The south, beauty unfading. To be enamoured of it. 105 insulted, yet bearing it; wronged, yet giving way, admire and 2 Cor. love too them that are such, even though they be stricken inIn-18, age. For such a thing is the beauty of the soul; even in old age it hath many enamoured of it, and it never fadeth, but bloometh for ever. In order then that we also may gain this beauty, let us go in quest of those that have it, and be enamoured of them. For so shall we too be able, when we have attained this beauty, to obtain the good things eternal, whereof may all we partake, through the grace and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory and might, for ever and ever, Amen. 106 The Apostles but ministered. The work was of God's mercy. HOMILY VIII. 2 Cob. iv. 1, 2. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. Seeing he had uttered great things, and had set himself and all the faithful before Moses, aware of the height1 and greatness of what he had said, observe how he moderates his tone again. For it was both necessary on account of the false Apostles to exalt' his hearers also, and again to calm down that swelling; yet not to do it away, since this would be * «•«£«-a trifler's part'. Wherefore he manages this in another man "f ner, by shewing that not of their own merits was it, but all of the loving-kindness of God. Wherefore also he says, Therefore seeing we have this ministry. For nothing more did we contribute, except that we became ministers, and made ourselves subservient to the things given by God. Where- 3 r«j»- fore he said not ' largess3,' nor ' supply4,' but 'ministry.' fl'. Nor was he contented with this even, but added, as we have y'm received mercy. For even this itself, he saith, the ministering to these things, is of mercy and loving-kindness. Yet it is mercy's to deliver from evils, not to give so many good things besides: but the mercy of God includes this also. We faint not. And this indeed is to be imputed to His loving-kindness. For the words, as we have obtained mercy, take to be said, with reference both to the ministry, and to the words, we faint not.. And observe how earnestly he endeavours to lower his own things. 'For,' saith he,' that one, who hath been counted worthy of such and so great things, and this from mercy only and loving-kindness, should shew forth » lawsuit. The Benedictine Latin both on account of the false Apostles translates,unecesssrytoexalt[himselfj and his hearers." Their life, and preaching open, not as the false Apostles. 107 such labours, and undergo dangers, and endure temptations, 2 Cor. is no great matter. Therefore we not only do not sink down,IV'1'2' but we even rejoice, and speak boldly.' For instance, having said, we faint not, he added, Ver. 2. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. And what is, the hidden things of dishonesty? We do not, he saith, profess and promise great things, and in our actions shew other things, as they do; wherefore also he said, Ye look on things after the outward ap- 2 Cor. pearance; but such we are as we appear, not having10' any duplicity, nor saying and doing such things as we ought to hide and veil over with shame and blushes. And to interpret this, he added, not walking in craftiness. For what they considered to be praise, that he proves to be shameful and worthy of scorn. But what is, in craftiness? They had the reputation of taking nothing, but they took and kept it secret; they had the character of saints and approved Apostles, but they were full of numberless evil things. But, saith he, too, have renounced these things: (for these are what he also calls the hidden things of dishonesty,0 being such as we appear to be, and keeping nothing veiled over. And that not in this [our] life only, but also in the Preaching itself. For this is, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. But by manifestation of the truth. Not by the countenance, and the outward show, but by the very proof of our actions. Commending ourselves to every man's conscience. For not to believers only, but also to unbelievers, we are manifest; lying open unto all, that they may test our actions, as they may choose; and by this we commend ourselves, not by acting a part, and carrying about a specious mask. We say then, that we take nothing, and we call you for witnesses; we say that we are conscious of no wickedness, and of this again we derive the testimony from you, not as'so.falM they1, who, veiling over their things, deceive many. But we both set forth our life before all men; and we lay bare2 the" Preaching, so that all comprehend it. 108 God, of this world. The passage how read and interpreted. Homil. [2.] Then because the unbelievers knew not its power, he YIIL added, this is no fault of ours, but of their own insensibility. Wherefore also he saith, Ver. 3, 4. But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not. o. ii, 16. As he said also before, To some a savour of death unto death, (2.) to others a savour of life unto life, so he saith here too. But what is the God of this world? Those that are infected with Marcion's notionsb, affirm that this is said of the Creator, the Just only, and not Good; for they say that there is a certain God, just and not good. But the Manichees0 say that the devil is here intended, desiring from this passage to introduce another creator of the world besides the True One, very senselessly. For the Scripture useth often to employ the term God, not in regard of the dignity of that so designated, but of the weakness of those in subjection to it; as when it calls Mammon lord, and the belly god. But the belly is neither therefore God, or Mammon Lord, save only of those who bow down themselves to them. But we assert of this passage, that this is spoken neither of the devil nor of another creator, but of the God of the Universe, and that it is to be read thus; God hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers of this world. For the world to come hath no unbelievers; but the present only. But if any one should read it even otherwise, as, for instance, the God of this world; neither doth this afford any handle, for this doth not shew Him to be the Pg. 136, God of this world only. For He is called the God of 26. &c. Heaven> yet ;g He not Q0d 0f Heaven only; and we say,' God of the present day;' yet we say this not as limiting His power to it alone. And moreover He is called Exod.3, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of 6- &0- Jacob; and yet He is not the God of them alone. And one may find many other like testimonies in the Scriptures. How then hath He blinded them? Not by working unto this end; away with the thought! but by suffering and allowing it. For it is usual with the Scripture so to speak, as when it saith, Rom. l, God gave them up to a reprobate mind. For when they 28 b See Epiphanins adv. Her, lib. i. see Library of the Fathers, St. Augus tom, iii. 33. tine's Confessions, Note A. Light hurts, as weak eyes, so unbelieving minds. 109 themselves first disbelieved, and rendered themselves un- 2 Cor. . TV 4 worthy to see the mysteries; He Himself also thereafter —'—'— permitted it. But what did it behove Him to have done? To draw them by force, and reveal to those who would not see? But so they would have despised the more, and would not have seen either. Wherefore also he added, Lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them. Not that they might disbelieve in God, but that unbelief might not see what are the things within, as also He enjoined us, commanding us not to cast the pearls before Mm. 7, the swine. For had He revealed even to those who disbelieve, their disease would have been the rather aggravated. For if one compelled a man labouring under ophthalmia to look at the sunbeams, he the rather increases his infirmity. Therefore the physicians' even shut them up1 Litein darkness, so as not to aggravate their disorder. So,r,ap£y_ then here also we must consider, that these persons indeed sicians' became unbelievers of themselves, but having become so, they no longer saw the secret things of the Gospel, God thenceforth excluding its beams from them. As also he said to the disciples, Therefore I speak unto them in proverbsa, Mat. 13, because hearing they hear not. But that what I say may t ReC. also become clearer by an example; suppose a man, a Greek, Te*4 accounting our religion3 to be fables. This man then, howbles." will he be more advantaged? by going in and seeing the^TM"i"u mysteries, or4 by remaining without? Therefore he says, * Or Lest the light should shine unto them, still dwelling on the"than' history of Moses. For what happened to the Jews in his case, this happeneth to all unbelievers in the case of the Gospel. And what is that which is overshadowed, and which is not illuminated unto them? Hear him saying, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them, Who is the Image of God. Namely, that the Cross is the salvation of the world, and His glory ; that Himself, this Crucified One, is about to come with much splendour; all the other things, those present, those to come, those seen, those not seen, the unspeakable splendour of the things looked for. Therefore also he said, shine, that thou mayest not look for the whole here, for that which is [here] given is |