Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Series 2 - The Still Small ...

nothing to divide nor to cut asunder the eternal conjunction. No age intervenes, nor yet
can our soul entertain a thought of separation as though the Only-begotten were not ever
with the Father, or the Holy Ghost not co-existent with the Son. Whenever then we conjoin
the Trinity, be careful not to imagine the Three as parts of one undivided thing, but receive
the idea of the undivided and common essence of three perfect incorporeal [existences].
Wherever is the presence of the Holy Spirit, there is the indwelling of Christ: wherever
Christ is, there the Father is present. ‘Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you ?’” 621
First of the Homilies on moral topics come I. and II. on Fasting. The former is of uncontested
genuineness. Erasmus rejected the latter, but it is accepted without hesitation by
Garnier, Maran, and Ceillier, and is said by the last named to be quoted as Basil’s by John
of Damascus and Symeon Logothetes. From Homily I. two passages are cited by St. Augustine
against the Pelagians. 622 The text is Ps. lxxx. 3. “Reverence,” says one passage, 623 “the hoary
head of fasting. It is coæval with mankind. Fasting was ordained in Paradise. The first injunction
was delivered to Adam, ‘Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt
not eat.’ 624 ‘Thou shalt not eat’ is a law of fasting and abstinence.” The general argument
is rather against excess than in support of ceremonial abstinence. In Paradise there was no
wine, no butchery of beasts, no eating of flesh. Wine came in after the flood. Noah became
drunk because wine was new to him. So fasting is older than drunkenness. Esau was defiled,
and made his brother’s slave, for the sake of a single meal. It was fasting and prayer which
gave Samuel to Hannah. Fasting brought forth Samson. Fasting begets prophets, strengthens
strong men. Fasting makes lawgivers wise, is the soul’s safeguard, the body’s trusty comrade,
the armour of the champion, the training of the athlete.
The conclusion is a warning against mere carnal abstinence. 625 “Beware of limiting the
good of fasting to mere abstinence from meats. Real fasting is alienation from evil. ‘Loose
the bands of wickedness.’ 626 Forgive your neighbour the mischief he has done you. Forgive
him his trespasses against you. Do not ‘fast for strife and debate.’ 627 You do not devour
flesh, but you devour your brother. You abstain from wine, but you indulge in outrages.
You wait for evening before you take food, but you spend the day in the law courts. Wo to
those who are ‘drunken, but not with wine.’ 628 Anger is the intoxication of the soul, and
621 1 Cor. vi. 19.
622 August. in Julian. i. 18.
623 § 3.
624 Gen. iii. 17.
625 § 10.
626 Is. lviii. 6.
627 Is. lviii. 4.
628 Is. li. 21.
Homiletical.
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