468 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY XVII. " Perverse disputings," * that is, leisure or con versation, or he may mean intercommunication, and that as infected sheep by contact 2 com municate 1 disease to the sound, so do these bad men. " Destitute of the truth, thinking that gain is godliness." Observe what evils are produced by strifes of words. The love of gain, igno rance, and pride ; for pride is engendered by ignorance. " From such withdraw thyself." He does not say, engage and contend with them, but " with draw thyself," turn away from them ; as else where he says, " A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject." (Tit. iii. 10.) He shows that they do not so much err from ignorance, as they owe their ignorance to their indolence. Those who are contentious for the sake of money you will never persuade. They are only to be persuaded, so long as you give, and even so you will never satisfy their desires. For it is said, " The covetous man s eye is not satisfied with a portion." (Ecclus. xiv. 9.) From such then, as being incorrigible, it is right to turn away. And if he who had much obligation to fight for the truth, is advised not to engage in contention with such men, much more should we 3 avoid it, who are in the situa tion of disciples. Having said, " They think that godliness is a means of gain," he adds : " But godliness with contentment is great gain," not when it pos sesses wealth, but when it has it not. For that he may not despond on account of his poverty, he encourages and revives his spirit. They think, he says, that godliness is a means of gain, 4 and so it is ; only not in their way, but in a much higher. Then having demolished theirs, he extols the other. For that worldly gain is nothing, is manifest, because it is left behind, and does not attend us, or go along with us at our departure. Whence is this plain? Because we had nothing when we came into this world, therefore we shall have nothing when we depart from it. For nature came naked into the world, and naked she will go out of it. Therefore we want no superfluities ; if we brought nothing with us, and shall take nothing away with us. Ver. 8. " And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content." Such things, and so much ought we to eat, as will suffice to nourish us, and such things should we put on, as will cover us, and clothe our nakedness, and nothing more ; and a common garment will answer this purpose. Then he 1 jian-aparpi/Sai, rec. irapaSiarpi/Sai. 2 TTapa.Tpifl6ti.fva.. 3 This he would hardly have said at Constantinople, when he was Bishop.4 This is undoubtedly the true sense, as the article is attached to " godliness." urges them from the consideration of things here, saying, Ver. 9. "But they that will be rich"; not those that are rich, but those who wish to be. For a man may have money and make a good use of it, not overvaluing it, but bestowing it upon the poor. Such therefore he does not blame, but the covetous. "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." He has justly said, " they drown men," since they cannot be raised from that depth. " In destruction and perdition." Ver. 10. " For the love of money is the root of all evil ; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced them selves through with many sorrows." Two things he mentions, and that which to them might seem the more weighty he places last, their " many sorrows." And to learn how true this is, the only way is to sojourn with the rich, to see how many are their sorrows, how bitter their complaints. Ver. ii. " But thou, O man of God." This is a title of great dignity. For we are all men of God, but the righteous peculiarly so, not by right of creation only, but by that of appropriation. 5 If then thou art a " man of God," seek not superfluous things, which lead thee not to God, but " Flee these things, and follow after righteous ness." Both expressions are emphatic ; he does not say turn from one, and approach the other, but " flee these things, pursue righteousness," so as not to be covetous. " Godliness," that is, soundness in doctrines. " Faith," which is opposed to questionings. " Love," patience, meekness. Ver. 12. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." Lo, there is thy reward, " whereunto thou art also called, and hast pro fessed a good profession," in hope of eternal life, " before many witnesses." That is, do not put that confidence to shame. Why dost thou labor to no profit? But what is the " temptation and snare," which he says, those that would be rich fall into? It causes them to err from the faith, it involves them in dangers, it renders them less intrepid. " Fool ish desires," he says. And is it not a foolish desire, when men like to keep idiots and dwarfs, not from benevolent motives, but for their pleas ure, when they have receptacles for fishes in their halls, when they bring up wild beasts, when they give their time to dogs, and dress up horses, and are as fond of them as of their chil- 6 See on Stat. Horn.