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Homily 33
Complete historical editorial footnotes. These notes retain the original edition’s wording; individual note authors are unspecified.
English translation and editorial credits: Sir George Prevost, M. B. Riddle.
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For the story of Plato’s slavery, see Diogen. Laertius, lib. 3; St. Chrys. in 1 Cor. Hom. IV. sec. 9; and Plutarch (as there quoted) in his Life of Dion; as to its authenticity, see Mitford’s Greece, iv. c. 31, sec. 8.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 33, editorial note cite_note-15 · Original source
5. Where now is Plato? Where Pythagoras? Where the long chainof the Stoics? For the first, after having enjoyed great honor, was so practically refuted, as even to be sold out of the country,and to succeed in none of his objects, no, not go much as in respect of one tyrant: yea, he betrayed his disciples, and ended his life miserably. And the Cynics, mere pollutions as they were, have all passed by like a dream and a shadow. And yet assuredly no such thing ever befell them, but rather they were accounted glorious for their heathen philosophy, and the Athenians made a public monument of the epistles of Plato, sent them by Dion; and they passed all their time at ease, and abounded in wealth not a little. Thus, for instance, Aristippus was used to purchase costly harlots; and another made a will, leaving no common inheritance; and another, when his disciples had laid themselves down like a bridge, walked on them; and he of Sinope, they say, even behaved himself unseemly in the market place.
[R.V., “be not anxious.”]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 33, editorial note cite_note-9 · Original source
“But when they deliver you up, take no thoughthow or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.”
Job xxxi. 25, 24, LXX.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 33, editorial note cite_note-20 · Original source
And if thou wouldest see his ways of exercise also, hear him saying, how he used to despise wealth: “If I did but rejoice,” saith he, “because my wealth was great: if I set gold up for a heap, if I put my trust in a precious stone.” Therefore neither was he confounded at their being taken away, since he desired them not when present.
Job xlii. 5, 6, LXX.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 33, editorial note cite_note-32 · Original source
I admire again the three children, for that they dared the furnace, that they stood up against a tyrant. But hear what they say, “We serve not thy Gods, nor worship the image which thou hast set up.” A thing which was the greatest encouragement to them, to know of a certainty that for God they are suffering all whatsoever they suffer. But this man knew not that it was all conflicts, and a wrestling; for had he known it, he would not have felt what was happening. At any rate, when he heard, “Thinkest thou that I have uttered to thee mine oracles for nought, or that thou mightest be proved righteous?”consider how straightway, at a bare word, he breathed again, how he made himself of no account, how he accounted himself not so much as to have suffered what he had suffered, thus saying, “Why do I plead any more, being admonished and reproved of the Lord, hearing such things, I being nothing?” And again, “I have heard of Thee before, as far as hearing of the ear; but now mine eye hath seen Thee; wherefore I have made myself vile, and have melted away; and I accounted myself earth and ashes.”