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COLOSSIANS II. 16-19.
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in
drink, or in respect of a feast day, or a new
moon, or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of
the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary
humility and worshiping of the Angels, dwelling
in the things which he hath not seen, vainly
puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding
fast the Head, from whom all the body being
supplied and knit together, through the joints
and bands, increaseth with the increase of
God."
HAVING first said darkly, "Take heed
lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of
you after the tradition of men" (ver. 8);
and again, further back, "This, I say,
that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of
speech" (ver. 4); thus preoccupying their
soul, and working in it anxious thoughts;
next, having inserted those benefits, and
increased this effect, he then brings in his
reproof last, and says, "Let no man therefore
judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect
of a feast day, or a new moon, or a sabbath
day." Seest thou how he depreciates them? If
ye have obtained such things, he saith, why
make yourselves accountable for these petty
matters? And he makes light of them, saying,
"or in the part of a feast day,"" for in
truth they did not retain the whole of the former
rule, "or a new moon, or a sabbath day." He
said not, "Do not then observe them," but,
"let no man judge you." He showed that they
were transgressing, and undoing, but he brought
his charge against others. Endure not those
that judge you, he saith, nay, not so much as
this either, but he argues with those persons,
almost stopping their mouths, and saying, Ye
ought not to judge. But he would not have
reflected on these. He said not "in clean and
unclean," nor yet "in feasts of Tabernacles,
and unleavened bread, and Pentecost," but
"in part of a feast": for they ventured not to
keep the whole; and if they did observe it, yet
not so as to celebrate the feast. "In part,"
he saith, showing that the greater part is done
away. For even if they did keep sabbath, they
did not do so with precision. "Which are a
shadow of the things to come"; he means, of
the New Covenant; "but the body" is
"Christ's." Some persons here punctuate
thus "but the body" is "of Christ," i.e.
the truth is come in with Christ: others thus;
"The Body of Christ let no man adjudge away
from you," that is, thwart you of it. The
term katabrabeuqhnai, is employed when the
victory is with one party, and the prize with
another, when though a victor thou art
thwarted. Thou standest above the devil and
sin; why dost thou again subject thyself to
sin? Therefore he said that "he is a debtor to
fulfill the whole law" (Gal. v. 3); and
again, "Is Christ" found to be "the
minister of sin" (Gal. ii. 17)? which he
said when writing to the Galatians. When he
had filled them with anger through saying,
"adjudge away from you," then he begins;
"being a voluntary," he saith, "in humility
and worshiping of Angels, intruding into things
he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his
fleshly mind." How "in humility," or how
"puffed up "? He shows that the whole arose
out of vainglory. But what is on the whole the
drift of what is said? There are some who
maintain that we must be brought near by
Angels, not by Christ, that were too great a
thing for us. Therefore it is that he turns
over and over again what has been done by
Christ, "through the Blood of His Cross"
(c. i. 20); on this account he says that
"He suffered for us"; that "He loved us."
(1 Pet. ii. 21.) And besides in this
very same thing, moreover, they were elevated
afresh. And he said not "introduction by,"
but "worshiping of" Angels. "Intruding into
things he hath not seen." (Eph. ii. 4.)
For he hath not seen Angels, and yet is
affected as though he had. Therefore he saith,
"Puffed up by his fleshly mind vainly," not
about any true fact. About this doctrine, he
is puffed up, and puts forward a show of
humility. By his carnal mind, not spiritual;
his reasoning is of man. "And not holding fast
the Head," he saith, "from whom all the
body." All the body thence hath its being,
and its well-being. Why, letting go the
Head, dost thou cling to the members? If thou
art fallen off from it, thou art lost. "From
whom all the body." Every one, be he who he
may, thence has not life only, but also even
connection. All the Church, so long as she
holds The Head, increaseth; because here is
no more passion of pride and vainglory, nor
invention of human fancy.
Mark that "from whom," meaning the Son.
"Through the joints and bands," he says,
"being supplied, and knit together, increases
with the increase of God"; he means, that
which is according to God, that of the best
life. Ver. 20. "If ye died with
Christ."
He puts that in the middle, and on either
side, expressions of greater vehemence. "If
ye died with Christ from the elements of the
world," he saith, "why as though living in
the world do ye subject yourselves to
ordinances?"
This is not the consequence, for what ought to
have been said is, "how as though living are ye
subject to those elements?" But letting this
pass, what saith he?
Ver. 21, 22. "Handle not, nor taste,
nor touch; all which things are to perish with
the using; after the precepts and doctrines of
men."
Ye are not in the world, he saith, how is it
ye are subject to its elements? how to its
observances? And mark how he makes sport of
them, "touch not, handle not, taste not,"
as though they were cowards and keeping
themselves clear of some great matters, "all
which things are to perish with the using." He
has taken down the swollenness of the many, and
added, "after the precepts and doctrines of
men." What sayest thou? Dost thou speak even
of the Law? Henceforth it is but a doctrine of
men, after the time is come.
Or, because they adulterated it, or else, he
alludes to the Gentile institutions. The
doctrine, he says, is altogether of man.
Ver. 23. "Which things have indeed a show
of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and
severity to the body; but are not of any value
against the indulgence of the flesh."
"Show," he saith; not power, not truth.
So that even though they have a show of wisdom,
let us turn away from them. For he may seem to
be a religious person, and modest, and to have
a contempt for the body.
"Not of any value against the indulgence of the
flesh." For God hath given it honor, but
they use it not with honor. Thus, when it is a
doctrine, he knows how to call it honor. They
dishonor the flesh, he says, depriving it, and
stripping it of its liberty, not giving leave to
rule it with its will. God hath honored the
flesh.
Chap. iii. ver. 1. "If then ye were
raised together with Christ."
He brings them together, having above
established that He died. Therefore he saith,
"If then ye were raised together with Christ,
seek the things that are above." No
observances are there. "Where Christ is
seated on the right hand of God." Wonderful!
Whither hath he led our minds aloft! How hath
he filled them with mighty aspiration! It was
not enough to say, "the things that are
above," nor yet, "where Christ is," but
what? "seated on the right hand of God."
From that point he was preparing them
henceforward to see the earth.
Ver. 2, 3, 4. "Set your mind on the
things that are above, not on the things that
are upon the earth. For ye died, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who
is your life shall be manifested, then shall ye
also with Him be manifested in glory."
This is not your life, he saith, it is some
other one. He is now urgent to remove them,
and insists upon showing that they are seated
above, and are dead; from both considerations
establishing the position, that they are not to
seek the things which are here. For whether ye
be dead, ye ought not to seek them; or Whether
ye be above, ye ought not to seek them. Doth
Christ appear? Neither doth your life. It is
in God, above. What then? When shall we
live? When Christ shall be manifested, who is
your life; then seek ye glory, then life, then
enjoyment.
This is to prepare the way for drawing them off
from pleasure and ease. Such is his wont: when
establishing one position, he darts off to
another; as, for instance, when discoursing of
those who at supper were beforehand with one
another, he all at once falls upon the
observance of the Mysteries. For he hath a
great rebuke when it is administered
unsuspected. "It is hid," he saith, from
you. "Then shall ye also with Him be
manifested." So that, now, ye do not
appear. See how he hath removed them into the
very heaven. For, as I said, he is always
bent upon showing that they have the very same
things which Christ hath; and through all his
Epistles, the tenor is this, to show that in
all things they are partakers with Him.
Therefore he uses the terms, Head, and
Body, and does everything to convey this to
them.
If therefore we shall then be manifested, let
us not grieve, when we enjoy not honor: if this
life be not life, but it be hidden, we ought to
live this life as though dead. "Then shall ye
also," he saith, "with Him be manifested in
glory." "In glory," he said, not merely
"manifested." For the pearl too is hidden so
long as it is within the oyster. If then we be
treated with insult, let us not grieve; or
whatever it be we suffer; for this life is not
our life, we are strangers and sojourners.
"For ye died," he saith. Who is so
witless, as for a corpse, dead and buried,
either to buy servants, or build houses, or
prepare costly raiment? None. Neither then do
ye; but as we seek one thing only, namely,
that we be not in a naked state, so here too let
us seek one thing and no more. Our first man is
buried: buried not in earth, but in water; not
death-destroyed, but buried by death's
destroyer, not by the law of nature, but by the
governing command that is stronger than nature.
For what has been done by nature, may perchance
be undone; but what has been done by His
command, never. Nothing is more blessed than
this burial, whereat all are rejoicing, both
Angels, and men, and the Lord of Angels.
At this burial, no need is there of vestments,
nor of coffin, nor of anything else of that
kind.
Wouldest thou see the symbol of this? I will
show thee a pool wherein the one was buried the
other raised; in the Red Sea the Egyptians
were sunk beneath it, but the Israelites went
up from out of it; in the same act he buries the
one, generates the other.
Marvel not that generation and destruction take
place in Baptism; for, tell me, dissolving
and cementing, are they not opposite? It is
evident to all. Such is the effect of fire;
for fire dissolves and destroys wax, but it
cements together metallic earth, and works it
into gold. So in truth here also, the force of
the fire, having obliterated the statue of wax,
has displayed a golden one in its stead; for in
truth before the Bath we were of clay, but
after it of gold. Whence is this evident?
Hear him saying, "The first man is of the
earth, earthy, the second man is the Lord from
heaven." (1 Cor. xv. 47.) I spoke of
a difference as great as that between clay and
gold; but greater still do I find the
difference between heavenly and earthy; not so
widely do clay and gold differ, as do things
earthy and heavenly. Waxen we were, and
clay-formed. For the flame of lust did much
more melt us, than fire doth wax, and any
chance temptation did far rather shatter us than
a stone doth things of clay. And, if ye will,
let us give an outline of the former life, and
see whether all was not earth and water, and
full of fluctuation and dust, and instability,
and flowing away.
And if ye will, let us scrutinize not the
former things, but the present, and see whether
we shall not find everything that is, mere dust
and water. For what wilt thou tell me of?
authority and power? for nothing in this present
life is thought to be more enviable than these.
But sooner may one find the dust when on the air
stationary, than these things; especially now.
For to whom are they not under subjection? To
those who are lovers of them; to eunuchs; to
those who will do anything for the sake of
money; to the passions of the populace; to the
wrath of the more powerful. He who was
yesterday up high on his tribunal, who had his
heralds shouting with thrilling voice, and many
to run before, and haughtily clear the way for i
him through the forum, is to-day mean and low,
and of all those things bereft and bare, like
dust blast-driven, like a stream that hath
passed by. And like as the dust is raised by
our feet, so truly are magistracies also
produced by those who are engaged about money,
and in the whole of life have the rank and
condition of feet; and like as the dust when it
is raised occupies a large portion of the air,
though itself be but a small body, so too doth
power; and like as the dust blindeth the eyes,
so too doth the pride of power bedim the eyes of
the understanding.
But what? Wilt thou that we examine that
object of many prayers, wealth? Come, let us
examine it in its several parts. It hath
luxury, it hath honors, it hath power. First
then, if thou wilt, let us examine luxury. Is
it not dust? yea, rather, it goeth by swifter
than dust, for the pleasure of luxurious living
reacheth only to the tongue, and when the belly
is filled, not to the tongue even. But, saith
one, honors are of themselves pleasant things.
Yet what can be less pleasant than that same
honor, when it is rendered with a view to
money? When it is not from free choice and with
a readiness of mind, it is not thou that reapest
the honor, but thy wealth. So that this very
thing makes the man of wealth, most of all men,
dishonored. For, tell me; suppose all men
honored thee, who hadst a friend; the while
confessing that thou, to be sure, wert good for
nothing, but that they were compelled to honor
thee on his account; could they possibly in any
other way have so dishonored thee? So that our
wealth is the cause of dishonor to us, seeing it
is more honored than are its very possessors,
and a proof rather of weakness than of power.
How then is it not absurd that we are not
counted of as much value as earth and ashes,
(for such is gold,) but that we are honored
for its sake? With reason. But not so he that
despiseth wealth; for it were better not to be
honored at all, than so honored. For tell me,
were one to say to thee, I think thee worthy of
no honor at all, but for thy servants' sakes I
honor thee, could now anything be worse than
this dishonor? But if to be honored for the
sake of servants, who are partakers of the same
soul and nature with ourselves, be a disgrace,
much more then is it such, to be honored for the
sake of meaner things, such as the walls and
courts of houses, and vessels of gold, and
garments. A scorn indeed were this, and
shame; better die than be so honored. For,
tell me, if thou wert in peril in this thy
pride, and some low and disgusting person were
to be willing to extricate thee from thy peril,
what could be worse than this? What ye say one
to another about the city, I wish to say to
you. Once on a time our city gave offense to
the Emperor, and he gave orders that the whole
of it should utterly be destroyed, men,
children, houses, and all. (For such is the
wrath of kings, they indulge their power as much
as ever they choose, so great an evil is
power.) It was then in the extremest of
perils. The neighboring city, however, this
one on the sea-coast, went and besought the
king in our behalf: upon which the inhabitants
of our city said that this was worse than if the
city had been razed to the ground. So, to be
thus honored is worse than being dishonored.
For see whence honor hath its root. The hands
of cooks procure us to be honored, so that to
them we ought to feel gratitude; and swineherds
supplying us with a rich table, and weavers,
and spinners, and workers in metal, and
confectioners, and table furnishers.
Were it not then better not to be honored at
all, than to be beholden to these for the
honor? And besides this, moreover, I will
endeavor to prove clearly that opulence is a
condition full of dishonor; it embases the
soul; and what is more dishonorable than this?
For tell me, suppose one had a comely person,
and passing all in beauty, and wealth were to go
to him and promise to make it ugly, and instead
of healthy, diseased, instead of cool,
inflamed; and having filled every limb with
dropsy, were to make the countenance bloated,
and distend it all over; and were to swell out
the feet, and make them heavier than logs, and
to puff up the belly, and make it larger than
any turn; and after this, it should promise not
even to grant permission to cure him, to those
who should be desirous of doing so, (for such
is the way with power,) but would give him so
much liberty as to punish any one that should
approach him to withdraw him from what was
harming him; well then, tell me, when wealth
works these effects in the soul, how can it be
honorable?
But this power is a more grievous thing than the
disease itself; as for one in disease not to be
obedient to the physician's injunctions is a
more serious evil than the being diseased; and
this is the case with wealth, seeing it creates
inflammation in every part of the soul, and
forbids the physicians to come near it. So let
us not felicitate these on the score of their
power, but pity them; for neither were I to
see a dropsical patient lying, and nobody
forbidding him to take his fill of whatever
drinks he pleased and of meats that are harmful,
would I felicitate him because of his power.
For not in all cases is power a good thing, nor
are honors either, for these too fill one with
much arrogance. But if thou wouldest not choose
that the body should along with wealth contract
such a disease, how comest thou to overlook the
soul, and when contracting not this scourge
alone, but another also? For it is on fire all
over with burning fevers and inflammations, and
that burning fever none can quench, for wealth
will not allow of this, having persuaded it that
those things are gains, which are really
losses, such as not enduring any one and doing
everything at will. For no other soul will one
find so replete with lusts so great and so
extravagant, as theirs who are desirous of being
rich.
For what silly trifles do they not picture to
themselves! One may see these devising more
extravagant things than limners of
hippocentaurs, and chim ras, and dragon-footed
things, and Scyllas, and monsters. And if
one should choose to give a picture of one lust
of theirs, neither Scylla, nor chim ra, nor
hippocentaur will appear anything at all by the
side of such a prodigy; but you will find it to
contain every wild beast at once.
And perchance some one will suppose that I have
been myself possessed of much wealth, seeing I
am so true to what really comes of it. It is
reported of one (for I will first confirm what
I have said from the legends of the
Greeks)--it is reported amongst them of a
certain king, that he became so insolent in
luxury, as to make a plane tree of gold, and a
sky above it, and there sate, and this too when
invading a people skilled in warfare. Now was
not this lust hippocentaurean, was it not Scyll
an? Another, again, used to cast men into a
wooden bull. Was not this a very Scylla? And
even him, the king I just mentioned, the
warrior, wealth made, from a man a woman, from
a woman, what shall I say? a brute beast, and
yet more degraded than this for the beasts, if
they lodge under a tree, take up with nature,
and seek for nothing further but the man in
question overshot the nature even of beasts.
What then can be more senseless than are the
wealthy? And this arises from the greediness of
their desires. But, are there not many that
admire him?
Therefore truly do they share in the laughter he
incurs. That displayed not his wealth but his
folly. How much better than that golden plane
tree is that which the earth produceth! For the
natural is more grateful than the unnatural.
But what meant that thy golden heaven, O
senseless one? Seest thou how wealth that is
abundant maketh men mad? How it inflamed them?
I suppose he knows not the sea even, and
perchance will presently have a mind to walk upon
it. Now is not this a chim ra? is it not a
hippocentaur? But there are, at this time
also, some who fall not short even of him, but
are actually much more senseless. For in point
of senselessness, wherein do they differ, tell
me, from that golden plane tree, who make
silver jars, pitchers, and scent bottles? And
wherein do those women differ, (ashamed indeed
I am, but it is necessary to speak it,) who
make chamber utensils of silver? It is ye
should be ashamed, that are the makers of these
things. When Christ is famishing, dost thou
so revel in luxury? yea rather, so play the
fool! What punishment shall these not suffer?
And inquirest thou still, why there are
robbers? why murderers? why such evils? when
the devil has thus made you ridiculous. For the
mere having of silver dishes indeed, this even
is not in keeping with a soul devoted to wisdom,
but is altogether a piece of luxury; but the
making unclean vessels also of silver, is this
then luxury? nay, I will not call it luxury,
but senselessness; nay, nor yet this, but
madness; nay rather, worse than even madness.
I know that many persons make jokes at me for
this; but I heed them not, only let some good
result from it. In truth, to be wealthy does
make people senseless and mad. Did their power
reach to such an excess, they would have the
earth too of gold, and walls of gold, perchance
the heaven too, and the air of gold. What a
madness is this, what an iniquity, what a
burning fever! Another, made after the image
of God, is perishing of cold; and dost thou
furnish thyself with such things as these? O
the senseless pride! What more would a madman
have done? Dost thou pay such honor to thine
excrements, as to receive them in silver? I
know that ye are shocked at hearing this; but
those women that make such things ought to be
shocked, and the husbands that minister to such
distempers. For this is wantonness, and
savageness, and inhumanity, and brutishness,
and lasciviousness. What Scylla, what chim
ra, what dragon, yea rather what demon, what
devil would have acted on this wise? What is
the benefit of Christ? what of the Faith?
when one has to put up with men being heathens,
yea rather, not heathens, but demons? If to
adorn the head with gold and pearls be not
right; one that useth silver for a service so
unclean, how shall he obtain pardon? Is not
the rest enough, although even it is not
bearable, chairs and footstools all of silver?
although even these come of senselessness. But
everywhere is excessive pride; everywhere is
vainglory. Nowhere is it use, but everywhere
excess.
I am afraid lest, under the impulse of this
madness, the race of woman should go on to
assume some portentous form: for it is likely
that they will wish to have even their hair of
gold. Else declare that ye were not at all
affected by what was said, nor were excited
greatly, and fell a longing, and had not shame
withheld you, would not have refused. For if
they dare to do what is even more absurd than
this, much more, I think, will they long for
their hair, and lips, and eyebrows, and every
part to be overlaid with molten gold.
But if ye are incredulous, and think I am
speaking in jest, I will relate what I have
heard, or rather what is now existing. The
king of the Persians wears his beard golden;
those who are adepts at such work winding leaf of
gold about his hairs as about the woof, and it
is laid up as a prodigy.
Glory to Thee, O Christ; with how many good
things hast Thou filled us! How hast Thou
provided for our health! From how great
monstrousness, from how great unreasonable
ness, hast Thou set us free! Mark! I
forewarn you, I advise no longer; but I
command and charge; let him that wills, obey,
and him that wills not, be disobedient; that if
ye women do continue thus to act, I will not
suffer it, nor receive you, nor permit you to
pass across this threshold. For what need have
I of a crowd of distempered people? And what
if, in my training of you, I do not forbid
what is not excessive? And yet Paul forbade
both gold and pearls. (1 Tim. ii. 9.)
We are laughed at by the Greeks, our religion
appears a fable.
And to the men I give this advice: Art thou
come to school to be instructed in spiritual
philosophy? Divest thyself of that pride!
This is my advice both to men and women; and if
any act otherwise, henceforward I will not
suffer it. The disciples were but twelve, and
hear what Christ saith unto them, "Would ye
also go away?" (John vi. 67.) For if we
go on for ever flattering you, when shall we
reclaim you? when shall we do you service?
"But," saith one, "there are other sects,
and people go over." This is a cold argument,
"Better is one that doeth the will of the
Lord, than ten thousand transgressors."
(Ecclus. xvi. 3.) For, what wouldest
thou choose thyself, tell me; to have ten
thousand servants that were runaways and
thieves, or a single one that loved thee? Lo!
I admonish and command you to break up both
those gay deckings for the face, and such
vessels as I have described, and give to the
poor, and not to be so mad.
Let him that likes quit me at once; let him
that likes accuse me, I will not suffer it in
any one. When I am about to be judged at the
Tribunal of Christ, ye stand afar off, and
your favor, while I am giving in my account.
"Those words have ruined all! he says, 'let
him not go and transfer himself to another
sect!' Nay! he is weak! condescend to
him!" To what point?
Till when? Once, and twice, and thrice, but
not perpetually.
Lo! I charge you again, and protest after the
pattern of the blessed Paul, "that if I come
again I will not spare." (2 Cor. xiii.
2.) But when ye have done as ye ought, then
ye will know how great the gain is, how great
the advantage. Yes! I entreat and beseech
you, and would not refuse to clasp your knees
and supplicate you in this behalf. What
softness is it! What luxury, what wantonness!
This is not luxury, but wantonness. What
senselessness is it! What madness! So many
poor stand around the Church; and though the
Church has so many children, and so wealthy,
she is unable to give relief to even one poor
person; "but one is hungry, and another is
drunken" (1 Cor. xi. 21); one voideth
his excrement even into silver, another has not
so much as bread! What madness! what
brutishness so great as this? May we never come
to the proof, whether we will prosecute the
disobedient, nor to the indignation which
allowing these practices would cause us; but
that willingly and with patience we may avoid all
this, that we may live to God's glory, and be
delivered from, the punishment in the other
world, and may obtain the good things promised
to those who love Him, through the grace and
love toward man,
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