EPHESIANS IV. 4.-"There is one body, and one Spirit, even
as ye are called in one hope of your calling."
When the blessed Paul exhorts us to anything of special importance,
so truly wise and spiritual as he is, he grounds his exhortation upon things
in Heaven: this itself being a lesson he had learned from the Lord. Thus
he saith also elsewhere, "Walk in love, even as Christ also hath loved
us." (ch. v. 2.) And again, "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus, who being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an
equality with God." (Phil. ii. 5, Phil. ii. 6.) This is what he is doing
here also, for whenever the examples he is setting before us are great,
he is intense in his zeal and feeling. What then does he say, now he is
inciting us to unity? "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling:"
Ver. 5. "One Lord, one faith, one baptism."
Now what is this one body? The faithful throughout the whole world,
both which are, and which have been, and which shall be. And again, they
that before Christ's coming pleased God, are "one body." How so? Because
they also knew Christ. Whence does this appear? "Your father Abraham,"
saith He, "rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it, and was glad." (John
viii. 56.) And again, "If ye had believed Moses," He saith, "ye would have
believed Me, for he wrote of Me." (John v. 46.) And the prophets too would
not have written of One, of whom they knew not what they said; whereas
they both knew Him, and worshiped Him. Thus then were they also "one body."
The body is not disjoined from the spirit, for then would it not be
a body. Thus it is customary also with us, touching things which are united,
and which have any great consistency or coherence, to say, they are one
body. And thus again, touching union, we take that to be a body which is
under one head. If there be one head, then is there one body. The body
is composed of members both honorable and dishonorable. Only the greater
is not to rise up even against the meanest, nor this latter to envy the
other. They do not all indeed contribute the same share, but severally
according to the proportion of need. And forasmuch as all are formed for
necessary and for different purposes, all are of equal honor. Some indeed
there are, which are more especially principal members, others less so:
for example, the head is more a principal member than all the rest of the
body, as containing within itself all the senses, and the governing principle
of the soul. And to live without the head is impossible; whereas many persons
have lived for a long time with their feet cut off. So that it is better
than they, not only by its position, but also by its very vital energy
and its function.
Now why am I saying this? There are great numbers in the Church; there
are those who, like the head, are raised up to a height; who, like the
eyes that are in the head, survey heavenly things, who stand far aloof
from the earth, and have nothing in common with it, whilst others occupy
the rank of feet, and tread upon the earth; of healthy feet indeed, for
to tread upon the earth is no crime in feet, but to run to evil. "Their
feet," saith the Prophet, "run to evil." (Isa. lix. 7.) Neither then let
these, the head, saith he, be high-minded against the feet, nor the feet
look with evil eye at them. For thus the peculiar beauty of each is destroyed,
and the perfectness of its function impeded. And naturally enough; inasmuch
as he who lays snares for his neighbor will be laying snares first of all
for himself. And should the feet therefore not choose to convey the head
anywhere upon its necessary journey, they will at the same time be injuring
themselves by their inactivity and sloth. Or again, should the head not
choose to take any care of the feet, itself will be the first to sustain
the damage. However, those members do not rise up one against the other;
it is not likely, for it has been so ordered by nature that they should
not. But with man, how is it possible for him not to rise up against man?
No one, we know, ever rises up against Angels; since neither do they rise
against the Archangels. Nor, on the other hand, can the irrational creatures
proudly exalt themselves over us; but where the nature is equal in dignity,
and the gift one, and where one has no more than another, how shall this
be prevented?
And yet surely these are the very reasons why thou oughtest not to rise
up against thy neighbors. For if all things are common, and one has nothing
more than another, whence this mad folly? We partake of the same nature,
partake alike of soul and body, we breathe the same air, we use the same
food. Whence this rebellious rising of one against another? And yet truly
the being able by one's virtue to overcome the incorporeal powers, that
were enough to lead to arrogance; or rather arrogance it would not be,
for with good reason am I high-minded, and exceedingly high-minded against
the evil spirit. And behold even Paul, how high-minded he was against that
evil spirit. For when the evil spirit was speaking great and marvelous
things concerning him, he made him hold his peace, and endured him not
even in his flattery. For when that damsel, "who had the spirit of divination,"
cried, saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which
show unto us the way of salvation" (Acts xvi. 16, Acts xvi. 17), he rebuked
him severely, and silenced his forward tongue. And again he elsewhere writes,
and says, "God shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." (Rom. xvi.
20.) Will the difference of nature have any effect? Perceivest thou not
that the difference between natures has no effect whatever, but only the
difference of purpose? Because of their principle therefore they are far
worse than all. Well, a man may say, but I am not rising up against an
Angel, because there is so vast a distance between my nature and his. And
yet surely thou oughtest no more to rise up against a man than against
an Angel, for the Angel indeed differs from thee in nature, a matter which
can be neither an honor to him, nor a disgrace to thee: whereas man differs
from man not at all in nature, but in principle; and there is such a thing
as an Angel too even amongst men. So that if thou rise not up against Angels,
much more shouldest thou not against men, against those who have become
angels in this our nature; for should any one among men become as virtuous
as an Angel, that man is in a far higher degree superior to thee, than
an Angel is. And why so? Because what the one possesses by nature, the
other has achieved of his own purpose. And again, because the Angel has
his home far from thee in distance also, and dwelleth in Heaven; whereas
this man is living with thee, and giving an impulse to thy emulation. And
indeed he lives farther apart from thee than the Angel. For "our citizenship,"
saith the Apostle, "is in Heaven." (Phil. iii. 20.) And to show thee that
this man hath his home still farther distant, hear where his Head is seated;
upon the throne, saith he, the royal throne! And the farther distant that
throne is from us, the farther is he also.
Well, but I see him, thou wilt say, in the enjoyment of honor, and I
am led to jealousy. Why, this is the very thing which has turned all things
upside down, which has filled not the world only, but the Church also,
with countless troubles. And just as fierce blasts setting in across a
calm harbor, render it more dangerous than any rock, or than any strait
whatever; so the lust of glory entering in, overturns and confounds everything.
Ye have oftentimes been present at the burning of large houses. Ye have
seen how the smoke keeps rising up to Heaven; and if no one comes near
to put a stop to the mischief, but every one keeps looking to himself,
the flame spreads freely on, and devours everything. And oftentimes the
whole city will stand around; they will stand round indeed as spectators
of the evil, not to aid nor assist. And there you may see them one and
all standing round, and doing nothing but each individual stretching out
his hand, and pointing out to some one who may be just come to the spot,
either a flaming brand that moment flying through a window, or beams hurled
down, or the whole circuit of the walls forced out, and tumbling violently
to the ground. Many too there are of the more daring and venturesome, who
will have the hardihood even to come close to the very buildings themselves
whilst they are burning, not in order to stretch forth a hand towards them,
and to put a stop to the mischief, but that they may the more fully enjoy
the sight, being able from the nearer place to observe closely all that
which often escapes those at a distance. Then if the house happen to be
large and magnificent, it appears to them a pitiable spectacle, and deserving
of many tears. And truly there is a pitiable spectacle for us to behold;
capitals of columns crumbled to dust, and many columns themselves shattered
to pieces, some consumed by the fire, others thrown down often by the very
hands which erected them, that they may not add fuel to the flame. Statues
again, which stood with so much gracefulness, with the ceiling resting
on them, these you may see all exposed, with the roof torn off, and themselves
standing hideously disfigured in the open air. And why should one go on
to describe the wealth stored up within? the tissues of gold, and the vessels
of silver? And where the lord of the house and his consort scarcely entered,
where was the treasurehouse of tissues and perfumes, and the caskets of
the costly jewels,-all has become one blazing fire, and within now, are
bath-men and street-cleaners, and runaway slaves, and everybody; and everything
within is one mass of fire and water, of mud, and dust, and half-burnt
beams!
Now why have I drawn out so full a picture as this? Not simply because
I wish to represent to you the conflagration of a house, (for what concern
is that of mine?) but because I wish to set before your eyes, as vividly
as I can, the calamities of the Church. For like a conflagration indeed,
or like a thunderbolt hurled from on high, have they lighted upon the roof
of the Church, and yet they rouse up no one; but whilst our Father's house
is burning, we are sleeping, as it were, a deep and stupid sleep. And yet
who is there whom this fire does not touch? Which of the statues that stand
in the Church? for the Church is nothing else than a house built of the
souls of us men. Now this house is not of equal honor throughout, but of
the stones which contribute to it, some are bright and shining, whilst
others are smaller and more dull than they, and yet superior again to others.
There we may see many who are in the place of gold also, the gold which
adorns the ceiling. Others again we may see, who give the beauty and gracefulness
produced by statues. Many we may see, standing like pillars. For he is
accustomed to call men also "pillars" (Gal. ii. 9), not only on account
of their strength but also on account of their beauty, adding as they do,
much grace, and having their heads overlaid with gold. We may see a multitude,
forming generally the wide middle space and the whole extent of the circumference;
for the body at large occupies the place of those stones of which the outer
walls are built. Or rather we must go on to a more splendid picture yet.
This Church, of which I speak, is not built of these stones, such as we
see around us, but of gold and silver, and of precious stones, and there
is abundance of gold dispersed everywhere throughout it. But, oh the bitter
tears this calls forth! For all these things hath the lawless rule of vainglory
consumed; that all-devouring flame, which no one has yet got under. And
we stand gazing in amazement at the flames, but no longer able to quench
the evil: or if we do quench it for a short time, yet after two or three
days as a spark blown up from a heap of ashes overturns all, and consumes
no less than it did before, so it is here also: for this is just what is
wont to happen in such a conflagration. And as to the cause, it has devoured
the supports of the very pillars of the Church; those of us who supported
the roof, and who formerly held the whole building together it has enveloped
in the flame. Hence too was a ready communication to the rest of the outer
walls: for so also in the case of buildings, when the fire lays hold of
the timbers, it is better armed for its attack upon the stones; but when
it has brought down the pillars and leveled them with the ground, nothing
more is wanted to consume all the rest in the flames. For when the props
and supports of the upper parts fall down, those parts also themselves
will speedily enough follow them. Thus is it also at this moment with the
Church: the fire has laid hold on every part. We seek the honors that come
from man, we burn for glory, and we hearken not to Job when he saith,
"If like Adam (or after the manner of men) I covered my transgressions
By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
Because I feared the great multitude."
Behold ye a virtuous spirit? I was not ashamed, he saith, to own before
the whole multitude my involuntary sins: And if he was not ashamed to confess,
much more were it our duty to do so. For saith the prophet, "Set thou forth
thy cause, that thou mayest be justified." (Isa. xliii. 26) Great is the
violence of this evil, everything is overturned by it and annihilated.
We have forsaken the Lord, and are become slaves of honor. We are no longer
able to rebuke those who are under our rule, because we ourselves also
are possessed with the same fever as they. We who are appointed by God
to heal others, need the physician ourselves. What further hope of recovery
is there left, when even the very physicians themselves need the healing
hand of others?
I have not said these things without an object, nor am I making lamentations
to no purpose, but with the view that one and all, with our women and children,
having sprinkled ourselves with ashes, and girded ourselves about with
sackcloth, may keep a long fast, may beseech God Himself to stretch forth
His hand to us, and to stay the peril. For need is there indeed of His
hand, that mighty, that marvelous hand. Greater things are required of
us than of the Ninevites. "Yet three days," said the prophet, "and Nineveh
shall be overthrown." (Jonah iii. 4) A fearful message, and burdened with
tremendous threat. And how should it be otherwise? to expect that within
three days, the city should become their tomb, and that all should perish
in one common judgment. For if, when it happens that two children die at
the same time in one house, the hardship becomes intolerable, and if to
Job this of all things seemed the most intolerable, that the roof fell
in upon all his children, and they were thus killed; what must it be to
behold not one house, nor two children, but a nation of a hundred and twenty
thousand buried beneath the ruins!
Ye know how terrible a disaster is this, for lately has this very warning
happened to us, not that any prophet uttered a voice, for we are not worthy
to hear such a voice, but the warning crying aloud from on high more distinctly
than any trumpet. However, as I was saying, "Yet three days," said the
prophet, "and Nineveh shall be overthrown." A terrible warning indeed,
but now we have nothing even like that; no, there are no longer "three
days," nor is there a Nineveh to be overthrown, but many days are already
past since the Church throughout all the world has been overthrown, and
leveled with the ground, and all alike are overwhelmed in the evil; nay
more, of those that are in high places the stress is so much the greater.
Wonder not therefore if I should exhort you to do greater things than the
Ninevites; and why? nay more, I do not now proclaim a fast only, but I
suggest to you the remedy which raised up that city also when falling.
And what was that? "God saw their works," saith the prophet, "that they
turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil which He said
He would do unto them." (Jonah iii. 10.) This let us do, both we and you.
Let us renounce the passion for riches, the lust for glory, beseeching
God to stretch forth His hand, and to raise up our fallen members. And
well may we, for our fear is not for the same objects as theirs; for then
indeed it was only stones and timbers that were to fall, and bodies that
were to perish; but now it is none of these; no, but souls are about to
be delivered over to hell fire. Let us implore, let us confess unto Him,
let us give thanks unto Him for what is past, let us entreat Him for what
is to come, that we may be counted worthy to be delivered from this fierce
and most terrible monster, and to lift up our thanksgivings to the loving
God and Father with whom, to the Son, together with the Holy Ghost, be
glory, might, and honor, now, henceforth, and for ever and ever. Amen.
