honour then is this? Perceive ye, how that all things are vanity of vanities? Therefore, saith he, in the vanity of their mind. Are not But further, is not their religion of this sort? wood and stone the objects which they worship? He hath made the sun to shine for a lamp to light us. Who will worship his own lamp? The sun supplies us with light, but where he cannot, a lamp can do it. Then why not worship thy lamp? Nay,' one will say, I worship the fire.' Oh, how ridiculous! Is the disgrace so great, and yet art thou not ashamed of it? For look again at another absurdity. Why extinguish the object of thy worship? Why destroy, why annihilate thy god? Wherefore dost thou not suffer thy house to be filled with him? For if the fire be god, let him feed upon thy body. Put not thy god under the bottom of thy kettle, or thy cauldron. Bring him into thy inner chambers, bring him within thy silken draperies. Whereas not only dost thou not bring him in, but if by any accident he has found entrance, thou drivest him out in all quarters, thou callest all around together, and, as though some wild beast had entered, thou weepest and wailest, and callest the presence of thy god an overwhelming calamity. I have a God, and I do all I can to enshrine Him in my bosom, and I deem it my true bliss, not when He visits my dwelling only, but when I can draw Him even to my heart. Do thou too draw the fire to thine heart. Folly this and vanity. Fire is good for use, not for adoration; good for ministration and for service, to be my slave, not to be my master. It was made for my sake, not I for it. If thou art a worshipper of fire, why recline upon thy couch thyself, and order thy cook to stand before thy god? Take up the art of cookery thyself, become a baker if thou wilt, or a coppersmith, for nothing can be more honourable than these arts, since these are they that thy god visits. Why deem that art a disgrace, where thy god is all in all? Why commit Vanity of worshipping the Sun. 237 XII. it to thy slaves, and not be ambitious of it thyself. Fire HOMIL. is good, inasmuch as it is the work of a good Creator, but it is not God. It is the work of God, not God. Seest thou not how ungovernable is its nature;-how when it lays hold on a building it knows not where to stop? But if it seizes any thing continuous, it destroys all; and, except the hands of workmen or others quench its fury, it knows not friends nor foes, but deals with all alike. Is this then your god, and are ye not ashamed? Well indeed does he say, in the vanity of their mind. But the sun, they say, is God. Tell me, how and wherefore. Is it that he sheds abundance of light? Yet dost thou not see him overcome by clouds, and in bondage to the necessity of nature, and eclipsed, and hidden by moon and cloud? And yet the cloud is weaker than the sun; but still it often gains the mastery of him. And this indeed is the work of God's wisdom. God must needs be all sufficient: the sun needs many things; and this is not like a god. For he requires air to shine in, and that, too, pure and thin air; since the air, when it is greatly condensed, suffers not the rays to pass through it. He requires also water, and other restraining power, to prevent him from consuming. For were it not that fountains, and lakes, and rivers, and seas, formed some moisture by the emission of their vapours, there would be nothing to prevent an universal conflagration. Dost thou see then, say ye, that he is a god? What folly, what madness! A god, say ye, because he has power to do harm? Nay, rather, for this very reason is he no god, because where he does harm he needs nothing; whereas, where he does good, he requires many things besides. Now to do harm, is foreign to God's nature; to do good, is His property. Where then the reverse is the case, how can he be God? Seest not that poisonous drugs injure, and need nothing; but when they are to do good, need many things? For thy sake then is he such as he is, both good, and powerless; good, that thou mayest acknowledge his Lord and Master; and powerless, that thou mayest not say that he is lord and master. nourishes the plants and the seeds.' rate is not the very dung a god? But,' say they, he What then, at that |