HOMILY XII.] HOMILIES ON COLOSSIANS. 319 be the head, and she the body, how are they two ? Therefore the one holdeth the rank of a disciple, the other of a teacher, the one of a ruler,.the other of a subject. Moreover, from the very fashioning of her body, one may see that they are one, for she was made from his side, and they are, as it were, two halves. For this cause He also calleth her a help, to show that they are one (Gen. ii. 18) ; for this cause He honoreth their cohabitation beyond both father and mother, to show that they are one. (Gen. ii. 24.) And in like manner a father rejoiceth both when son and daughter marry, as though the body were hastening to join a member of its own ; and though so great a charge and expenditure of money is incurred, still he cannot bear with indifference to see her l unmarried. For as though her own flesh itself were severed from her, each one separately is imperfect for the procreation of children, each one is imperfect as regards the constitution of this present life. Wherefore also the Prophet saith, "the residue of thy spirit." (Mai. ii. 15, Sept.) And how become they one flesh? As if thou shouldest take away the purest part of gold, and mingle it with other gold ; so in truth here also the woman as it were receiving the richest part fused by pleasure, nourisheth it and cherisheth it, and withal contributing her own share, restoreth it back a Man. And the child is a sort of bridge, so that the three become one flesh, the child connecting, on either side, each to other. For like as two cities, which a river divides throughout, become one, if a bridge connect them on both sides, so is it in this case ; and yet more, when the very bridge in this case is formed of the substance of each. As the body and the head are one body ; for they are divided by the neck ; but not divided more than connected, for it, lying between them, brings together each with the other. And it is the same as if a chorus that had been severed should, by taking one part of itself from this quarter, and the other again from the right, make one ; or as these when come into close rank, and extending hands, become one ; for the hands extended admit not of their being two. Therefore to wit He said with accuracy of expression, not " they shall be one flesh" but joined together "into one flesh" (Gen. ii. 2, Sept.), namely, that of the child. What then? when there is no child, will they not be two? Nay, for their coming together hath this effect, it diffuses and commingles the bodies of both. And as one who hath cast ointment into oil, hath made the whole one ; so in truth is it also here. I know that many are ashamed at what is said, 1 Implied in ainrj below. The word is ofcommon gender. and the cause of this is what I spoke of, your own lasciviousness, and unchasteness. The fact of marriages being thus performed, thus de praved, hath gained the thing an ill name : for " marriage is honorable, and the bed undefiled." (Heb. xiii. 4.) Why art thou ashamed of the honorable, why blushest thou at the undefiled ? This is for heretics,- this is for such as introduce harlots thither. For this cause I am desirous of having it thoroughly purified, so as to bring it back again to its proper nobleness, so as to stop the mouths of the heretics. The gift of God is insulted, the root of our generation ; for about that root there is much dung and filth. This then let us cleanse away by our discourse. Endure then a little while, for he that holdeth filth must endure the stench. I wish to show you that ye ought not to be ashamed at these things, but at those which ye do ; but thou, pass ing by all shame at those, art ashamed at these ; surely then thou condemnest God who hath thus decreed. Shall I tell how marriage is also a mystery of the Church? As Christ came into the Church, and she was made of him,3 and he united with her in a spiritual intercourse, " for," saith oner " I have espoused you to one husband, a pure virgin." (2 Cor. xi. 2.) And that we are of Him, he saith, of His members, "and of His flesh." Thinking then on all these things, let us not cast shame upon so great a mystery. Mar riage is a type of the presence of Christ, and art thou drunken at it? Tell me; if thou sawest an image of the king, wouldest thou dishonor it? By no means. Now the practices at marriages seem to be a matter of indifference, but they are the causes of great mischiefs. All is full of lawlessness. " Filthiness, and foolish talking, and jesting, let it not proceed," saith he, " out of your mouth." (Eph. v. 4 ; iv. 29.) Now all these things are filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting ; and not these simply, but with aggravation, for the thing has become an art, and there are great praises for those that pursue it. Sins have become an art ! We pursue them not in any chance way, but with earnestness, with science, and thence forth the devil takes the command of his own array. For where drunkenness is, there is un chasteness : where filthy talking, there the devil is at hand bringing in his own contributions ; with such an entertainment, tell me, dost thou celebrate the mystery of Christ? and invitest thou the devil? I dare say you consider me offensive. For 2 On i Tim. iv. 3 he mentions the Manichees, Marcionites, and Encratites. * [The three MSS. which so often alter have made an important alteration here, from " she was made of him " into " he was made_Of her," and this became the common printed text. Were the critics thinking of a typical relation between the Virgin Mary and the Church, or of transubstantiation? J. A. B.]