V. 21.

308 Sometimes greater knowledge to profess ignorance than knowledge.

EPHES. done there, and many things will appear to thee to be difficulties; as, for instance, when he hollows the wood, when he alters its outward shape. Nay, I would bring thee to a more intelligible craft still, for instance, that of the painter, and there thy head will swim. For tell me, does he not seem to be doing what he does at random? For what do his lines mean, and the turns and bends of the lines? But when he puts on the colours, then the beauty of the art will become conspicuous. Yet still, not even then wilt thou be able to attain to any accurate understanding of it. But why do I speak of carpenters, and painters, and others our fellowservants? Tell me, how does the bee frame her comb, and then shalt thou speak about God also. Master the handywork of the ant, the spider, and the swallow, and then shalt thou speak about God also. If thou be wise, tell me these things. But no, thou never canst. Wilt thou not cease then, O man, thy vain enquiries? For vain indeed they are. Wilt thou not cease from thy idle curiosity? Nothing so wise as this ignorance, where they that profess they know nothing are wisest of all, and they that are over curious, the most foolish of all. So that to profess knowledge is not every where a sign of wisdom, but sometimes of folly also. For tell me, suppose there were two men, and one of them should profess to stretch out his lines, and to measure the expanse that intervenes between the earth and heaven, and the other were to laugh at him, and confess that he understood it not, tell me, I pray, which should we laugh at, him that said he knew, or him that knew not? Evidently, the man that said that he knew. He that is ignorant, therefore, is wiser than he that professes to know. And what again? If any one were to profess to tell us how many cups of water the sea contains, and another should profess his ignorance, is not the ignorance here again wiser than the knowledge? Surely, vastly so. And why so? Because that knowledge itself is but intense ignorance. For he indeed who says that he is ignorant, knows something. And what is that? That it is incomprehensible to man. Yes, and this is no small portion of knowledge. Whereas he that says he knows, he of all others knows not what he says he knows, and is for this very reason utterly ridiculous.

The part of wisdom to obey and not be curious or speculate. 309

XIX. MORAL.

Alas! how many things are there to teach us to bridle this HOMIL. unseasonable impertinence and idle curiosity; and yet we refrain not, but are curious about the lives of others; as, why one is a cripple, and why another is poor. And so by this way of reasoning we shall fall into another sort of trifling, as, why such an one is a woman? and, why all are not men? why there is such a thing as an ass? why an ox? why a dog? why a wolf? why a stone? why wood? and thus the argument will run out to an interminable length. This in truth is the reason, why God has marked out limits to our knowledge, and has laid them deep in nature. And mark, now, the excess of this busy curiosity. For when we look up to so great a height as from earth to heaven, we are not at all affected by it; but as soon as ever we go up to the top of a lofty tower, and have a mind to stoop over a little, and look down, a sort of giddiness and dizziness immediately seizes us. Now, tell me the reason of this. No, thou couldest never account for it. Why is it that the eye possesses greater power than other senses, and is caught by more distant objects? And one might see it by comparison with the case of hearing. For no one will ever be able to shout so loudly, as to fill the air as far as the eye can reach, nor to hear at so great a distance. Why are not all the members of equal honour? Why have not all received one function and one place. Paul also searched into these questions; or rather he did not search into them, for he was wise; but where he comes by chance upon this topic, he says, Every one of them, as it hath pleased Him. He 1 Cor. assigns the whole to His will. And so then let us give over making these enquiries, and only give thanks for all things. Wherefore, says he, give thanks for all things. This is the part of a well-disposed, of a wise, of an intelligent servant; the other is that of a tattler, and an idler, and a busy-body. Do we not see amongst servants, that those among them who are worthless and good for nothing, are both tattlers, and triflers, and that they pry into the concerns of their masters, which they are desirous to conceal: whereas the intelligent and well-disposed look to one thing only, how they may fulfil their service. He that says much, does nothing: as he that does much, never says a word out of season. Hence Paul said,

12, 18.

V. 21.

1 Tim. 5, 13.

310 Civil slavery not inconsistent with Christian equality.

EPHES. where he wrote concerning widows, And they learn not only to be idle, but tattlers also. Tell me, now, which is the widest difference, between our age and that of children, or between God and men? between ourselves compared with gnats, or God compared with us? Plainly between God and us. Why then indulge so much thy vain curiosity? Give thanks for all things. But what,' say you, if a heathen should ask the question? How am I to answer him? He desires me to inform him, whether there is a Providence, for he himself denies that there is any Being thus exercising foresight.' Turn round then, and ask him the same question thyself. He will deny therefore that there is a Providence. Yet that there is a Providence, is plain from what thou hast said; but that it is incomprehensible, is plain from those things whereof we cannot discover the reason. For if in things where men are the disposers, we oftentimes do not understand the method of the disposition, and in truth many of them appear to us inconsistent, and yet at the same time we acquiesce, how much more will this be the case with God? However, with God nothing either is inconsistent, or appears so to the faithful. Wherefore let us give thanks for all things, let us give Him glory for all things.

Submitting yourselves one to another, he says, in the fear of God. For if thou submit thyself for a ruler's sake, or for money's sake, or from respectfulness, much more from the fear of God. Let there be an interchange of service and submission. For then will there be no such thing as slavery. Let not one sit down in the rank of a freeman, and the other in the rank of a slave; rather it were better that both masters and slaves be servants to one another;-far better to be a slave in this way than free in any other; as will be evident from hence. Suppose the case of a man who should have an hundred slaves, and not one of them should wait upon him; and suppose again a different case, of an hundred friends, all waiting upon one another. Which will lead the happier life? Which with the greater pleasure, with the more enjoyment? In the one case there is no anger, no provocation, no wrath, nor any thing else of the kind whatever; in the other all is fear and apprehension. In the one case too the whole is forced, in the other is of free choice. In the

They who make themselves the servants, became the masters of all. 311

XIX.

one case they serve one another by constraint, in the other HOMIL. with mutual gratification. Such is God's intention; for this He washed His disciples' feet. Nay more, if thou hast a mind to examine the matter nicely, there is indeed on the part of masters a return of service. For what if pride suffer not that reciprocity to appear. Yet if the slave on the one hand render his bodily service, and thou maintain that body, and supply it with food and clothing and shoes, this too is a kind of servitude: because unless thou render thy service as well, neither will he render his, but will be free, and no law will compel him to do it, whether he is maintained or not. If this then is the case with servants, where is the absurdity, if it should also become the case with free men. Submitting yourselves, in the fear, saith he, of Christ. How great then the obligation, when we shall also have a reward. But he does not choose to submit himself to thee. However, do thou submit thyself; not simply yield, but submit thyself. Entertain this feeling towards all, as if all were thy masters. For thus shalt thou soon have all as thy slaves, enslaved to thee with the most abject slavery. For thou wilt then more surely make them thine, when without receiving any thing of theirs, thou of thyself renderest them of thine own. This is, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ; to subdue all the passions, to be servants of God, to preserve the love we owe to one another. And then shall we be able also to be counted worthy of the loving-kindness which cometh of God, through His grace and mercies.

HOMILY XX.

EPHES.

CHAP. V. 22, 23, 24. Wives, submit yourselves unto your V. 24. own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25, 1.

23.

27.

Gal. 3,

28.

A certain wise man, setting down a number of things in the rank of blessings, set down this also in the rank of Ecclus. a blessing, A wife agreeing with her husband. And elsewhere again he sets it down among blessings, that a vid. 40, woman should dwell in harmony with her husband. And indeed from the beginning, God appears to have made special provision for this union; and discoursing of the twain Gen. 1, as one, He said thus, Male and female created He them; and again, There is neither male nor female. For there is no relationship between man and man so close as that between man and wife, if they be joined together as they should be. And therefore a certain blessed man too, when he would express surpassing love, and was mourning for one that was dear to him, and as his own soul, did not mention father, nor mother, nor child, nor brother, nor friend, but 2 Sam.1, what? Thy love, saith he, fell upon me, as the love of womena. For indeed, in very deed, this love is of all empires the most absolute: for others indeed may be strong, but this passion has not only strength, but unfadingness. For έμφω there is a certain love deeply seated in our nature, which

26,

λεύων

2 ἔπεσιν ἐπ' ἐμί. Chrys. ἐθαυμαστώθη. Sept.