8 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [CHAPTER I. don? Assuredly not. A want of zeal in small matters is the cause of all our calamities ; and because slight errors escape fitting correction, greater ones creep in. As in the body, a neglect of wounds generates fever, mortification, and death ; so in the soul, slight evils overlooked open the door to graver ones. It is accounted a trivial fault that one man should neglect fast ing ; that another, who is established in the pure faith, dissembling on account of circum stances, should surrender his bold profession of it, neither is this anything great or dreadful ; that a third should be irritated, and threaten to depart from the true faith, is excused on the plea of passion and resentment. Thus a thous and similar errors are daily introduced into the Church, and we are become a laughing-stock to Jews and Greeks, seeing that the Church is divided into a thousand parties. But if a proper rebuke had at first been given to those who attempted slight perversions, and a deflection from the divine oracles, such a pestilence would not have been generated, nor such a storm have seized upon the Churches. You will now under stand why Paul calls circumcision a subversion of the Gospel. There are many among us now, who fast on the same day as the Jews, and keep the sabbaths in the same manner; and we endure it nobly or rather ignobly and basely. And why do I speak of Jews seeing that many Gentile customs are observed by some among us ; omens, auguries, presages, distinctions of days, a curious attention to the circumstances of their children s birth, and, as soon as they are born, tablets with impious inscriptions are placed upon their unhappy heads, thereby teach ing them from the first to lay aside virtuous endeavors, and drawing part of them at least under the false domination of fate. 1 But if Christ innowayprofits thosethatarecircumcised, what shall faith hereafter avail to the salvation of those who have introduced such corruptions ? Although circumcision was given by God, yet Paul used every effort to abolish it, because its unseasonable observance was injurious to the Gospel. If then he was so earnest against the undue maintenance of Jewish customs, what excuse can we have for not abrogating Gentile ones ? Hence our affairs are now in confusion and trouble, hence have our learners being filled with pride, reversed the order of things throw ing every thing into confusion, and their dis cipline having been neglected by us their gover nors, they spurn our reproof however gentle. And yet if their superiors were evenmore worth less and full of numberless evils, it would not be right for the disciple to disobey. It is said of the Jewish doctors, that as they sat in Moses seat, their disciples were bound to obey them, though their works were so evil, that the Lord forbad His disciples to imitate them. What excuse therefore is there for those who insult and trample on men, rulers of the Church, and living, by the grace of God, holy lives? If it be unlawful for us to judge each other, much more is it to judge our teachers. Ver. 8, 9. " Butthough we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any Gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema." See the Apostle s wisdom ; to obviate the objection that he was prompted by vainglory to applaud his own doctrine, he includes himself also in his anathema ; and as they betook them selves to authority, that of James and John, he mentions angels also saying, " Tell me not of James and John ; if one of the most exalted angels of heaven corrupt the Gospel, let him be anathema." The phrase "of heaven" is pur- posly added, because priests are also called angels. "For the priest s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth : for he is the messenger [angel] of the Lord of hosts." (Mai. ii: 7.) Lest therefore it should be thought that priests are here meant by the term "angels," he points out the celes tial intelligencesbytheaddition, "from heaven." And he says not, if they preach a contrary Gos pel, or subvert the whole of the true one, let them be anathema ; but, if they even slightly vary, or incidentally disturb, my doctrine. "As we have said before, so say I now again." That his words might not seem to be spoken in anger, or with exaggeration, or with recklessness he now repeats them.2 Sentiments may per haps change, when an expression has been called forth by anger, but to repeat it a second time proves that it is spoken advisedly, and was previously approved by the judgmant. When Abraham was requested to send Lazarus, he re plied, "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them : if they hear them not, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead." ( Luke xvi : 31.) And Christ intro duces Abraham thus speaking, to show that He would have the Scriptures accounted more worthy of credence, even than one raised from the dead : Paul too, (and when I say Paul, I mean Christ, who directed his mind,) prefers them before an angel come down from heaven. And justly, for the angels, though mighty, are but servants and ministers, but the Scriptures were all written and sent, not by servants, but 1 [There is an eloquent passage on this same subject of foolish and sinful superstitions among Christians in Homily xii. on Ephe- sians, near the end. G. A.] -[Though this view of Chrysostom, that the npofipr/Kanfv refers to what immediately precedes is held by many others, it is not ten able for two reasons ; i. St. Paul would have used the singular TrpoeipTjKa, as he does in Aey<o. immediately following. 2. The irpo in composition, and the xai apri, both, mark some greater distinc tion of time than this would allow. G. A. ]