The faculties of the soul are described by the same names as the outward members. S. Basilii Cæsarem Cappad. Arch. Hom. in Ps. xxxiii. Tom. i. p. 148. (Bened. ed. folio, Parisiis, 1721.) Γεύσασθε και ίδετε οτι χρηστος ο κυριος. Πολλαχου τετηρηκαμεν οτι τοις εξωθεν μελεσιν ομωνυμως αι της ψυχης προσαγορευονται δυναμεις. Επει δε αρτος εστιν αληθινός ο κύριος ημων, και η σαρξ αυτου αληθης εστι βρωσις, αναγκη την ηδονην της ευφροσυνης του αρτου δια γευσεως ημιν νοητης εγγίνεσθαι. Ως του μελιτος η φυσις ου τοσουτον τω λόγω δυναται παραστηναι τοις απειροις, οσον απ' αυτης της κατα την γευσιν αισθησεως. Ουτως ουδε η χρηστότης του ουρανιου λογου εναργως παραδοθηναι διδασκαλίαις δυναται, εαν μη τα της αληθείας δογματα επι πλεον βασανισαντες, δυνηθω μεν τη οικεια πειρα την χρηστοτητα καταλαβειν του κυρίου. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Frequently we have observed that the faculties of the soul are described by the same names as the outward members. And since our Lord is the true bread, and his fesh is the true meat, it is necessary that the enjoyment of the good cheer of the bread should be generated within us by an intellectual taste. As the nature of honey cannot be presented (to the minds of those who have not tried it equally by word as by the perception of the taste; so also the goodness of the heavenly word cannot be clearly communicated by teaching, unless we, having more fully tried the doctrines of truth, can apprehend the goodness of the Lord by our own experience. Figurative language. Hom. in Ps. xxxiii. Tom. i. p. 150.-(Editio ut supra.) Επτωχευσαν δε πως και επεινασαν. τειναν Επειδη γαρ απεκ τον αρτον της ζωης, ήλθεν επ' αυτούς ο λιμος του άρτου. Και επειδη επεβουλευσαν τη πηγη του ύδατος του ζωντος, ήλθεν αυτοις η δίψα, They, were, in some sort, in want, and hungered. For when they had slain the Bread of Life, there came upon them a famine of bread : and when they had conspired against the fountain και επετέθη αυτοίς η εκ της διψης κόλασις. Λιμος δε ουχι αρτου αισθητου ̇ ουδε διψα υδαΑλλα λιμος του ακουσαι τος. λόγου Κυριου. of living water, thirst came upon them, and the punishment of thirst was inficted upon them; not a famine, however, of perceptible bread, nor a thirst of water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Christ is called bread, a vine, a sword, &c. Hom. in Ps. xliv. Tom. i. p. 163.-(Edit. ut supra.) Ως ουν ζωή, και οδος, και αρτος,και αμπελος, και αληθινον φως, και αλλα μυρια ο κυριος ημων Ιησους Χριστος ονομαζεται, ουτω και μαχαιρα διατεμνουσα το παθητικον μερος της ψυχης, και νεκρουσα τα προς επιθυμίαν. As, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ is called, Life, and a Way, and Bread, and a Vine, and the true Light, and a thousand other things, thus also he is called) a Sword dividing the emotional portion of the soul, and mortifying the impulses of concupiscence. The flesh and blood of Christ are the nourishment of the soul. Appendix Operum S. Bas. Magn. Comm. in Esaiam prophetam. c. iii. Tom. i. p. 448. (Bened. edit. folio. Parisiis, 1721.) Ωσπερ γαρ τα σώματα ημων ταις καταλληλαις τροφαις ενδυναμανται, ουτως εστι τι και το ψυχην τρέφον, και παρέχον αυτή την περι τα καλα ευτονιαν. Τι ουν εστι τούτο; ο είπεν ο κυριος οτι η σαρξ μου αληθης εστι βρωσις, και το αιμα μου αληθης εστι ποσις. Οις δε ταυτα μη προσεστιν, ισχυς αρτου και ισχυς υδατος ουκ υπαρ χει. As our bodies are strengthened with suitable nourishment, so also there is a certain nourishment of the soul, and one which furnishes it with a great inclination for what is good. What then is this? It is what our Lord said, “My Hesh is the true meat, and my blood is the true drink.” But to those who have not these, there is wanting the strength of bread, and the strength of water. God seeks only one sacrifice, the sacrifice of the believer's self. Appendix Oper. S. B. Magni. Comm. in Esaiam. Prophetam. Tom. i. p. 398.-(Editio ut supra.) Και το μεν πληθος αποπεμε πεται. Μιαν δε θυσιαν επιζητει. Αυτος εκαστος εαυτόν προσαγέτω τω Θεω, παριστων εαυτον θυσιαν ζωσαν ευάρεστον τω Θεω, δια της λογικής λαρειας θυων τω Θεώ θυσιαν αινέσεως. Επειδη δε το πληθος των κατα τον νομον θυσιων ως αχρείον εκβέβληται, μια Juσια προσεδέχθη επ' εσχάτων των αιώνων εις αθέτησιν των αμαρτιών ανενεχθείσα. Ο γαρ άμνος του Θεου ηρε την αμαρ τιαν του κόσμου, εαυτόν ανε νεγκων προσφοραν και θυσιαν εις οσμήν ευωδίας. κεκοινωμένους. And the multitude (of sacrifices) is dismissed. And he seeks one sacrifice. Let every one, therefore, offer himself to God, presenting himself a living sacrifice acceptable to God; by a reasonable service sacrificing to God the sacrifice of But when the mulpraise. titude of the sacrifices of the law was rejected as unprofitable, one Sacrifice was aclast times for the putting cepted, being offered up in the away of sin. For the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world, presenting himself as an offering and sacrifice of a sweet savour. Ibidem, p. 400. Εκβάλλονται τοινυν οι Εκ του σπέρματος Ααρων, ίνα ο κατα την ταξιν Μελχισεδεχ αντεισελθη. Ουκετι η σποδος της δαμάλεως καθαρίζουσα τοις SvMia γαρ σια ο Χριστος, και η κατ' αυτόν νεκρωσις των αγίων: εις ραντισμός το λουτρον της παλιγγενεσίας, εν αμαρτιας λυτήριον το εκχυθεν υπερ της σωτηρίας του κόσμου αιμα. Those who are of the seed of Aaron, therefore, are rejected, that he who is accord ing to the order of Melchisedec may come in in their stead. There are no longer the ashes of the heifer sprinkling the unclean; for Christ is the one sacrifce, and there is the mortifying of the saints after his fashion: there is one sprink-. ling, viz. the laver of regeneration; (there is) one deliverance from sin, viz. the blood shed for the salvation of the world. Paul drinks faith. Append. Op. S. B. M. Comm. in Esaiam. c. ix. Tom. i. p. 547.-(Editio ut supra.) Οιος ην Παυλος, όμου τε πινεν πιστιν, και ουδενα καιρον ανεβάλλετο προς το κήρυγμα. Such was Paul, and he at once drank faith, and interposed no delay to preaching. Saving doctrines are the drink of the soul. Comm. in Esaiam. c. xiii. edit. Parisiis, 1721.) Tom. i. p. 572. (Benedict. They left me the fountain of living water. Manifestly, he who believes in God, and who by his faith in him gives drink to his soul by saving doctrines, he draws water with joy from the wells of salvation. Figurative language. Comm. in Esaiam. c. xv. Tom. i. p. 606. Παλιν το ύδωρ διδασκαλίαν λεγει, οπερ αιματος ειναι πληρες, φησι, δια το ενοχους θανατου γινεσθαι τοις διδασκομενοις τους κακώς καθηγούμενους. Ωστε ευκαίρως περι των ολε θριων λογων και απολλύντων τας ψυχας χρηση ποτε τω προφητικω ρητω τω λεγοντι. Το* Again, he calls teaching water, which he says is full of blood, because those who instructed badly were guilty of the death of their disciples. Wherefore you may use the prophetical expression concerning pernicious words which destroy 66 * Some have doubted whether Basil wrote the Commentary on Isaiah, but the weight of testimony greatly preponderates in favour of his having written it. The Benedictine editor says, Imperfectum illum in Esaiam Commentarium jam a longo tempore Basilio Magno tributum fuisse constat. Inter alios numerabimus maximum confessorem, Joannem Damascenum, Symeonem Logothetam, Antonium Melissam, Tarasaim Patriarchum Constantinopolitanum, et auctorem scholiorum Græcorum in epistolas apostolicas. Quod si recentiores quoque, qui ejus operis Basilium magnum auctorem faciunt, recensere aggredimur, dies nos deficeret et charta. Celebres sunt Tilmannus, Ducæus, Combefisius, Natalis Alexander, Dupinus, Tillemontius, Lequienus, et alii pene innumeri. Contra pauci sunt qui aliter sentiunt, iique in litteris non ita magnæ auctoritas, excepto Petavio viro longè doctissimo. υδωρ Δεηβων πλησθήσεται souls, which says, " the water of Deebon shall be filled with blood." αίματος. The sacrifice which God seeks is a pious mind. Epistola 115. ad Simpliciam hæreticam. - (Editio ut supra.) Αει γαρ θυσιαν Θεος, ουχ ως χρήζων οιμαι, ζητει, αλλά θυσίαν πολυτελη την ευσεβη και δικαιαν γνωμην δεχομενος. For God always, not, I think, because he is in need of it, seeks a sacrifice ; but he receives as a precious sacrifice the pious and upright mind. In the days of Basil believers were permitted to take the consecrated bread home with them, and to partake of it when they would, which is not reconcileable with the notion that what they took and kept at home was the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. S. Basilii. Epistola 93. ad Caesariam Patriciam de communione. Tom. iii. p. 186.-(Editio ut supra.) Το δε εν τοις του διωγμού καιροις, αναγκάζεσθαι τινα, μη παρόντος ιερέως η λειτουργου, την κοινωνίαν λαμβανειν τη ιδια χειρι, μηδαμως ειναι βαρυ περιττόν εστι αποδεικνύναι, δια το την μακραν συνηθειαν τουτο δι' αυτών των πραγματων πιο στωσασθαι. Παντες γαρ οι κατα τους ερημους μονάζοντες ενθα μη εστιν ιερευς, κοινωνίαν οικοι κατέχοντες αφ' εαυτων μεταλαμβάνουσιν. Εν Αλεξανδρεια δε και εν Αιγύπτω, εκαστος και των εν λαω τελουντων, ως επι το πλείστον έχει κοινωνιαν εν τω οικω αυτού, και οτε βουλεται μεταλαμβανει δι' εαυτου. Απαξ γαρ την θυσίαν του ιερέως τελειώσαντος και δεδωκότος, εικότως μεταλαμ own But, that is not grievous that any one should be compelled in seasons of perseeution, no priest or minister being present, to take the communion with his hand, it would be superfluous to prove, because long custom confirms this by the very things themselves. For all who lead a solitary life in the deserts, where there is no priest, keeping the communion at home, receive it from themselves, And in Alexandria and in Egypt, each, even of those who are of the people, for the most part keeps the communion at home, and when he wills partakes of it.* For when the * Δι' εαυτου, by his own ministration. |