530 WORKS OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. [HOMILY III. feeds upon human flesh. But it was permitted and considered clean. Nothing is more unclean than a bird, for it eats worms ; or than a stag, which is said to have its name 1 from eating serpents. Yet all these were eaten. Why then was the swine forbidden, and many other things? Not because they were unclean, but to check excessive luxury. But had this been said, they would not have been persuaded; they were restrained therefore by the fear of uncleanness. For tell me, if we enquire nicely into these things, what is more unclean than wine ; or than water, with which they mostly purified themselves ? They touched not the dead, and yet they were cleansed by the dead, for the victim was dead, and with that they were cleansed. This therefore was a doc trine for children. In the composition of wine, does not dung form a part? For as the vine draws moisture from the earth, so does it from the dung that is thrown upon it. In short, if we wish to be very nice, everything is unclean, otherwise if we please not to be nice, nothing is unclean. Yet all things are pure. God made nothing unclean, for nothing is unclean, except sin only. For that reaches to the soul, and de files it. Other uncleanness is human prejudice. " But unto them that are defiled and un believing is nothing pure ; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." For how can there be anything unclean among the pure ? But he that has a weak soul makes everything unclean, and if there be set abroad a scrupulous enquiry into what is clean or un clean, he will touch nothing. For even these things are not clean, I speak of fish, and other things, according to their notions ; (for " their mind and conscience," he says, "is defiled,") but all are impure. Yet Paul says not so ; he turns the whole matter upon themselves. For nothing is unclean, he says, but themselves, their mind and their conscience ; and nothing is more unclean than these ; 2 but an evil will is unclean. " They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work repro bate." ii. i. " But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine." This then is uncleanness. They are them selves unclean. But be not thou silent on that account. Do thy part, although they may not receive thee. Advise and counsel them, though they may not be persuaded. Here he censures them more severely. For they who are mad imagine that nothing stands still, yet this arises not from the objects that are seen, but from the eyes that see. Because they are unsteady and 2 B. "none of these things is unclean." giddy, they think that the earth turns round with them, which yet turns not, but stands firm. The derangement 3 is of their own state, not from any affection of the element. So it is here, when the soul is unclean, it thinks all things unclean. Therefore scrupulous observances are no mark of purity, but it is the part of purity to be bold in all things. For he that is pure by nature ventures upon all things, they that are defiled, upon nothing. This we may say against Marcion. Seest thou that it is a mark of purity to be superior to all defilement, to touch noth ing implies impurity. This holds even with re spect to God. That He assumed flesh is a proof of purity ; if through fear He had not taken it, there would have been defilement. He who eats not things that seem unclean, is him self unclean and weak, he who eats, is neither. Let us not call such pure, they are the unclean. He is pure, who dares to feed upon all things. All this caution we ought to exercise towards the things that defile the soul. For that is un cleanness, that is defilement. None of these things is so. Those who have a vitiated palate think what is set before them is unclean, -but this is the effect of their disorder. It becomes us therefore to understand the nature of things pure, and things unclean. MORAL. What then is unclean? Sin, malice, covetousness, wickedness. 1 As it is written : " W T ash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings." (Isa. i. 16.) " Create in me a clean heart, O God." (Ps. li. 10.) "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing." (Isa. Hi. 52.) These observ ances were emblems of purifications. 5 " Touch not a dead body," it is said. For sin is such, it is dead and offensive. " The leper is unclean." For sin is a leprosy, various and multiform. And that they had this meaning, appears from what follows. For if the leprosy is general, and overspreads the whole body, he is clean ; if it is partial, he is unclean. Thus you see that what is various and changeable is the unclean thing. He again whose seed passes from him is unclean, consider one that is so in soul, cast ing away his seed. He who is uncircumcised is unclean. These things are not allegorical but typical, for he who does not cut off the wickedness of his heart is the unclean person. He who worketh on the Sabbath is to be stoned, that is, he who is not at all times devoted to God, shall perish. 7 You see how many varieties 3 al. " the notion," vnovoia, and so B. ; it is better than ctTroroia. 4 Sav. " fornication," but irovripia is repeated in the next quota tion, and has most authority. 8 al " of uncleannesses." 6 This hardly makes sense. Read a/Vrjfleia for aAAiryopia. " These things are not truth, but types," which is his usual way of speaking. Just above, Savile s text is followed. 7 See on Stat. Horn, xii., where it appears that he does not ex clude a reference to the Lord s Day-