WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY II. selves unworthy, that the people may be saved. For ifHe spoke, for the sake of the people, by an ass, and by Balaam, a most wicked man, much more will He speak by the mouth of the Priest. What indeed will not God do or say for our salva tion? By whom doth He not act? For if He wrought through Judas and those other that " prophesied," towhomHe will say, " I neverknew you; depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity" (Matt. vii. 22,23) > and ifothers "cast out devils" (Ps. vi. 8) ; will He not muchmore work through the Priests ? Since if we were to make inquisi tion into the lives of our rulers, we should then become the ordainers l of our own teachers, and all would be confusion ; the feet would be upper most, the head below. Hear Paul saying, " But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man s judgment." (i Cor. iv. 3.) And again, "Why dost thou judge thy brother?" (Rom. xiv. 10.) For if we may not judge our brother, much less our teacher. If God commands this indeed, thou doest well, and sinnest if thou do it not ; but if the contrary, dare not do it, nor attempt to go beyond the lines that are marked out. After Aaron had made the golden calf, Corah, Dathan, and Abi- ram raised an insurrection against him. And did they not perish? Let each attend to his own department. For if he teach perverted doctrine, though he be an Angel, obey him not ; but if he teach the truth, take heed not to his life, but to his words. Thou hast Paul to instruct thee in what is right both by words and works. But thou sayest, " He gives not to the poor, he does not govern well." Whence knowest thou this ? Blame not, before thou art informed. Be afraid of the great account. Many judgments are formed upon mere opinion. Imitate thy Lord, who said, " I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, and if not, I will know." (Gen. xviii. 21.) But if thou hast enquired, and in formed thyself, and seen ; yet await the Judge, and usurp not the office of Christ. To Him it belongs, and not to thee, to make this inquisi tion. Thou art an inferior servant, not a master. Thou art a sheep, be not curious concerning the shepherd, lest thou have to give account of thy accusations against him. But you say, How does he teach me that which he does not prac tice himself? It is not he that speaks to thee. If it be he whom thou obeyest, thou hast no reward. It is Christ that thus admonishes thee. And what do I say ? Thou oughtest not to obey even Paul, if he speaks of himself, or anything human, but the Apostle, that has Christ speaking in him. Let not us judge one another s conduct, but each his own. Examine thine own life. But thou sayest, " He ought to be better than I." Wherefore? "Because he is a Priest." And is he not superior to thee in his labors, his dangers, his anxious conflicts and troubles ? But if he is not better, oughtest thou therefore to destroy thyself? These are the words of arro gance.- For how is he not better than thyself? He steals, thou sayest, and commits sacrilege ! How knowest thou this? Why dost thou cast thyself down a precipice? If thou shouldest hear it said that such an one hath a purple robe, 3 though thou knewest it to be true, and couldest convict him, thou declinest to do it, and pretendest ignorance, not being willing to run into unnecessary danger. But in this case thou art so far from being backward, that even without cause thou exposest thyself to the danger. Nor think thou art not responsible for these words. Hear what Christ says, " Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matt. xii. 36.) And dost thou think thyself better than another, and dost thou not groan, and beat thy breast, and bow down thy head, and imitate the Publican ? And then thou destroyest thyself, though thou be better. Be silent, that thou cease not to be better. If thou speak of it, thou hast done away the merit ; if thou thinkest it, I do not say so ; if thou dost not think it, thou hast added much. For if a notorious sinner, when he confessed, "went home justified," he who is a sinner in a less degree, and is conscious of it, how will he not be rewarded ? Examine thy own life. Thou dost not steal ; but thou art rapacious, and over bearing, and guilty of many other such things. I say not this to defend theft ; God forbid ! I deeply lament if there is any one really guilty of it, but I do not believe it. How great an evil is sacrilege, it is impossible to say. But I spare you. For 1 would not that our virtue should be rendered vain by accusing others. What was worse than the Publican? For it is true that he was a publican, and guilty of many offenses, yet because the Pharisee only said, " I am not as this publican," he destroyed all his merit. I am not, thou sayest, like this sacri legious Priest. And dost not thou make all in vain? This I am compelled to say, and to enlarge upon inmy discourse, not so much because I am concerned for them, but because I fear for you, lest you should render your virtue vain by this boasting of yourselves, and condemnation of others. For hear the exhortation of Paul, " Let every one prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in an other." (Gal. vi. 4.) J Or, " desperation," if it be taken with the preceding sentence. :t This was treason in a subject. See Gibbon, c. xl.