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Homily on Psalm 115

ON THE 115TH PSALM.

I believed, therefore I spoke: but I was greatly humbled. But I said in my ecstasy: Every man is a liar. Let faith lead the way in words about God; faith, and not demonstration. Faith, which draws the soul to assent beyond logical methods; faith, which comes not by geometrical necessities, but by the energies of the Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. The work followed this voice through the Spirit. From the miracle, the acceptance of the divinity of the Only-Begotten became necessary for those who saw. What is more compelling for assent (tell me)? The interweaving of propositions drawing out their consequent conclusion, or so great a miracle, clearly seen, surpassing all human power? But not even now are these things approved, nor do the works of the Spirit confirm the word about God; but rather artful demonstrations, having their hope in the plausibility of the wisdom of the world, not in the powerful and clear revelation of the Spirit, which, for the sake of the salvation of the many, is shown forth through those who trust God without curiosity in simplicity of heart. But may it be granted to me also to believe worthily, so that I may now speak to this great Church of God five words with my mind.

And let no one mock the word, as if we were leading our hearers to assent to what we say without examination. For it is necessary for every discipline that its first principles be unexamined 30.105 by the learners; since it is impossible for those who dispute about the first things to be able to proceed by method and order to the end. And you may learn this from those outside. For if you do not grant the first principles to the geometer, it is impossible for him to deduce what follows. And in arithmetic, he who objects to the first and elementary things, cuts off the way forward. Likewise also the principles of medicine are indemonstrable for physicians. And in general, in any pursuit of those that proceed by method and order to their end, it is impossible to seek proofs of the first hypotheses; but it is necessary, having accepted the principles of the logical arts without examination, to look for what follows from the hypotheses in what comes next. So therefore also the mystery of theology seeks assent from unexamined faith. For one must believe, it says, that God exists, not seek, nor dispute what He is. And in general, if faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the proof of things not seen, do not strive to see already the things that lie far off, nor make the things hoped for doubtful, because you are not yet able to grasp them with the understanding. These things, then, in general concerning faith, are for those who contend with words and have their hope in empty phrases. But the psalm at hand seems to me to have a sequence with respect to the preceding thought in the psalm before it. For it said there: I will please the Lord in the land of the living. Since, therefore, he discusses a land not seen, as one who knows clearly, he gives the reason for his declaration about unseen things, saying: I believed that there is a certain land of the living; therefore I spoke, that I will please the Lord in it. In general, the soul that comes to speak without faith will babble in vain, putting forth its word about no underlying subject. The beginning, therefore, of a sensible word, is faith strongly established in the heart of the speaker. Then, whence it is possible for us to achieve perfection in faith, he adds next, saying: But I was greatly humbled. For he who has not humbled his own mind,

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Homilia in Psalmum CXV

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΙΕ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ.

Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐταπει νώθην σφόδρα· ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει μου· Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης. Πίστις ἡγείσθω τῶν περὶ Θεοῦ λόγων· πίστις, καὶ μὴ ἀπόδειξις. Πίστις, ἡ ὑπὲρ τὰς λογικὰς μεθόδους τὴν ψυχὴν εἰς συγ κατάθεσιν ἕλκουσα· πίστις, οὐχ ἡ γεωμετρικαῖς ἀνάγκαις, ἀλλ' ἡ ταῖς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργείαις ἐγ γινομένη. Ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ἔγειραι καὶ περιπάτει. Ταύτῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἐπηκολούθει τὸ ἔργον διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἐκ τοῦ θαύματος ἀναγκαία ἡ παραδοχὴ τῆς θεότητος τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἐγίνετο. Τί ἀναγκαστικώτε ρον εἰς συγκατάθεσιν (εἰπέ μοι); προτάσεων πλοκαὶ τὸ συμπέρασμα ἀκόλουθον ἑαυταῖς ἐφελκό μεναι, ἢ θαῦμα τοσοῦτον ἐναργῶς ὁρώμενον, πᾶσαν ἀνθρώπου δύναμιν ὑπερβαῖνον; Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ νῦν ταῦτα εὐδοκιμεῖ, οὐδὲ τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔργα τὸν περὶ Θεοῦ λόγον πιστοῦται· ἀλλ' ἔντεχνοι ἀπο δείξεις, ἐν τῷ πιθανῷ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σοφίας ἔχου σαι τὴν ἐλπίδα, οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἰσχυρῷ καὶ ἐναργεῖ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀποκαλύψεως, ἣν, διὰ τῶν ἐν ἁπλό τητι καρδίας ἀπεριεργάστως πεποιθότων Θεῷ, τῆς σωτηρίας ἕνεκεν τῶν πολλῶν ἐπιδείκνυται. Ἀλλ' εἴθε κἀμοὶ γένοιτο πιστεῦσαι ἀξίως, ἵνα λαλήσω νῦν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ μεγάλῃ ταύτῃ πέντε λό γους ἐν τῷ νοΐ μου.

Καὶ μηδεὶς καταχλευαζέτω τὸν λόγον, ὡς ἀβασανίστως ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ ὧν λέ γομεν συγκατάθεσιν τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἐναγόντων. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἑκάστης μαθήσεως ἀνεξετάστους εἶναι 30.105 τὰς ἀρχὰς τοῖς μανθάνουσιν· ἐπεὶ ἀμήχανον τοὺς περὶ τὰ πρῶτα ζυγομαχοῦντας δυνηθῆναι ὁδῷ καὶ τάξει προελθεῖν εἰς τὸ τέλος. Καὶ τοῦτο ἂν μάθοις παρ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἔξωθεν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ συγχωρήσειας τὰς πρώτας ἀρχὰς τῷ γεωμέτρῃ, ἀμήχανον αὐτὸν τὰ ἐφεξῆς συμπεράνασθαι. Καὶ τῆς ἀριθμητι κῆς ὁ τοῖς πρώτοις καὶ στοιχειώδεσιν ἐνιστάμενος, τὴν εἰς τὸ πρόσω ὁδὸν διακόπτει. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἰα τρικαὶ ἀρχαὶ ἰατροῖς ἀναπόδεικτοι. Καὶ ὅλως, ἐν ὁποιῳδήποτε ἐπιτηδεύματι τῶν ὁδῷ καὶ τάξει προ ϊόντων ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος, ἀδύνατον τῶν πρώτων ὑπο θέσεων ἀποδείξεις ἐπιζητεῖν· ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη τὰς τῶν λογικῶν τεχνῶν ἀρχὰς ἀνεξετάστως παραδεξάμενον, τὸ ἐκ τῶν ὑποτεθέντων ἀκόλουθον ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς ἐπιβλέπειν. Οὕτω δὴ οὖν καὶ τὸ τῆς θεολογίας μυ στήριον, τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀβασανίστου πίστεως ἐπιζητεῖ συγκατάθεσιν. Πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ, φησὶν, ὅτι ἔστι Θεὸς, οὐχὶ ζητῆσαι, οὐδὲ ζυγομαχῆσαι τὸ τί ἐστι. Καὶ ὅλως, εἰ ἡ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ἐστὶν ὑπόστασις πραγμάτων, καὶ ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων, μὴ φιλονεί κει ἰδεῖν ἤδη τὰ μακρὰν ἀποκείμενα, μηδὲ τὰ ἐλπι ζόμενα ἀμφίβολα καταστήσῃς, διὰ τὸ μήπω αὐτῶν δύνασθαι κατὰ τὴν γνῶσιν ἐφάπτεσθαι. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καθόλου περὶ πίστεως διὰ τοὺς λογομαχοῦντας καὶ ἐν ῥήμασι κενοῖς ἔχοντας τὴν ἐλπίδα. ∆οκεῖ δέ μοι ὁ ἐν χερσὶ ψαλμὸς ὡς πρὸς τὴν προάγουσαν ἐν τῷ κατόπιν ψαλμῷ διάνοιαν ἀκολου θίαν ἔχειν. Εἶπε γὰρ ἐκεῖ· Εὐαρεστήσω τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν χώρᾳ ζώντων. Ἐπεὶ οὖν περὶ μὴ βλεπομένης χώρας διαλέγεται, ὡς σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενος, τὴν αἰτίαν ἀποδίδωσι τοῦ περὶ τῶν ἀδήλων διορισμοῦ, λέγων· Ἐπίστευσα, ὅτι ἔστι τις χώρα ζώντων· διὸ ἐλά λησα, ὅτι Εὐαρεστήσω ἐν αὐτῇ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ὅλως δὲ, ἡ ἄνευ πίστεως ἐπὶ τὸ λαλεῖν ἐρχομένη ψυχὴ δια κενῆς ληρήσει, κατ' οὐδενὸς ὑποκειμένου τὸν λόγον προάγουσα. Ἀρχὴ τοίνυν λόγου ἔμφρονος, πίστις ἰσχυρῶς τῇ καρδίᾳ τοῦ λαλοῦντος ἐνιδρυμένη. Ἔπει τα, πόθεν ἡμῖν δυνατὸν τὸ περὶ τὴν πίστιν τέλειον κατορθοῦν, ἐφεξῆς ἐπάγει, λέγων· Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐταπει νώθην σφόδρα. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ταπεινώσας ἑαυτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν,