punished, nay verily, they live in great pleasure.1369 It were better to say that there is no re- surrection, than that it is already past. “And overthrow,” he says, “the faith of some.” “Of some,” not of all. For if there is no resurrection, faith is subverted. Our preaching is vain, nor is Christ risen; and if He is not risen, neither was He born, nor has He ascended into heaven. Observe how this error, while it seems to oppose the doctrine of the Resurrec- tion, draws after it many other evils. What then, says one, ought we to do nothing for those who are subverted?1370 Ver. 19. “Nevertheless,” he says, “the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord1371 depart from iniquity.” 494 He shows that even before they were subverted, they were not firm. For otherwise, they would not have been overthrown at the first attack, as Adam1372 was firm before the com- mandment. For those who are fixed not only are not harmed through deceivers, but are even admired. And he calls it “sure,” and a “foundation”; so ought we to adhere to the faith; “having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His.” What is this? He has taken it from Deuter- onomy;1373 that is, Firm souls stand fixed and immovable. But whence are they manifest? From having these characters inscribed upon their actions, from their being known by God, and not perishing with the world, and from their departing from iniquity. “Let every one,” he says, “that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” These are the distinguishing marks of the foundation. As1374 a foundation is shown to be firm, and as letters are inscribed upon a stone that the letters may be significant. But 1369 Old Lat. here has, “so then the just have suffered tribulations and griefs in vain. But that is so far from being the truth, that contrariwise even in this life the good are fed with their own hopes, and have a foretaste of eternal felicity, persevering always with a serene and tranquil spirit, and the wicked, persecuted by the scourge of their own conscience, begin to suffer even here what they are to suffer for ever.” But this seems an interpolation. See, however, on Rom. v. 5, Hom. ix. 1370 al. “Thus much of those who are subverted; but of those who are not so, what says he?” 1371 E.V. “of Christ.” 1372 So Sav., but B. and one Lat., “as neither Adam.” Another Lat. has “neither was Adam before the attack”; as he says on Rom. vii. 9, Hom. xii. “neither was the Tree the cause.” 1373 Num. xvi. 5? 1374 Downes prefers the reading of ms. Aug., “Such an one, as a foundation, is firmly fixed, having this seal stamped on him. Well said he, ‘seal.’ For as when one writes on a stone, one writes that the characters may sig- nify somewhat, so he that hath these characters in himself is made manifest by works. ‘And let,’” &c., which seems better. 854 2 Timothy 2:11-14