282 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY V. will then produce solidity, when having brought many things together, you shall cement them compactedly and inseparably ; thus a solidity is produced, as in the case of a wall. But this is the peculiar work of love ; for those who were by themselves, when it hath closely cemented and knit them together, it renders solid. And faith, again, doeth the same thing ; when it allows not reasonings to intrude themselves. For as reasonings divide,, and shake loose, so faith causes solidity and compactness. For seeing God hath bestowed upon us bene fits surpassing man s reasoning, suitably enough He hath brought in faith. It is not possible to be steadfast, when demanding reasons. For behold all our lofty doctrines, how destitute they are of reasonings, and dependent upon faith alone. God is not anywhere, and is every where. What hath less reason in it than this? Each by itself is full of difficulty. For, "indeed, He is not in place ; nor is there any place in which He is. He was not made, He made not Himself, He never began to be. What reason ing will receive this, if there be not faith ? Does it not seem to be utterly ridiculous, and more endless than a riddle ? Now that He hath no beginning, and is un- create, and uncircumscribed, and infinite, is, as we have said, a manifest difficulty ; but let us consider His incorporealness, whether we can search out this by reasoning. God is incor poreal. What is incorporeal? A bare word, and no more, for the apprehension has received nothing, has impressed nothing upon itself; for if it does so impress, it comes to nature, and what constitutes body. So that the mouth speaks indeed, but the understanding knows not what it speaks, save one thing only, that it is not body, this is all it knows. And why do I speak of God? In the case of the soul, which is created, inclosed, circumscribed, what is incor porealness ? say ! show ! Thou canst not. Is it air? But air is body, even though it be not compact, and it is plain from many proofs that it is a yielding body. Fire is body, whilst the energy of the soul is bodiless. Wherefore? Since it penetrateth everywhere. If it is not 1 itself body, then that which is incorporeal exists in place, therefore it is circumscribed ; and that which is circumscribed has figure ; and figures are linear, and lines belong to bodies. Again, that which is without figure, what conception does it admit? It has no figure, no form, no outline. Seest thou how the understanding be comes dizzy? Again, That Nature [viz. God s] is not sus ceptible of evil. But He is also good of His own will ; it is therefore susceptible. But one 1 Savile conjectures that " not " should be inserted, and the sense seems absolutely to require it. may not so say, far be it ! Again, was He brought into being, willing it, or not willing it? But neither may one say this. Again, circum scribes He the world, or no? If He circum scribes it not, He is Himself circumscribed, but if He circumscribes it, He is infinite in His nature. Again, circumscribes He Himself? If He circumscribes Himself, then He is not without beginning to Himself, but to us ; therefore He is not in His nature without beginning. Everywhere one must grant con tradictories. Seest thou how great the darkness is ; and how everywhere there is need of faith. This it is, that is solid. But, if you will, let us come to things which are less than these. That Sub stance hath an operation. And what in His case is operation? Is it a certain motion? Then He is not immutable : for that which is moved, is not immutable : for, from being motionless it becomes in motion. But never theless He is in motion, and never stands still. But what kind of motion, tell me ; for amongst us there are seven kinds ; down, up, in, out, right, left, circular, or, if not this, increase, de crease, generation, destruction, alteration. But is His motion none of these, but such as the mind is moved with ? No, nor this either. Far be it ! for in many things the mind is even ab surdly moved. Is to will, to operate, or not? If to will is to operate, and He wills all men to be good, and to be saved (i Tim. ii. 4), how comes it not to pass? But to will is one thing, to operate, another. To will then is not sufficient for operation. How then saith the Scripture, " He hath done whatsoever He willed " ? (Ps. cxv. 3.) And again, the leper saith unto Christ, " If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean." (Matt. viii. 2.) For if this follows in company with the will, what is to be said? Will ye that I mention yet another thing? How were the things that are, made out of things that are not ? How will they be resolved into nothing ? What is above the heaven? And again, what above that? and what above that? and beyond that? and so on to infinity. What is below the earth ? Sea, and beyond this, what? and beyond that again? Nay; to the right, and to the left, is there not the same difficulty? But these indeed are things unseen. Will ye that I lead the discourse to those which are seen ; those which have already happened ? Tell me, how did the beast contain Jonah in its belly, without his perishing? Is it not void of reason, and its motions without control? How spared it the righteous man ? How was it that the heat did not suffocate him? How was it that it putrefied him not? For if to be in the deep only, is past contriving, to be both in the creature s bowels, and in that heat, is very far