Psalm 120 (Vulgate 119)

1. Ver. 1. The Psalm which we have just heard chanted, and have responded to with our voices, is short, and very profitable. Ye will not long toil in hearing, nor will ye toil fruitlessly in working. For it is, according to the title prefixed to it, A song of degrees. In Greek it is written, &va|3a0p5v. Degrees are either of ascent or of decent. But degrees, as they are used in this Psalm, are of ascending. Let us understand it therefore as men who are resolved to ascend: and let us not seek ascent with our bodily feet, but, as it is written in another Psalm, He hath set steps of ascent in his heart, in the vale of misery, towards the place that He hath ordered. He saith, steps of ascent: where? in the heart. Whence? from the vale of misery. Now whither we ascend, since human language faileth, we cannot unfold, nor even imagine. Ye heard but now, when the Apostle was being read, the words, Which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard9 nor hath it ascended into the heart of man. It hath not ascended into the heart of man: let man's heart ascend thither. Since therefore eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it ascended into the heart of man; how can it be said whither we must ascend? Since therefore it was impossible to utter this, he said, unto the place which He hath ordered. What more shall I tell thee, saith he, through whom the Holy Spirit spoke? unto such or such a place? Whatever I should say, thou thinkest of some earthly spot, thou crawlest on the ground, thou flesh: the corruptible body weigheth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle presseth down the mind that museth upon many things. Unto whom shall I speak? Who will hear? Who will understand, where we shall be after this life, if we ascend in heart? Since then no one can conceive of this; hope for some ineffable realm of bliss, which He hath fixed for thee who set steps of ascent in thy heart. But where? In the vale of misery. A vale signifieth humility: a mountain signifieth loftiness. There is a mountain whither we may ascend, a kind of spiritual loftiness. And what is this mountain, whither we ascend, save our Lord Jesus Christ? He Himself made for thee, by suffering, a vale of misery, Who made, by His abiding, a mountain of ascent. What is a vale of misery? The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. What is a rale of misery? He giveth His cheek to him that smiteth Him: He is Jilted full with reproach. What is a vale of misery? He was buffeted, spit upon, crowned with thorns, crucified. This is the vale of misery whence thou must ascend. But whither must thou ascerfd? In the beginning was the Word, and the0**, Word was with God, and the Word was God. For the Word Himself was made flesh, and dwelt among us. He so descended unto thee, as still to abide in Himself: He descended unto thee, so as to become for thee a vale of misery: He abode in Himself, that He might be for thee a mountain of ascent There will be, saith Isaiah, in the last days, the mountain of the Lord set forth on the top of the mountains. Behold, whither we must ascend. But conceive not any thing earthly, nor, because thou hast heard of a mountain, think of the high places of the earth: nor, when thou hearest a stone or a rock mentioned, understand hardness; nor, wheu thou hearest of a lion, imagine ferocity: nor, when thou hearest of a lamb, think of a brute animal, There is none of these in Him, and He became all these for thy sake. Hence therefore we must ascend, thitherward we must ascend; from His example, unto His Divinity. For He made Himself an example by humbling Himself. For they who refused to ascend from the vale of misery, were rebuked by Him. For they wished to ascend too rapidly, they thought of exalted honour, they thought not of the path of humility. Beloved brethren, understand ye what I mean: the two disciples wished to sit at their Lord's side, one at the right, the other at the left: the Lord saw that they were too hastily, and out of due order, thinking of honours, when they ought first to have learnt humiliation, that they might be exalted; and said unto them, Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? For He was to drink the cup21,22" of His Passiou in the vale of misery; while they, not heeding Christ's humiliation, wished to attain the loftiness of Christ. He recalled them unto the way, as wanderers; not meaning to deny them what they wished, but to shew them the path whereby to attain it.

2. Let us therefore, my brethren, chant this Psalm of ascension, ourselves resolved to ascend in heart; for He descended unto us that we might ascend. Jacob saw a ladder, and some appeared unto him ascending and descending; he saw both. We may conceive that those who were seen to ascend, were those who were spiritually progressing; those who were seen to descend, those who were falling off; for we actually find this in the people of God:# some progress, others fall back. This ladder might signify the latter: but perhaps it is better to understand all as good men on that ladder, both in those who were ascending and in those who were descending. For it is not without a meaning that the word descending is used instead of falling. There is a wide difference between these two words. For because Adam fell, therefore Christ descended: the one fell, the other descended: the one fell from pride, the other descended in mercy. But He did not alone descend: though indeed He alone descended from heaven: but many saints in imitation of Him descend unto us, and have descended unto us. For the Apostle was dwelling in a kind of loftiness of heart, when he said, Whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God. In his mental transport, he was transported unto God. Transported in his mind beyond all human frailty, all the temporal interests of the world, all the things which, in alternate birth and death, vanish away, all these transitory things; he dwelt in heart in a certain ineffable contemplation, as far as he was able, of which he saith, that he heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. He could not reveal these words to thee: yet he could see those things in a degree, which he could not reveal to thee. If therefore he chose ever to remain in that which he saw, and could not describe, he could not raise thee where thou also couldest see. But what did he do? He descended. Vox he there saith, For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your sake. What meaneth, whether we be sober f Whether we speak so that you may understand. For Christ also made Himself so by His Birth and Passion, that men might speak of Him: for a man easily speaketh of a man. When can man so speak of God, as God Is? But man speaketh easily of man. That the great, therefore, might descend unto the humble, and yet might tell them nought save great things; He Who was great, became humble, that the great might speak of Him to the humble. Ye have just heard what I am speaking, whilst the Apostle was being read. If ye heeded, he said this; I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. To the spiritual therefore H% speaketh in lofty terms; but, that he may speak to the carnal, he descendeth. And that ye may be sure that when he descendeth, he speaketh of Him Who descended; behold, John speaketh of Him abiding in Himself: In the bet/inning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word teas God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. Take this, if thou canst; take it eagerly, it is food. But thou wilt answer me, That indeed is meat, but I am an infant, I must be suckled with milk, that I may be fit to eat meat. Since thou then roust be nourished with meat, and He is meat, this Meat hath been through the flesh brought unto thy mouth. As the mother, therefore, doth eat the meat, that she may through the flesh transmit it to her infant when it hath become milk; so the Lord, the Word, the Food of Augels, was made flesh, and became milk; and the Apostle saith, / have fed you with milk, and not with meat, for hitherto* ye were not able to bear it, nor yet are ye able. By giving milk, then, he descended unto the infants: and in descending, gave Him Who descended. For he saith, Did I say that I knew anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and'1' Him crucified? For if he said only, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is also after His Divine Nature, in that He was the Word with God, Jesus Christ the Son of God: but infants understand Him not thus, that is, spoken of in this character. How then do they who take milk, receive Him? Jesus Christ, he saith, and Him crucified. Suck thou that which He became for thee, and thou growest unto that which He Is. There are therefore both those who ascend and those who descend on that ladder. Who are they that ascetic)? They who progress towards the understanding of things spiritual. Who are they that descend? They who, although, as far as men may, they enjoy the comprehension of things spiritual: nevertheless, descend unto the infants, to say to them such things as they can receive, so that, after being nourished with milk, they may become fitted and strong enough to take spiritual meat. Isaiah, my brethren, himself was one of those who descend unto us: for the very steps of his descent are clearly traceable. For when he said of the Holy Spirit, TJie Spirit of wisdom and understanding shall rest upon him, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; he began with wisdom, and descended unto fear. As he who taught, descended from wisdom unto fear; thou who learnest, if thou art profiting, ascend from fear unto wisdom; for it is written, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.. Now therefore hear ye the Psalm. Let us place before our eyes a man who is about to ascend. To ascend wherein? in heart. Whence? From humility, that is, from the vale of misery. To ascend whither? To that unspeakable bliss, which, since it could not be named, is described as the place that He hath fixed.

3. When therefore a man hath commenced thus to order his ascent; to speak more plainly, when a Christian hath begun to think of spiritual amendment, he beginneth to suffer the tongues of adversaries. Whoever hath not yet suffered from them, hath not yet made progress; whoever suffereth them not, doth not even endeavour to improve. Doth he wish to know what we mean? Let him at the same time experience what is reported of us. Let him begin to improve, let him begin to wish to ascend, to wish to despise earthly, fragile, temporal objects, to hold worldly happiness for nothing, to think of God alone, not to rejoice in gain, not to pine at losses, to wish even to sell all his substance, and distribute it among the poor, and to follow Christ; let us see how he suffereth the tongues of detractors and of constant opponents, and — a still greater peril — of pretended counsellors, who lead him astray from salvation. For whoever counselleth another, counselleth him with a view to his salvation, counselleth him for his own good; but the feigned adviser draweth him back from salvation. Because, therefore, he seemeth to be wrapped in the robe of a counsellor, and hath the poison of a murderer, he is styled the deceitful tongue. He then, who will ascend, first of all prayeth God against these very tongues: for he saith, When I was in trouble, I called on the Lord; and He heard me. Why did He hear him? That He might now place him at the steps of ascent.

4. Ver.^. And since now that he is resolved to rise, he hath been heard: what doth he pray? Deliver my soul, O Lord, from unrighteous lips, and from a deceitful tongue. What is a deceitful tongue? A treacherous tongue, one that hath the semblance of counsel, and the bane of real mischief. Such are those who say, And wilt thou do this, that nobody doth? Wilt thou be the only Christian? And if he shall shew that others do this, and hath quoted the Gospel where the Lord hath enjoined it to be done, or read the Acts of the Apostles: what do they say with their deceitful tongue and unrighteous lips? "You will probably be unable to fulfil it: it is too much that you attempt." Some deter by dissuasion, others discourage yet more by their praise. For since such is the life that hath for some time been diffused over the world, so great is the authority of Christ, that not even a pagan ventureth to blame Christ. He Who cannot be censured is read. He Who said, Go and sell that thou hast. and give to the poor, and follow Me: they cannot contradict Christ, they cannot coutradict the Gospel, Christ cannot be censured; the deceitful tongue turneth itself to praise as an hindrance. If thou praisest, exhort. Why dost thou discourage with thy praise? Thou wouldest better blame, than deceitfully praise. For what wouldest thou say if thou didst blame? God forbid! this is a foul life, an evil life! But as thou knowest that, if thou sayest this, thou may est be pressed with the authority of the Gospel; thou turnest thyself to another mode of dissuasion, that by false praise, thou mayest turn me away from true praise; nay, that by praising Christ, thou mayest keep me away from Christ, saying, What is this? Behold these men have done this: thou, perhaps, wilt not be able: thou beginnest to ascend, thou fallest. It seemeth to warn thee: it is the serpent, it is the deceitful tongue, it hath poison. Pray against it, if thou wishest to ascend, and say unto thy God, Lord, deliver my soul from unrighteous lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

5. Ver. 3, 5. And thy Lord saith unto thee, What shall be given thee, or what shall be set before thee, against the deceitful tongue? What shall be given thee, that is, as a weapon to oppose to the deceitful tongue, to guard thyself against the deceitful tongue? What shall be given thee, or what shall be set before thee? He asketh to try thee: for He will answer His own question. For He answers following up his own enquiry, even sharp arrows of the Mighty One, with coals that desolate, or that lag waste. They that desolate, or that lay waste, (for it is variously written in different copies,) are the same, because by laying waste, as ye may observe, they easily lead unto desolation. What are these coals? First, beloved brethren, understand what are arrows. The sharp arrows of the Might y One, are the words of God. Lo, they are shot, and they transfix hearts: but when hearts have been tranfixed by the arrows of God's word, love is roused, not destruction brought about. The Lord knoweth how to shoot arrows of love: and no one more graciously shooteth arrows of love, than he who shooteth with the Word; yea, He shooteth the heart of him that loveth, that He may aid the loving; He shooteth, that He may make him loving. Arrows they are, when we plead with words. What then are the coals that lay waste? It is not enough to plead with words against a deceitful tongue and unrighteous lips: it is not enough to plead with words; we must plead with examples also. The coals that lag waste are the examples. Wherefore they be styled coals, beloved brethren, briefly hear. First, consider, how we should deal with examples. The deceitful tongue, the more deceitful it is, knoweth nothing so well to allege, as this: "consider that thou mayest not be able to fulfil this duty; for it is a hard task for thee to attempt it." Thou hast received the evangelical precept, thou hast the arrow; but thou hast not as yet the coals. It is to be feared lest the arrow alone may not avail to guard thee against the deceitful tongue; there are the hot coals also. For instance, suppose God beginneth to say unto thee, Thou canst not; wherefore can that man? Wherefore could the other? Art thou more delicate than that Senator? Art thou weaker than this man or that in health? Art thou weaker than women? Women have been able, are not men able? delicate wealthy men have been able, are poor men not able? But I, he replieth, have sinned greatly, and am a great sinner. They also who hare greatly sinned are mentioned: and the more that bath been forgiven theiu, the more have they loved: as it is said in ths Gospel, To whom little /Lufce7, forgiven, the same loveth Utile. Since these things have47 been mentioned, and men have been named who have succeeded, he, when he hath received the arrow in his heart, with the ffot coals that lay waste in addition, hath his earthly thoughts therein laid waste. What doth this word, Maid waste/ mean? Is brought unto desolation* For there were many things in him which had bloomed with rank luxuriance, many carnal thoughts, many secular affections: these are burned with the eoals that lay waste, that the place thus made desolate may be cleared, in whose clean space God may build His House; for the devil there hath come to ruin, and Christ is now built there: for as long as the devil abideth there, Christ cannot be built. The coals that lay waste come thither, and throw down what had been built for evil, and when the spot hath been made desolate, a structure of perpetual bliss is raised. Consider therefore why they are called hot coals. Because they who turn themselves unto the Lord, live again from the dead. They that are coals when they are set on fire, before they were set on fire, were extinguished. Extinguished coals are called dead; burning coals are called live. The word coals, then, is used to express the examples of many sinners converted to the Lord. Thou nearest men wonder, and say, I knew that man, how addieted he was to drinking, what a villain, what a lover of the circus, or of the amphitheatre, what a cheat: now how he serveth God, how innocent he hath become! Wonder not; he is a live coal. Thou rejoicest that he is alive, whom thou wast mourning as dead. But when thou praisest the living, if thou knowest how to praise, apply him to the dead, that he may be inflamed; whosoever is still slow to follow God, apply to him the coal which was extinguished, and have the arrow of God's word, and the coal that layeth waste, that thou mayest meet the deceitful tongue and the lying lips.

6. What followeth? This man bath received the burning arrows, let him receive the eoals that lay waste,. lie now repelleth the deceitful tongue and the unrighteous lips, he 466 The Righteous sojourn from home among the wicked. n°W ascen{^e*n a steP> be beginneth to improve: but he still 1liveth among wicked, unrighteous men: the floor hath not yet been winnowed: suppose he hath become wheat, yet is he in the barn? It is needful that he be crowded with much chaff; and the more he improveth, the greater offences doth he see in the people. For if he were not improving, he would not discern iniquities; if he be not a faithful Christian himself, he seeth not the hypocrites. The Lord, mySrethren, teacheth us this lesson from that parable also, concerning the corn and the tares. But when the blade had sprung up9 and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also; that is, that the wicked appear unto no man, save he himself hath become good; for when the blade had sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. He therefore now beginneth to amend, and beginneth to see the wicked, and many evils which he had not known before, and crieth unto the Lord: (ver. 5.) Alas, that my sojourning is become far off! It hath departed far from Thee: my pilgrimage hath become a far one. I have not yet reached that country, where I shall live with no wicked person; I have not yet reached that company of Angels, where I shall not fear offences. But why am 1 not as yet there? Because my sojourning is become so far off. Sojourning is pilgrimage. He is called a sojourner who dwells in a foreign land, not in his own country. My sojourning, he saith, is become far off. And when is it far off? Sometimes, my brethren, when a man goeth abroad, he liveth among better persons, than he would perhaps live with in his own country: but it is not thus, when we go afar from that heavenly Jerusalem, For a man changeth his country, and this foreign sojourn is sometimes good for him; in travelling he findeth faithful friends, whom he could not find in his own country. He had enemies, so that he was driven from his country; and when he travelled, he found what he had not in his country. Such is not that country Jerusalem, where all are good: whoever travelleth away from thence, is among the evil; nor can he depart from the wicked, save when he shall return to the company of Angels, so as to be where he was before he travelled. There all are righteous and holy, who enjoy the word of God without reading, without letters: for They who grieve at sojourning, have begun to ascend. 467 what is written to us through pages, they perceive there through the Face of God. What a country! A great country indeed, and wretched are the wanderers from that country.

7. But what he saith, My pilgrimage hath been made distant, are the words of those, that is, of the Church herself, who toileth on this earth. It is her voice, which crieth out from the#ends of the earth in another Psalm, saying, From the ends of the earth have I cried unto Tliee. Which of us crieth from the ends of the earth? Neither I, nor thou, nor he, but the whole body of the Church, the whole inheritance of Christ crieth; for the Church is His heritage, and it is said of the Church, Desire of Me, and I shall give the heathen for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession. If therefore the possession of Christ extends to the utmost parts of the earth, and all the saiuts are the possession of Christ, and all the saints are one man in Christ, because holy unity is in Christ; this one man saith, From the ends of the earth have I called unto Thee, when my heart was in heaviness. The pilgrimage of this man, then, became distant among the wicked. And as if it were said unto him, With whom then dost thou dwell, that thou dost groan? My pilgrimage, he saith, is become far distant. But what, if it were with the good? If it were with the good, he would not say, Alas! Alas is an expression of misery, is an expression of calamity and unhappiness; but nevertheless in hope, since he hath already learnt even to groan. For many are wretched, and groan not, and wander afar, and yet are reluctant to return. This one now wishing to return, learneth the unhappiness of his wandering: since he hath recognised it, he returnetb; and beginneth to ascend, for he beginneth to sing the 4 song of steps.' Where then doth he groan, and among whom doth he dwell? / have had my habitation among the tents of Kedar. Since this is a Hebrew word, beyond doubt ye have not understood it. What meaneth, / have had my habitation among the tents of Kedar? Kedar, as far as we remember of the interpretation of Hebrew words, signifieth darkness. Kedar rendered into Latin is called tenebrat. Now ye know that Abraham had two sons, whom indeed the Apostle mentioneth, and declareth them to have been types of the two covenants: 468 The spiritual, Isaac's, the carnal, IshmaeVs children. one was the son of a bondwoman, the other of a free woman.' Ishmael was the son by the bondwoman; Isaac the son whom he received, after he had ceased to hope it, through faith, from Sarah the freewoman. Each was of the seed of Abraham: but each was not the heir of Abraham. One is born of Abraham, yet he doth not receive the heritage: the other is also the heir; not the son only, but the heir. In Ishmael are all they who carnally worship God. For unto them the old covenant also doth pertain: for the Apostle speaketh thus, Ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had twa sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. Which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants. What are the two covenants? One is the old, the other is the new. The old covenant is from God, and the new covenant is from God; as both Ishmael and Isaac were-sons of Abraham. But Ishmael belongeth to the earthly, Isaac to the heavenly, kingdom. Therefore the old covenant hath earthly promises, an earthly Jerusalem, an earthly Palestine, an earthly kingdom, an earthly salvation, the subjugation of enemies, abundance of sons, exuberance of fruits. All these things are earthly promises. They are understood spiritually as figurative, as the earthly Jerusalem was the shadow of the heavenly kingdom, and the earthly kingdom was the shadow of the kingdom of heaven. Ishmael was in the shadow, Isaac in the light. If then Ishmael was in the shadow, it is no wonder that there was darkness there. For darkness is only a deeper shadow. Ishmael therefore was in darkness, Isaac in light. Whoever here also seek earthly felicity in the Church, from God, shall belong to Ishmael. These are the very persons who gainsay the spiritual ones who are progressing, and detract from them, and have deceitful tongues and unrighteous lips. Against these the Psalmist, when ascending, prayed, and hot coals that lay waste, and swift and sharp arrows of the Mighty One, were given him for his defence. For among these he still liveth, until the whole floor be winnowed: he therefore said, / have dwelt among the tents of Kedar. The tents of Ishmael are called those of Kedar. Thus the book of Genesis hath it: thus it hath, that Kedar belongeth unto Ishmael. Isaac therefore is with Ishmael: that is, they who belong unto Isaac, live among those who belong unto Ishmael. These wish to rise above, those wish to press them downwards: these wish to fly unto God, those endeavour to pluck their wings. For with the Apostle it is thus spoken; But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now. spiritual then suffer persecution fioni the carnal. But what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not bef^*'21' heir with the son of the freewoman. When will this word, * cast out,' be fulfilled? When the floor shall begin to be winnowed. But at present, before he be cast out, Alas me! that my sojourning hath become far off. I have dwelt with the tents of Kedar. And he explaineth uuto us, who are they who belong to the tents of Kedar.

8. Ver. 6. My soul hath wandered much. Lest thou shouldest understand bodily wandering, he hath said that the soul wandered. The body wauderelh in places, the soul wandereth in its affections. If thou love the earth, thou wanderest from God: if thou lovest God, thou risest unto God. Let us be exercised in the love of God, and of our neighbour, that we may return unto charity. If we fall towards the earth, we wither and decay. But one descended unto this one who had fallen, in order that he might arise. Speaking of the time of his wandering, he said that he wandered iu the tents of Kedar. Wherefore? Because my soul hath wandered much. He wandereth there where he ascendeth. He wandereth not in the body, he riseth not in the body. But wherein doth he ascend? The ascent, he saith, is in the heart. If therefore he ascendeth in heart, it is only the soul which wandered that ascendeth through the ascent of the heart. But until be arrive, My soul hath wandered much. Where? In the tents of Kedar.

9. Ver. 7. With them that hated peace, 1 was peaceful. But howsoever ye may hear, most beloved brethren, ye will not be able to test how truly ye sing, unless ye have begun to do that which ye sing. How much soever I say this, in whatsoever ways I may expound it, in whatsoever words I may turn it, it entereth not into the heart of him in whom Then tears flow forth at each word, then the Psalm is sung, and the heart doeth what is sung in the Psalm. For how many sound in words, and are remote in heart? and how many are silent in their lips, and cry forth in their feelings! Because the ears of God are unto mau's heart: even as the ears of the body unto the month of man, so is the heart of man to the ears of God. Many whose mouths Ste closed are heard, and many, though they cry loudly, are not heard. We ought to pray with our feelings, and to say, My soul hath wandered much: with them that hate jjeace, I was peaceful. For what else say we to these heretics1, save, Learn peace, love peace? Ye call yourselves righteous. But if ye were righteous, ye would groan as wheat among chaff. For since there are ears of wheat in the Catholic Church, and they are true ears; therefore they endure the chaff, until the floor be threshed; because they cry among the chaff, Alas me! that my sojourning hath been made far off! I have dwelt with the tents of Kedar! I have dwelt, he saith, with chaff. But as much dust goeth out of the chaff, so darkness goeth forth from Kedar. / have dwelt with the tents of Kedar; my soul hath wandered much. These are the words of the ears of wheat, groaning among the chaff. This we say to them that hate peace: With those, we say, that hated peace, was I peaceful. Who are they who hate peace? They who tear asunder unity. For had they not hated peace, they would have abode in unity. But they separated themselves, forsooth on this account, that they might be righteous, that they might not have the ungodly mixed with them. These words are either ours or theirs: decide whose. The Catholic Church saith, Unity must not be lost, the Church of God must not be cut off. God will judge afterwards of the wicked and the good. If the evil cannot now be separated from the good, they must be endured for a season: the wicked may be with us on the floor, in the barn they cannot be. And perhaps they who to-day appear evil, to-morrow will be good; and they who to-day pride themselves in their goodness, will to-morrow be discovered to be evil. Whoever therefore beareth with the wicked for a season humbly, he shall reach everlasting repose. This is the Catholic voice. But what are the words of those, who understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm? — Touch no unclean thing: and, Who-soever hath touched an unclean thing, the same is unclean: let us separate ourselves, that we may not be mingled with the evil. And we say unto them, Love peace, love unity. Are ye ignorant from how many good men ye are separated, while ye* slanderously call them wicked? They rage, aud storm, when we speak thus: for they seek even to slay us. Their attempts, their snares, have often been disclosed. While therefore we live among their snares, and while they unto whom we say, Love ye peace, are our foes; are not these our words, With them that, hated peace, I was peaceful? When I spoke unto them, they made war upon me for nought. What meaneth, brethren, they made war upon me? It was not even enough, without he added, for nought Unto whom we say, Love peace, love Christ: do we say, Love and honour us? But, Honour Christ, we wish not ourselves to be honoured, but Him. For what are we to the Apostle Paul? He nevertheless said to those babes, whom evil men and evil advisers wished to cut off from unity into schisms: Was Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized^ in the name of Paul? This we also say: Love ye peace, love ye Christ. For if they love peace, they love Christ. When therefore we say, Love ye peace, we say this, Love ye Christ. Wherefore? For the Apostle saith of Christ, He is our peace, Who hath made both one. IfEph.2, Christ is therefore peace, because He hath made both one: why have ye made two of one? How then are ye peacemakers, if, when Christ maketh one of two, ye make two of one? But since we say these things, we are peace-makers with them that hate peace; and yet they who hate peace, wlieu we spake to them, made war on us for nought.