0'"-Below, Dia touto k. t. l. Comp. de Mundi Crest. Hom. ii. t. vi. 447. C. "Why did He cause the face of Stephen to shine? Because he was to be stoned as a blasphemer for saying `Behold,
0' etc., therefore God, forestalling this, crowned his face with angelic beauty, to show those thankless ones, that if he were a blasphemer, he would not have been thus glorified." But E. (Edd.) apo toutou stoxazomai dedoc. "I conjecture that it was from this vision (Erasm.,from this time: Ben. hence) that his face was glorified." In the next sentence, Edd. from E. di wn epebouleuonto ekeinoi, di autwn ebouleto autouj ekkalesasqai, ei kai mhden pleon egeneto. Kai ekbalontej k. t. l. "by means of the very machinations wherewith those were assailed He desired to call (the doers) themselves to Himself, even if nothing more had been done."
0' it says, `in that city.
0' And yet there had also been `great lamentation.
0' Thus is God ever wont to do, and to temper things grievous with things joyful, that He may be more held in admiration. But of a long time had this disease been upon Simon; wherefore not even thus is he rid of it." But in the genuine text, (A. b.c. N. Cat. ad. v. 15-17, and 3, 4.) the subject to eceileto and epeteixise is not Qeoj, but diwguoj: and the persons delivered are not the disciples, but the Samaritans, described as prokatexomenoi, viz. under the influence of Simon's sorceries. In the last sentence, the meaning is entirely mistaken: for the noshma is the infatuation of the Samaritans, not the wickedness of Simon.-'Epeteixise gar autoij ta shmeia can hardly be rendered without an awkward periphrasis: epiteix. ti tini, a phrase frequently used by St. Chrys., means to raise up something against a person as an epiteixisma, (as Decelea in Attica against the Athenians in the Peloponnesian war:) see Mr. Field's Index to Hom. in Matt.
0' and to `take a walk
0' which is good for the body." Neander simply, und sich niederzuwerfen, "to prostrate himself," (viz. on entering the Church)-overlooking both urtion and aiwran swm. Of the mss. A., for kai riyai k. t. l. substitutes,
5 A. E. N. Cat. omit the ton Qeon.
6 katesthsan epi twn xhrwn, A. C. N. Sav. xeirwn, Cat. xwrwn, B. D. E. F. Morel. Ben. versati sunt in regionibus, Erasm. constituti sunt tier regiones, Ben.
7 oti th xapiti monon katwrtoun. Or, "that by grace they only succeeded," i.e. always, without failure.
8 Chrys, seems to assume that andrej eulabeij refers to Christian men, a view that has been taken by some modern expositors (as Ewald and DeWette). It is better to understand by the term. pious Jews who were favorably disposed to Christianity (So Meyer, Olshausen, Lechler, Lange, Gloag, Hackett). The usage of eulabhj in the N. T. favors this view as it is applied to devout persons who were not Christians (vid. ii. 5; Luke ii. 25) in every case, except in xxii. 12 when it refers to Ananias, a Christian, but is used in describing him in a legal point of view: eulabhj kata ton nomon. Moreover, if Christians had been meant, they would not probably have been designated by so vague a term, but, as uniformly, would have been called disciples or brethren. The burial of Stephen by devout Jews recalls the burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus (John xix. 38, John xix. 39).-G. B. S.
9 Thn aitian thj oyewj fhsin. b.c. Sav. marg. meaning, That his face was as the face of an angel was caused by the glory of Christ which he now beholds. The modern text omits this, having said the same thing above in the words apo touton, see note 4, p. 112.
10 Ben. after Morel. from E. without notice of the true reading (A. b.c. N. Cat.), received by Savile, has: #Oqen qeioj auton kai o qanatoj gegone. Mexri gar toutou sugkexwrhto taij yuxaij en tw adh einai. (The latter part is adopted also by D. F.) "Whence also his death became divine. For until this time it had been granted to the souls to be in Hades." This comment is derived from St. Cyril. Al. from whom the Catena cites: "Since we are justified by faith in Him ...He hath wrought a new thing for us, to mhketi men eij adou trexein taj twn swmatwn apallattomenaj yuxaj kaqa kai prwhn, pempesqai de mallon eij xeiraj Qeou zwntoj: that our souls, on their deliverance from our bodies, no longer as aforetime haste into Hades, but are conveyed into the hands of the Living God. And knowing this, Saint Stephen said, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit." Oecumen, repeats this, almost in the same words.
11 In the old text, v. 4-10, are given continuously, and v. 11-19; between them the brief comments which we have restored to their proper places, viz. here and after v. 15: and after v. 19, the comment which we have placed after v. 17. In the modern text, the first comment (omitting legwn einai k. t. l.) is placed after v. 10; in the second, the words, kai shmeia megala egeneto, are omitted; the rest is given after v. 19.
12 The modern text E. F. D. Edd. "But although the persecution then most gained strength, nevertheless God again delivered them, epiteixisaj autoij ta shmeia. Stephen's death, however, did not quench their rage, nay, increased it rather, wherefore also the teachers, etc. But observe again how good things take their turn with them, and how they are in joy. `For there was great joy,
13 So A. b.c. N. Cat. Of the Edd., Savile alone retains this clause, the rest follow the mod. text, which rejects it. And indeed it can hardly be doubted, that St. Chrys. himself would have expunged, or altered this statement, had he revised these Homilies: for in the next Hom. he shows that the Philip of vv. 26 ff. was certainly not the Apostle, but probably one of the seven deacons. The fact seems to be, that having had no occasion until now to discuss this question, he had assumed (as others had done before him) that the Philip of the Eunuch's history was the Apostle of that name: thus in Hom. ad Gen. xxxv. §2 (delivered but a few years before), he takes this for granted. Here, however, he perceives that the Philip who preached at Samaria could not be the Apostle: but at present he is still under the impression, that the person by whom the Eunuch was converted was St. Philip the Apostle, and accordingly speaks as in the text, "This Philip, I take it, was one of the Seven; he of the story of the Eunuch was one of the Apostles." Of course it was impossible on a review of the circumstances to rest in this conclusion; and in the very beginning of the next Homily he tacitly revokes the notion here advanced, and points out how the command, "Arise, and go to the south," must have been addressed to Philip in Samaria (the deacon), and not Philip the Apostle in Jerusalem. (See the note there.) The early writers frequently confound the Philip of this chapter (the deacon and evangelist, Acts xxi. 9, with the Apostle: Polycrates ap. Eus. H. E. iii. 30, and v. 24, (see Vales and Heinichen on the former passage.) Const. Apol. vi. 7. S. Clementine Strom. iii. p. 192. Comp. St. Augustin Serm. 266. §5.-S. Isadore of Pelusium, Ep. 448, in reply to a correspondent who was not satisfied with his statement (Ep 447), that "Philip who baptized the Eunuch and catechized Simon was not the Apostle, but one of the Seven," and requested proof from Scripture ('Epeidh kai marturian zhteij gpafikhn ...'Epeidh pollown apodeicewn eraj,) bids him observe, ch. viii. 1. that the Apostles remained at Jerusalem: that Philip the Apostle would have been competent to impart the gift of the Spirit: and further suggests, that Philip the deacon, fleeing from the persecution, was on his way through Samaria to Caesarea his native place, (where we afterwards find him xxi. 9), when these events befell, viz. the preaching, etc., at Samaria, and the conversion of the Eunuch.-In the next sentence, ekeinoi (i.e. the Apostles) ouk echesan: wkonomhqh toutouj (i.e. Philip the deacon and others) ecelqein: kai ekeinouj (the Apostles) usterhsai: "should come after," or rather, "should be lacking, be behindhand, not be forthcoming (at the time):" but Cat. kai ekeinouj eterwj, "and those (the Apostles) otherwise."-The modern text, after "next to Stephen," proceeds thus: "Wherefore also, when baptizing, he did not impart the Spirit to the baptized, for neither had he authority to do so, since the gift belonged only to the Twelve. But observe; those went not forth; it was Providentially ordered that these should go forth, oi kai usteroun thj xaritoj dia to mhpw labein Pn. #A., who were deficient in the grace because they had not et received the Holy Ghost. For they received power, etc. Consequently, this was the prerogative of the Apostles."
14 Kai ora touj korufaiouj ouk allouj tinaj alla Petron. b.c. D. F. N. Cat. but A. adds, seemingly from a marginal gloss, kai 'Iwannhn mhn, "and John, however," E. (Edd.) oten kai touj kor. ouk allouj tinaj estin idein touto poiountaj. "Whence also the leaders, not any others, are to be seen doing this."
15 Ouk an de eipen, A. B. D. F. ouk an didotai tote eipen, C. ouk an eiden, Cat. Sav. marg. iden N. Read, ouk an "idwn de" eipen.-E. ouk an outwj eipen.
16 Chrys. a propriately remarks that the word idwn (18) implies that there were visible manifestations connected with the gifts of the Spirit here spoken of. This would seem to show that when it said (16) that the Holy Spirit had not fallen upon any of the Samaritans. that the ordinary influences of the Spirit which accompany conversion, were not referred to, but some special and miraculous endowments such as the gift of tongues. and of prophecy and perhaps of miracles were meant.-G. B. S.
17 Kai touto afosiwsei (monon add. D. F.) epoiei, deon klausai kai penqhsai. Cat. afosiwmenwj, l. afosioumenwj "as a mere formal ceremony ominis causa."
18 What follows, to the end of the Exposition, has by some accident fallen into strange confusion. In the Translation we have endeavored to restore the proper order. In the first place it should be observed, that the portion beginning Oi men diamarturamenoi, p. 148. D. Ben and ending at ote prwton episteusan, p. 149. A. consisting of about 20 lines, is interchanged with the portion of about 25 lines, beginning Deon oun touton, and ending ekei tou apostolou, p 149, C. These being restored to their proper order, which is evident from the contents of the two portions, we have, to the end of the Recapitulation, two portions, dividing at ouk isxusen elein touj apostolouj (ecistato,) p. 148, B. the former beginning with the exposition of v. 4, the second with v. 7, and both ending at v. 24. These, it may be supposed, are two several and successive expositions. But it will be seen on comparing them, that each in itself is often abrupt and incomplete, and that their parts fit into each other in a way which can hardly be accidental. It may also be remarked, that the length of each is the same; each containing about 46 lines. We have marked the order of the mss. and Edd. by the letters a, b, prefixed to the several parts.
19 This sentence alone seems still to be out of its place. 'Epeidh de antisthnai ouk isxusen k. t. l. might be very fitly inserted in the passage below, ending ouk isx. elein t. ap. which is otherwise mutilated: see the note there.
20 Between this and the following sentence the mss. and Edd. give the exposition of v. 25.
21 Ei gar meta afeleiaj egineto, kai kan F.) apedecato (apedecanto C. F.) autou thn proqumian. b.c. F. The preceding sentence from (a) is kai mhn afelh edei einai. The connection being lost, this passage was not understood, and A. omits it, B. F. N. read asfaleiaj, and E. D. substitute, "If however he had come (proshlqen) as he ought to have come, he would have been received, he would not like a pest have been driven away."
22 #Ora auton miaron onta. The modern text (Edd.) alters the sense: ora pwj, kaitoi miaroj wn, omwj. "See how, miscreant though he is, nevertheless, etc."
23 Simon believed (13) only in an intellectual sense, being impressed with wonder, rather than convinced of sin. So, now, it is fear of calamity and penalty, not repentance, which leads him to ask the apostles to pray for him.-G. B. S.
24 Qewrwn autou ta shmeia, enomize dunasqai lanqanein: enomize texnhn einai to pragma: epeidh de ouk isxusen idein (Sav. marg. elein) touj apostolouj, ecistato kai proshlqen. A. b.c. This, which is the conclusion of (a), is both corrupt and defective. He is enlarging upon the miaria of Simon's conduct, as shown in the preceding ote hlegxqn ...ote palin hlegxqn: comp. the following sentence. It looks as if the sentence epeidh de antisthnai ouk isxusen k. t. l. must belong to this place. The reading elein t. ap. is probably the true one: oti ealw is twice said of Simon. Perhaps the passage may be restored somewhat thus: "Seeing his miracles, he was amazed, and came over." He thought to escape detection, he thought the thing was an art: but when he had not power to resist, he plays the hypocrite, as the magicians did, who said, "This is the finger of God. Having seen the Apostles," (hence the reading idein t. ap.) how by laying on of hands etc.; again he thought it was an art, he thought to purchase it with money: but when he was not able to defeat the Apostles (as it was said above, "he wished to get matter of accusation against them,") again he plays the hypocrite, and says, "Pray ye for me. etc."-Edd. from E. "Seeing signs wrought he was amazed, showing that all was a lie (on his part). It is not said, Proshlqen, but, 'Ecistato. And why did he not do the former at once? He thought to be able, etc. epeidh de ouk isxuse laqein t. ap., proshlqen."
25 allwj de, kai tupon autoij ededwkei tote, ote oi Samapeitai episteusan. A. B. D. F. Sav. marg. But C. "to rid them of magic, to put them in mind of the doctrine which they learned from Christ when first they believed:" which reading is adopted by E. and Edd.
26 The preaching of Philip in Samaria was the first Gentile mission, for the Samaritans were a mixed people and were regarded as heathen by the Jews. An interesting concatenation of events took its rise in the bold preaching of Stephen. On the one side there proceeded from this the increased opposition of the Jewish nation and the sad calamity of the preacher's own death, but on the other there flowed from this opposition and the persecution which was consequent upon it great benefit. The Christians were indeed scattered abroad by ill-treatment, but with them went the gospel message, and the great work of heathen missions dated directly back to the martyrdom of Stephen. Christian history furnishes no more impressive illustration of the saying of Tertullian: "The blood of martyrs is seed."-G. B. S.
27 In St. Chrysostom's time, little had been done for the conversion and instruction of the peasantry: hence in the latter half of the fourth century paganus came to be as synonymous with "heathen." Even Christian proprietors neglected their duty in this regard, while they improved their properties, and swelled their revenues by great oppression of their tenants and laborers : see Hom. in Matt. xliii., lxi. and at the same time connived at the practice of the old idolatries , for the sake of the dues accruing to them from the temples which still remained. Thus Zeno of Verona, Serm. xv. p. 120, complains: In proediis vestris fumantia undique sola fana non nostis, quoe, si vera dicenda sunt, dissimulanda subtiliter custoditis. Jus templorum ne quis vobis eripiat, quotidie litigatis. The Christianity which was outwardly professed in the country parts was often for want of Churches and Clergy little more than nominal: and the heathen orator Libanius, in his Oratio pro Templis, addressed to the Emperor Theodosius: perhaps did not greatly exaggerate in the following description: "When you are told , that through this proceeding on your part (viz. the destruction of the Temples and suppression of the sacrifices) many are become Christians, you must not forget to distinguish between show and reality . They are not a whit changed from what they were before: they only say they are so. They resort indeed to public acts of religion, and mingle themselves with the general body of Christians . But when they have a show of praying, they invoke either none or the Gods."-Moreover, the country clergy were often themselves ill-taught and needing instruction. Thus Hom. in Col. (t. xi. p. 392) delivered at Constantinople, Chrys. says: "How much instruction is needed by your brethren in the country, and by their teachers (kai touj ekeinwn didaskalouj)!" Which perhaps was the result of a law passed a.d. 398, Cod. Theodos. xvi. tit. 2 l. 33 which enacted, that the clergy for the Churches founded on states, or in villages, should be from no other state or village, but that to which the Church pertained: and of these a certain number, at the discretion of the bishop, according to the extent of the village, etc.-On the other hand, Chrys. "on the Statues," Or, xix. t. ii. p. 189 dwells with much delight on the virtues and patriarchal simplicity of the rural clergy in Syria, and the Christian attainments of their people.
28 9Wsanei gunaika agagwn h numfhn, h qugatera, th 'Ekkl. outw diakeiso. Before qug., A. B. F. N. insert kai, E. alone douj, and so Edd. Perhaps we may read wsanei numfh, h gun. ag., h douj qug.
29 "The first-fruits of corn and of grapes, or wine were presented as oblations at the Altar, and the elements for the Holy Eucharist thence taken. See Can. Apost. ii. Cod. Afr. c. 37. Concil. Trull. c. 28. In a Sermon of St. Chrys. on the Ascension, this peculiar usage is mentioned, that a handful of ears of corn in the beginning of harvest was brought to the Church, words of benediction spoken over them, and so the whole field was considered as blessed. #Oper ginetai epi twn pediwn twn staxuhforwn, oligouj tij staxuaj labwn, kai mikro/ dragma poihsaj kai prose/egkwn tw Qew, dia tou mikrou pasan thn arouran eulogei: outw kai o Xristoj k. t. l. (t. ii. 450. C.)" Neander.
30 dia se. Erasrm. propter te, Ben. pro te, but this would be uper sou, as below where this benefit is mentioned, uper tou kekthmenou.
31 aitai pleoneciaj. Edd. from E. itamouj: ta de entauqa pan tounantion. "make them forward and impudent. But here all is just the reverse." Below, wj eikona badizonta tou 'Abr. in the sense above expressed, as if it had been badizousan_. E. has eij for wj, "walking after the likeness:" and Sav. marg, eij oikon bad. meta ton 'Abr. "walking into his house after (the manner of) Abraham."
32 kai riyai eauton uption kai meta thn aiwran thn swmatikhn kai luxnikoij kai ewqinoij umnoij paragenesqai. This passage has perplexed scribes and editors. Aiwra "a swing, swinging bed, hammock," or, as here, "litter," or rather, "a swinging in such a conveyance: after the swinging motion in his litter, pleasant and healthful for the body." The meaning is: "without fatigue, lying at his ease on his back, he is borne to Church in his litter, and after this wholesome enjoyment for the body, gets good for his soul, in attending at evening and morning prayer. Ben. seipsumque projicere supinum, et past illam corpoream quietem: as if it related to taking rest in his bed, which is inconsistent with the scope of the description. Erasmus, et quiescere "in villa" securum, et habere "deambulationem" servientem corpori, "to sleep securely `in his villa.