170

Praise is useful (but I would not speak so precisely; let no one accuse me of boorishness); but since it is of no advantage, but even a harm, let us remove the hindrance, let us take away the leapings, let us cut out the boundings of the soul. Christ delivered His address upon the mountain; but no one said anything, until He finished His discourse. I do not deprive those who wish to be applauded, but rather I make them to be admired. It is much better for one who has listened in silence to applaud through memory at all times, both at home and in the marketplace, than to go away home empty, having lost everything, not having the subject of the applause. For how is the hearer not ridiculous? how will he not be thought a flatterer and a dissembler rather, who declares that the teacher spoke well, but is unable to show what he said? This is flattery. For one who has heard cithara-players and tragedians might reasonably experience this, as not knowing how to speak the phrase in the same way; but where there is no exhibition of melody or of voice, 60.227 but of the power of thoughts and of philosophy, and it is easy for everyone to speak and report, how is he not worthy of accusation who is unable to state the reason for which he praised the speaker? Nothing is so fitting for a church as silence, as good order. Noise is suitable for theaters and baths and processions and marketplaces; but where the teaching is about such doctrines, there ought to be calmness and quiet and philosophy, and a great harbor. These things I beg and implore all to know. For I myself go about seeking all manner of ways by which I may be able to benefit your souls. And this way seems to me to be not a small one; it will benefit not only you, but us also. It will not let one get out of hand, nor love praises and glory, nor speak what is pleasing, but what is profitable; nor to occupy the whole turn of the time with compositions and beauties of words, but with the power of thoughts. Enter into a painter's studio, and you will see great silence there. So also here; for here too we paint royal images, and not a single private one, through the colors of virtue. What is this? Are you applauding again? The 60.228 matter does not seem easy, and this not by nature, but because from much habit we have not yet learned to achieve it. Our tongue then is the pen, and the artist is the Holy Spirit. Tell me, in the mysteries, is there any noise? Any disturbance? When we are baptized, when we do all the other things, do not quiet and silence possess everything? This beauty is sown in heaven. For this reason we are slandered even among the Greeks, as doing everything for display and for ambition. But if this is forbidden, the love of the chief seats will also be extinguished. It is enough, if anyone loves praise, to receive it after the hearing, when he gathers the fruits. Yes, I beseech you, let us ratify this law, that doing all things according to what seems good to God, we may be deemed worthy of His loving-kindness, by the grace and compassions of His Only-Begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.227 HOMILY 31. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it,

they tore their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out and saying, Sirs, why do you do these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.

1. See the apostles doing all things with vehemence. They tore their

clothes, they leaped up, they cried out, all from the disposition of their soul, turning away from what was done, and making signs of mourning. For it was mourning, truly inconsolable mourning, if indeed they were to be considered gods, and to introduce idolatry, which they came to destroy. And this was a contrivance of the devil. But they not

170

χρήσιμος ὁ ἔπαινος (ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἠκριβολογησάμην· μὴ μέ τις ἀγροικίας γραφέτω)· ἐπειδὴ δὲ μηδὲν τὸ πλέον, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλάβη, λύσωμεν τὸ κώλυμα, ἀνέλωμεν τὰ σκιρτήματα, ἐκκόψωμεν τὰ πηδήματα τῆς ψυχῆς. Ὁ Χριστὸς ἐδημηγόρησεν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους· ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν εἶπεν, ἕως ὅτε τὸν λόγον ἐτέλεσεν. Οὐκ ἀποστερῶ τοὺς βουλομένους κροτεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον θαυμάζεσθαι ποιῶ. Πολλῷ βέλτιον μετὰ σιγῆς ἀκούσαντα, διὰ τῆς μνήμης ἐν παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ κροτεῖν, καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ καὶ ἐν ἀγορᾷ, ἢ πάντα ἀπολέσαντα ἀπέρχεσθαι οἴκαδε κενὸν, οὐκ ἔχοντα τῶν κρότων τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ καταγέλαστος ὁ ἀκροατής; πῶς οὐ κόλαξ καὶ εἴρων νομισθήσεται μᾶλλον, ὅτι μὲν καλῶς εἶπεν ὁ διδάσκαλος ἀποφαινόμενος, τί δὲ εἶπεν οὐκ ἔχων δεῖξαι; Τοῦτο κολακείας ἐστίν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κιθαρῳδῶν ἀκούσας καὶ τραγῳδῶν, εἰκότως ἂν τοῦτο πάθοι, ἅτε οὐκ εἰδὼς ὁμοίως τὴν ῥῆσιν εἰπεῖν· ἔνθα δὲ οὐ μέλους ἐπίδειξίς ἐστιν οὐδὲ φωνῆς, 60.227 ἀλλὰ νοημάτων καὶ φιλοσοφίας δύναμις, καὶ παντὶ ῥᾴδιον εἰπεῖν καὶ ἀπαγγεῖλαι, πῶς οὐκ ἄξιος κατηγορίας ὁ μὴ δυνηθεὶς εἰπεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἢν ἐπῄνεσε τὸν λέγοντα; Οὐδὲν οὕτω πρέπον ἐκκλησίᾳ ὡς σιγὴ, ὡς εὐταξία. Θεάτροις ἐπιτήδειος ὁ θόρυβος καὶ βαλανείοις καὶ πομπαῖς καὶ ἀγοραῖς· ἔνθα δὲ περὶ τοιούτων δογμάτων ἡ διδασκαλία, γαλήνη καὶ ἡσυχία καὶ φιλοσοφία, καὶ πολὺς ὁ λιμὴν εἶναι ὀφείλει. Ταῦτα δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ πάντας εἰδέναι. Περίειμι γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς τρόπους παντοίους ἐπιζητῶν, δι' ὧν ὠφελῆσαι δυνήσομαι τὰς ὑμετέρας ψυχάς. Οὐ μικρὸς καὶ οὗτος ὁ τρόπος εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ· οὐχ ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσει μόνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς. Οὐκ ἀφήσει ἐκτραχηλίζεσθαι, οὐδὲ ἐπαίνων καὶ δόξης ἐρᾷν, οὐδὲ τὰ τέρποντα λέγειν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὠφελοῦντα· οὐδὲ περὶ συνθήκας καὶ κάλλη λέξεων, ἀλλὰ περὶ νοημάτων δύναμιν πᾶσαν ἀπασχολεῖν τοῦ καιροῦ τὴν ῥοπήν. Εἴσελθε εἰς ζωγραφεῖον, καὶ ὄψει πολλὴν ἐκεῖ τὴν σιγήν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐνταῦθα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα εἰκόνας γράφομεν βασιλικὰς, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἰδιωτικὴν, διὰ τῶν χρωμάτων τῆς ἀρετῆς. Τί τοῦτο; πάλιν κροτεῖτε; Οὐκ εὔκολον τὸ 60.228 πρᾶγμα δοκεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο οὐ φύσει, ἀλλὰ τῷ συνηθείᾳ πολλῇ μήπω κατορθοῦν αὐτὸ μεμαθηκέναι. Γραφὶς τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἡμῖν γλῶττα, τεχνίτης δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Εἰπέ μοι, ἐν τοῖς μυστηρίοις, μή τις θόρυβος; μή τις ταραχή; Ὅταν βαπτιζώμεθα, ὅταν τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ποιῶμεν, οὐχ ἡσυχία καὶ σιγὴ τὰ πάντα κατέχει; Τοῦτο ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ κατέσπαρται τὸ κάλλος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο διαβεβλήμεθα καὶ παρ' Ἕλλησιν, ὡς πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν πάντα ποιοῦντες καὶ πρὸς φιλοτιμίαν. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν τοῦτο κωλυθῇ, καὶ τῶν προεδριῶν ὁ ἔρως σβεσθήσεται. Ἀρκεῖ, εἴ τις ἐπαίνων ἐρᾷ, τὸ μετὰ τὴν ἀκρόασιν τούτων τυγχάνειν, ὅταν τοὺς καρποὺς συλλέγῃ. Ναὶ παρακαλῶ, κυρώσωμεν τοῦτον τὸν νόμον, ἵνα πάντα κατὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν πράττοντες, τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἀξιωθῶμεν, χάριτι καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ, Κυρίου δὲ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.227 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΑʹ. Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι Βαρνάβας καὶ Παῦλος,

διαῤῥήξαντες τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, ἐξεπήδησαν εἰς τὸν ὄχλον, κράζοντες καὶ λέγοντες, Ἄνδρες, τί ταῦτα ποιεῖτε; ἡμεῖς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς ὑμῖν ἐσμεν ἄνθρωποι, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ματαίων ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ζῶντα, ὃς ἐποίησε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς.

αʹ. Ὅρα πάντα μετὰ σφοδρότητος τοὺς ἀποστόλους ποιοῦντας. ∆ιέῤῥηξαν τὰ

ἱμάτια, ἐπήδησαν, ἔκραξαν, πάντα ἀπὸ διαθέσεως ψυχῆς, ἀποστρεφόμενοι τὰ γενόμενα, καὶ πένθους σημεῖα ποιοῦντες. Πένθος γὰρ ἦν, ὄντως πένθος ἀπαραμύθητον, εἴ γε ἔμελλον θεοὶ νομίζεσθαι, καὶ εἰδωλολατρείαν εἰσάγειν, ἣν ἦλθον καταλύσοντες. Καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ διαβόλου ἦν κατασκεύασμα. Οἱ δὲ οὐχ