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TOPIC: Post-Nicene Fathers Vol 07 (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 27.01.25 Lecture XVIII Part 2
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19. We shall be raised therefore, all with our bodies eternal, but not all with bodies alike: for if a man is righteous, he will receive a heavenly body, that he may be able worthily to hold converse with Angels; but if a man is a sinner, he shall receive an eternal body, fitted to endure the penalties of sins, that he may burn eternally in fire, nor ever be consumedhyperlink . And righteously will God assign this portion to either company; for we do nothing without the body. We blaspheme with the mouth, and with the mouth we pray. With the body we commit fornication, and with the body we keep chastity. With the hand we rob, and by the hand we bestow alms; and the rest in like manner. Since then the body has been our minister in all things, it shall also share with us in the future the fruits of the pasthyperlink .
20. Therefore, brethren, let us be careful of our bodies, nor misuse them as though not our own. Let us not say like the heretics, that this vesture of the body belongs not to us, but let us be careful of it as our own; for we must give account to the Lord of all things done through the body. Say not, none seeth me; think not, that there is no witness of the deed. Human witness oftentimes there is not; but He who fashioned us, an unerring witness, abides faithful in heavenhyperlink , and beholds what thou doest. And the stains of sin also remain in the body; for as when a wound has gone deep into the body, even if there has been a healing, the scar remains, so sin wounds soul and body, and the marks of its scars remain in all; and they are removed only from those who receive the washing of Baptism. The past wounds therefore of soul and body God heals by Baptism; against future ones let us one and all jointly guard ourselves, that we may keep this vestment of the body pure, and may not for practising fornication and sensual indulgence or any other sin for a short season, lose the salvation of heaven, but may inherit the eternal kingdom of God; of which may God, of His own grace, deem all of you worthy.
21. Thus much in proof of the Resurrection of the dead; and now, let me again recite to you the profession of the faith, and do you with all diligence pronounce it while I speakhyperlink , and remember it.
22. The Faith which we rehearse contains in order the following, "And IN One Baptism OF Repentance For The Remission OF Sins; And IN One Holy Catholic Church; And IN The Resurrection OF The Flesh; And IN Eternal Life." Now of Baptism and repentance I have spoken in the earliest Lectures; and my present remarks concerning the resurrection of the dead have been made with reference to the Article "In the resurrection of the flesh." Now then let me finish what still remains to be said for the Article, "In one Holy Catholic Church," on which, though one might say many things, we will speak but briefly.
23. It is called Catholic then because it extends over all the world, from one end of the earth to the other; and because it teaches universally and completely one and all the doctrines which ought to come to men's knowledge, concerning things both visible and invisible, heavenly and earthlyhyperlink ; and because it brings into subjection to godliness the whole race of mankind, governors and governed, learned and unlearned; and because it universally treats and heals the whole class of sins, which are committed by soul or body, and possesses in itself every form of virtue which is named, both in deeds and words, and in every kind of spiritual gifts.
24. And it is rightly named (Ecclesia) because it calls forthhyperlink and assembles together all men; according as the Lord says in Leviticus, And make an assembly for all the congregation at the door of the tabernacle of witnesshyperlink . And it is to be noted, that the word assemble, is used for the first time in the Scriptures here, at the time when the Lord puts Aaron into the High-priesthood. And in Deuteronomy also the Lord says to Moses, Assemble the people unto Me, and let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Mehyperlink . And he again mentions the name of the Church, when he says concerning the Tables, And an them were written all the wards which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the Assemblyhyperlink ; as if he had said more plainly, in the day in which ye were called and gathered together by God. The Psalmist also says, I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, in the great Congregation; I will praise Thee among much peoplehyperlink .
25. Of old the Psalmist sang, Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, (ye that are) from the fountains of Israelhyperlink . But after the Jews for the plots which they made against the Saviour were cast away from His grace, the Saviour built out of the Gentiles a second Holy Church, the Church of us Christians, concerning which he said to Peter, And upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against ithyperlink . And David prophesying of both these, said plainly of the first which was rejected, l have hated the Congregation of evil doershyperlink ; but of the second which is built up he says in the same Psalm, Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thine househyperlink ; and immediately afterwards. In the Congregations will I bless thee, O Lordhyperlink . For now that the one Church in Judaea is cast off, the Churches of Christ are increased over all the world; and of them it is said in the Psalms, Sing unto the Lord a new song, His praise in the Congregation of Saintshyperlink . Agreeably to which the prophet also said to the Jews, I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord Almightyhyperlink ; and immediately afterwards, For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, My name is glorified among the Gentileshyperlink . Concerning this Holy Catholic Church Paul writes to Timothy, That thou mayest know haw thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truthhyperlink .
26. But since the word Ecclesia is applied to different things (as also it is written of the multitude in the theatre of the Ephesians, And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the Assemblyhyperlink ), and since one might properly and truly say that there is a Church of evil doers, I mean the meetings of the heretics, the Marcionists and Manichees, and the rest, for this cause the Faith has securely delivered to thee now the Article, "And in one Holy Catholic Church;" that thou mayest avoid their wretched meetings, and ever abide with the Holy Church Catholic in which thou wast regenerated. And if ever thou art sojourning in cities, inquire not simply where the Lord's House is (for the other sects of the profane also attempt to call their own dens houses of the Lord), nor merely where the Church is, but where is the Catholic Church. For this is the peculiar name of this Holy Church, the mother of us all, which is the spouse of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God (for it is written, As Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for ithyperlink , and all the rest,) and is a figure and copy of Jerusalem which is above, which is free, and the mother of us allhyperlink ; which before was barren, but now has many children.
27. For when the first Church was cast off, in the second, which is the Catholic Church, God hath set, as Paul says, first Apostles, secondly Prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of headings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongueshyperlink , and every sort of virtue, I mean wisdom and understanding, temperance and justice, mercy and loving-kindness, and patience unconquerable in persecutions. She, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonourhyperlink , in former days amid persecutions and tribulations crowned the holy martyrs with the varied and blooming chaplets of patience, and now in times of peace by God's grace receives her due honours from kings and those who are in high placehyperlink , and from every sort and kindred of men. And while the kings of particular nations have bounds set to their authority, the Holy Church Catholic alone extends her power without limit over the whole world; for God, as it is written, hath made her border peace . But I should need many more hours for my discourse, if I wished to speak of all things which concern her.
28. In this Holy Catholic Church receiving instruction and behaving ourselves virtuously, we shall attain the kingdom of heaven, and inherit Eternal Life; for which also we endure all toils, that we may be made partakers thereof from the Lord. For ours is no trifling aim, but our endeavour is for eternal life. Wherefore in the profession of the Faith, after the words, "And IN The Resurrection OF The Flesh," that is, of the dead (of which we have discoursed), we are taught to believe also "IN The Life Eternal," for which as Christians we are striving.
29. The real and true life then is the Father, who through the Son in the Holy Spirit pours forth as from a fountain His heavenly gifts to all; and through His love to man, the blessings of the life eternal are promised without fail to us men also. We must not disbelieve the possibility of this, but having an eye not to our own weakness but to His power, we must believe; for with God all things are possible. And that this is possible, and that we may look for eternal life, Daniel declares, And of the many righteous shall they shine as the stars for ever and everhyperlink . And Paul says, And so shall we be ever with the Lordhyperlink : for the being for ever with the lord implies the life eternal. But most plainly of all the Saviour Himself says in the Gospel, And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into life eternalhyperlink .
30. And many are the proofs concerning the life eternal. And when we desire to gain this eternal life, the sacred Scriptures suggest to us the ways of gaining it; of which, because of the length of our discourse, the texts we now set before you shall be but few, the rest being left to the search of the diligent. They declare at one time that it is by faith; for it is written, He that believeth on the San hath eternal lifehyperlink , and what follows; and again He says Himself, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth Him that sent Me, hath eternal lifehyperlink , and the rest. At another time, it is by the preaching of the Gospel; for He says, that He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternalhyperlink . At another time, by martyrdom and confession in Christ's name; for He says, And he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternalhyperlink . And again, by preferring Christ to riches or kindred; And every one that hath forsaken brethren, or sistershyperlink , and the rest, shall inherit eternal life. Moreover it is by keeping the commandments, Thou shall not commit adultery, Thou shalt not killhyperlink , and the rest which follow; as He answered to him that came to Him, and said, Good Master, what shall I do that I may have eternal lifehyperlink ? But further, it is by departing from evil works, and henceforth serving God; for Paul says, But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal lifehyperlink .
31. And the ways of finding eternal life are many, though I have passed over them by reason of their number. For the Lord in His loving-kindness has opened, not one or two only, but many doors, by which to enter into the life eternal, that, as far as lay in Him, all might enjoy it without hindrance. Thus much have we for the present spoken within compass concerning The Life Eternal, which is the last doctrine of those professed in the Faith, and its termination; which life may we all, both teachers and hearers, by God's grace enjoy!
32. And now, brethren beloved. the word of instruction exhorts you all, to prepare your souls for the reception of the heavenly gifts. As regards the Holy and Apostolic Faith delivered to you to profess, we have spoken through the grace of the Lord as many Lectures, as was possible, in these past days of Lent; not that this is all we ought to have said, for many are the points omitted; and these perchance are thought out better by more excellent teachers. But now the holy day of the Passover is at hand, and ye, belovedhyperlink in Christ, are to be enlightened by the Laver of regeneration. Ye shall therefore again be taught what is requisite, if God so will; with how great devotion and order you must enter in when summoned, for what purpose each of the holy mysteries of Baptism is performed, and with what reverence and order you must go from Baptism to the Holy Altar of God, and enjoy its spiritual and heavenly mysteries; that your souls being previously enlightened by the word of doctrine, ye may discover in each particular the greatness of the gifts bestowed on you by God.
33. And after Easter's Holy Day of salvation, ye shall come on each successive day, beginning from the second day of the week, after the assembly into the Holy Place of the Resurrectionhyperlink , and there, if God permit, ye shall hear other Lectures; in which ye shall again be taught the reasons of every thing which has been done, and shall receive the proofs thereof from the Old and New Testaments,-first, of the things done just before Baptism,-next, how ye were cleansed from your sins by the Lord, by the washing of water with the wordhyperlink ,-and how like Priests ye have become partakers of the Name of Christ,-and how the Seal of the fellowship of the Holy Ghost was given to you,-and concerning the mysteries at the Altar of the New Testament, which have taken their beginning from this place, both what the Divine Scriptures have delivered to us, and what is the power of these mysteries, and how ye must approach them, and when and how receive them;-and at the end of all, how for the time to come ye must behave yourselves worthily of this grace both in words and deeds, that you may all be enabled to enjoy the life everlasting. And these things shall be spoken, if it be God's pleasure.
34. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord alway; again I will say, Rejoice: for your redemption hath drawn nighhyperlink , and the heavenly host of the Angels is waiting for your salvation. And there is now the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lordhyperlink ; and the Prophet cries, Ho, ye that thirst, come ye to the waterhyperlink ; and immediately afterwards, Hearken unto me, and ye shall eat that which is good, and your soul shall delight itself good thingshyperlink . And within a little while ye shall hear that excellent lesson which says, Shine, shine, O thou new Jerusalem; for thy light is comehyperlink . Of this Jerusalem the prophet hath said, And afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, Zion, the faithful mother of citieshyperlink ; because of the law which went forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalemhyperlink , which word has from hence been showered forth on the whole world. To her the Prophet also says concerning you, Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold thy children gathered togetherhyperlink ; and she answers, saying, Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves with their young ones to mehyperlink ? (clouds. because of their spiritual nature, and doves, from their purity). And again, she says, Who knoweth such things? or who hath seen it thus? did ever a land bring forth in one day? or was ever a nation barn all at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her childrenhyperlink . And all things shall be filled with joy unspeakable because of the Lord who said, Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joyhyperlink .
35. And may these words be spoken now again over you also, Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and then; for the Lord hath had mercy on His people, and comforted the lowly of His peoplehyperlink . And this shall come to pass through the loving-kindness of God, who says to you, Behold, I will blot out as a cloud thy transgressions, and as a thick cloud thy sinshyperlink . But ye who have been counted worthy of the name of Faithful (of whom it is written, Upon My servants shall be called a new name which shall be blessed on the earthhyperlink ,) ye shall say with gladness,
Footnotes
56 Cf. Cat. iv. 31.
57 tw=n genome/nwn. With the reading ginome/nwn (Codd. Monn. Vind.), the meaning will be- "share with us in the future what shall happen to us then." On the argument of this section compare the passages quoted on § 4, note 7.
58 Ps. lxxxix. 37.
59 Cat. V. 12, notes 7 and 4. Cf. Plat. Theat. 204 C: e'f e 9ka/sthj le/cewj, "each time we speak."
60 Bishop Lightfoot (Ignatius, ad Smyrnaeos, viii.) traces the original and later senses of the word "Catholic" very fully. "In its earliest usages, therefore, as a fluctuating epithet of e'kklhsi/a, `catholic
0' means `universal,
0' as opposed to `individual,
0' `particular.
0' In its later sense, as a fixed attribute, it implies orthodoxy as opposed to heresy, conformity as opposed to dissent` Commenting on this passage of Cyril, the Bishop adds that "these two latter reasons, that it (the Church) is comprehensive in doctrine, and that it is universal in application, can only be regarded as secondary glosses."
61 e'kkalei=sqai. Cf. Heb. xii. 23.
62 Lev. viii. 3: e'kklhsi/ason.
63 Deut. iv. 10.
64 Ib. ix. 10.: e'kklhsi/aj.
65 Ps. xxxv. 18; Heb. ii. 12.
66 Ps. lxviii. 26: e'n e'kklhsi/aij.
67 Matt. xvi. 18.
68 Ps. xxvi. 5.
69 Ps. xxvi. 8: Sept. eu'pre/peian. R.V. and A.V. "habitation."
70 Ib. v. 12.
71 Ps. cxlix. 1.
72 Mal. i. 10.
73 Ib. v. 11.
74 1 Tim. iii. 15.
75 Acts xix. 14.
76 Eph. v. 25.
77 Gal. iv. 26.
78 1 Cor. xii. 28.
79 2 Cor. vi. 7, 8.
80 Ps. cxlvii. 14.
81 Dan. xii. 3, Sept.
82 1 Thess. iv. 17.
83 Matt. xxv. 46.
84 John iii. 36.
85 Ib. v. 24.
86 Ib. iv. 36.
87 Ib. xii. 25.
88 Matt. xix. 29.
89 Ib. vv. 16-18.
90 Mark. x. 17.
91 Rom. vi. 22.
92 th=j u 9mete/raj e'n Xristw= a'ga/phj. Cf. Cat. xvii. 1, note 1. Athan. Epist. ad Epict. § 2: para/ th= sh= qeosebei/a. ad Serap. iv. 1: para\ th=j sh=j eu'labei/aj.
93 The place meant is not the Church of the Resurrection in which the Service had been held, but the Anastasis or actual cave of the Resurrection, which Constantine had so enlarged by additional works that a discouse to the pepople could be held there: for Jerome (Epist. 61) relates that Epiphanius had preached in that place in front of the Lord's sepulchre to clergy and people in the hearing of John the Bishop (Ben. Ed.).
94 Eph. v. 26.
95 Phil. iii. 1; and iv. 4; Luke xxi. 28.
96 Is. xl. 3.
97 Ib. lv. 1.
98 Ib. v. 2.
99 Is. lx. 1.
100 Ib. i. 26.
101 Ib. ii. 3.
102 Ib. xlix. 18.
103 Ib. lx. 8.
104 Ib. lxvi. 8.
105 Ib lxv. 18.
106 Ib. xlix. 13.
107 Is. xliv. 22.
108 Ib. lxv. 15.