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

The creation of luminous bodies.
Homily VI.
1. At the shows in the circus the spectator must join in the efforts of the athletes. This
the laws of the show indicate, for they prescribe that all should have the head uncovered
when present at the stadium. The object of this, in my opinion, is that each one there should
not only be a spectator of the athletes, but be, in a certain measure, a true athlete himself. 1565
Thus, to investigate the great and prodigious show of creation, to understand supreme and
ineffable wisdom, you must bring personal light for the contemplation of the wonders which
I spread before your eyes, and help me, according to your power, in this struggle, where you
are not so much judges as fellow combatants, 1566 for fear lest the truth might escape you,
and lest my error might turn to your common prejudice. Why these words? It is because
we propose to study the world as a whole, and to consider the universe, not by the light of
worldly wisdom, but by that with which God wills to enlighten His servant, when He speaks
to him in person and without enigmas. It is because it is absolutely necessary that all lovers
of great and grand shows should bring a mind well prepared to study them. If sometimes,
on a bright night, 1567 whilst gazing with watchful eyes on the inexpressible beauty of the
stars, you have thought of the Creator of all things; if you have asked yourself who it is that
has dotted heaven with such flowers, and why visible things are even more useful than
beautiful; if sometimes, in the day, you have studied the marvels of light, if you have raised
yourself by visible things to the invisible Being, then you are a well prepared auditor, and
you can take your place in this august and blessed amphitheatre. Come in the same way
that any one not knowing a town is taken by the hand and led through it; thus I am going
to lead you, like strangers, through the mysterious marvels of this great city of the universe.
1568 Our first country was in this great city, whence the murderous dæmon whose
1565 In the Theatrum spectators might be covered. cf. Mart. xiv. 29: “In Pompeiano tectus spectabo theatro;
Nam ventus populo vela negare solet.” cf. Dion Cassius lix. 7. These passages may, however, indicate exceptional
cases.
1566 cf. Greg., In Ez.: Propter bonos auditores malis doctoribus sermo datur: et propter malos auditores bonis
doctoribus sermo subtrahitur.
1567 “By night an atheist half believes in God.” Young, N.T. v. 177. cf. also Cic., De nat. Deor. ii. 38: Quis
enim hunc hominem dixerit, qui tam certos cœli motus, tam ratos astrorum ordines, tamque omnia ister se connexa
et apta viderit, neget in his ullam inesse rationem, eaque casu fieri dicat, quæ quanto consilio gerantur, nullo
consilio assequi possumus.
The creation of luminous bodies.
1568 cf. Cic., De Nat. Deor. ii. 62. Est enim mundus quasi communis deorum atque hominum domus, aut urbs
utrorumque. Soli etiam ratione utentes, jure ac lege vivunt. Bp. Lightfoot quotes in illustration of Phil. iii. 20,
Philo, De Conf. i. 416, M. πατρίδα μὲν τὸν οὐράνιον χῶρον ἐν ᾧ πολιτεύονται ξένον δὲ τὸν περίγειον ἐν ᾧ
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