39. For there is less sin, if
people do not praise the sinner in the desires of his soul, and
speak good of him who practiseth iniquities.2604
Now what is more an
iniquity than
to wish to be obeyed by inferiors, and to refuse to obey superiors?
The
Apostle, I mean, not us: insomuch that they even let their
hair
grow long: a matter, of which he would have no disputing at all,
saying, “If any chooseth to be contentious, we have no such
custom, neither the
Church of
God.
2605
Now this I command;”
2606
| 2606 E.V. follows text rec.
τοῦτο δὲ
παραγγελλων οὐκ ἐπαινῶ, but
good mss. and Versions besides the Ital.
and Vulg, have
τοῦτο δὲ παραγγελλω ουκ
ἐπαινῶν, hoc autem
prœcipio non laudans. |
which
gives us to understand that it is not cleverness of reasoning that
we are to look for, but
authority of one giving command to attend
unto. For whereunto, I
pray thee, pertaineth this also, that people
so openly against the
Apostle’s
precepts wear long
hair? Is it
that there must be in such sort vacation, that not even the barbers
are to
work? Or, because they say that they
imitate the
Gospel birds, do they
fear to be, as it were, plucked, lest they be
not able to
fly? I shrink from saying more against this fault, out
of respect for certain long-haired
brethren, in whom, except this,
we find much, and well-nigh every thing, to venerate. But the more
we
love them in
Christ, the more solicitously do we
admonish them.
Nor are we afraid indeed, lest their
humility reject our
admonition; seeing that we also desire to be
admonished by such as
they, wherever we chance to
stumble or to go aside. This then we
admonish so holy men, not to be moved by foolish quibblings of
vain
persons, and
imitate in this perversity them whom in all else they
are
far from resembling. For those persons, hawking about a venal
hypocrisy,
fear lest shorn sanctity be held cheaper than
long-haired; because forsooth he who sees them shall call to
mind
those ancients whom we read of, Samuel and the
rest who did not
cut
off their
hair.
2607
And they
do not consider what is the difference between that prophetic
veil,
and this unveiling which is in the
Gospel, of which the
Apostle
saith, “When thou shall go over
2608
| 2608 Cum transieris. Gr. ἡνίκα δ᾽
ἄν ἐπιστρέψη, sc. ὁ Ἰσραὴλ Chrys. Theod. or
τὶς Origen. |
unto
Christ, the
veil shall be
taken away.”
2609
That,
namely, which was signified in the
veil interposed between the face
of
Moses and the beholding of the people
Israel,
2610
that same was also signified in
those times by the long
hair of the
Saints. For the same
Apostle
saith, that long
hair is also instead of a
veil: by whose
authority
these men are hard pressed. Seeing he saith openly, “If a man
wear long
hair, it is a disgrace to him.” “The very
disgrace,” say they, “we take upon us, for
desert of our
sins:” holding out a screen of simulated
humility, to the end
that under cover of it they may carry on their
trade of
self-importance.
2611
Just as if the
Apostle were
teaching
pride when he says, “Every man praying or prophesying
with veiled head shameth his head;”
2612
and, “A man ought not to
veil
his head, forsomuch as he is the image and
glory of
God.”
2613
Consequently he who says, “Ought not,” knows not perchance how
to
teach humility! However, if this same disgrace in time of the
Gospel, which was a thing of a holy meaning
2614
in time of
Prophecy, be by these
people courted as matter of
humility, then let them be shorn, and
veil their head with haircloth. Only then there will be none of
that attracting of people’s eyes in which they trade,
2615
| 2615 Species illa
venalis |
because
Samson was veiled not with haircloth, but with his long
hair.
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