Virtue is superior to the natural relationship to Christ. Chrys. in c. xiii. Matt. Hom. xlv. tom. vii. p. 528. Bened. Editio ut supra.-(Parisiis, 1836.)

Δια δη τουτο και αλλοχου γυναικός τινος ειπούσης Maκαρια η κοιλια η βαστάσασα σε, και μαστοι ους εθηλασας ουκ ειπεν, ουκ εβαστασε με κοιλια, μαστους ουκ εθηλασα. Αλλα τούτο, μενουνγε μακαριοι οι

ποιούντες το θελημα του Πατρος μου. Ορας πως, ανω και κατω, ουκ αρνείται την κατα φυσιν συγγένειαν, αλλα προστίθησι την κατ' αρετην.

Και ηνικα δε εβόησεν η γυνη λεγουσα μακαρία η κοιλια η βαστάσασα σε, ουκ ειπεν, ουκ εστι μου μητηρ, αλλ' ει βουλεται μακαρια ειναι, το θέλημα ποιείτω του Πατρός μου. Ο γαρ τοιούτος και αδελφος,και αδελφη, και μητηρ εστι. Βαβαι τιμης ! Βαβαι της αρετης ! Εις οσην

66

And when the woman cried out, saying, "blessed is the womb that bare thee,” he did not say "she is not my mother,” but, " if she wishes to be blest, let her do my Father's will; for such an one is both my brother, and sister, and mother.” What

*He refers above to another saying, "Who is my mother?""

What virtue !

ανάγει κορυφην την μετιόντα an honour! αυτήν, ποσαι γυναικες εμακα- Το what a height does he ρισαν την αγιαν παρθενον raise him who partakes of it! εκείνην, και την νηδιν, και ηυξ- How many women have blessαντο τοιαύτας γενεσθαι μητε- ed that holy Virgin and the ρες, και παντα προεσθαι, τι τοι- womb, and have prayed to νυν κωλυον; ιδου γαρ ευρείαν be such mothers, and to begin ετεμεν ημιν οδον, και εξεστι ου all things afresh, and what γυναιξι αλλα και ανδρα- forbids it? μονον, For behold he σιν επι της τοιαυτης γενεσ- has cut out for us a straight θαι τάξεως Μαλλον δε και way, and it is lawful not only επι πολλω μείζονος, τουτο γαρ for women, but for men to πολλω μαλλον μητέρα ποιεί, be of this order; or rather of η αι ωδινες εκειναι ωστε ει μα a far greater one, for this καριστον εκείνο, πολλω μαλλον makes a person his mother far more than the pains of τουτο οσω και κυριωτερον. parturition; for if that was blessed, much more is this, inasmuch as it is more powerful (or has received a higher sanction.)

Chrys. in. c. ii. Evang. Joan. Hom. xxi. alias xx. tom. viii.

p. 142.-(Editio ut supra.)

Και οταν ακουσης γυναικός τινος λεγούσης μακαρία η κοι λια βαστάσασα σε, και μαστοι εθηλασας

ας

Ειτα

αυτού

αποκρινομένου Μενούνγε μα καριοι οι ποιούντες το θελημα του πατρος μου απο της αυτής

γνωμης κακεινα ειρησθαι ρηματα. Ου γαρ αποθουμένου την μητέρα η αποκρισις ην

αλλά δείκνυτος οτι ουδεν αυτην ο τόκος ωνεσεν αν, ει μη σφοδρα ην αγαθη και πίστη. Ede την Μαρίαν ουδεν ωφελει χωρις της κατα ψυχην αρετης το γεννηθηναι παρ' αυτην Χριστον· Πολλώ μάλλον ημας καν πατήρα, καν αδελφον, καν

τον

But when you hear a certain woman, saying, "blessed is the womb that bare thee, which thou hast and the paps sucked;" then hear him answering, “ rather blessed are they who do the will of my Father,” and believethe words to be said in the same sense. For this was not the answer of him driving away his mother, but of him shewing that his birth would have profited her nothing if she had not been very good and faithful. But if Christ's being born of her would have profited Mary nothing without the

virtue of the soul, how much more will it profit us nothing if we have a father, or brother, or son, excellent and noble-minded, whilst we are far removed from this virtue, for this can profit (us) nothing, for he (i. e. David) says, brother shall not redeem, and shall a man redeem ?" For in nothing else, but in our own good deeds, after the grace of God, should we place the hope of our salvation.*

In the Roman Breviary, Festa Septembris, die xii., there is the following Latin extract from a sermon of Chrysostom's, taken from Metaphrastes. Vainly have we endeavoured to find it in the Benedictine edition of Chrysostom's works, and there can be little doubt that it was not written by Chrysostom, Metaphrastes was a Greek author, who lived in the tenth century, when Greek literature was at a very low ebb. Dupin, in his "Nouvelle Histoire des Auteurs Ecclesiastiques," (Utrecht, 1731.) says, speaking of the tenth century:-"Pendant tout ce siécle l'église Grecque, qui commercoit a être sur son declin, fut dans une grande sterilité d'hommes illustres et de bons auteurs. On n'en trouve qu'un trés petit nombre qui se soient appliqués a composer, et leurs ouvrages sont assez peu estimables, soit pour les choses, soit pour la maniére dont ils sont écrits.

"Un de ceux qui a le plus écrit, est Simeon, surnommé Metaphraste, parcequ'il a mis des anciennes vies de Saints en autre style," &c.

Breviarium Romanum, ex decreto Sacros. Concilii Tridentini restitutum, &c. (Antverpiæ, 1823.) Autumnalis, die xii. Septembris.

Sermo Sancti Joannis Chrysostomi. Sectio vi. Apud Metaphrasten.

Visne cognoscere quantò Virgo hæc præstantior sit

So many disputes arise respecting the genuineness of Chrysostom's treatises, that it is advisable to have a duplicate passage on a subject of this interest.

cœlestibus potentiis? Illæ cum timore et tremore assistunt, faciem velantes suam; hæc humanum genus illi offert, quem genuit. Per hanc et peccatorum veniam consequimur. Ave igitur mater, cœlum, puella, virgo, thronus, ecclesia nostræ decus, gloria, et firmamentum, assiduè pro nobis precare Jesum filium tuum et Dominum nostrum, ut per te misericordiam invenire in die judicii, et quæ reposita sunt iis, qui diligunt Deum, bona consequi possimus, gratiâ et benignitate Domini nostri Jesu Christi, &c.

The intimate union between believers and Christ. Nothing should be between them and Christ.

Chrys. in 1 Epist. ad Cor. c. iii. Hom. viii. tom. x. p. 82. Bened edit.-(Parisiis, 1837.*)

Let us build upon him, and let us lay hold of the foundation as the branch does of the vine, and let nothing be between us and Christ, for if anything be between us immediately we perish. For the branch by adhering draws fatness, and the building, by being cemented, stands. But if it is separated it perishes, having no support. Let us not, therefore, simply hold Christ, but let us be fastened to him. For if we are separated we perish. "For those, he says (i. e. the Psalmist), who remove to a distance from thee shall perish." Let us, therefore, adhere closely to him, and let us adhere closely to him by our works. "For he who keeps my commandments dwells in me." And he unites us to himself

Some of the volumes were published in 1836.

Here is no room for the Virgin as the mediatrix between believers and Christ.

+ No question seems to have been raised by the learned respecting the genuineness of Chrysostom's exposition of the 1 Epist. to the Corinthians.