Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostomrefuse [to do] a thing, rather than he. He even submits to do things fit for slaves, flattering thosewhom he ought not; again he is overbearing where he ought not to be, being inconsistent in everyrespect. He will sit by flattering wicked people, and oftentimes depraved old men, that are of muchpoorer and meaner condition than himself; and will be insolent and overbearing to others that aregood and in all respects virtuous. Thou seest in both respects the baseness, the shamelessness: heis both humble beyond measure, and boastful.Harlots however stand in front of their house, and the charge against them is that they sell theirbody for money: yet, one may say, poverty and hunger compel them (although at the most this isno sufficient excuse: for they might gain a livelihood by work). But the covetous man stands, notbefore his house, but before the midst of the city, making over to the devil not his body but hissoul; so that he [the devil] is in his company, and goes in unto him, as verily to a harlot: and havingsatisfied all his lusts departs; and all the city sees it, not two or three persons only.And this again is the peculiarity of harlots, that they are his who gives the gold. Even if he bea slave or a gladiator, 3063 or any person whatever, yet if he offers their hire, they receive him. Butthe free, even should they be more noble than all, they do not accept without the money. Thesemen also do the same. They turn away right thoughts when they bring no money; but they associatewith the abominable, and actually with those that fight with wild beasts, 3064 for the sake of the gold,and associate with them shamelessly and destroy the beauty of the soul. For as those women arenaturally of odious appearance 3065 and black, and awkward and gross, and formless and ill-shaped,and in all respects disgusting, such do the souls of these men become, not able to conceal theirdeformity by their outward paintings. 3066 For when the ill look 3067 is extreme, whatever they maydevise, they cannot succeed in their feigning.For that shamelessness makes harlots, hear the prophet saying, “Thou wert shameless towardsall; thou hadst a harlot’s countenance.” ( Jer. iii. 3 .) This may be said to the covetous also: “Thouwert shameless towards all,” not towards these or those, but “towards all.” How? Such an onerespects neither father, nor son, nor wife, nor friend, nor brother, nor benefactor, nor absolutelyany one. And why do I say friend, and brother, and father? He respects not God Himself, but all[we believe] seems to him a fable; and he laughs, intoxicated by his great lust, and not even admittinginto his ears any of the things which might profit him.But O! their absurdity! and then what things they say! “Woe to thee, O Mammon, and to himthat has thee not.” At this I am torn to pieces with indignation: for woe to those who say thesethings, though they say them in jest. For tell me, has not God uttered such a threat as this, saying,3063μονομάχος . The reading of the common editions is [ κἂν δοῦλος ᾖ ] κἂν ἐλεύθερος, κἂν μόναχος . The word μόναχοςhad been at a very early period written by some copyists for μονομάχος (Mutianus has monachus ), and the interpolatormisapprehending the drift of the passage had inserted κἂν ἐλεύθερος . Mr. Field many years ago in earlier volumes of hisedition, suggested the true reading here, as also the word θηριομάχοις ( bestialibus Mut.) just below, for which θεομάχοις hadbeen substituted in the common texts. Both conjectures are now confirmed by ms. authority. The gladiators, especially thebestiarii , who fought with wild beasts, were regarded as a most degraded class.3064θηριομάχοις3065φύσει εἰδεχθεῖς3066ἐ πιτρίμμασι , what they rub on.3067δυσειδία . Mut. and one ms. have δυσωδία , “ ill savor. ”638