PREFACE
PREFACE
THIS volume completes the series of S. Chrysostom’s Homilies on the New Testament. Translated a quarter of a century ago by the Rev. T. Keble Vicar of Bisley, and revised with great labour in the use of the then existing editions by his brother, the Vicar of Hursley, it was thought best to delay the publication until Dr. Field had completed the long-delayed publication of the Greek Text. This appeared in 1862.
The editing of the text of S. Chrysostom’s Homilies is attended with peculiar difficulties. Written sermons, if ever preached in those days, were the exception. Those which have been preserved to us have been generally taken down by some hearer. S. Augustine afterwards revised his, when brought to him for the purpose. In the case of S. Chrysostom’s Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, as well as of the present volume, there are two distinct texts still extant: that originally taken down by the short-hand writer, and another, when this had been polished and made neat at a subsequent time. Dr. Field’s great labour then in the Greek text of the present volume had been to restore the older form of these Homilies. He had ample material, both in Greek MSS., in a Catena published not many years ago by our Dr. CRAMER, Principal of New Inn Hall, which exhibit the older text (the former half of a second Catena, compiled by Niketas Archbishop of Heraclea in Thrace in the eleventh century, and published by the same Dr. Cramer appears to use both); and, of yet more importance, in Latin versions.
Cassiodorus, an Italian, who lived about 150 years after S. Chrysostom, in the earlier part of his treatise, de Institutione Divinarum Litteraram cap. 8. (opp. t. ii. p. 543 ed. Rotom. 1679) in describing a volume of S. Paul’s Epistles, in which 13 of the Epistles had a good commentary, goes on, “But in regard to the Epistle to the Hebrews which S. John Bishop of Constantinople treated of in Greek in 34 homilies, we have caused Mutianus, a most eloquent man, to translate them into Latin, that the order of the Epistles might not be unduly broken off.”
To Cassiodorus then we owe the Latin version of Mutianus which has come down to us, and which, translated from the older form of text, has been a great assistance in the editing. It is often quoted in the footnotes. In p. 167 there is also given an extract from the 13th Homily by Facundus, an African Bishop, who lived about the same time with Mutianus, but who apparently translated the passage into Latin for himself.
The short-hand writer, who took down these Homilies and thus preserved them to us, is not unknown to us. It is S. Chrysostom’s dearly-loved friend the Priest Constantine or Constantius. For the title is, Homilies of S. John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople on the Epistle to the Hebrews, published after his decease from notes by Constantine Presbyter of Antioch.
At the beginning of S. Chrysostom’s exile in 404, when he was in Nicæa, in a Letter which he wrote to Constantius about a mission which he had set on foot at Phœnicia (Ep. 121 t. iii. pp. 721, 722 ed. Montf.), he begs him “not to cease having a care for the Churches of Phœnicia and Arabia and the east, and to write to” S. Chrysostom “quite often, and tell him how many Churches had been built in a year and what holy men had gone into Phœnicia.” Soon after, Constantius seems to have asked leave of S. Chrysostom to join him; for in his 13th letter to Olympias on arriving at Cocussus or Cucusus in Cappadocia, now Goksyn, his bitter place of exile, S. Chrysostom says, (ib. p. 594) “My Lord, the most pious priest Constantius, “would fain have been here long ago, for he wrote to me begging that I would let him come.” About this time, perhaps while Constantius was on his actual journey to Cucusus, S. Chrysostom writes to him (Ep. 225 p. 724), grieved at not having heard from him, and speaks of their great love for each other and of Constantius’ goodness to the poor, the fatherless and widows: soon after he writes from Cucusus to Elpidius bishop of Laodicea (Ep. 114 p. 656), “the most reverend priests Constantius and Euethius are here with us.” There are extant two Letters of Constantius, one of them to his mother, written while he was companion of S. Chrysostom there (pp. 731 and 734). In the course of this banishment S. Chrysostom writes (Ep. 123 pp. 663, 664) about this Phœnician mission to “the priests and monks in Phœnicia, who were instructing the Gentiles there,” encouraging them in their work, and saying that he had given orders that all their expenses “in clothing, shoes and support of the brethren should be bountifully supplied,” and adds that they will know about his affairs from Constantius’ letter. In a letter to Gerontius (Ep. 54 p. 623) written during this exile about the mission in Phœnicia, S. Chrysostom says that he had intrusted Constantius to give Gerontius all he needed whether “for building or for the needs of the brethren.”
To Constantius’ piety we owe the preservation of these Homilies. One very special value of them lies in the pious fervent exhortation at the end of each, on Penitence, Almsgiving, or whatever S. Chrysostom had at the time chiefly in mind, breathing forth words from a heart, filled with the Love of GOD and that longed for his flock to partake it.
HOM. 1
on sin and Almsgiving
2
on high thoughts and on poverty and wealth
3
on God’s gifts to each
4
on heathen practices at funerals
5
on temptation
6
on Heaven
7
on old age
8
on study of Scriptures
9
on Penitence and confession of our sins
10
on relieving distress
11
on Almsgiving and giving to beggars
12
on free-will and Penitence
13
on not postponing Baptism and on a right life
14
on Thought of GOD and earnest prayer
15
on sin-enslavement and on untimely laughter
16
on dwelling in Heaven
17
on worthily receiving Holy Communion
18
on the Might of Poverty
19
on the great Gain of loving one’s neighbour
20
on slavery to possessions and on Thankfulness
21
on gossip
22
on seeking GOD, on His Protection and enduring Temptation
23
on the loss of GOD
24
on the acquirement of Virtue
25
on not caring for things of the world nor partaking with the covetous
26
on loyalty to GOD
27
on the might of Prayer and on minding us that we are sinners
28
value of Affliction and on simplicity of life and adornment of the soul
29
on the Peril of Luxury
30
on helping each other in way of salvation
31
on Penitence and keeping in mind our sins
32
on the Might of mercifulness to others
33
on the value of affliction, trial, poverty, and on Thankfulness
34
on using with intensity of mind and purpose, the Grace of the SPIRIT.
After the publication of Dr. Field’s text (Bibliotheca Patrum Ecclesiae Catholicae Qui ante Orientis et Occidentis schisma floruerunt, tom vii. Oxonii 1862) the translation was again very carefully revised by that text by the Rev. Dr. BARROW, Principal of S. Edmund Hall: he also wrote heads for the present Preface. The headings were given (as far as could be done) in the MS. and many of them have been retained; others, fitting in less well with the printed page, seemed to need a little modification. For an occasional note enclosed in brackets, the son of the one remaining Editor of the Library is responsible.
P. E. PUSEY.
OXFORD, MAY 1877.