"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even
their
women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust one towards another."
ALL these affections then were vile, but chiefly the mad lust after
males; for the soul is more the sufferer in sins, and more
dishonored, than the body in diseases. But behold how here too, as
in the case of the doctrines, he deprives them of excuse, by saying
of the women, that "they changed the natural use." For no one,
he
means, can say that it was by being hindered of legitimate
intercourse that they came to this pass, or that it was from having no
means to fulfil their desire that they were driven into this monstrous
insaneness. For the changing implies possession. Which also when
discoursing upon the doctrines he said, "They changed the truth of
God for a lie." And with regard to the men again, he shows the same
thing by saying, "Leaving the natural use of the woman." And
in a
like way with those, these he also puts out of all means of defending
themselves by charging them not only that they had the means of
gratification, and left that which they had, and went after another, but
that having dishonored that which was natural, they ran after that
which was contrary to nature.
But that which is contrary to nature
hath in it an irksomeness and displeasingness, so that they could
not fairly allege even pleasure. For genuine pleasure is that which is
according to nature. But when God hath left one, then all things are
turned upside down. And thus not only was their doctrine Satanical,
but their life too was diabolical. Now when he was discoursing of
their doctrines, he put before them the world and man's
understanding, telling them that, by the judgment afforded them by
God, they might through the things which are seen, have been led as
by the hand to the Creator, and then by not willing to do so, they
remained inexcusable. Here in the place of the world he sets the
pleasure according to nature, which they would have enjoyed with
more sense of security and greater glad-heartedness, and so have
been far removed from shameful deeds. But they would not; whence
they are quite out of the pale of pardon, and have done an insult to
nature itself. And a yet more disgraceful thing than these is it, when
even the women seek after these intercourses, who ought to have
more sense of shame than men. And here too the judgment of Paul
is worthy of admiration, how having fallen upon two opposite
matters he accomplishes them both with all exactness. For he
wished both to speak chastely and to sting the hearer. Now both
these things were not in his power to do, but one hindered the other.
For if you speak chastely you shall not be able to bear hard upon the
hearer. But if you are minded to touch him to the quick, you are
forced to lay the naked facts before him in plain terms. But his
discreet and holy soul was able to do both with exactness, and by
naming nature has at once given additional force to his accusation,
and also used this as a sort of veil, to keep the chasteness of his
description. And next, having reproached the women first, he goes
on to the men also, and says, "And likewise also the men leaving
the
natural use of the woman." Which is an evident proof of the last
degree of corruptness, when both sexes are abandoned, and both he
that was ordained to be the instructor of the woman, and she who
was bid to become an helpmate to the man, work the deeds of
enemies against one another. And reflect too how significantly he
uses his words. For he does not say that they were enamoured of,
and lusted after one another, but, "they burned in their lust one
toward another." You see that the whole of desire comes of an
exorbitancy which endureth not to abide within its proper limits. For
everything which transgresseth the laws by God appointed, lusteth
after monstrous things and not those which be customary. For as
many oftentimes having left the desire of food get to feed upon earth
and small stones, and others being possessed by excessive thirst
often long even for mire, thus these also ran into this ebullition of
lawless love. But if you say, and whence came this intensity of lust?
It was from the desertion of God: and whence is the desertion of
God? from the lawlessness of them that left Him; "men with men
working that which is unseemly." Do not, he means, because you
have heard that they burned, suppose that the evil was only in
desire. For the greater part of it came of their luxuriousness, which
also kindled into flame their lust. And this is why he did not say
being swept along or being overtaken, an expression he uses
elsewhere; but what? working. They made a business of the sin, and
not only a business, but even one zealously followed up. And he
called it not lust, but that which is unseemly, and that properly? For
they both dishonored nature, and trampled on the laws. And see the
great confusion which fell out on both side. For not only was the
head turned downwards but the feet too were upwards, and they
became enemies to themselves and to one another, bringing in a
pernicious kind of strife, and one even more lawless than any civil
war, and one rife in divisions, and of varied form. For they divided
this into four new, and lawless kinds. Since (3 Mss. whence) this war
was not twofold or threefold, but even fourfold. Consider then. It was
meet, that the twain should he one, I mean the woman and the man.
For "the twain," it says, "shall be one flesh."
(Gen. ii. 24.) But this the desire of intercourse effected, and united
the sexes to one another. This desire the devil having taken away,
and having turned the course thereof into another fashion, he thus
sundered the sexes from one another, and made the one to become
two parts in opposition to the law of God. For it says, "the two
shall
be one flesh;" but he divided the one flesh into two: here then is
one
war. Again, these same two parts he provoked to war both against
themselves and against one another. For even women again abused
women, and not men only. And the men stood against one another,
and against the female sex, as happens in a battle by night. You see
a second and third war, and a fourth and fifth; there is also another,
for beside what have been mentioned they also behaved lawlessly
against nature itself. For when the Devil saw that this desire it is,
principally, which draws the sexes together, he was bent on cutting
through the tie, so as to destroy the race, not only by their not
copulating lawfully, but also by their being stirred up to war, and in
sedition against one another.
"And receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which
was meet." See how he goes again to the fountain head of the evil,
namely, the impiety that comes of their doctrines, and this he says is
a reward of that lawlessness. For since in speaking of hell and
punishment, it seemed he would not at present be credible to the
ungodly and deliberate choosers of such a life, but even scorned, he
shows that the punishment was in this pleasure itself. (So Plato
Theaet. p. 176, 7.) But if they perceive it not, but are still pleased,
be
not amazed. For even they that are mad, and are afflicted with
phrenzy (cf. Soph. Aj. 265-277) while doing themselves much injury
and making themselves such objects of compassion, that others
weep over them themselves smile and revel over what has
happened. Yet we do not only for this not say that they are quit of
punishment, but for this very reason are under a more grievous
vengeance, in that they are unconscious of the plight they are in. For
it is not the disordered but those who are sound whose votes one
has to gain Yet of old the matter seemed even to be a law, and a
certain law-giver among them bade the domestic slaves neither to
use unguents when dry (i.e. except in bathing) nor to keep youths,
giving the free this place of honor, or rather of shamefulness. Yet
they, however, did not think the thing shameful, but as being a grand
privilege, and one too great for slaves, the Athenian people, the
wisest of people, and Solon who is so great amongst them,
permitted it to the free alone. And sundry other books of the
philosophers may one see full of this disease. But we do not
therefore say that the thing was made lawful, but that they who
received this law were pitiable, and objects for many tears. For these
are treated in the same way as women that play the whore. Or rather
their plight is more miserable. For in the case of the one the
intercourse, even if lawless, is yet according to nature: but this is
contrary both to law and nature. For even if there were no hell, and
no punishment had been threatened, this were worse than any
punishment. Yet if you say "they found pleasure in it," you
tell me
what adds to the vengeance. For suppose I were to see a person
running naked, with his body all besmeared with mire, and yet not
covering himself, but exulting in it, I should not rejoice with him, but
should rather bewail that he did not even perceive that he was doing
shamefully. But that I may show the atrocity in a yet clearer light,
bear with me in one more example. Now if any one condemned a
virgin to live in close dens (qalomeuomenhn), and to have
intercourse with unreasoning brutes, and then she was pleased with
such intercourse, would she not for this be especially a worthy
object of tears, as being unable to be freed from this misery owing to
her not even perceiving the misery? It is plain surely to every one.
But if that were a grievous thing, neither is this less so than that.
For
to be insulted by one's own kinsmen is more piteous than to be so
by strangers: these I say (5 Mss. "I consider") are even worse
than
murderers: since to die even is better than to live under such
insolency. For the murderer dissevers the soul from the body, but
this man ruins the soul with the body. And name what sin you will,
none will you mention equal to this lawlessness. And if they that
suffer such things perceived them, they would accept ten thousand
deaths so they might not suffer this evil. For there is not, there
surely is not, a more grievous evil than this insolent dealing. For if
when discoursing about fornication Paul said, that "Every sin which
a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication
sinneth against his own body" (1 Cor. vi. 18); what shall we say of
this madness, which is so much worse than fornication as cannot
even be expressed? For I should not only say that thou hast become
a woman, but that thou hast lost thy manhood, and hast neither
changed into that nature nor kept that which thou haddest, but thou
hast been a traitor to both of them at once, and deserving both of
men and women to be driven out and stoned, as having wronged
either sex. And that thou mayest learn what the real force of this is,
if
any one were to come and assure you that he would make you a dog
instead of being a man, would you not flee from him as a plague?
But, lo! thou hast not made thyself a dog out of a man, but an animal
more disgraceful than this. For this is useful unto service, but he that
hath thus given himself up is serviceable for nothing. Or again, if any
one threatened to make men travail and be brought to bed, should
we not be filled with indignation? But lo! now they that have run into
this fury have done more grievously by themselves. For it is not the
same thing to change into the nature of women, as to continue a
man and yet to have become a woman; or rather neither this nor that.
But if you would know the enormity of the evil from other grounds,
ask on what account the law-givers punish them that make men
eunuchs, and you will see that it is absolutely for no other reason
than because they mutilate nature. And yet the injustice they do is
nothing to this. For there have been those that were mutilated and
were in many cases useful after their mutilation. But nothing can
there be more worthless than a man who has pandered himself. For
not the soul only, but the body also of one who hath been so treated,
is disgraced, and deserves to be driven out everywhere. How many
hells shall be enough for such? But if thou scoffest at hearing of hell
and believest not that fire, remember Sodom. For we have seen
surely we have seen, even in this present life, a semblance of hell.
For since many would utterly disbelieve the things to come after the
resurrection, hearing now of an unquenchable fire, God brings them
to a right mind by things present. For such is the burning of Sodom,
and that conflagration! And they know it well that have been at the
place, and have seen with their eves that scourge divinely sent, and
the effect of the lightnings from above. (Jude 7.) Consider how great
is that sin, to have forced hell to appear even before its time! For
whereas many thought scorn of His words, by His deeds did God
show them the image thereof in a certain novel way. For that rain
was unwonted, for that the intercourse was contrary to nature, and it
deluged the land, since lust had done so with their souls. Wherefore
also the rain was the opposite of the customary rain. Now not only
did it fail to stir up the womb of the earth to the production of
fruits,
but made it even useless for the reception of seed. For such was
also the intercourse of the men, making a body of this sort more
worthless than the very land of Sodom. And what is there more
detestable than a man who hath pandered himself, or what more
execrable? Oh, what madness! Oh, what distraction! Whence came
this lust lewdly revelling and making man's nature all that enemies
could? or even worse than that, by as much as the soul is better than
the body. Oh, ye that were more senseless than irrational creatures,
and more shameless than dogs! for in no case does such
intercourse take place with them, but nature acknowledgeth her own
limits. But ye have even made our race dishonored below things
irrational, by such indignities inflicted upon and by each other.
Whence then were these evils born? Of luxury; of not knowing God.
For so soon as any have cast out the fear of Him, all that is good
straightway goes to ruin.
Now, that this may not happen, let us keep clear before our eyes the
fear of God. For nothing, surely nothing, so ruins a man as to slip
from this anchor, as nothing saves so much as continually looking
thereto. For if by having a man before our eyes we feel more
backward at doing sins, and often even through feeling abashed at
servants of a better stamp we keep from doing anything amiss,
consider what safety we shall enjoy by having God before our eyes!
For in no case will the Devil attack us when so conditioned, in that
he would be laboring without profit. But should he see us wandering
abroad, and going about without a bridle, by getting a beginning h@
ourselves he will be able to drive us off afterwards any whither. And
as it happens with thoughtless servants at market, who leave the
needful services which their masters have entrusted to them, and
rivet themselves at a mere haphazard to those who fall in their way,
and waste out their leisure there; this also we undergo when we
depart from the commandments of God. For we presently get
standing on, admiring riches, and beauty of person, and the other
things which we have no business with, just as those servants
attend to the beggars that do jugglers' feats, and then, arriving too
late, have to be grievously beaten at home. And many pass the road
set before them through following others, who are behaving in the
same unseemly way. But let not us so do. For we have been sent to
dispatch many affairs that are urgent. And if we leave those, and
stand gaping at these useless things, all our time will be wasted in
vain and to no profit, and we shall suffer the extreme of punishment.
For if you wish yourself to be busy, you have whereat you ought to
wonder, and to gape all your days, things which are no subject for
laughter, but for wondering and manifold praises. As he that admires
things ridiculous, will himself often be such, and even worse than he
that occasioneth the laughter. And that you may not fall into this,
spring away from it forthwith. For why is it, pray, that you stand
gaping and fluttering at sight of riches? What do you see so
wonderful, and able to fix your eyes upon them? these goldharnessed
horses, these lackeys, partly savages, and partly
eunuchs, and costly raiment, and the soul that is getting utterly soft
in all this, and the haughty brow, and the bustlings, and the noise?
And wherein do these things deserve wonder? what are they better
than the beggars that dance and pipe in the market-place? For these
too being taken with a sore famine of virtue, dance a dance more
ridiculous than theirs, led and carried round at one time to costly
tables, at another to the lodging of prostitute women, and at another
to a swarm of flatterers and a host of hangers-on. But if they do wear
gold, this is why they are the most pitiable, because the things which
are nothing to them, are most the subject of their eager desire. Do
not now, I pray, look at their raiment, but open their soul, and
consider if it is not full of countless wounds, and clad with rags, and
destitute, and defenceless! What then is the use of this madness of
shows? for it were much better to be poor and living in virtue, than
to be a king with wickedness; since the poor man in himself enjoys
all the delights of the soul, and doff not even perceive his outward
poverty for his inward riches. But the king, luxurious in those things
which do not at all belong to him, is punished in those things which
are his most real concern, even the soul, the thoughts, and the
conscience, which are to go away with him to the other world. Since
then we know these things, let us lay aside the gilded raiment, let us
take up virtue and the pleasure which comes thereof. For so, both
here and hereafter, shall we come to enjoy great delights, through
the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, through
Whom, and with Whom, be glory t.o the Father, with the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever. Amen.
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